Skip to main content
Biophysical Journal logoLink to Biophysical Journal
. 1997 Aug;73(2):1081–1088. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(97)78140-2

Helicobacter pylori survival in gastric mucosa by generation of a pH gradient.

G Chen 1, R L Fournier 1, S Varanasi 1, P A Mahama-Relue 1
PMCID: PMC1181004  PMID: 9251824

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori has been established as the major causative agent of human active gastritis and is an essential factor in peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. The mechanism that has been proposed for H. pylori to control its inhospitable microenvironment happens to coincide with the pH control technique developed by us. This technique was developed to separate an acidic environment from a basic environment for a sequential enzymatic reaction by the hydrolysis of urea within a thin layer of immobilized urease. In this paper, a mathematical model is presented to consider how H. pylori survives the gastric acidity. The computed results explain well the experimental data available involving H. pylori.

Full text

PDF
1088

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Asaka M., Kimura T., Kato M., Kudo M., Miki K., Ogoshi K., Kato T., Tatsuta M., Graham D. Y. Possible role of Helicobacter pylori infection in early gastric cancer development. Cancer. 1994 Jun 1;73(11):2691–2694. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19940601)73:11<2691::aid-cncr2820731107>3.0.co;2-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blaser M. J. Helicobacter pylori: microbiology of a 'slow' bacterial infection. Trends Microbiol. 1993 Oct;1(7):255–260. doi: 10.1016/0966-842x(93)90047-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buck G. E. Campylobacter pylori and gastroduodenal disease. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1990 Jan;3(1):1–12. doi: 10.1128/cmr.3.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Buck G. E., Gourley W. K., Lee W. K., Subramanyam K., Latimer J. M., DiNuzzo A. R. Relation of Campylobacter pyloridis to gastritis and peptic ulcer. J Infect Dis. 1986 Apr;153(4):664–669. doi: 10.1093/infdis/153.4.664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cesareo S. D., Langton S. R. Kinetic properties of Helicobacter pylori urease compared with jack bean urease. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1992 Nov 15;78(1):15–21. doi: 10.1016/0378-1097(92)90281-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clyne M., Labigne A., Drumm B. Helicobacter pylori requires an acidic environment to survive in the presence of urea. Infect Immun. 1995 May;63(5):1669–1673. doi: 10.1128/iai.63.5.1669-1673.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dixon N. E., Riddles P. W., Gazzola C., Blakeley R. L., Zerner B. Jack bean urease (EC 3.5.1.5). V. On the mechanism of action of urease on urea, formamide, acetamide, N-methylurea, and related compounds. Can J Biochem. 1980 Dec;58(12):1335–1344. doi: 10.1139/o80-181. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dunn B. E., Campbell G. P., Perez-Perez G. I., Blaser M. J. Purification and characterization of urease from Helicobacter pylori. J Biol Chem. 1990 Jun 5;265(16):9464–9469. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Evans D. J., Jr, Evans D. G., Kirkpatrick S. S., Graham D. Y. Characterization of the Helicobacter pylori urease and purification of its subunits. Microb Pathog. 1991 Jan;10(1):15–26. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(91)90062-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Forman D., Newell D. G., Fullerton F., Yarnell J. W., Stacey A. R., Wald N., Sitas F. Association between infection with Helicobacter pylori and risk of gastric cancer: evidence from a prospective investigation. BMJ. 1991 Jun 1;302(6788):1302–1305. doi: 10.1136/bmj.302.6788.1302. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Giannella R. A., Broitman S. A., Zamcheck N. Gastric acid barrier to ingested microorganisms in man: studies in vivo and in vitro. Gut. 1972 Apr;13(4):251–256. doi: 10.1136/gut.13.4.251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Goodwin C. S., Armstrong J. A. Microbiological aspects of Helicobacter pylori (Campylobacter pylori). Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1990 Jan;9(1):1–13. doi: 10.1007/BF01969526. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Greig M. A., Neithercut W. D., Hossack M., McColl K. E. Harnessing of urease activity of Helicobacter pylori to induce self-destruction of the bacterium. J Clin Pathol. 1991 Feb;44(2):157–159. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.2.157. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hawtin P. R., Stacey A. R., Newell D. G. Investigation of the structure and localization of the urease of Helicobacter pylori using monoclonal antibodies. J Gen Microbiol. 