Investigation of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Adherence Characteristics and Invasion Potential Reveals a New Attachment Pattern Shared by Intestinal E. coli

Authors

Marian L. McKee, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Alison D. O'Brien, Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesFollow

Date of this Version

1995

Citation

Infection and Immunity (1995), 63(5), p. 2070-2074

Abstract

In this study, the interactions of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 strains with human ileocecal (HCT-8) epithelial cells and HEp-2 cells were examined. EHEC adhered to, but did not invade, HCT-8 cells by the localized adherence mechanism and a heretofore unrecognized pattern which we called log jam. The log jam formation was (i) not observed on HEp-2 cells, (ii) independent of the EHEC eaeA gene required for localized adherence, and (iii) shared by pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli strains but not K-12 strains. The log jam phenotype may represent a basal means by which E. coli bacteria attach to the human intestine.