Citrobacter rodentium lifA/efa1 is essential for colonic colonization and crypt cell hyperplasia in vivo

Previously, we have identified a large gene (lifA, for lymphocyte inhibitory factor A) in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) encoding a protein termed lymphostatin that suppresses cytokine expression in vitro. This protein also functions as an adhesion factor for enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and is alternatively known as efa1 (EHEC factor for adherence 1). The lifA/efa1 gene is also present in Citrobacter rodentium, an enteric pathogen that causes a disease termed transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia (TMCH), which induces colitis and massive crypt cell proliferation, in mice. To determine if lifA/efa1 is required for C. rodentium-induced colonic pathology in vivo, three in-frame mutations were generated, disrupting the glycosyltransferase (GlM12) and protease (PrMC31) motifs and a domain in between that does not encode any known activity (EID3). In contrast to infection with wild-type C. rodentium, that with any of the lifA/efa1 mutant strains did not induce weight loss or TMCH. Enteric infection with motif mutants GlM12 and PrM31 resulted in significantly reduced colonization counts during the entire 20-day course of infection. In contrast, EID3 was indistinguishable from the wild type during the initial colonic colonization, but cleared rapidly after day 8 of the infection. The colonic epithelium of all infected mice displayed increased epithelial regeneration. However, significantly increased regeneration was observed by day 20 only in mice infected with the wild-type in comparison to those infected with lifA/efa1 mutant EID3. In summary, lifA/efa1 is a critical gene outside the locus for enterocyte effacement that regulates bacterial colonization, crypt cell proliferation, and epithelial cell regeneration.