1990 Oct;136(10):1995–2000. doi: 10.1099/00221287-136-10-1995. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hazell S. L., Lee A., Brady L., Hennessy W. Campylobacter pyloridis and gastritis: association with intercellular spaces and adaptation to an environment of mucus as important factors in colonization of the gastric epithelium. J Infect Dis. 1986 Apr;153(4):658–663. doi: 10.1093/infdis/153.4.658. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hu L. T., Mobley H. L. Purification and N-terminal analysis of urease from Helicobacter pylori. Infect Immun. 1990 Apr;58(4):992–998. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.4.992-998.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Marshall B. J., Barrett L. J., Prakash C., McCallum R. W., Guerrant R. L. Urea protects Helicobacter (Campylobacter) pylori from the bactericidal effect of acid. Gastroenterology. 1990 Sep;99(3):697–702. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(90)90957-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Marshall B. J., Langton S. R. Urea hydrolysis in patients with Campylobacter pyloridis infection. Lancet. 1986 Apr 26;1(8487):965–966. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)91060-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Marshall B. J., McGechie D. B., Rogers P. A., Glancy R. J. Pyloric Campylobacter infection and gastroduodenal disease. Med J Aust. 1985 Apr 15;142(8):439–444. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1985.tb113444.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Marshall B. J., Warren J. R. Unidentified curved bacilli in the stomach of patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lancet. 1984 Jun 16;1(8390):1311–1315. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91816-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mobley H. L., Cortesia M. J., Rosenthal L. E., Jones B. D. Characterization of urease from Campylobacter pylori. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 May;26(5):831–836. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.5.831-836.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mobley H. L., Island M. D., Hausinger R. P. Molecular biology of microbial ureases. Microbiol Rev. 1995 Sep;59(3):451–480. doi: 10.1128/mr.59.3.451-480.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Morgan D. R., Freedman R., Depew C. E., Kraft W. G. Growth of Campylobacter pylori in liquid media. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Nov;25(11):2123–2125. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.11.2123-2125.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Nomura A., Stemmermann G. N., Chyou P. H., Kato I., Perez-Perez G. I., Blaser M. J. Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric carcinoma among Japanese Americans in Hawaii. N Engl J Med. 1991 Oct 17;325(16):1132–1136. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199110173251604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Pérez-Pérez G. I., Olivares A. Z., Cover T. L., Blaser M. J. Characteristics of Helicobacter pylori variants selected for urease deficiency. Infect Immun. 1992 Sep;60(9):3658–3663. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.9.3658-3663.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Rathbone B. J., Wyatt J. I., Heatley R. V. Campylobacter pyloridis--a new factor in peptic ulcer disease? Gut. 1986 Jun;27(6):635–641. doi: 10.1136/gut.27.6.635. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Segal E. D., Shon J., Tompkins L. S. Characterization of Helicobacter pylori urease mutants. Infect Immun. 1992 May;60(5):1883–1889. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.5.1883-1889.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sjöström J. E., Larsson H. Factors affecting growth and antibiotic susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori: effect of pH and urea on the survival of a wild-type strain and a urease-deficient mutant. J Med Microbiol. 1996 Jun;44(6):425–433. doi: 10.1099/00222615-44-6-425. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Smoot D. T., Mobley H. L., Chippendale G. R., Lewison J. F., Resau J. H. Helicobacter pylori urease activity is toxic to human gastric epithelial cells. Infect Immun. 1990 Jun;58(6):1992–1994. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.6.1992-1994.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Xu J. K., Goodwin C. S., Cooper M., Robinson J. Intracellular vacuolization caused by the urease of Helicobacter pylori. J Infect Dis. 1990 Jun;161(6):1302–1304. doi: 10.1093/infdis/161.6.1302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biophysical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biophysical Society

RESOURCES