title: Role of lipooligosaccharide in Opa-independent invasion of Neisseria gonorrhoeae into human epithelial cells.
abstract: Lipooligosaccharide (LOS) has been implicated in the adhesion and invasion of host epithelial cells. We examined the adhesive and invasive abilities of isogenic gonococcal opacity-associated outer membrane protein-negative, pilus-positive (Opa-Pil+) Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains expressing genetically defined LOS. Strain F62 (Opa-Pil+), expressing the lacto-N-neotetraose and the galNac-lacto-N-neotetraose LOS, and its isogenic derivative that expressed only the lacto-N-neotetraose LOS (F62 Delta lgtD), adhered to, and invaded, to the same extent the human cervical epidermoid carcinoma cell line, ME180. While the adhesive abilities of Opa-Pil+ isogenic strains that express LOS molecules lacking the lacto-N-neotetraose structure were similar to that seen for F62, their invasive abilities were much lower than the strains expressing lacto-N-neotetraose. Fluorescence microscopy studies showed that the adherence of F62, but not the strains lacking lacto-N-neotetraose, induced the rearrangement of actin filaments under the adherent sites. Electron microscopy studies demonstrated that F62, but not the strains lacking lacto-N-neotetraose, formed extensive and intimate associations with epithelial cell membranes. Thus, in the absence of detectable Opa protein, the lacto-N-neotetraose LOS promotes gonococcal invasion into ME180 cells. The data also suggest that LOS is involved in the mobilization of actin filaments in host cells, and in the formation of a direct interaction between the bacterial outer membrane and the plasma membrane of ME180 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. ws98@usmail.umd.edu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; C023023:lipid-linked oligosaccharides; C050308:opacity proteins; D015638:Cytochalasin D