scholarly journals Regulation of type 1 fimbriae synthesis and biofilm formation by the transcriptional regulator LrhA of Escherichia coli

Microbiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 151 (10) ◽  
pp. 3287-3298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Blumer ◽  
Alexandra Kleefeld ◽  
Daniela Lehnen ◽  
Margit Heintz ◽  
Ulrich Dobrindt ◽  
...  

Type 1 fimbriae of Escherichia coli facilitate attachment to the host mucosa and promote biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. The transcriptional regulator LrhA, which is known as a repressor of flagellar, motility and chemotaxis genes, regulates biofilm formation and expression of type 1 fimbriae. Whole-genome expression profiling revealed that inactivation of lrhA results in an increased expression of structural components of type 1 fimbriae. In vitro, LrhA bound to the promoter regions of the two fim recombinases (FimB and FimE) that catalyse the inversion of the fimA promoter, and to the invertible element itself. Translational lacZ fusions with these genes and quantification of fimE transcript levels by real-time PCR showed that LrhA influences type 1 fimbrial phase variation, primarily via activation of FimE, which is required for the ON-to-OFF transition of the fim switch. Enhanced type 1 fimbrial expression as a result of lrhA disruption was confirmed by mannose-sensitive agglutination of yeast cells. Biofilm formation was stimulated by lrhA inactivation and completely suppressed upon LrhA overproduction. The effects of LrhA on biofilm formation were exerted via the changed levels of surface molecules, most probably both flagella and type 1 fimbriae. Together, the data show a role for LrhA as a repressor of type 1 fimbrial expression, and thus as a regulator of the initial stages of biofilm development and, presumably, bacterial adherence to epithelial host cells also.

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (8) ◽  
pp. 2408-2417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo A. Lehti ◽  
Philippe Bauchart ◽  
Johanna Heikkinen ◽  
Jörg Hacker ◽  
Timo K. Korhonen ◽  
...  

The mat (or ecp) fimbrial operon is ubiquitous and conserved in Escherichia coli, but its functions remain poorly described. In routine growth media newborn meningitis isolates of E. coli express the meningitis-associated and temperature-regulated (Mat) fimbria, also termed E. coli common pilus (ECP), at 20 °C, and here we show that the six-gene (matABCDEF)-encoded Mat fimbria is needed for temperature-dependent biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. The matBCDEF deletion mutant of meningitis E. coli IHE 3034 was defective in an early stage of biofilm development and consequently unable to establish a detectable biofilm, contrasting with IHE 3034 derivatives deleted for flagella, type 1 fimbriae or S-fimbriae, which retained the wild-type biofilm phenotype. Furthermore, induced production of Mat fimbriae from expression plasmids enabled biofilm-deficient E. coli K-12 cells to form biofilm at 20 °C. No biofilm was detected with IHE 3034 or MG1655 strains grown at 37 °C. The surface expression of Mat fimbriae and the frequency of Mat-positive cells in the IHE 3034 population from 20 °C were high and remained unaltered during the transition from planktonic to biofilm growth and within the matured biofilm community. Considering the prevalence of the highly conserved mat locus in E. coli genomes, we hypothesize that Mat fimbria-mediated biofilm formation is an ancestral characteristic of E. coli.


1985 ◽  
Vol 82 (17) ◽  
pp. 5724-5727 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Abraham ◽  
C. S. Freitag ◽  
J. R. Clements ◽  
B. I. Eisenstein

2001 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken-Ichiro Iida ◽  
Yoshimitsu Mizunoe ◽  
Sun Nyunt Wai ◽  
Shin-Ichi Yoshida

ABSTRACT Type 1 fimbriae can be expressed by most Escherichia coli strains and mediate mannose-sensitive (MS) adherence to mammalian epithelial cells. However, the role of type 1 fimbriae in enteric pathogenesis has been unclear. Expression of type 1 fimbriae inE. coli is phase variable and is associated with the inversion of a short DNA element (fim switch). Forty-six strains of diarrheagenic E. coli were examined for the expression of type 1 fimbriae. Only four of these strains were originally type 1 fimbriated. Seventeen strains, originally nonfimbriated, expressed type 1 fimbriae in association with off-to-on inversion of the fim switch, after serial passages in static culture. The switching frequencies of these strains, from fimbriate to nonfimbriate, were greater than that of the laboratory strain E. coli K-12. None of the 16 strains of serovar O157:H7 or O157:H− expressed type 1 fimbriae after serial passages in static culture. The nucleotide sequence analysis of thefim switch region revealed that all of the O157:H7 and O157:H− strains had a 16-bp deletion in the invertible element, and the fim switch was locked in the “off” orientation. The results suggest that expression of type 1 fimbriae may be regulated differently in different E. coli pathogens causing enteric infections.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles M. Dozois ◽  
Hajer Habouria ◽  
Hicham Bessaiah ◽  
Julie Buron ◽  
Sébastien Houle

Fimbrial adhesins play a critical role for bacterial adherence and biofilm formation. Sequencing of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain QT598 identified a fimbrial gene cluster belonging to the π group that wenamed PL (P-like) fimbriae, since genetic organization and sequence are similar to Pap and related fimbriae. Screening of genomic databases indicated that genes encoding PL fimbriae located on IncF plasmids are present in a diversity of E. coli isolates from poultry, human systemic infections, and other sources. As with P fimbriae, PL fimbriae exhibit sequence divergence in adhesin encoding genes, and strains could be divided into 5 classes based on differences in sequences of the PlfG adhesin protein. The plf genes from two predominant PlfG adhesin classes, PlfG-I and PlfG-II were cloned. PL fimbriae were visualized by electron microscopy, promoted biofilm formation, demonstrated distinct hemagglutination profiles and promoted adherence to human bladder and kidney epithelial cell lines. Hybrid fimbriae comprised of genes from plfQT598 wherein plfG was replaced by papG encoding adhesin genes were also shown to be functional and mediate adherence to epithelial cells, further indicating similarity and functional compatibility between these two types of fimbriae. Although deletion of plf genes did not significantly reduce colonization of the mouse urinary tract, plf gene expression was increased over 40-fold in the bladder compared to during in vitro culture. Overall, PL fimbriae represent a new group of fimbriae demonstrating both functional differences and similarities to P fimbriae and may contribute to adherence to cells and colonization of host tissues.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 2185-2194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed S. Ahmadi ◽  
Hiu Ham Lee ◽  
David A. Sanchez ◽  
Adam J. Friedman ◽  
Moses T. Tar ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCandida albicansis a leading nosocomial pathogen. Today, candidal biofilms are a significant cause of catheter infections, and such infections are becoming increasingly responsible for the failure of medical-implanted devices.C. albicansforms biofilms in which fungal cells are encased in an autoproduced extracellular polysaccharide matrix. Consequently, the enclosed fungi are protected from antimicrobial agents and host cells, providing a unique niche conducive to robust microbial growth and a harbor for recurring infections. Here we demonstrate that a recently developed platform comprised of nanoparticles that release therapeutic levels of nitric oxide (NO-np) inhibits candidal biofilm formation, destroys the extracellular polysaccharide matrices of mature fungal biofilms, and hinders biofilm development on surface biomaterials such as the lumen of catheters. We found NO-np to decrease both the metabolic activity of biofilms and the cell viability ofC. albicansin vitroandin vivo. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis found NO-np to induce apoptosis in biofilm yeast cellsin vitro. Moreover, NO-np behave synergistically when used in combination with established antifungal drug therapies. Here we propose NO-np as a novel treatment modality, especially in combination with standard antifungals, for the prevention and/or remediation of fungal biofilms on central venous catheters and other medical devices.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 794-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Graham ◽  
J. B. S. Leathart ◽  
S. J. Keegan ◽  
J. Pearson ◽  
A. Bint ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli isolates from patients with bacteriuria of pregnancy were compared by PCR with isolates from patients with community-acquired cystitis for the presence of established virulence determinants. The strains from patients with bacteriuria of pregnancy were less likely to carry genes for P-family, S-family, and F1C adhesins, cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1, and aerobactin, but virtually all of the strains carried the genes for type 1 fimbriae. Standard mannose-sensitive agglutination of yeast cells showed that only 15 of 42 bacteriuria strains (36%) expressed type 1 fimbriae compared with 32 of 42 strains from community-acquired symptomatic infections (76%) (P < 0.01). This difference was confirmed by analysis of all isolates for an allele of the type 1 fimbrial regulatory region (fim switch), which negates type 1 fimbrial expression by preventing the fimswitch from being inverted to the on phase. This allele,fimS49, was found in 8 of 47 bacteriuria strains from pregnant women (17.0%) compared with 2 of 60 strains isolated from patients with cystitis (3.3%) (P < 0.05). Determination of the phase switch orientation in vivo by analysis of freshly collected infected urine from patients with bacteriuria showed that the fim switch was detectable in the off orientation in 17 of 23 urine samples analyzed (74%). These data indicate that type 1 fimbriae are not necessary to maintain the majority of E. coli bacteriurias in pregnant women since there appears to be selection against their expression in this particular group. This is in contrast to the considered role of this adhesin in community-acquired symptomatic infections. The lack of type 1 fimbria expression is likely to contribute to the asymptomatic nature of bacteriuria in pregnant women, although approximately one-third of the bacteriuria isolates do possess key virulence determinants. If left untreated, this subset of isolates pose the greatest threat to the health of the mother and unborn child.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (o3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Abdulkareem Ali ◽  
Ruqayah Qubtan Taha

Adhesion is an influential step for bacterial vigor in clinical micro-environments, type 1 fimbriae are essential virulence factors help uropathogenic E. coli in invasion and colonization of uroepithelial cells, the first step of UTIs and biofilm formation. Type 1 fimbriae of E. coli contain FimH protein at the tip encoding via fimH gene cluster, this study was conducted for determination the fimH gene distribution in uro-pathogenic E. coli isolated from UTIs patients. The results of adhesion assay show that (83.6%) of uropathogenic E. coli were high adherent isolates. While the results of E. coli fimH gene amplification prove that, of all E. coli isolates, the fimH gene was found in (87.1%), while among high adherent isolates it was found in (92.6%), and that Shows the function of type 1 fimbriae in the colonization and infection of urinary tracts in addition to other adhesions virulence agents of uropathogenic E. coli.


1983 ◽  
Vol 158 (4) ◽  
pp. 1114-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
S N Abraham ◽  
D L Hasty ◽  
W A Simpson ◽  
E H Beachey

The relationship between the structure and biological function of type 1 fimbriae of Escherichia coli was investigated using a set of monoclonal antibodies directed against conformation-specific antigenic determinants. Of three monoclonal antibodies tested, only one (clone CD3) prevented adhesion of the vaccine strain to epithelial cells or guinea pig erythrocytes. The antibody produced by CD3, but not that produced by the other two hybridoma clones (AA8 and GG1), precipitated isolated fimbriae by double diffusion in agar gel and was shown to bind in a highly discrete, periodic manner along the length of each of the fimbriae by immunoelectron microscopy. Immunoelectroblots of type 1 fimbrial subunits and polymers electrophoresed in SDS-gels indicated that the antibodies in AA8 and GG1 reacted only with fimbrial monomers (mol wt 17,000), whereas the antibody in CD3 reacted only with polymers of mol wt 102,000 (hexamers) or higher. ELISA inhibition assays demonstrated that dissociated fimbrial subunits lost their reactivity with antibody CD3 but gained reactivity with antibodies AA8 and GG1. Conversely, when allowed to reassemble in vitro in the presence of 5 mM MgCl2, the reassembled fimbriae lost their reactivity with antibodies AA8 and GG1 but regained reactivity with antibody CD3. These results demonstrated that certain antigenic epitopes are dependent on quaternary structural determinants, whereas others are independent of quaternary fimbrial structure and also are inaccessible for antibody binding in fimbriae once they have been assembled. These monoclonal antibodies should prove useful in studies of the structural determinants of the biological function of type 1 fimbriae as well as in studies of fimbrial synthesis, transport, and assembly.


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