title: Disassembly of F-actin cytoskeleton after interaction of Bacillus cereus with fully differentiated human intestinal Caco-2 cells.
abstract: In the present study, the role of direct procaryote-eucaryote interactions in the virulence of Bacillus cereus was investigated. As a model of human enterocytes, differentiated Caco-2 cells were used. Infection of fully differentiated Caco-2 cells with B. cereus in the exponential phase of growth, in order to minimize the concentration of spores or sporulating microorganisms, shows that a strain-dependent cytopathic effect develops. Interestingly, addition of 3-h-old cultures of some strains resulted in complete detachment of the cultured cells after a 3-h infection whereas no such effect was found after a 3-h infection with 16-h-old cultures. Infection of enterocyte-like cells with B. cereus leads to disruption of the F-actin network and necrosis. Even though the effect of secreted factors cannot be ruled out, direct eucaryote-procaryote interaction seems to be necessary. In addition, we observed that some B. cereus strains were able to be internalized in Caco-2 cells. Our findings add a new insight into the mechanisms of virulence of B. cereus in the context of intestinal infection.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos, Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minnaard
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lievin-Le Moal
authors.forename: Marie-Helene
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Coconnier
authors.forename: Alain L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Servin
authors.forename: Pablo F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000199:Actins