Flagella-mediated bacterial motility accelerates but is not required for Salmonella serotype Enteritidis invasion of differentiated Caco-2 cells.
The relative contributions of the flagellum and the flagella-associated bacterial motility in the invasion of Caco-2 cells by Salmonella serotype Enteritidis were investigated using an fliC mutant defective in flagellin production and a motA mutant that carries flagella but is non-motile. Infection assays demonstrated that, at 1 h of infection, both the fliC and the motA mutants were severely impaired in bacterial invasion compared to the parental strain. Infection assays at 3 h infection demonstrated virtually equal invasion levels for both non-motile mutants and the parental strain. Together these data suggest that flagella-mediated bacterial motility accelerates the invasion of Salmonella but is not required for the invasion event per se.
van Asten
Fons J A M
FJ
Department of Pathobiology, Division Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, PO Box 80.158, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands. f.asten@vet.uu.nl
Hendriks
Henno G C J M
HG
Koninkx
Jos F J G
JF
van Dijk
Jaap E
JE
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018938:Caco-2 Cells / Q000821:virology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement; D009154:Mutation; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D012703:Serotyping