Open AccessAdhesion of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli to host cells
Author(s) -
Nougayrède JeanPhilippe,
Fernandes Paula J.,
Donnenberg Michael S.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1046/j.1462-5822.2003.00281.x
Subject(s) - intimin , bacterial adhesin , biology , enteropathogenic escherichia coli , pilus , microbiology and biotechnology , secretion , receptor , escherichia coli , bacterial outer membrane , enterobacteriaceae , biochemistry , gene
Summary Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) adhere to the intestinal mucosa and to tissue culture cells in a distinctive fashion, destroying microvilli, altering the cytoskeleton and attaching intimately to the host cell membrane in a manner termed the attaching and effacing effect. Typical EPEC strains also form three‐dimensional microcolonies in a pattern termed localized adherence. Attaching and effacing, and in particular intimate attachment requires an outer membrane adhesin called intimin, which binds to the translocated intimin receptor, Tir. Tir is produced by the bacteria and delivered to the host cell via a type III secretion system. In addition to this well‐established adhesin‐receptor pair, numerous other adhesin interactions between EPEC and host cells have been described including those between intimin and cellular receptors and those involving a bundle‐forming pilus and flagella and unknown receptors. Much additional work is needed before a full understanding of EPEC adhesion to host cells comes to light.