Role of Proteus mirabilis MR/P fimbriae and flagella in adhesion, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induction in T24 and Vero cells.
Proteus mirabilis is frequently associated with complicated urinary tract infections (UTI). It is proposed that several virulence factors are associated with P. mirabilis uropathogenicity. The aim of this work was to elucidate genotoxic and cytotoxic effects mediated by MR/P fimbriae and flagella in eukaryotic cells in vitro. Two cell lines (kidney- and bladder-derived) were infected with a clinical wild-type P. mirabilis strain and an MR/P and a flagellar mutant. We evaluated adhesion, genotoxicity and cytotoxicity by microscopy, comet assay and triple staining technique, respectively. Mutant strains displayed lower adhesion rates than the P. mirabilis wild-type strain and were significantly less effective to induce genotoxic and cytotoxic effects compared to the wild type. We report for the first time that P. mirabilis MR/P fimbriae and flagella mediate genotoxic and cytotoxic effects on eukaryotic cells, at least in in vitro conditions. These results could contribute to design new strategies for the control of UTI.
Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda.Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay pscavone@gmail.com.
Paola
P
Scavone
Laboratory of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Facultad de Ciencias, UdelaR, Mataojo 4225, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Silvia
S
Villar
Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda.Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Ana
A
Umpiérrez
Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda.Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Pablo
P
Zunino
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D020552:Comet Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D009153:Mutagens / Q000378:metabolism; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D009153:Mutagens
MR/P fimbria; Proteus mirabillis; cytotoxicity; flagella; genotoxicity