Shear-enhanced Binding of Intestinal Colonization Factor Antigen l of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Abstract

In the intestine, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli works against peristaltic forces, adhering to the epithelium via the colonization factor antigen I (CFA/1) fimbria! adhesin CfaE. The CfaE adhesin is similar in localization and tertiary (but not primary) structure to FimH, the type 1 fimbria! adhesin of uropathogenic E. coli, which shows shear-dependent binding to epithelial receptors by an allosteric catch-bond mechanism. Thus, we speculated that CfaE is also capable of shear-enhanced binding. Indeed, bovine erythrocytes coursing over immobilized CFA/1 fimbriae in flow chambers exhibited low accumulation levels and fast rolling at low shear, but an 80-fold increase in accumulation and threefold decrease in rolling velocity at elevated shear. This effect was reversible and abolished by pre-incubation of fimbriae with anti-CfaE antibody. Erythrocytes bound to whole CfaE in the same shear-enhanced manner, but to CfaE adhesin domain in a shear-inhibitable fashion. Residue replacements designed to disrupt CfaE interdomain interaction decreased the shear dependency of adhesion and increased binding under static conditions to human intestinal epithelial cells. These findings indicate that close interaction between adhesive and anchoring pilin domains of CfaE keeps the former in a low-affinity state that toggles Into a high-affinity state upon separation of two domains, all consistent with an allosteric catch-bond mechanism of CfaE binding.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA551566

Entities

People

  • Annette L. Mcveigh
  • Brian Kidd
  • Evgeni V. Sokurenko
  • Olga Yakovenko
  • Stephen J. Savarino
  • Veronika Tchesnokova
  • Wendy E. Thomas

Organizations

  • Naval Medical Research Center

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Adhesion
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacteria
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical And Dental Materials
  • Cells
  • Chemistry
  • Crystal Structure
  • Epithelial Cells
  • Escherichia
  • Escherichia Coli
  • Intestines
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Dynamics
  • Proteins
  • Shear Stresses
  • Vaccines

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Immunology
  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.
  • Microbial Pathology