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Biomedical subjects

D B Schauer

Publications and source records attributed to D B Schauer.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Infection of the ferret stomach by isogenic flagellar mutant strains of Helicobacter mustelae.

Helicobacter mustelae, like Helicobacter pylori, possesses two flagellin proteins, FlaA and FlaB. Isogenic mutant strains of H. mustelae have been constructed by disruption of the flaA or flaB gene with a kanamycin resistance cassette or by introduction of both a kanamycin and a chloramphenicol resistance gene to produce a double mutant. To determine whether one or both flagellin proteins are necessary for colonization and persistence of infection with H. mustelae, 19 ferrets, specific pathogen free for H. mustelae, were given either the HMF1 flaA::km (weakly motile), ATCC 43772 flaB::km (moderately motile), or HMF1 flaA::cat flaB::km (non-motile) mutant strain, the wild-type parent strains, or sterile broth. Gastric tissue samples were obtained during sequential gastric biopsies beginning at 3 weeks postinoculation and ending at necropsy at 3 months postinoculation. H. mustelae infection status was determined by culture, histology, and serology. The wild-type parent strains of H. mustelae infected all ferrets at all time points. The double-mutant strain was unable to colonize; the flaA and flaB single-mutant strains were able to initially colonize at a low level and establish persistent infection with increasing numbers of organisms over time. The severity of gastritis produced by infection with these strains of H. mustelae correlated with the number of organisms present in the gastric mucosa. Flagellar motility is an important virulence factor for colonization and pathogenesis in the H. mustelae ferret model.

Animals↗

Inflammatory bowel disease: an immunity-mediated condition triggered by bacterial infection with Helicobacter hepaticus.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is thought to result from either an abnormal immunological response to enteric flora or a normal immunological response to a specific pathogen. No study to date has combined both factors. The present studies were carried out with an immunologically manipulated mouse model of IBD. Mice homozygous for the severe combined immunodeficiency (scid) mutation develop IBD with adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells expressing high levels of CD45RB (CD45RB(high) CD4+ T cells). These mice do not develop IBD in germfree conditions, implicating undefined intestinal flora in the pathogenesis of lesions. In controlled duplicate studies, the influence of a single murine pathogen, Helicobacter hepaticus, in combination with the abnormal immunological response on the development of IBD was assessed. The combination of H. hepaticus infection and CD45RB(high) CD4+ T-cell reconstitution resulted in severe disease expression similar to that observed in human IBD. This study demonstrates that IBD develops in mice as a consequence of an abnormal immune response in the presence of a single murine pathogen, H. hepaticus. The interaction of host immunity and a single pathogen in this murine system provides a novel model of human IBD, an immunity-mediated condition triggered by bacterial infection.

Animals↗

Intimin from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli restores murine virulence to a Citrobacter rodentium eaeA mutant: induction of an immunoglobulin A response to intimin and EspB.

The formation of attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions is central to the pathogenesis of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC)-mediated disease in humans and Citrobacter rodentium (formerly C. freundii biotype 4280)-mediated transmissible colonic hyperplasia in mice. Closely related outer membrane proteins, known as intimins, are required for formation of the A/E lesion by both EPEC (Int(EPEC)) and C. rodentium (Int(CR)). A secreted protein, EspB (formally EaeB), is also necessary for A/E-lesion formation. Here we report that expression of a cloned Int(EPEC), encoded by plasmid pCVD438, restores murine virulence to an intimin-deficient mutant of C. rodentium DBS255. Replacement of Cys937 with Ala abolished the ability of the cloned EPEC intimin to complement the deletion mutation in DBS255. Ultrastructural examination of tissues from wild-type C. rodentium and DBS255(pCVD438)-infected mice revealed multiple A/E lesion on infected cells and loss of contact between enterocytes and basement membrane. Histological investigation showed that although both wild-type C. rodentium and DBS255(pCVD438) colonized the descending colon and induced colonic hyperplasia in orally infected 21-day-old mice, the latter strain adhered to epithelial cells located deeper within crypts. Nonetheless, infection with the wild-type strain was consistently more virulent, as indicated by a higher mortality rate. All the surviving mice, challenged with either wild-type C. rodentium or DBS255(pCVD438), developed a mucosal immunoglobulin A response to intimin and EspB. These results show that C. rodentium infection provides a relevant, simple, and economic model to investigate the role of EPEC proteins in the formation of A/E lesions in vivo and in intestinal disease.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Inability of an isogenic urease-negative mutant stain of Helicobacter mustelae to colonize the ferret stomach.

Eight ferrets specific-pathogen-free for Helicobacter mustelae were given, per dose, approximately 3.0 x 10(7) CFU of either the wild-type parent strain of H. mustelae (NCTC 12032) (two ferrets) the isogenic urease-negative mutant strain of H. mustelae (10::Tn3Km) (four ferrets), or sterile culture broth (two ferrets). Infection status was monitored by endoscopic gastric biopsy for urease activity, histopathology, and culture and by serology at 3, 6, 10, and 21 weeks. All ferrets were necropsied at 25 weeks. Both negative control ferrets remained uninfected, both ferrets receiving the H. mustelae wild-type parent strain became infected after two doses of the organism, and all four ferrets given two doses of the isogenic urease-negative mutant strain of H. mustelae remained uninfected throughout the 6-month study. Histopathology correlated with infection status. H. mustelae-infected ferrets exhibited diffuse mononuclear inflammation in the subglandular region and the lamina propria of the gastric mucosa, while uninfected ferrets showed no or minimal inflammation. These results suggest that urease activity is essential for colonization of the ferret stomach by H. mustelae.

Animals↗

Genetic and biochemical characterization of Citrobacter rodentium sp. nov.

An unusual bacterial pathogen of laboratory mice has been previously classified as an atypical biotype of Citrobacter freundii. Designated C. freundii biotype 4280, this bacterium is the etiologic agent of transmissible murine clonic hyperplasia. An eaeA gene has been shown to be present in this organism and to be necessary for virulence in laboratory mice. However, other biotypes of C. freundii lack DNA homology with the eaeA gene. Because of the recent reclassification in which five named species and three unnamed species, all previously considered C. freundii, were described, we determined the taxonomic status of C. freundii biotype 4280. With a battery of biochemical tests and DNA relatedness studies, three isolates of C. freundii biotype 4280 were shown to be members of an unnamed Citrobacter species, designated species 9. In total, six isolates of Citrobacter species 9, but none of the type strains of the other eight named species or of the two remaining unnamed species of Citrobacter, were shown to possess DNA homology with both the eaeA and the eaeB genes. Species 9 was named Citrobacter rodentium sp. nov.

Animals↗

The eae gene of Citrobacter freundii biotype 4280 is necessary for colonization in transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia.

Transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia is characterized by proliferation of anchored stem cells in the mucosa of the descending colon of laboratory mice and is caused by Citrobacter freundii biotype 4280. This bacterium produces attaching and effacing lesions in the descending colon prior to the onset of gross hyperplasia. By mutational analysis, the chromosomal eae gene of C. freundii biotype 4280 was shown to be necessary for colonic colonization. Conversely, bacteria cured of a 65-kb plasmid, which was identified in C. freundii biotype 4280, were not attenuated for colonic colonization or for the induction of colonic hyperplasia.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Attaching and effacing locus of a Citrobacter freundii biotype that causes transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia.

Citrobacter freundii biotype 4280 produces attaching and effacing (AE) lesions in the large intestine of laboratory mice and is the causative agent of transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia. AE lesions are also produced by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in humans. Southern analysis revealed that biotype 4280, but not 20 other strains of C. freundii, contained DNA homologous to the eae (E. coli attaching and effacing) gene which is necessary for AE activity by enteropathogenic E. coli in vitro. We have cloned and determined the nucleotide sequence of the C. freundii eae homolog. Our findings suggest that the eae locus of C. freundii biotype 4280 is necessary for AE activity and has a role in the pathogenesis of transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Isolation and characterization of "Flexispira rappini" from laboratory mice.

A bacterium with an unusual ultrastructure and possessing a fusiform protoplasmic cylinder, spiral periplasmic fibers, and bipolar tufts of sheathed flagella was identified in the intestinal mucosae of laboratory mice. The organism was cultured under microaerophilic conditions and was found to rapidly hydrolyze urea. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the organism was shown to be "Flexispira rappini." "F. rappini" is closely related to members of the genus Helicobacter and has been reported to be associated with human gastroenteritis and ovine abortion. "F. rappini" has not previously been observed in the gastrointestinal tracts of mice.

Animals↗