Molecular evidence for pap-G specific adhesion of Escherichia coli to human renal cells.
OBJECTIVE
To study the interaction between class II G-adhesin of Escherichia coli and human urogenital cells.


METHODS
The adherence of two wild type P-fimbriated E. coli strains, both carrying a class II G-adhesion, and two constructed mutants (one class II G-adhesion knock-out mutant and one class switch mutant in which the papG gene was exchanged with a prsJ96 allele which is a representative of the class III G-adhesin) to human urogenital cells were examined by light microscopy and flow cytometry.


RESULTS
The wild type E. coli strains adhered avidly to proximal tubular cells, but the isogenic mutant strains did only adhere in one of the experiments. A soluble receptor analogue inhibited bacterial attachment.


CONCLUSIONS
These experiments strongly suggest that the papG class II tip adhesin of P-fimbriae is essential in the pathogenesis of human kidney infection.
Söderhäll
M
M
Department of Nephrology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bergerheim
U S
US
Jacobson
S H
SH
Lundahl
J
J
Möllby
R
R
Normark
S
S
Winberg
J
J
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology*; D009154:Mutation
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; C092426:PapG protein, E coli; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins