Contribution of FliC to epithelial cell invasion by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O113:H21

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O113:H21 can invade epithelial cells. In this study, we found that invasion but not adherence was inhibited by anti-FliCH21 specific antibodies. In addition, deletion of fliC H21 from EHEC O113:H21 resulted in an eightfold decrease in invasion that was restored upon transcomplementation with fliCH21 but not with fliCH6. These results suggested that FliC plays an important role in the pathogenesis of infections caused by EHEC O113:H21 by allowing bacteria to penetrate the intestinal epithelium. Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.