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Infection and Immunity, April 2004, p. 1896-1905, Vol. 72, No. 4
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.4.1896-1905.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bovine Ileal Intraepithelial Lymphocytes Represent Target Cells for Shiga Toxin 1 from Escherichia coli

Institut für Hygiene und Infektionskrankheiten der Tiere der Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany

Received 25 July 2003/ Returned for modification 9 October 2003/ Accepted 8 January 2004

The discovery that bovine peripheral lymphocytes are sensitive to Stx1 identified a possible mechanism for the persistence of infections with Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in the bovine reservoir host. If intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are also sensitive to Stx1, the idea that Stx1 affects inflammation in the bovine intestine is highly attractive. To prove this hypothesis, ileal IEL (iIEL) were prepared from adult cattle, characterized by flow cytometry, and subjected to functional assays in the presence and absence of purified Stx1. We found that 14.9% of all iIEL expressed Gb₃/CD77, the Stx1 receptor on bovine lymphocytes, and 7.9% were able to bind the recombinant B subunit of Stx1. The majority of Gb₃/CD77⁺ cells were activated CD3⁺ CD6⁺ CD8⁺ T cells, whereas only some CD4⁺ T cells and B cells expressed Gb₃/CD77. However, Stx1 blocked the mitogen-induced transformation to enlarged blast cells within all subpopulations to a similar extent and significantly reduced the percentage of Gb₃/CD77⁺ cells. Although Stx1 did not affect the natural killer cell activity of iIEL, the toxin accelerated the synthesis of interleukin-4 (IL-4) mRNA and reduced the amount of IL-8 mRNA in bovine iIEL cultures. Because the intestinal system comprises a rich network of interactions between different types of cells and any dysfunction may influence the course of intestinal infections, this demonstration that Stx1 can target bovine IEL may be highly relevant for our understanding of the interplay between STEC and its reservoir host.

Editor: A. D. O'Brien

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