title: Growth of Helicobacter pylori in a long spiral form does not alter expression of immunodominant proteins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have previously reported that altered culture conditions (a broth media with shaking) could induce a strain of Helicobacter pylori to assume a long spiral morphology resembling that described for Helicobacter heilmannii. The present study was initiated to determine if other strains of H. pylori could be induced to assume that morphology and if doing so would alter the expression of immunodominant proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The six strains used in this study were American Type Culture Collection 43504, 43579, 49503, 51652, and 51653, and Sydney Strain I. Each strain was grown on solid media and in broth culture using conditions previously shown to induce the long spiral morphology in strain 43504. DNA from each was subjected to urease gene fingerprint analysis. Results of the molecular analysis showed identical fingerprint patterns for each strain independent of culture source, indicating that only a single strain was present in each culture. Expression of immunodominant proteins was assessed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting with hyperimmune rabbit anti H. pylori sera or serum from an H. pylori infected patient. Analysis of protein profiles revealed some variation between strains but no significant differences associated with morphologic alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that growth of H. pylori in a long spiral form does not affect expression of immunodominant proteins, thus in vivo growth in the long spiral form (not documented to date) would not be distinguishable by serology.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Laboratory, Department of Research, Alfred I, duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA. kvinette@nemours.org
authors.forename: Kathleen M B
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Vinette
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Proujansky
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Fawcett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015870:Gene Expression; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes