Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli vs. Shigella flexneri: how different patterns of gene expression affect virulence.
Important features of the enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) phenotype and gene expression likely to confer EIEC with a lower ability to cause disease than Shigella flexneri were described here for the first time. To confirm the lower pathogenicity of EIEC, we have analyzed the keratoconjunctivitis developed in guinea-pigs with EIEC or S. flexneri. Shigella flexneri induced a more pronounced proinflammatory response, whereas EIEC induced a mild form of the disease. EIEC showed a significantly less efficient cell-to-cell Caco-2 dissemination when compared with S. flexneri. Plaques formed by EIEC during intercellular spreading were four times smaller than those formed by S. flexneri. At the molecular level, the lower expression of virulence genes by EIEC during infection of Caco-2 cells highlighted the importance of effective gene transcription for bacterial pathogenicity.
Moreno
Ana Carolina Ramos
AC
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ferreira
Lucas Gonçalves
LG
Martinez
Marina Baquerizo
MB
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000382:microbiology; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors