Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Infection and Immunity, February 2005, p. 1226-1231, Vol. 73, No. 2
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/IAI.73.2.1226-1231.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Scott J. Hultgren,2
Jerry Pinkner,2
Nathan L. Woolever,1,
and
Thomas Larson1
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin,1 Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri2
Received 10 August 2004/ Returned for modification 17 September 2004/ Accepted 30 September 2004
| ABSTRACT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| TEXT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Several techniques have been used to try to elucidate what might be occurring within the bacterial cell following bacterial attachment or what may be important for in vivo survival of UPEC within a human host (3, 4, 34, 37). In this study, a differential-display PCR (DDPCR) was applied to determining what genes might be up- or down-regulated following binding of type 1 fimbriae to mannose receptors to obtain clues as to what might be occurring within the bacteria following entry and initiation of an infection within a human urinary tract.
The NU149 uropathogenic strain of E. coli (28) was grown in Luria broth as previously described (15) to allow for optimal expression of type 1 fimbriae, which was confirmed by an enzyme immunoassay with anti-149 pilus antiserum (30; data not shown). This culture was divided into two parts. One aliquot was reacted with Sepharose 4L beads (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.), whereas the other aliquot was reacted with D-mannose-coated Sepharose beads (17). The interaction between strain NU149 cells and D-mannose-coated Sepharose beads resulted in 67% of the population binding to the beads, whereas NU149 cells mixed with plain Sepharose beads led to only 21% of the population either binding nonspecifically or being trapped by the beads. After 1.5 h, total RNAs were isolated from both populations by using a hot phenol extraction procedure (30) and treated twice with RNase-free DNase (Boehringer-Mannheim). A DDPCR that was previously described was performed, utilizing the PLCA2 primer to run the amplification (32). The DDPCR products were separated on 5% sequencing gels, and the numbers and intensities of bands were compared for the lane containing plain Sepharose versus that containing the D-mannose-coated Sepharose. Several bands were either missing in one lane compared to the other or had reduced intensity (data not shown). Each band was processed as previously described (32), using the PLCA2 primer to reamplify the DNAs. The resulting PCR products were ligated to pTZ18R plasmid DNA cut with SmaI (27). After verification that there was an insert (data not shown), each recombinant plasmid was sequenced, using M13 forward and reverse primers and the Sequenase 2.0 kit (USB, Cleveland, Ohio). One of the cloned DDPCR DNA products showed extensive homology with the E. coli kpsD gene (24). The DDPCR indicated that the kpsD transcript level was lower in the lane that represented binding to mannose-coated Sepharose beads (data not shown).
The kpsD gene is part of the kpsFEDUCS operon, also named capsule region 1, involved in assembly of capsular subunits that comprise the K antigen of E. coli (36). A single promoter drives transcription of the polycistronic kpsFEDUCS transcript. Strain NU149 appears to have a group II capsule gene locus structure organized into three regions. Regions 1 (kpsFEDUCS) and 3 (kpsMT) are very conserved at the genetic level and are involved in the assembly and transport of the capsular material. The final region, region 2 (kfiABCD), is unique to each serotype and is directly involved in the biosynthesis of the capsular material (36).
