Role of motAB in Adherence and Internalization in Polarized Caco-2 Cells and in Cecal Colonization of Campylobacter jejuni

• Published in: Avian diseases 2013-03, Vol.57 (1), p.116-122
• Main Authors: Mertins, Sonja, Allan, Brenda J, Townsend, Hugh G, Köster, Wolfgang, Potter, Andrew A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adherence and invasion; Animals; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Caco 2 cells; Campylobacter; Campylobacter Infections - microbiology; Campylobacter Infections - veterinary; Campylobacter jejuni; Campylobacter jejuni - genetics; Campylobacter jejuni - physiology; Cecum - microbiology; chicken; Chickens; colonization; Epithelial cells; Flagella; Flagella - genetics; Flagella - metabolism; Gastrointestinal tract; Humans; Microbial colonization; motAB; motility; Mucus; Mutation; polarized Caco-2 cells; Polymerase chain reaction; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; Research Note; Research Notes
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.1637/10235-050412-ResNote.1

Campylobacter jejuni, a gram-negative motile bacterium commonly found in the chicken gastrointestinal tract, is one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. An intact and functional flagellum is important for C. jejuni virulence and colonization. To understand the role of C. jejuni motility in adherence and internalization in polarized Caco-2 cells and in cecal colonization of chickens we constructed a C. jejuni NCTC11168 V1 ΔmotAB mutant. The motAB genes code for the flagellar motor, which enables the rotation of the flagellum. The nonmotile ΔmotAB mutant expressed a full-length flagellum, which allowed us to differentiate between the roles of full-length flagella and motility in the ability of C. jejuni to colonize. To study the adherence and invasion abilities of the C. jejuni ΔmotAB mutant we chose to use polarized Caco-2 cells, which are thought to be more representative of in vivo intestinal cell architecture and function. Although the C. jejuni ΔmotAB mutant adhered significantly better than the wild type to the Caco-2 cells, we observed a significant reduction in the ability to invade the cells. In this study we obtained evidence that the flagellar rotation triggers C. jejuni invasion into polarized Caco-2 cells and we believe that C. jejuni is propelled into the cell with a drill-like rotation. The ΔmotAB mutant was also tested for its colonization potential in a 1-day-old chicken model. The nonmotile C. jejuni ΔmotAB mutant was not able to colonize any birds at days 3 and 7, suggesting that motility is essential for C. jejuni colonization. Nota de Investigación—Papel del gene motAB en la adherencia e internalización de Campylobacter jejuni en células Caco-2 polarizadas y en su colonización cecal. Campylobacter jejuni, una bacteria gram negativa móvil que se encuentran comúnmente en el tracto gastrointestinal de pollo, es una de las principales causas de gastroenteritis bacteriana en los seres humanos en todo el mundo. Un flagelo intacto y funcional es importante para la virulencia y la colonización por C. jejuni. Para entender el papel de la motilidad de C. jejuni en la adherencia e internalización en células Caco-2 polarizadas y en la colonización cecal en pollos, se construyó una mutante de C. jejuni denominada NCTC11168 V1 ΔmotAB. Los genes motAB codifican para el motor flagelar, que permite la rotación del flagelo. La mutante no móvil ΔmotAB expresaba un flagelo completo, lo que permitió diferenciar entre las fu