In vitro binding of Campylobacter jejuni/coli outer membrane preparations to INT 407 cell membranes

Outer membrane fractions (OMs) of nine Campylobacter (C.) jejuni and two C. coli strains belonging to different serovars, from human and various animal origins, were extracted by treatment with sodium N-lauryl sarcosinate. Using n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside a 42-kDa protein and a flagella-enriched fraction were obtained. The capacity of the crude bacterial OM preparations, the purified 42-kDa protein and the flagella to bind to membranes of the human embryonic intestinal cell line INT 407 was tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The crude OM and the 42-kDa-enriched fraction were found to bind very well to the cell membranes, whereas the flagella preparation showed only a weak binding. Using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with HS 2-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) specificity, binding of crude HS 2 strain OM preparations to cell membranes was detected in a significant range, whereas with flagellin-specific mAbs binding of OMs and flagella to cell membranes was only detected to a very low extent. Binding of OMs to cell membranes was inhibited by preincubation of OMs with serovar-specific mouse hyperimmune serum, whereas on preincubation with mAbs directed against LPS or flagella binding was practically not inhibited. OMs extracted after pretreatment of the bacteria with proteinase K showed an altered SDS-PAGE pattern especially for the 42-kDa protein subunit and and their capacity to bind to cell membranes was significantly reduced. The binding was also reduced by preincubation of the OMs with L-fucose or D-mannose.