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A key role for type 1 pili in enterobacterial communicability
C A Bloch1, B A Stocker, P E Orndorff
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94305.
Molecular Microbiology
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Type 1 pili on E. coli enhance transmission between animals, not intestinal colonization. This suggests pili aid spread rather than direct mucosal attachment, explaining their prevalence in gut bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Pathogenesis
- Host-Microbe Interactions
Background:
- Type 1 pili are common on intestinal Escherichia coli.
- These pili mediate attachment to host cells.
- Their role in intestinal colonization is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of type 1 pili in E. coli intestinal colonization and transmission.
- To determine if type 1 pili are essential for adherence to the intestinal mucosa.
Main Methods:
- Generated a type 1 piliation-deficient E. coli K1 mutant by deleting the pilA gene.
- Colonized neonatal rats with wild-type and mutant E. coli.
- Assessed intestinal colonization density and transmission to littermates.
Main Results:
- Type 1 pili are not required for initial intestinal colonization by E. coli K1.
- Mutants lacking type 1 pili showed significantly reduced transmission between rats.
- Type 1 piliation enhanced the communicability of E. coli K1.
Conclusions:
- Type 1 pili play a crucial role in the transmission of E. coli between hosts.
- Their prevalence in intestinal E. coli may be due to enhanced spread, not direct mucosal adherence.
- This finding offers a new perspective on the function of type 1 pili in enteric bacteria.