Feeding by mucin and intestinal growth of some enteric bacterial pathogens.
Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi-murium, Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri, as well as E. coli K-12 show dose dependent growth in minimal medium completed with purified hog gastric "Granular Mucin". This ability is based on alpha-galactosidase production: defective, melibiose (and galactose) non-fermenting K-12 mutant were unable to utilize mucin. The viability of the parent K-12 strain in the cecal content of mice is significantly higher than that of its Mel- mutant phenotype. In mixed infections of mice the parent strain was the only one to be able to establish a monoflora against its Mel- or Gal- mutants. Among other mechanisms, the growing ability in the intestinal mucous layer may be an additional virulence factor when the enteric pathogens are exposed to a competitive antagonism of the normal flora.
Kétyi
I
I
Institute of Microbiology, University Medical School, Pécs.
D000818:Animals; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections; D005752:Gastric Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D012760:Shigella / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013045:Species Specificity; D014774:Virulence; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D005752:Gastric Mucins; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase