Open AccessMolecular and ultrastructural characterisation of EspA from different enteropathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes
Author(s) -
Neves Bianca C,
Knutton Stuart,
Trabulsi Luiz R,
Sperandio Vanessa,
Kaper James B,
Dougan Gordon,
Frankel Gad
Publication year - 1998
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.1574-6968.1998.tb13301.x
Subject(s) - intimin , enteropathogenic escherichia coli , biology , pathogenicity island , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , type three secretion system , enterocyte , locus (genetics) , gene , enterobacteriaceae , virulence , genetics , small intestine , biochemistry
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) encode a type III secretion system located on a pathogenicity island known as the locus for enterocyte effacement. Four proteins are known to be exported by this type III secretion system – EspA, EspB and EspD required for subversion of host cell signal transduction pathways and a translocated intimin receptor protein (Tir) required for intimin‐mediated intimate attachment and attaching and effacing lesion formation. The espA gene is located within the locus for enterocyte effacement and the EspA polypeptide from the prototype EPEC strain E2348/69 (O127:H6) has recently been shown to be a component of a filamentous structure involved in bacteria‐host cell interaction and locus for enterocyte effacement‐encoded protein translocation involved in attaching and effacing lesion formation. In this study we have extended our investigation of EspA to strains belonging to other classical EPEC serotypes. DNA sequencing demonstrated that the espA gene from the different EPEC strains share at least 65% DNA identity. In addition, we detected morphologically and antigenically similar EspA filaments in all but one of the bacterial strains examined including recombinant, non‐pathogenic E. coli expressing espA from a cloned locus for enterocyte effacement region (HB101(pCVD462)).