Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 4 encodes a giant non-fimbrial adhesin and the cognate type 1 secretion system

Cell Microbiol. 2007 Jul;9(7):1834-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2007.00919.x. Epub 2007 Mar 26.

Abstract

Pathogenicity Islands play a major role in the pathogenesis of infections by Salmonella enterica. The molecular function of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 4 (SPI4) is largely unknown, but recent work indicated a role of SPI4 for Salmonella pathogenesis in certain animal models. We analysed the virulence functions of SPI4 and observed that SPI4 is contributing to intestinal inflammation in a mouse model. On a cellular level, SPI4 mediates adhesion to epithelial cells. We demonstrate the function of SPI4-encoded proteins as a type I secretion system (T1SS) and identify SiiE as the substrate protein of the T1SS. SiiE is secreted into the culture medium but mediates contact-dependent adhesion to epithelial cell surfaces. SiiE is a very large non-fimbrial adhesin of 600 kDa and consists of 53 repeats of Ig domains. Our study describes the first T1SS-secreted protein that functions as a non-fimbrial adhesin in binding to eukaryotic cells. The SPI4-encoded T1SS and SiiE might functionally resemble the type I fimbrial adhesins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Line
  • Colitis / microbiology
  • Genomic Islands*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Macrophages
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Rabbits
  • Salmonella Infections, Animal / microbiology
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics
  • Salmonella typhimurium / metabolism
  • Salmonella typhimurium / pathogenicity*
  • Virulence Factors

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Virulence Factors