To verify that there was a down-regulation of the kpsD gene following binding to the D-mannose-coated Sepharose beads, the NU149 strain was grown in Luria broth and divided into aliquots: one was reacted with the plain Sepharose beads, and the other was reacted with D-mannose-coated Sepharose beads. After 0, 10, 25, 60, and 120 min, total RNAs were extracted from both sets of cultures and converted into cDNAs as noted above. With these cDNAs, limiting-dilution reverse-transcribed PCRs (LD-RT-PCRs) were performed with the KpsD1 (5'-AACGGACAGAAGTCGGATACG-3') and KpsD2 (5'-TGTAATAAGGAGGCGTAGACG-3') primer pair, synthesized by Integrated DNA Technologies (Coralville, Iowa). The LD-RT-PCR conditions were as follows: an initial denaturation at 94°C for 5 min followed by 35 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 1 min, annealing at 55°C for 1 min, and elongation at 72°C for 1 min, ending with a final elongation at 72°C for 7 min at the end of the last cycle. A 367-bp product was amplified. Each cDNA population was diluted twofold up through 1:256, and each dilution was PCR amplified. Amplification products were analyzed on 1.5% agarose gels, comparing the populations reacted with plain Sepharose versus those reacted with mannose-coated Sepharose beads. As a control, amplifications of each cDNA population were done using a primer pair specific for the ftsZ gene of E. coli that has been used previously (33). The results indicated that at time zero there was no difference between the E. coli cell populations. However, beginning at 10 min and proceeding through 120 min, there was a gradual decline in the level of kpsD transcripts in the mannose-coated Sepharose population compared to that in the plain Sepharose population that culminated in an eightfold decline after 120 min (Fig. 1). The level of ftsZ transcripts remained unchanged throughout the time course for both populations. This suggested that the ligand-receptor interaction between type 1 fimbriae and the mannose receptors led to the down-regulation of kpsD transcription.
|
fim
lac [5]) were cotransformed with pNLW4-46, containing the kps-lacZ reporter fusion, and pWRS1-17, which has the entire fim operon encoded on it (30). The recombinant AAEC189 cells were reacted with plain Sepharose beads, D-mannose-coated Sepharose beads, L-mannose-coated Sepharose beads, and plain Sepharose plus 50 mM free D-mannose. When tested for ß-galactosidase levels at 0 and 1 h, all of the populations looked fairly similar, but at 8 h and then ultimately at 24 h there was more than a threefold difference in ß-galactosidase units in the population that was mixed with D-mannose-coated Sepharose compared to that mixed with plain Sepharose (Fig. 2). The kps levels increased slightly in the population mixed with plain Sepharose and L-mannose-coated beads after a 24-h exposure. Although the kinetics of the down-regulation of the gene cluster and hence kpsD were different compared to the results of the LD-RT-PCR analysis, this can be explained by the need for transcription and translation of lacZ in a ß-galactosidase assay as opposed to merely transcription in the PCR-based assay. Moreover, mixing the bacterial cells with L-mannose-coated Sepharose did not affect the level of kpsFEDUCS operon (region 1) expression. On the other hand, the addition of 50 mM free D-mannose to the population mixed with plain Sepharose did affect region 1 expression, suggesting that merely having the interaction with D-mannose, regardless of whether it is bound to a bead or free, was affecting this expression.
|
|
|
|
|
This study is the first to use a DDPCR technique to characterize changes in UPEC following the binding of the type 1 fimbrial adhesin FimH to its mannose receptor. DDPCR has been previously used to examine host cell responses following binding by bacteria (32) and to assess changes in the bacteria themselves (1). Our results show that a capsular assembly gene operon, region 1, containing the kpsFEDUCS gene cluster, is quickly down-regulated at the transcriptional level following bacterial binding, a reduction in the KpsD protein occurs, and less capsular polysaccharide is deposited on the surface of the E. coli cells. Although the data generated with the fimH mutant strain suggest that FimH contact with D-mannose receptors might be regulating kps gene cluster expression, we do not have enough information yet to prove a direct linkage. Certainly, we do not know the chain of events that ultimately leads to the down-regulation of the kps gene cluster following binding of type 1 fimbriae to D-mannose receptors.
UPEC strains adhere to bladder epithelial cells via the type 1 fimbrial adhesin FimH. The FimH adhesin is also responsible for the invasion of the bacteria into the bladder epithelium (20). The presence of a thick capsule surrounding the bacterial cells may hinder both tight adherence by the E. coli cells and the invasion process itself. Certainly, extracellular polysaccharide is important for the in vivo survival of the bacteria, exemplified by the recent signature-tagged mutagenesis study that indicated a pivotal role for the capsule in E. coli residing in the urinary tract (4). Although the presence of a capsule seems to be critical for long-term persistence within the urinary tract of man and mouse, it may also serve to hinder other key steps in the pathogenesis of UPEC within the urinary tract. A recent study suggests that the bacterial capsule may block intimate attachment mediated by protein antigen 43, found on the surface of UPEC strains (29). Previous studies with Klebsiella pneumoniae have indicated that the bacterial capsule impedes close adherence and invasion into epithelial cells (11, 26). Moreover, a bacterial capsule also negatively affects tight adherence and invasion by Neisseria meningitidis (10, 13).
