Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1988 Apr;56(4):892–897. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.4.892-897.1988

Role of type 1 and S fimbriae in the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli O18:K1 bacteremia and meningitis in the infant rat.

K M Saukkonen 1, B Nowicki 1, M Leinonen 1
PMCID: PMC259386  PMID: 2894363

Abstract

The role of fimbriae in the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli infection was studied in the infant rat model. Rat pups were challenged intraperitoneally at the age of 5 days with E. coli K1 (strain IH3080, O18:K1:H7) and three different subpopulations (type 1, type S, or nonfimbriated) of it. All bacterial subpopulations were able to produce peritonitis, bacteremia, and meningitis. However, the type 1 fraction was the least virulent and the type S fraction was the most virulent, as judged by the bacterial counts in body fluids and by the mortality rates of the pups. Fimbrial phase variation to mainly the type-S-fimbriated forms was observed in all body fluids. An initially type-S-fimbriated inoculum remained predominantly type S fimbriated in the peritoneal fluid and blood. In the cerebrospinal fluid, however, about 50% of the bacteria were type S fimbriated and 50% were nonfimbriated 1 h after challenge with the type-S-fimbriated subpopulation; at later times the share of type-S-fimbriated bacteria also increased in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Full text

PDF
892

Selected References

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

  1. Beachey E. H. Bacterial adherence: adhesin-receptor interactions mediating the attachment of bacteria to mucosal surface. J Infect Dis. 1981 Mar;143(3):325–345. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.3.325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blumenstock E., Jann K. Adhesion of piliated Escherichia coli strains to phagocytes: differences between bacteria with mannose-sensitive pili and those with mannose-resistant pili. Infect Immun. 1982 Jan;35(1):264–269. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.1.264-269.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bortolussi R., Ferrieri P., Björkstén B., Quie P. G. Capsular K1 polysaccharide of Escherichia coli: relationship to virulence in newborn rats and resistance to phagocytosis. Infect Immun. 1979 Jul;25(1):293–298. doi: 10.1128/iai.25.1.293-298.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bortolussi R., Ferrieri P., Wannamaker L. W. Dynamics of Escherichia coli infection and meningitis in infant rats. Infect Immun. 1978 Nov;22(2):480–485. doi: 10.1128/iai.22.2.480-485.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Glode M. P., Sutton A., Moxon E. R., Robbins J. B. Pathogenesis of neonatal Escherichia coli meningitis: induction of bacteremia and meningitis in infant rats fed E. coli K1. Infect Immun. 1977 Apr;16(1):75–80. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.1.75-80.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hacker J., Hof H., Emödy L., Goebel W. Influence of cloned Escherichia coli hemolysin genes, S-fimbriae and serum resistance on pathogenicity in different animal models. Microb Pathog. 1986 Dec;1(6):533–547. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(86)90039-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kaplan S. L., Mason E. O., Jr, Wiedermann B. L. Role of adherence in the pathogenesis of Haemophilus influenzae type b infection in infant rats. Infect Immun. 1983 Nov;42(2):612–617. doi: 10.1128/iai.42.2.612-617.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kerjaschki D., Sharkey D. J., Farquhar M. G. Identification and characterization of podocalyxin--the major sialoprotein of the renal glomerular epithelial cell. J Cell Biol. 1984 Apr;98(4):1591–1596. doi: 10.1083/jcb.98.4.1591. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Korhonen T. K., Parkkinen J., Hacker J., Finne J., Pere A., Rhen M., Holthöfer H. Binding of Escherichia coli S fimbriae to human kidney epithelium. Infect Immun. 1986 Nov;54(2):322–327. doi: 10.1128/iai.54.2.322-327.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Korhonen T. K., Valtonen M. V., Parkkinen J., Väisänen-Rhen V., Finne J., Orskov F., Orskov I., Svenson S. B., Mäkelä P. H. Serotypes, hemolysin production, and receptor recognition of Escherichia coli strains associated with neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Infect Immun. 1985 May;48(2):486–491. doi: 10.1128/iai.48.2.486-491.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Korhonen T. K., Väisänen-Rhen V., Rhen M., Pere A., Parkkinen J., Finne J. Escherichia coli fimbriae recognizing sialyl galactosides. J Bacteriol. 1984 Aug;159(2):762–766. doi: 10.1128/jb.159.2.762-766.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Korhonen T. K., Väisänen V., Kallio P., Nurmiaho-Lassila E. L., Ranta H., Siitonen A., Elo J., Svenson S. B., Svanborg-Edén C. The role of pili in the adhesion of Escherichia coli to human urinary tract epithelial cells. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl. 1982;33:26–31. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ledeen R. W., Yu R. K. Gangliosides: structure, isolation, and analysis. Methods Enzymol. 1982;83:139–191. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(82)83012-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Leinonen M., Herva E. The latex agglutination test for the diagnosis of meningococcal and haemophilus influenzae meningitis. Scand J Infect Dis. 1977;9(3):187–191. doi: 10.3109/inf.1977.9.issue-3.06. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Moxon E. R., Glode M. P., Sutton A., Robbins J. B. The infant rat as a model of bacterial meningitis. J Infect Dis. 1977 Aug;136 (Suppl):S186–S190. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.supplement.s186. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nowicki B., Rhen M., Väisänen-Rhen V., Pere A., Korhonen T. K. Immunofluorescence study of fimbrial phase variation in Escherichia coli KS71. J Bacteriol. 1984 Nov;160(2):691–695. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.2.691-695.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nowicki B., Rhen M., Väisänen-Rhen V., Pere A., Korhonen T. K. Organization of fimbriate cells in colonies of Escherichia coli strain 3040. J Gen Microbiol. 1985 May;131(5):1263–1266. doi: 10.1099/00221287-131-5-1263. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Orskov I., Orskov F., Birch-Andersen A. Comparison of Escherichia coli fimbrial antigen F7 with type 1 fimbriae. Infect Immun. 1980 Feb;27(2):657–666. doi: 10.1128/iai.27.2.657-666.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Robbins J. B., McCracken G. H., Jr, Gotschlich E. C., Orskov F., Orskov I., Hanson L. A. Escherichia coli K1 capsular polysaccharide associated with neonatal meningitis. N Engl J Med. 1974 May 30;290(22):1216–1220. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197405302902202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Segal E., Billyard E., So M., Storzbach S., Meyer T. F. Role of chromosomal rearrangement in N. gonorrhoeae pilus phase variation. Cell. 1985 Feb;40(2):293–300. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90143-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Silverblatt F. J., Dreyer J. S., Schauer S. Effect of pili on susceptibility of Escherichia coli to phagocytosis. Infect Immun. 1979 Apr;24(1):218–223. doi: 10.1128/iai.24.1.218-223.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES