This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Goo, S. Y.
Right arrow Articles by Park, S.-J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Goo, S. Y.
Right arrow Articles by Park, S.-J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, October 2006, p. 5586-5594, Vol. 74, No. 10
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00171-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification of OmpU of Vibrio vulnificus as a Fibronectin-Binding Protein and Its Role in Bacterial Pathogenesis

Sung Young Goo,1 Hyun-Ju Lee,1 Woo Hwang Kim,1 Kyu-Lee Han,1 Dae-Kyun Park,2 Hyun-Jung Lee,3 Sung Min Kim,3 Kun-Soo Kim,2 Kyu-Ho Lee,3 and Soon-Jung Park1*

Department of Parasitology and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752,1 Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 121-742,2 Department of Environmental Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin 449-791, Republic of Korea3

Received 31 January 2006/ Returned for modification 5 April 2006/ Accepted 12 July 2006

Vibrio vulnificus is a pathogenic bacterium that causes gastroenteritis and primary septicemia. To identify factors involved in microbial adherence to the host cells, we investigated bacterial proteins capable of binding to fibronectin, one of the main components comprised of the extracellular matrix of mammalian cells. A protein of ~35 kDa was purified from the extracts of V. vulnificus by its property to bind to immobilized fibronectin. This protein was identified as OmpU, one of the major outer membrane proteins of V. vulnificus. In binding assays using immobilized fibronectin, the number of ompU mutant cells bound to fibronectin was only 4% of that of wild-type cells bound to fibronectin. In addition, the exogenous addition of antibodies against OmpU resulted in a decreased ability of wild-type V. vulnificus to adhere to fibronectin. The ompU mutant was also defective in its adherence to RGD tripeptide (5% of the adherence of the wild type to RGD), cytoadherence to HEp-2 cells (7% of the adherence of the wild type to HEp-2), cytotoxicity to cell cultures (39% of the cytotoxicity of the wild type), and mortality in mice (10-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose). The ompU mutant complemented with the intact ompU gene restored its abilities for adherence to fibronectin, RGD tripeptide, and HEp-2 cells; cytotoxicity to HEp-2 cells; and mouse lethality. This study indicates that OmpU is an important virulence factor involved in the adherence of V. vulnificus to the host cells.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Parasitology, Yonsei University School of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea. Phone: 82-2-2228-1843. Fax: 82-2-363-8676. E-mail: sjpark615{at}yumc.yonsei.ac.kr.

Editor: V. J. DiRita

Infection and Immunity, October 2006, p. 5586-5594, Vol. 74, No. 10
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00171-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Jeong, H. G., Oh, M. H., Kim, B. S., Lee, M. Y., Han, H. J., Choi, S. H. (2009). The Capability of Catabolic Utilization of N-Acetylneuraminic Acid, a Sialic Acid, Is Essential for Vibrio vulnificus Pathogenesis. Infect. Immun. 77: 3209-3217 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jones, M. K., Oliver, J. D. (2009). Vibrio vulnificus: Disease and Pathogenesis. Infect. Immun. 77: 1723-1733 [Full Text]  
  • Oh, M. H., Lee, S. M., Lee, D. H., Choi, S. H. (2009). Regulation of the Vibrio vulnificus hupA Gene by Temperature Alteration and Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein and Evaluation of Its Role in Virulence. Infect. Immun. 77: 1208-1215 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brown, R. N., Gulig, P. A. (2008). Regulation of Fatty Acid Metabolism by FadR Is Essential for Vibrio vulnificus To Cause Infection of Mice. J. Bacteriol. 190: 7633-7644 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jeong, H. G., Choi, S. H. (2008). Evidence that AphB, Essential for the Virulence of Vibrio vulnificus, Is a Global Regulator. J. Bacteriol. 190: 3768-3773 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Young Goo, S., Han, Y. S., Kim, W. H., Lee, K.-H., Park, S.-J. (2007). Vibrio vulnificus IlpA-induced Cytokine Production Is Mediated by Toll-like Receptor 2. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 27647-27658 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»