Adherence of E. coli to a host cell through ligand-receptor binding does engender a cross talk between the bacterial cell and the host cell that is likely to result in greater fitness for the bacteria as a result of regulation of specific genes. Zhang and Normark (37) examined binding of P fimbriae to a receptor and identified a sensor-regulator gene essential for the bacterial iron starvation response. The gene was transcriptionally activated by the ligand-receptor interaction. Attached E. coli cells have significantly less OmpX outer membrane protein (23), which in turn can affect type 1 fimbriated E. coli attachment to abiotic surfaces (22). Certainly, other genes must be affected as well by ligand-receptor binding.
One can envision that E. coli cells entering the urinary tract from the outside require the capsule initially. Once the bacteria have bound loosely to bladder epithelial cells via type 1 fimbriae, the capsule becomes a steric hindrance for tight adherence by the bacteria and subsequent invasion. Down-regulation of the region 1 capsular operon, which includes kpsD, occurs quickly, which in turn leads to less capsular material distributed on the exterior of the bacterial cells. This might be advantageous to the bacteria because capsular subunits may accumulate in the cytoplasm as intermediates and be available for quick assembly if the conditions change. Mutations in region 1 capsule genes have previously resulted in such an accumulation of intermediate products (7, 8). The loss of capsular material would facilitate tight adherence and invasion by the bacteria to escape the immune system.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
|---|
This study was funded by a UW-L Graduate Student Research Grant to N.L.W. and NIH grant 1R15AI47801-01A2 to W.R.S.
| FOOTNOTES |
|---|
Present address: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. ![]()
Present address: State Lab of Hygiene, Madison, Wis. ![]()
| REFERENCES |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| 1. | Abu Kwaik, Y., and L. L. Pederson. 1996. The use of differential display-PCR to isolate and characterize a Legionella pneumophila locus induced during the intracellular infection of macrophages. Mol. Microbiol. 21:543-556.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 2. | Arrecubieta, C., T. C. Hammarton, B. Barrett, S. Chareonsudjai, N. Hodson, D. Rainey, and I. S. Roberts. 2001. The transport of group 2 capsular polysaccharides across the periplasmic space in Escherichia coli. J. Biol. Chem. 276:4245-4250. |
| 3. | Bahrani-Mougeot, F. K., S. Pancholi, M. Daoust, and M. S. Donnenberg. 2001. Identification of putative urovirulence genes by subtractive cloning. J. Infect. Dis. 182:S21-S23.[CrossRef] |
| 4. | Bahrani-Mougeot, F. K., E. L. Buckles, C. V. Lockatell, J. R. Hebel, D. E. Johnson, C. M. Tang, and M. S. Donnenberg. 2002. Type 1 fimbriae and extracellular polysaccharides are preeminent uropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence determinants in the murine urinary tract. Mol. Microbiol. 45:1079-1093.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 5. | Blomfield, I. C., M. S. McClain, J. A Prine, P. J. Calie, and B. I. Eisenstein. 1991. Type1 fimbriation and fimE mutants of Escherichia coli K-12. J. Bacteriol. 173:5298-5307. |
| 6. | Bronner, D., V. Sieberth, C. Pazzani, I. S. Roberts, G. J. Boulnois, B. Jann, and K. Jann. 1993. Expression of the capsular K5 polysaccharide of Escherichia coli: biochemical and electron microscopic analyses of mutants with defects in region 1 of the K5 gene cluster. J. Bacteriol. 175:5984-5992. |
| 7. | Cieslewicz, M., and E. Vimr. 1996. Thermoregulation of kpsF, the first region 1 gene in the kps locus for polysialic acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K1. J. Bacteriol. 178:3212-3220. |
| 8. | Cieslewicz, M., and E. Vimr. 1997. Reduced polysialic acid capsule expression in Escherichia coli K1 mutants with chromosomal defects in kpsF. Mol. Microbiol. 26:237-249.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 9. | de Lorenzo, V., M. Herrero, U. Jakubzik, and K. N. Timmis. 1990. Mini-Tn5 transposon derivatives for insertion mutagenesis, promoter probing, and chromosomal insertion of cloned DNA in gram-negative eubacteria. J. Bacteriol. 172:6568-6572. |
| 10. | de Vries, F. P., A. van der Ende, J. P. M. van Putten, and J. Dankert. 1996. Invasion of primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells by Neisseria meningitidis is controlled by phase variation of multiple surface antigens. Infect. Immun. 64:2998-3006.[Abstract] |
| 11. | Favre-Bonte, S., B. Joly, and C. Forestier. 1999. Consequences of reduction of Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule expression on interactions of this bacterium with epithelial cells. Infect. Immun. 67:554-561. |
| 12. | Fujita, K., T. Yamamato, T. Yokota, and R. Kitagawa. 1989. In vitro adherence of type 1-fimbriated uropathogenic Escherichia coli to human ureteral mucosa. Infect. Immun. 57:2574-2579. |
| 13. | Hardy, S. J., M. Christodoulides, R. O. Weller, and J. E. Heckels. 2000. Interactions of Neisseria meningitidis with cells of the human meninges. Mol. Microbiol. 36:817-829.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 14. | Hooton, T. M., and W. E. Stamm. 1997. Diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection. Infect. Dis. Clin. N. Am. 11:551-581.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 15. | Hultgren, S. J., W. R. Schwan, A. J. Schaeffer, and J. L. Duncan. 1986. Regulation of production of type 1 pili among urinary tract isolates of Escherichia coli. Infect. Immun. 54:613-620. |
| 16. | Johnson, J. R., S. J. Weissman, A. L. Stell, E. Trintchina, D. E. Dykhuizen, and E. V. Sokurenko. 2001. Clonal and pathotypic analysis of archetypal Escherichia coli cystitis isolate NU14. J. Infect. Dis. 184:1556-1565.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 17. | Jones, C. H., J. S. Pinkner, A. V. Nicholes, L. N. Slonim, S. N. Abraham, and S. J. Hultgren. 1993. FimC is a periplasmic PapD-like chaperone that directs assembly of type 1 pili in bacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:8397-8401. |
| 18. | Kisielius, P. V., W. R. Schwan, S. K. Amundsen, J. L. Duncan, and A. J. Schaeffer. 1989. In vivo expression and variation of Escherichia coli type 1 and P pili in the urine of adults with acute urinary tract infections. Infect. Immun. 57:1656-1662. |
| 19. | Langermann, S., S. Palaszynski, M. Barnhart, G. Auguste, J. S. Pinkner, J. Burlein, P. Barren, S. Koenig, S. Leath, C. H. Jones, and S. J. Hultgren. 1997. Prevention of mucosal Escherichia coli infection by FimH-adhesin-based systemic vaccination. Science 276:607-611. |
| 20. | Mulvey, M. A., Y. S. Lopez-Boado, C. L. Wilson, R. Roth, W. C. Parks, J. Heuser, and S. J. Hultgren. 1998. Induction and evasion of host defenses by type 1-piliated uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Science 282:1494-1497. |
| 21. | O'Hanley, P., D. Lark, S. Falkow, and G. Schoolnik. 1985. Molecular basis of Escherichia coli colonization of the upper urinary tract in BALB/c mice. J. Clin. Investig. 75:347-360. |
| 22. | Otto, K., and M. Hermansson. 2004. Inactivation of ompX causes increased interactions of type 1 fimbriated Escherichia coli with abiotic surfaces. J. Bacteriol. 186:226-234. |
