Open AccessMagnesium ions are required for HEp‐2 cell adhesion by enteroaggregative strains of Escherichia coli O126:H27 and O44:H18
Author(s) -
Chart Henrik,
Spencer Janice,
Smith Henry R.,
Rowe Bernard
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb10265.x
Subject(s) - enteroaggregative escherichia coli , escherichia coli , bacterial outer membrane , adhesion , magnesium , microbiology and biotechnology , membrane , chemistry , serotype , ion , enterobacteriaceae , biology , biochemistry , gene , organic chemistry
Enteroaggregative strains of Escherichia coli , belonging to serotypes O44:H18 and O126:H27, were used to show that magnesium ions were essential for the adhesion of these enteroaggregative strains to HEp‐2 cells. The removal of Mg 2+ ions from culture media was correlated with the inability of strains to produce an outer membrane‐associated protein of 18 kDa and a pellicle. It was concluded that magnesium ions were directly involved with the expression of an 18 kDa outer membrane‐associated protein by strains of E. coli O126:H27 and O44:H18, and that the outer membrane‐associated protein was involved in both HEp‐2 adhesion and pellicle formation.