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Role of Internalization in the Pathogenicity of Shiga Toxin‐Producing Escherichia coli Infection in a Gnotobiotic Murine Model
Author(s) -
Aiba Yuji,
Ishikawa Hiroki,
Shimizu Keiko,
Noda Satoshi,
Kitada Yukie,
Sasaki Masafumi,
Koga Yasuhiro
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2002.tb02757.x
Subject(s) - internalization , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , escherichia coli , shiga toxin , toxin , bacteria , in vivo , ex vivo , antibody , shiga like toxin , virology , immunology , cell , biochemistry , genetics , gene
We investigated the role of bacterial internalization in the killing caused by Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection using a gnotobiotic murine model. A high number of internalized STEC was found in the colonic epithelial cells of STEC‐infected mice by both an ex vivo assay and transmission electron microscopy. Most of these mice were killed within 10 days after infection. However, the implantation of lactic acid bacteria in such mice before infection markedly decreased the number of internalized STECs and also completely protected these hosts from killing by a STEC infection. The inhibition of such internalization by immunoglobulin also prevented the hosts from being killed. The Shiga toxin levels in these hosts indicated an inhibition of the penetration of Shiga toxins produced in the colon to the underlying tissue. These results suggested that the internalization plays an important role in the pathogenicity caused by STEC infection in a gnotobiotic murine model.