title: The serine protease Pic as a virulence factor of atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.
abstract: Autotransporter proteins (AT) are associated with bacterial virulence attributes. Originally identified in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), Shigella flexneri 2a and uropathogenic E. coli, the serine protease Pic is one of these AT. We have previously detected one atypical enteropathogenic E. coli strain (BA589) carrying the pic gene. In the present study, we characterized the biological activities of Pic produced by BA589 both in vitro and in vivo. Contrarily to other Pic-producers bacteria, pic in BA589 is located on a high molecular weight plasmid. PicBA589 was able to agglutinate rabbit erythrocytes, cleave mucin and degrade complement system molecules. BA589 was able to colonize mice intestines, and an intense mucus production was observed. The BA589Δpic mutant lost the capacity to colonize as well as the above-mentioned in vitro activities. Thus, Pic represents an additional virulence factor in aEPEC strain BA589, associated with adherence, colonization and evasion from the innate immune system.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.|b Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Federal University of Maranhão , São Luís, Brazil.
authors.forename: Afonso G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Cell Biology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Cecilia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Kamila O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia T P
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.affiliation: d Department of Cell Biology , Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) , Mexico DF , Mexico.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chavez-Dueñas
authors.affiliation: d Department of Cell Biology , Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) , Mexico DF , Mexico.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Navarro-Garcia
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Angela S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Roxane M F
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Bacteriology, Butantan Institute , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Waldir P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Elias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D054308:Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D009077:Mucins; D037521:Virulence Factors; C541114:Pic protein, E coli; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases
keywords: Pic; SPATE; atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli; colonization; complement system