Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1977 Nov;18(2):330–337. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.2.330-337.1977

Hemagglutination of Human Group A Erythrocytes by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Adults with Diarrhea: Correlation with Colonization Factor

Dolores G Evans 1, Doyle J Evans Jr 1, Weilie Tjoa 1
PMCID: PMC421235  PMID: 336541

Abstract

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) of several different serotypes isolated from adults with diarrhea and known to possess the colonization factor antigen (CFA) were found to cause mannose-resistant hemagglutination (HA) of human group A erythrocytes. CFA-negative E. coli isolated during the same study did not possess the mannose-resistant hemagglutinin, although some non-ETEC, CFA-negative isolates did exhibit mannose-sensitive HA activity. The mannoseresistant hemagglutinin of ETEC was found to possess many characteristics previously associated with CFA, which is a surface-associated fimbriate heatlabile antigen, and the functionally and morphologically similar K88 and K99 antigens of animal-specific ETEC. Mannose-resistant HA and CFA titers were maximal when ETEC cells were grown on an agar medium (CFA agar) composed primarily of 1% Casamino Acids and 0.15% yeast extract, pH 7.4. Neither CFA nor HA were produced at a growth temperature of 18°C; HA was completely inhibited by pretreatment of CFA-positive cells with the anti-CFA serum. The mannose-resistant hemagglutinin was lost spontaneously and simultaneously with CFA when clinical ETEC isolates were passaged on artificial medium in the laboratory, indicating plasmid control of both entities. The mannose-resistant hemagglutinin of ETEC was shown to be thermolabile, i.e., sensitive to heating at 65°C, as was the CFA. Also, there was correlation between possession of CFA, as detected serologically and by demonstration of biological activity (adherence in the infant rabbit small intestine), presence of CFA-type fimbriae, and the ability of various E. coli isolates to cause mannose-resistant HA of human group A erythrocytes. These results indicate that the mannose-resistant HA of ETEC is another manifestation of CFA.

