scholarly journals Uptake of Helicobacter pylori Vesicles Is Facilitated by Clathrin-Dependent and Clathrin-Independent Endocytic Pathways

mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie Olofsson ◽  
Lars Nygård Skalman ◽  
Ikenna Obi ◽  
Richard Lundmark ◽  
Anna Arnqvist
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effector Molecules ◽  
Chemical Inhibition ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Endocytic Pathways

ABSTRACTBacteria shed a diverse set of outer membrane vesicles that function as transport vehicles to deliver effector molecules and virulence factors to host cells.Helicobacter pyloriis a gastric pathogen that infects half of the world’s population, and in some individuals the infection progresses into peptic ulcer disease or gastric cancer. Here we report that intact vesicles fromH. pyloriare internalized by clathrin-dependent endocytosis and further dynamin-dependent processes, as well as in a cholesterol-sensitive manner. We analyzed the uptake ofH. pylorivesicles by gastric epithelial cells using a method that we refer to as quantification of internalized substances (qIS). The qIS assay is based on a near-infrared dye with a cleavable linker that enables the specific quantification of internalized substances after exposure to reducing conditions. Both chemical inhibition and RNA interference in combination with the qIS assay showed thatH. pylorivesicles enter gastric epithelial cells via both clathrin-mediated endocytosis and additional endocytic processes that are dependent on dynamin. Confocal microscopy revealed thatH. pylorivesicles colocalized with clathrin and dynamin II and with markers of subsequent endosomal and lysosomal trafficking. Interestingly, however, knockdown of components required for caveolae had no significant effect on internalization and knockdown of components required for clathrin-independent carrier (CLIC) endocytosis increased internalization ofH. pylorivesicles. Furthermore, uptake of vesicles by both clathrin-dependent and -independent pathways was sensitive to depletion, but not sequestering, of cholesterol in the host cell membrane suggesting that membrane fluidity influences the efficiency ofH. pylorivesicle uptake.IMPORTANCEBacterial vesicles act as long-distance tools to deliver toxins and effector molecules to host cells. Vesicles can cause a variety of host cell responses via cell surface-induced cell signaling or internalization. Vesicles of diverse bacterial species enter host cells via different endocytic pathways or via membrane fusion. With the combination of a fluorescence-based quantification assay that quantifies internalized vesicles in a large number of cells and either chemical inhibition or RNA interference, we show that clathrin-mediated endocytosis is the major pathway for uptake ofHelicobacter pylorivesicles and that lipid microdomains of the host cell membrane affect uptake of vesicles via clathrin-independent pathways. Our results provide important insights about membrane fluidity and its important role in the complex process that directs theH. pylorivesicle to a specific endocytic pathway. Understanding the mechanisms that operate in vesicle-host interactions is important to fully recognize the impact of vesicles in pathogenesis.

scholarly journals The Helicobacter pylori Autotransporter ImaA Tempers the Bacterium's Interaction with α5β1 Integrin

2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Sause ◽  
Daniela Keilberg ◽  
Soufiane Aboulhouda ◽  
Karen M. Ottemann
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Α5β1 Integrin ◽  
Cell Interface

ABSTRACT The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori uses the host receptor α5β1 integrin to trigger inflammation in host cells via its cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI) type IV secretion system (T4SS). Here, we report that the H. pylori ImaA protein (HP0289) decreases the action of the cag PAI T4SS via tempering the bacterium's interaction with α5β1 integrin. Previously, imaA-null mutants were found to induce an elevated inflammatory response that was dependent on the cag PAI T4SS; here we extend those findings to show that the elevated response is independent of the CagA effector protein. To understand how ImaA could be affecting cag PAI T4SS activity at the host cell interface, we utilized the Phyre structural threading program and found that ImaA has a region with remote homology to bacterial integrin-binding proteins. This region was required for ImaA function. Unexpectedly, we observed that imaA mutants bound higher levels of α5β1 integrin than wild-type H. pylori, an outcome that required the predicted integrin-binding homology region of ImaA. Lastly, we report that ImaA directly affected the amount of host cell β1 integrin but not other cellular integrins. Our results thus suggest a model in which H. pylori employs ImaA to regulate interactions between integrin and the T4SS and thus alter the host inflammatory strength.

scholarly journals Chemokines and Antimicrobial Peptides Have acag-Dependent Early Response to Helicobacter pylori Infection in Primary Human Gastric Epithelial Cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 2881-2889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Mustapha ◽  
Isabelle Paris ◽  
Magali Garcia ◽  
Cong Tri Tran ◽  
Julie Cremniter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Inflammatory Mediator ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloriinfection systematically causes chronic gastric inflammation that can persist asymptomatically or evolve toward more severe gastroduodenal pathologies, such as ulcer, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric cancer. Thecagpathogenicity island (cagPAI) ofH. pyloriallows translocation of the virulence protein CagA and fragments of peptidoglycan into host cells, thereby inducing production of chemokines, cytokines, and antimicrobial peptides. In order to characterize the inflammatory response toH. pylori, a new experimental protocol for isolating and culturing primary human gastric epithelial cells was established using pieces of stomach from patients who had undergone sleeve gastrectomy. Isolated cells expressed markers indicating that they were mucin-secreting epithelial cells. Challenge of primary epithelial cells withH. pyloriB128 underscored early dose-dependent induction of expression of mRNAs of the inflammatory mediators CXCL1 to -3, CXCL5, CXCL8, CCL20, BD2, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). In AGS cells, significant expression of only CXCL5 and CXCL8 was observed following infection, suggesting that these cells were less reactive than primary epithelial cells. Infection of both cellular models withH. pyloriB128ΔcagM, acagPAI mutant, resulted in weak inflammatory-mediator mRNA induction. At 24 h after infection of primary epithelial cells withH. pylori, inflammatory-mediator production was largely due tocagPAI substrate-independent virulence factors. Thus,H. pyloricagPAI substrate appears to be involved in eliciting an epithelial response during the early phases of infection. Afterwards, other virulence factors of the bacterium take over in development of the inflammatory response. Using a relevant cellular model, this study provides new information on the modulation of inflammation duringH. pyloriinfection.

scholarly journals Lactobacilli Reduce Helicobacter pylori Attachment to Host Gastric Epithelial Cells by Inhibiting Adhesion Gene Expression

2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1526-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nele de Klerk ◽  
Lisa Maudsdotter ◽  
Hanna Gebreegziabher ◽  
Sunil D. Saroj ◽  
Beatrice Eriksson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Binding Capacity ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effector Molecule ◽  
H Pylori

The human gastrointestinal tract, including the harsh environment of the stomach, harbors a large variety of bacteria, of whichLactobacillusspecies are prominent members. The molecular mechanisms by which species of lactobacilli interfere with pathogen colonization are not fully characterized. In this study, we aimed to study the effect of lactobacillus strains upon the initial attachment ofHelicobacter pylorito host cells. Here we report a novel mechanism by which lactobacilli inhibit adherence of the gastric pathogenH. pylori. In a screen withLactobacillusisolates, we found that only a few could reduce adherence ofH. pylorito gastric epithelial cells. Decreased attachment was not due to competition for space or to lactobacillus-mediated killing of the pathogen. Instead, we show that lactobacilli act onH. pyloridirectly by an effector molecule that is released into the medium. This effector molecule acts onH. pyloriby inhibiting expression of the adhesin-encoding genesabA. Finally, we verified that inhibitory lactobacilli reducedH. pyloricolonization in anin vivomodel. In conclusion, certainLactobacillusstrains affect pathogen adherence by inhibitingsabAexpression and thereby reducingH. pyloribinding capacity.

scholarly journals Complex Cellular Responses of Helicobacter pylori-Colonized Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 2362-2371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Schneider ◽  
Gert Carra ◽  
Ugur Sahin ◽  
Benjamin Hoy ◽  
Gabriele Rieder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cellular Responses ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Human Gastric Mucosa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloriis an important class I carcinogen that persistently infects the human gastric mucosa to induce gastritis, gastric ulceration, and gastric cancer.H. pyloripathogenesis strongly depends on pathogenic factors, such as VacA (vacuolating cytotoxin A) or a specialized type IV secretion system (T4SS), which injects the oncoprotein CagA (cytotoxin-associated gene A product) into the host cell. Since access to primary gastric epithelial cells is limited, many studies on the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms ofH. pyloriwere performed in immortalized epithelial cells originating from individual human adenocarcinomas. The aim of our study was a comparative analysis of 14 different human gastric epithelial cell lines after colonization withH. pylori. We found remarkable differences in host cell morphology, extent of CagA tyrosine phosphorylation, adhesion to host cells, vacuolization, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion. These data might help in the selection of suitable cell lines to study host cell responses toH. pyloriin vitro, and they imply that different host cell factors are involved in the determination ofH. pyloripathogenesis. A better understanding ofH. pylori-directed cellular responses can provide novel and more balanced insights into the molecular mechanisms ofH. pylori-dependent pathogenesisin vivoand may lead to new therapeutic approaches.

scholarly journals Helicobacter pylori-Induced Disruption of Monolayer Permeability and Proinflammatory Cytokine Secretion in Polarized Human Gastric Epithelial Cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 876-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fiorentino ◽  
Hua Ding ◽  
Thomas G. Blanchard ◽  
Steven J. Czinn ◽  
Marcelo B. Sztein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Tight Junction ◽  
Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Barrier Function ◽  
Cytokine Secretion ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monolayer Permeability ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloriinfection of the stomach is related to the development of diverse gastric pathologies. The ability ofH. pylorito compromise epithelial junctional complexes and to induce proinflammatory cytokines is believed to contribute to pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to use anin vitrohuman gastric epithelial model to investigate the ability ofH. pylorito affect permeability and the extent and polarity of the host inflammatory response. NCI-N87 monolayers were cocultured with live or heat-killedH. pylorior culture supernatants. Epithelial barrier function was measured by transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) analysis, diffusion of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled markers, and immunostaining for tight junction proteins. Supernatants from both apical and basolateral chambers were tested for cytokine production by multiplex analysis.H. pyloricaused a significant decrease in TEER, an increased passage of markers through the infected monolayer, and severe disruption and mislocalization of ZO-1 and claudin-1 proteins. Cell viability was not altered byH. pylori, indicating that loss of barrier function could be attributed to a breakdown of tight junction integrity. Significantly high levels of cytokine secretion were induced by either viable or heat-killedH. pylori.H. pyloriaffects monolayer permeability of polarized human gastric epithelial cells. Proinflammatory cytokines were secreted in a polarized manner, mostly basolaterally. Live bacteria are required for disruption of tight junctions but not for the induction of cytokine secretion. The NCI-N87 cell line provides an excellent model for thein vitrostudy ofH. pyloripathogenesis and the epithelial cell host response to infection.

scholarly journals The Helicobacter pylori CZB Cytoplasmic Chemoreceptor TlpD Forms an Autonomous Polar Chemotaxis Signaling Complex That Mediates a Tactic Response to Oxidative Stress

2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (11) ◽  
pp. 1563-1575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran D. Collins ◽  
Tessa M. Andermann ◽  
Jenny Draper ◽  
Lisa Sanders ◽  
Susan M. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Reactive Oxygen ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Signaling Complex ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTCytoplasmic chemoreceptors are widespread among prokaryotes but are far less understood than transmembrane chemoreceptors, despite being implicated in many processes. One such cytoplasmic chemoreceptor isHelicobacter pyloriTlpD, which is required for stomach colonization and drives a chemotaxis response to cellular energy levels. Neither the signals sensed by TlpD nor its molecular mechanisms of action are known. We report here that TlpD functions independently of the other chemoreceptors. When TlpD is the sole chemoreceptor, it is able to localize to the pole and recruits CheW, CheA, and at least two CheV proteins to this location. It loses the normal membrane association that appears to be driven by interactions with other chemoreceptors and with CheW, CheV1, and CheA. These results suggest that TlpD can form an autonomous signaling unit. We further determined that TlpD mediates a repellent chemotaxis response to conditions that promote oxidative stress, including being in the presence of iron, hydrogen peroxide, paraquat, and metronidazole. Last, we found that all testedH. pyloristrains express TlpD, whereas other chemoreceptors were present to various degrees. Our data suggest a model in which TlpD coordinates a signaling complex that responds to oxidative stress and may allowH. pylorito avoid areas of the stomach with high concentrations of reactive oxygen species.IMPORTANCEHelicobacter pylorisenses its environment with proteins called chemoreceptors. Chemoreceptors integrate this sensory information to affect flagellum-based motility in a process called chemotaxis. Chemotaxis is employed during infection and presumably aidsH. pyloriin encountering and colonizing preferred niches. A cytoplasmic chemoreceptor named TlpD is particularly important in this process, and we report here that this chemoreceptor is able to operate independently of other chemoreceptors to organize a chemotaxis signaling complex and mediate a repellent response to oxidative stress conditions.H. pyloriencounters and must cope with oxidative stress during infection due to oxygen and reactive oxygen species produced by host cells. TlpD's repellent response may allow the bacteria to escape niches experiencing inflammation and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

scholarly journals Live-Cell Imaging of Phosphoinositide Dynamics and Membrane Architecture during Legionella Infection

mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Weber ◽  
Maria Wagner ◽  
Hubert Hilbi
Keyword(s):  
Host Cell ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Live Cell Imaging ◽  
Cell Imaging ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

ABSTRACTThe causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease,Legionella pneumophila, replicates in amoebae and macrophages in a distinct membrane-bound compartment, theLegionella-containing vacuole (LCV). LCV formation is governed by the bacterial Icm/Dot type IV secretion system that translocates ~300 different “effector” proteins into host cells. Some of the translocated effectors anchor to the LCV membrane via phosphoinositide (PI) lipids. Here, we use the soil amoebaDictyostelium discoideum, producing fluorescent PI probes, to analyze the LCV PI dynamics by live-cell imaging. Upon uptake of wild-type or Icm/Dot-deficientL. pneumophila, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3transiently accumulated for an average of 40 s on early phagosomes, which acquired PtdIns(3)Pwithin 1 min after uptake. Whereas phagosomes containing ΔicmTmutant bacteria remained decorated with PtdIns(3)P, more than 80% of wild-type LCVs gradually lost this PI within 2 h. The process was accompanied by a major rearrangement of PtdIns(3)P-positive membranes condensing to the cell center. PtdIns(4)Ptransiently localized to early phagosomes harboring wild-type or ΔicmT L. pneumophilaand was cleared within minutes after uptake. During the following 2 h, PtdIns(4)Psteadily accumulated only on wild-type LCVs, which maintained a discrete PtdIns(4)Pidentity spatially separated from calnexin-positive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for at least 8 h. The separation of PtdIns(4)P-positive and ER membranes was even more pronounced for LCVs harboring ΔsidC-sdcAmutant bacteria defective for ER recruitment, without affecting initial bacterial replication in the pathogen vacuole. These findings elucidate the temporal and spatial dynamics of PI lipids implicated in LCV formation and provide insight into host cell membrane and effector protein interactions.IMPORTANCEThe environmental bacteriumLegionella pneumophilais the causative agent of Legionnaires’ pneumonia. The bacteria form in free-living amoebae and mammalian immune cells a replication-permissive compartment, theLegionella-containing vacuole (LCV). To subvert host cell processes, the bacteria secrete the amazing number of ~300 different proteins into host cells. Some of these proteins bind phosphoinositide (PI) lipids to decorate the LCV. PI lipids are crucial factors involved in host cell membrane dynamics and LCV formation. UsingDictyosteliumamoebae producing one or two distinct fluorescent probes, we elucidated the dynamic LCV PI pattern in high temporal and spatial resolution. Notably, the endocytic PI lipid PtdIns(3)Pwas slowly cleared from LCVs, thus incapacitating the host cell’s digestive machinery, while PtdIns(4)Pgradually accumulated on the LCV, enabling critical interactions with host organelles. The LCV PI pattern underlies the spatiotemporal configuration of bacterial effector proteins and therefore represents a crucial aspect of LCV formation.

scholarly journals Phylogeographic Origin of Helicobacter pylori Determines Host-Adaptive Responses upon Coculture with Gastric Epithelial Cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 2468-2477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Sheh ◽  
Rupesh Chaturvedi ◽  
D. Scott Merrell ◽  
Pelayo Correa ◽  
Keith T. Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Gastric Disease ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Gastric Cancer Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

ABSTRACTWhileHelicobacter pyloriinfects over 50% of the world's population, the mechanisms involved in the development of gastric disease are not fully understood. Bacterial, host, and environmental factors play a role in disease outcome. To investigate the role of bacterial factors inH. pyloripathogenesis, global gene expression of sixH. pyloriisolates was analyzed during coculture with gastric epithelial cells. Clustering analysis of six Colombian clinical isolates from a region with low gastric cancer risk and a region with high gastric cancer risk segregated strains based on their phylogeographic origin. One hundred forty-six genes had increased expression in European strains, while 350 genes had increased expression in African strains. Differential expression was observed in genes associated with motility, pathogenicity, and other adaptations to the host environment. European strains had greater expression of the virulence factorscagA,vacA, andbabBand were associated with increased gastric histologic lesions in patients. In AGS cells, European strains promoted significantly higher interleukin-8 (IL-8) expression than did African strains. African strains significantly induced apoptosis, whereas only one European strain significantly induced apoptosis. Our data suggest that gene expression profiles of clinical isolates can discriminate strains by phylogeographic origin and that these profiles are associated with changes in expression of the proinflammatory and protumorigenic cytokine IL-8 and levels of apoptosis in host epithelial cells. These findings support the hypothesis that bacterial factors determined by the phylogeographic origin ofH. pyloristrains may promote increased gastric disease.

scholarly journals Bacterial Energetic Requirements for Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System-Dependent Alterations in Gastric Epithelial Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aung Soe Lin ◽  
Samuel D. R. Dooyema ◽  
Arwen E. Frick-Cheng ◽  
M. Lorena Harvey ◽  
Giovanni Suarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Tlr9 Activation ◽  
Bacterial Constituents

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori colonizes the stomach in about half of the world’s population. H. pylori strains containing the cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI) are associated with a higher risk of gastric adenocarcinoma or peptic ulcer disease than cag PAI-negative strains. The cag PAI encodes a type IV secretion system (T4SS) that mediates delivery of the CagA effector protein as well as nonprotein bacterial constituents into gastric epithelial cells. H. pylori-induced nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation and interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion are attributed to T4SS-dependent delivery of lipopolysaccharide metabolites and peptidoglycan into host cells, and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation is attributed to delivery of bacterial DNA. In this study, we analyzed the bacterial energetic requirements associated with these cellular alterations. Mutant strains lacking Cagα, Cagβ, or CagE (putative ATPases corresponding to VirB11, VirD4, and VirB4 in prototypical T4SSs) were capable of T4SS core complex assembly but defective in CagA translocation into host cells. Thus, the three Cag ATPases are not functionally redundant. Cagα and CagE were required for H. pylori-induced NF-κB activation, IL-8 secretion, and TLR9 activation, but Cagβ was dispensable for these responses. We identified putative ATP-binding motifs (Walker-A and Walker-B) in each of the ATPases and generated mutant strains in which these motifs were altered. Each of the Walker box mutant strains exhibited properties identical to those of the corresponding deletion mutant strains. These data suggest that Cag T4SS-dependent delivery of nonprotein bacterial constituents into host cells occurs through mechanisms different from those used for recruitment and delivery of CagA into host cells.

scholarly journals Natural Competence Promotes Helicobacter pylori Chronic Infection

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion S. Dorer ◽  
Ilana E. Cohen ◽  
Tate H. Sessler ◽  
Jutta Fero ◽  
Nina R. Salama
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Natural Competence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Competence Factor ◽  
H Pylori

Animal models are important tools for studies of human disease, but developing these models is a particular challenge with regard to organisms with restricted host ranges, such as the human stomach pathogenHelicobacter pylori. In most cases,H. pyloriinfects the stomach for many decades before symptoms appear, distinguishing it from many bacterial pathogens that cause acute infection. To model chronic infection in the mouse, a human clinical isolate was selected for its ability to survive for 2 months in the mouse stomach, and the resulting strain, MSD132, colonized the mouse stomach for at least 28 weeks. During selection, thecagYcomponent of the Cag type IV secretion system was mutated, disrupting a key interaction with host cells. Increases in both bacterial persistence and bacterial burden occurred prior to this mutation, and a mixed population ofcagY+andcagYmutant cells was isolated from a single mouse, suggesting that mutations accumulate during selection and that factors in addition to the Cag apparatus are important for murine adaptation. Diversity in both alleles and genes is common inH. pyloristrains, and natural competence mediates a high rate of interstrain genetic exchange. Mutations of the Com apparatus, a membrane DNA transporter, and DprA, a cytosolic competence factor, resulted in reduced persistence, although initial colonization was normal. Thus, exchange of DNA between genetically heterogeneousH. pyloristrains may improve chronic colonization. The strains and methods described here will be important tools for defining both the spectrum of mutations that promote murine adaptation and the genetic program of chronic infection.

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