title: Genomic recombination through plasmid-encoded recombinase enhances hemolytic activity and adherence to epithelial cells in the periodontopathogenic bacterium Eikenella corrodens.
abstract: The periodontopathogenic bacterium Eikenella corrodens has an N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc)-specific lectin, that contributes significantly to the pathogenicity of the bacterium. Recently, we reported that plasmid-mediated genomic recombination enhances the activity of this lectin. In this study, we investigated the effects of genomic recombination on certain virulence factors. Introduction of the recombinase gene resulted in hemolysis and significantly increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells. It was suggested that the enhanced adhesion was attributable to increased lectin activity due to genomic recombination, because it was inhibited by the addition of GalNAc. In contrast, invasion of the epithelial cells was remarkably reduced by genomic recombination. Although we assumed that this decrease in invasion resulted from a loss of type-IV pili, the phase variant did not show any decrease in invasion activity. This suggests that type-IV pili do not contribute to the invasive ability of E. corrodens. Our results suggest that genomic recombination enhances the pathogenicity of E. corrodens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakayuki
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noiri
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebisu
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azakami
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000235:genetics*; D016124:Eikenella corrodens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007624:KB Cells; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D045522:Recombinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D045522:Recombinases; D037521:Virulence Factors