| 23. | Otto, K., J. Norbeck, T. Larsson, K.-A. Karlsson, and M. Hermansson. 2001. Adhesion of Escherichia coli to abiotic surfaces leads to altered composition of outer membrane proteins. J. Bacteriol. 183:2445-2453. |
| 24. | Pazzani, C., C. Rosenow, G. J. Boulnois, D. Bronner, K. Jann, and I. S. Roberts. 1993. Molecular analysis of region 1 of the Escherichia coli K5 antigen gene cluster: a region encoding proteins involved in cell surface expression of capsular polysaccharide. J. Bacteriol. 175:5978-5983. |
| 25. | Pere, A., B. Nowicki, H. Saxen, A. Siitonen, and T. K. Korhonen. 1987. Expression of P, type-1, and type-1C fimbriae of Escherichia coli in the urine of patients with acute urinary tract infection. J. Infect. Dis. 156:567-574.[Medline] |
| 26. | Sahly, H., R. Podschun, T. A. Oelschlaeger, M. Greiwe, H. Parolis, D. Hasty, J. Kekow, U. Ullmann, I. Ofek, and S. Sela. 2000. Capsule impedes adhesion to and invasion of epithelial cells by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Infect. Immun. 68:6744-6749. |
| 27. | Sambrook, J., E. F. Fritsch, and T. Maniatis. 1989. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual, 2nd. ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. |
| 28. | Schaeffer, A. J., W. R. Schwan, S. J. Hultgren, and J. L. Duncan. 1987. Relationship of type 1 pilus expression in Escherichia coli to ascending urinary tract infections in mice. Infect. Immun. 55:373-380. |
| 29. | Schembri, M. A., D. Dalsgaard, and P. Klemm. 2004. Capsule shields the function of short bacterial adhesins. J. Bacteriol. 186:1249-1257. |
| 30. | Schwan, W. R., H. S. Seifert, and J. L. Duncan. 1992. Growth conditions mediate differential transcription of fim genes involved in phase variation of type 1 pili. J. Bacteriol. 174:2367-2375. |
| 31. | Schwan, W. R., C. Waltenbaugh, and J. L. Duncan. 1990. Bacteria as solid phase in a concentration fluorescence immunoassay analysis of antibodies to surface antigens. J. Immunol. Methods 126:247-252.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 32. | Schwan, W. R., S. Kugler, S. Schuller, D. J. Kopecko, and W. Goebel. 1996. Detection and characterization by differential PCR of host eukaryotic cell genes differentially transcribed following uptake of intracellular bacteria. Infect. Immun. 64:91-99.[Abstract] |
| 33. | Schwan, W. R., J. L. Lee, F. A. Lenard, B. T. Matthews, and M. T. Beck. 2002. Osmolarity and pH growth conditions regulate fim gene transcription and type 1 pilus expression in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Infect. Immun. 70:1391-1402. |
| 34. | Sorsa, L. J., S. Dufke, and S. Schubert. 2004. Identification of novel virulence-associated loci in uropathogenic Escherichia coli by suppression subtractive hybridization. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 230:203-208.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 35. | Svanborg, C., and G. Godaly. 1997. Bacterial virulence in urinary tract infection. Infect. Dis. Clin. N. Am. 11:513-529.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 36. | Whitfield, C., and I. S. Roberts. 1999. Structure, assembly and regulation of expression of capsules in Escherichia coli. Mol. Microbiol. 31:1307-1319.[CrossRef][Medline] |
| 37. | Zhang, J. P., and S. Normark. 1996. Induction of gene expression in Escherichia coli after pilus-mediated adherence. Science 273:1234-1236.[Abstract] |
This article has been cited by other articles:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| J. Bacteriol. | J. Virol. | Eukaryot. Cell |
|---|
| Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. | Clin. Vaccine Immunol. | All ASM Journals |
|---|