Full text

PDF
330

Selected References

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

  1. Burrows M. R., Sellwood R., Gibbons R. A. Haemagglutinating and adhesive properties associated with the K99 antigen of bovine strains of Escherichia coli. J Gen Microbiol. 1976 Oct;96(2):269–275. doi: 10.1099/00221287-96-2-269. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cameron D. J., Bishop R. F., Davidson G. P., Townley R. R. New virus associated with diarrhoea in neonates. Med J Aust. 1976 Jan 24;1(4):85–86. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dean A. G., Ching Y. C., Williams R. G., Harden L. B. Test for Escherichia coli enterotoxin using infant mice: application in a study of diarrhea in children in Honolulu. J Infect Dis. 1972 Apr;125(4):407–411. doi: 10.1093/infdis/125.4.407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Donta S. T., Moon H. W., Whipp S. C. Detection of heat-labile Escherichia coli enterotoxin with the use of adrenal cells in tissue culture. Science. 1974 Jan 25;183(4122):334–336. doi: 10.1126/science.183.4122.334. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DuPont H. L., Olarte J., Evans D. G., Pickering L. K., Galindo E., Evans D. J. Comparative susceptibility of latin american and united states students to enteric pathogens. N Engl J Med. 1976 Dec 30;295(27):1520–1521. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197612302952707. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Evans D. G., Evans D. J., Jr, Pierce N. F. Differences in the response of rabbit small intestine to heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxins of Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1973 Jun;7(6):873–880. doi: 10.1128/iai.7.6.873-880.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Evans D. G., Silver R. P., Evans D. J., Jr, Chase D. G., Gorbach S. L. Plasmid-controlled colonization factor associated with virulence in Esherichia coli enterotoxigenic for humans. Infect Immun. 1975 Sep;12(3):656–667. doi: 10.1128/iai.12.3.656-667.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Evans D. J., Jr, Evans D. G. Direct serological assay for the heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli, using passive immune hemolysis. Infect Immun. 1977 May;16(2):604–609. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.2.604-609.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Evans D. J., Jr, Evans D. G., DuPont H. L., Orskov F., Orskov I. Patterns of loss of enterotoxigenicity by Escherichia coli isolated from adults with diarrhea: suggestive evidence for an interrelationship with serotype. Infect Immun. 1977 Jul;17(1):105–111. doi: 10.1128/iai.17.1.105-111.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Evans D. J., Jr, Evans D. G. Three characteristics associated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from man. Infect Immun. 1973 Sep;8(3):322–328. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.3.322-328.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gorbach S. L., Banwell J. G., Chatterjee B. D., Jacobs B., Sack R. B. Acute undifferentiated human diarrhea in the tropics. I. Alterations in intestinal micrflora. J Clin Invest. 1971 Apr;50(4):881–889. doi: 10.1172/JCI106560. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gorbach S. L., Kean B. H., Evans D. G., Evans D. J., Jr, Bessudo D. Travelers' diarrhea and toxigenic Escherichia coli. N Engl J Med. 1975 May 1;292(18):933–936. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197505012921801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gorbach S. L., Khurana C. M. Toxigenic Escherichia coli: a cause of infantile diarrhea in Chicago. N Engl J Med. 1972 Oct 19;287(16):791–795. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197210192871603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Guerrant R. L., Moore R. A., Kirschenfeld P. M., Sande M. A. Role of toxigenic and invasive bacteria in acute diarrhea of childhood. N Engl J Med. 1975 Sep 18;293(12):567–572. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197509182931201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gyles C., So M., Falkow S. The enterotoxin plasmids of Escherichia coli. J Infect Dis. 1974 Jul;130(1):40–49. doi: 10.1093/infdis/130.1.40. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Isaacson R. E. K99 surface antigen of Escherichia coli: purification and partial characterization. Infect Immun. 1977 Jan;15(1):272–279. doi: 10.1128/iai.15.1.272-279.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Jones G. W., Rutter J. M. Role of the K88 antigen in the pathogenesis of neonatal diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli in piglets. Infect Immun. 1972 Dec;6(6):918–927. doi: 10.1128/iai.6.6.918-927.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kapikian A. Z., Kim H. W., Wyatt R. G., Cline W. L., Arrobio J. O., Brandt C. D., Rodriguez W. J., Sack D. A., Chanock R. M., Parrott R. H. Human reovirus-like agent as the major pathogen associated with "winter" gastroenteritis in hospitalized infants and young children. N Engl J Med. 1976 Apr 29;294(18):965–972. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197604292941801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Merson M. H., Morris G. K., Sack D. A., Wells J. G., Feeley J. C., Sack R. B., Creech W. B., Kapikian A. Z., Gangarosa E. J. Travelers' diarrhea in Mexico. A prospective study of physicians and family members attending a congress. N Engl J Med. 1976 Jun 10;294(24):1299–1305. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197606102942401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Myers L. L., Guinée P. A. Occurrence and characteristics of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from calves with diarrhea. Infect Immun. 1976 Apr;13(4):1117–1119. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.4.1117-1119.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. ORSKOV I., ORSKOV F., SOJKA W. J., LEACH J. M. Simultaneous occurrence of E. coli B and Lantigens in strains from diseased swine. Influence of cultivation temperature. Two new E. coli Kantigens: K 87 and K 88. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1961;53:404–422. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Orskov F., Orskov I., Evans D. J., Jr, Sack R. B., Sack D. A., Wadström T. Special Escherichia coli serotypes among enterotoxigenic strains from diarrhoea in adults and children. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1976 Jun 1;162(2):73–80. doi: 10.1007/BF02121318. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Orskov I., Orskov F. Episome-carried surface antigen K88 of Escherichia coli. I. Transmission of the determinant of the K88 antigen and influence on the transfer of chromosomal markers. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jan;91(1):69–75. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.1.69-75.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Orskov I., Orskov F., Smith H. W., Sojka W. J. The establishment of K99, a thermolabile, transmissible escherichia coli K antigen, previously called "Kco", possessed by calf and lamb enteropathogenic strains. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1975 Feb;83(1):31–36. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1975.tb00066.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Ryder R. W., Sack D. A., Kapikian A. Z., McLaughlin J. C., Chakraborty J., Mizanur Rahman A. S., Merson M. H., Wells J. G. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Reovirus-like agent in rural Bangladesh. Lancet. 1976 Mar 27;1(7961):659–663. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)92776-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Ryder R. W., Wachsmuth I. K., Buxton A. E., Evans D. G., DuPont H. L., Mason E., Barrett F. F. Infantile diarrhea produced by heat-stable enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. N Engl J Med. 1976 Oct 14;295(16):849–853. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197610142951601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sack R. B. Human diarrheal disease caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1975;29:333–353. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.29.100175.002001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Shore E. G., Dean A. G., Holik K. J., Davis B. R. Enterotoxin-producing Escherichia coli and diarrheal disease in adult travelers: a prospective study. J Infect Dis. 1974 May;129(5):577–582. doi: 10.1093/infdis/129.5.577. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Smith H. W., Linggood M. A. Further observations on Escherichia coli enterotoxins with particular regard to those produced by atypical piglet strains and by calf and lamb strains: the transmissible nature of these enterotoxins and of a K antigen possessed by calf and lamb strains. J Med Microbiol. 1972 May;5(2):243–250. doi: 10.1099/00222615-5-2-243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Stirm S., Orskov F., Orskov I., Birch-Andersen A. Episome-carried surface antigen K88 of Escherichia coli. 3. Morphology. J Bacteriol. 1967 Feb;93(2):740–748. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.2.740-748.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES