Colonic mucosa-associated diffusely adherent afaC+ Escherichia coli expressing lpfA and pks are increased in inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Colonic mucosa-associated Escherichia coli are increased in Crohn's disease (CD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). They variously haemagglutinate, invade epithelial cell lines, replicate within macrophages, translocate across M (microfold) cells and damage DNA. We investigated genes responsible for these effects and their co-association in colonic mucosal isolates. DESIGN: A fosmid library yielding 968 clones was prepared in E coli EPI300-T1 using DNA from a haemagglutinating CRC isolate, and resulting haemagglutinating clones were 454-pyrosequenced. PCR screening was performed on 281 colonic E coli isolates from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (35 patients), CRC (21) and controls (24; sporadic polyps or irritable bowel syndrome). RESULTS: 454-Pyrosequencing of fosmids from the haemagglutinating clones (n=8) identified the afimbrial adhesin afa-1 operon. Transfection of afa-1 into E coli K-12 predictably conferred diffuse adherence plus invasion of HEp-2 and I-407 epithelial cells, and upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor. E coli expressing afaC were common in CRC (14/21, p=0.0009) and CD (9/14, p=0.005) but not ulcerative colitis (UC; 8/21) compared with controls (4/24). E coli expressing both afaC and lpfA (relevant to M-cell translocation) were common in CD (8/14, p=0.0019) and CRC (14/21, p=0.0001), but not UC (6/21) compared with controls (2/24). E coli expressing both afaC and pks (genotoxic) were common in CRC (11/21, p=0.0015) and UC (8/21, p=0.022), but not CD (4/14) compared with controls (2/24). All isolates expressed dsbA and htrA relevant to intra-macrophage replication, and 242/281 expressed fimH encoding type-1 fimbrial adhesin. CONCLUSIONS: IBD and CRC commonly have colonic mucosal E coli that express genes that confer properties relevant to pathogenesis including M-cell translocation, angiogenesis and genotoxicity.

Visualizing intracellular distribution and activity of core2 beta(1,6)N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I in living cells.

The core2 beta(1,6)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GnT-I) is expressed by leukocytes and is involved in the synthesis of core2 O-glycans that carry sialyl-Lewis x (sLex) oligosaccharides. The core2-based sLex oligosaccharides (C2-O-sLex) have been demonstrated to be physiological selectin ligands that confer high affinity binding. The E-, P-, and L-selectins are adhesion proteins that direct leukocytes in the blood to lymphoid organs and sites of inflammation. They are also thought to be involved in the hematogenous dissemination of carcinoma cells expressing sialyl-Lewis glycans. Therefore, accumulation of data on structure-function relationships of this particular enzyme may represent an important part of investigations into pathologies involving selectins, such us inflammatory disorders and cancer progression. In this regard, studies of the intracellular distribution of C2GnT-I and its interaction with cognate substrates in vivo, as well as the knowledge of posttranslational modification (i.e., glycosylation, oligomerization, and proteolytic processing), may greatly aid in designing potential enzyme inhibitors. C2GnT-I fused to the green fluorescent protein is expressed to allow examination of the protein in living cells and to ease studies on structure-function relationships in vivo and in vitro.

N-glycans of core2 beta(1,6)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GnT-I) but not those of alpha(1,3)-fucosyltransferase-VII (FucT-VII) are required for the synthesis of functional P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1): effects on P-, L- and E-selectin binding.

C2GnT-I [core2 beta(1,6)-N-acetyglucosaminyltransferase-I] and FucT-VII [alpha(1,3)-fucosyltransferase-VII] are the key enzymes for the biosynthesis of sialyl-Lewis x determinants on selectin ligands and therefore they represent good drug targets for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and other pathologies involving selectins. In the present study, we examined the importance of N-glycosylation for the ability of C2GnT-I and FucT-VII to generate functional selectin ligands, particularly the PSGL-1 (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1). We found that (i) both enzymes have their two N-glycosylation sites occupied, (ii) for C2GnT-I, the N-glycan chain linked to Asn-95 significantly contributes to the synthesis of functional PSGL-1 and is required to localize the enzyme to the cis/medial-Golgi compartment, (iii) all N-glycosylation-deficient proteins of FucT-VII displayr a dramatic impairment of their in vitro enzymatic activities, but retain their ability to fucosylate the core2-modified PSGL-I and to generate P- and L-selectin binding, and (iv) the glycomutants of FucT-VII fail to synthesize sialyl-Lewis x or to generate E-selectin binding unless core2-modified PSGL-1 is present. All combined, our results show a differential functional impact of N-glycosylation on C2GnT-1 and FucT-VII and disclose that a strongly reduced FucT-VII activity retains the ability to fucosylate PSGL-1 on the core2-based binding site(s) for the three selectins.

Soluble plantain fibre blocks adhesion and M-cell translocation of intestinal pathogens.

Dietary fibres may have prebiotic effects mediated by promotion of beneficial bacteria. This study explores the possibility that soluble plant fibre may also improve health by inhibiting epithelial adhesion and translocation by pathogenic bacteria. We have focussed on soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) from plantain bananas (Musa spp.) which previous studies showed to be particularly effective at blocking Escherichia coli epithelial adherence. In vitro and ex vivo studies assessed the ability of plantain NSP to inhibit epithelial cell adhesion and invasion of various bacterial pathogens, and to inhibit their translocation through microfold (M)-cells and human Peyer's patches mounted in Ussing chambers. Plantain NSP showed dose-related inhibition of epithelial adhesion and M-cell translocation by a range of pathogens. At 5mg/ml, a concentration readily achievable in the gut lumen, plantain NSP inhibited adhesion to Caco2 cells by Salmonella Typhimurium (85.0 ± 8.2%, P<.01), Shigella sonnei (46.6 ± 29.3%, P<.01), enterotoxigenic E.coli (56.1 ± 23.7%, P<.05) and Clostridium difficile (67.6 ± 12.3%, P<.001), but did not inhibit adhesion by enteropathogenic E.coli. Plantain NSP also inhibited invasion of Caco2 cells by S. Typhimurium (80.2 ± 9.7%) and Sh. sonnei (46.7 ± 13.4%); P<.01. Plantain NSP, 5mg/ml, also inhibited translocation of S. Typhimurium and Sh. sonnei across M-cells by 73.3 ± 5.2% and 46.4 ± 7.7% respectively (P<.05). Similarly, S. Typhimurium translocation across Peyer's patches was reduced 65.9 ± 8.1% by plantain NSP (P<.01). Soluble plantain fibre can block epithelial adhesion and M-cell translocation of intestinal pathogens. This represents an important novel mechanism by which soluble dietary fibres can promote intestinal health and prevent infective diarrhoea.

Crohn disease--associated adherent-invasive E. coli bacteria target mouse and human Peyer's patches via long polar fimbriae.

Crohn disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease in which an abnormal immune response in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract leads to chronic inflammation. The small intestine, particularly the ileum, of patients with CD is colonized by adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC)--a pathogenic group of E. coli able to adhere to and invade intestinal epithelial cells. As the earliest inflammatory lesions are microscopic erosions of the epithelium lining the Peyer's patches (PPs), we investigated the ability of AIEC bacteria to interact with PPs and the virulence factors involved. We found that AIEC bacteria could interact with mouse and human PPs via long polar fimbriae (LPF). An LPF-negative AIEC mutant was highly impaired in its ability to interact with mouse and human PPs and to translocate across monolayers of M cells, specialized epithelial cells at the surface of PPs. The prevalence of AIEC strains harboring the lpf operon was markedly higher in CD patients compared with controls. In addition, increased numbers of AIEC, but not LPF-deficient AIEC, bacteria were found interacting with PPs from Nod2(-/-) mice compared with WT mice. In conclusion, we have identified LPF as a key factor for AIEC to target PPs. This could be the missing link between AIEC colonization and the presence of early lesions in the PPs of CD patients.