title: Sulfatide recognition by colonization factor antigen CS6 from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
abstract: The first step in the pathogenesis of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections is adhesion of the bacterium to the small intestinal epithelium. Adhesion of ETEC is mediated by a number of antigenically distinct colonization factors, and among these, one of the most commonly detected is the non-fimbrial adhesin coli surface antigen 6 (CS6). The potential carbohydrate recognition by CS6 was investigated by binding of recombinant CS6-expressing E. coli and purified CS6 protein to a large number of variant glycosphingolipids separated on thin-layer chromatograms. Thereby, a highly specific binding of the CS6-expressing E. coli, and the purified CS6 protein, to sulfatide (SO(3)-3Galbeta1Cer) was obtained. The binding of the CS6 protein and CS6-expressing bacteria to sulfatide was inhibited by dextran sulfate, but not by dextran, heparin, galactose 4-sulfate or galactose 6-sulfate. When using recombinantly expressed and purified CssA and CssB subunits of the CS6 complex, sulfatide binding was obtained with the CssB subunit, demonstrating that the glycosphingolipid binding capacity of CS6 resides within this subunit. CS6-binding sulfatide was present in the small intestine of species susceptible to CS6-mediated infection, e.g. humans and rabbits, but lacking in species not affected by CS6 ETEC, e.g. mice. The ability of CS6-expressing ETEC to adhere to sulfatide in target small intestinal epithelium may thus contribute to virulence.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jarefjäll
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebens
authors.forename: Ann-Mari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Svennerholm
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teneberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D011485:Protein Binding; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C098406:CS6 antigen, E coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D021122:Protein Subunits; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids; C022924:colonization factor antigens; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins