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Infection and Immunity, June 2002, p. 2899-2907, Vol. 70, No. 6
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.6.2899-2907.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

LsaA, an Antigen Involved in Cell Attachment and Invasion, Is Expressed by Lawsonia intracellularis during Infection In Vitro and In Vivo

Jackie McCluskey,1 Joanne Hannigan,2 Jennifer D. Harris,1 Brendan Wren,3 and David G. E. Smith1*

Zoonotic & Animal Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology,1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh,2 Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom3

Received 6 December 2001/ Returned for modification 22 January 2002/ Accepted 22 February 2002

Lawsonia intracellularis has been identified recently as the etiological agent of proliferative enteropathies, which are characterized by intestinal epithelial hyperplasia and associated moderate immune responses. This disease complex has been reported in a broad range of animals, prevalently in pigs, and L. intracellularis has been linked with ulcerative colitis in humans. L. intracellularis is an obligate intracellular bacterium, and the pathogenic mechanisms used to cause disease are unknown. Using in vitro-grown organisms as a source of genomic DNA, we identified a Lawsonia gene which encodes a surface antigen, LsaA (for Lawsonia surface antigen), associated with attachment to and entry into cells. The deduced amino acid sequence of this protein showed some similarity to members of a novel protein family identified in a number of other bacterial pathogens but for which roles are not fully defined. Transcription of this gene was detected by reverse transcription-PCR in L. intracellularis grown in vitro in IEC18 cells and in bacteria present in ileal tissue from infected animals. Immunohistochemistry with specific monoclonal antibody and immunoblotting with sera from infected animals demonstrated that LsaA protein is synthesized by L. intracellularis during infection. Expression of this gene during infection in vitro and in vivo suggests that this surface antigen is involved during infection, and phenotypic analysis indicated a role during L. intracellularis attachment to and entry into intestinal epithelial cells

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Zoonotic & Animal Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH8 9AG, United Kingdom. Phone: (44) 131 651 1343. Fax: (44) 131 650 6531. E-mail: dgesmith{at}vet.ed.ac.uk.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

Infection and Immunity, June 2002, p. 2899-2907, Vol. 70, No. 6
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.6.2899-2907.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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