Neither motility nor chemotaxis plays a role in the ability of Escherichia coli F-18 to colonize the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine.
Escherichia coli F-18, isolated from the feces of a healthy human in 1977, is an excellent colonizer of the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine and displays normal motility and chemotaxis ability. A chemotaxis-defective derivative of E. coli F-18, E, coli F-18 CheA-, and a nonflagellated derivative, E. coli F-18 Fla-, were constructed. These strains were found to colonize the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine as well as E. coli F-18 when mice were fed both E. coli F-18 and either the CheA- or Fla- derivative at high levels (10(10) CFU of each strain per mouse) or low levels (10(4) CFU of each strain per mouse). Furthermore, E. coli F-18 lost motility and chemotaxis ability when grown in colonic or cecal mucus in vitro despite retaining the ability to synthesize flagella. Thus, it appears that neither motility nor chemotaxis plays a role in the ability of E. coli F-18 to colonize because this strain becomes functionally nonmotile upon growth in the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine.
Department of Microbiology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881.
B A
BA
McCormick
D C
DC
Laux
P S
PS
Cohen
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D002633:Chemotaxis; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006801:Humans; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013307:Streptomycin