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Purification and characterization of distinct type of mannose-sensitive fimbriae from Salmonella typhimurium

S Ghosh1, A Mittal, N K Ganguly

  • 1Department of Experimental Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|January 15, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Salmonella typhimurium fimbriae (E4) were purified and found to agglutinate erythrocytes, an interaction inhibited by D-mannose. Immune sera cross-reacted with type-1 fimbriae (F1), suggesting shared antigenic properties.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Fimbriae are crucial virulence factors in Salmonella typhimurium.
  • Understanding fimbrial structure and function is key to developing targeted therapeutics.
  • Previous studies have characterized various Salmonella fimbrial types.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To purify and characterize the fimbriae (E4) from a virulent Salmonella typhimurium strain.
  • To investigate the adhesive properties of the purified fimbriae.
  • To assess the immunCross-reactivity between different fimbrial types.

Main Methods:

  • Ion exchange chromatography using an FPLC system for fimbrial purification.
  • Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for structural analysis.
  • Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for subunit identification.
  • Erythrocyte agglutination assays to determine adhesive properties.
  • Immune serum cross-reactivity studies.

Main Results:

  • Purified fimbriae (E4) exhibited a channelled structure under TEM.
  • SDS-PAGE revealed a major structural subunit of 17-kDa.
  • The fimbriae agglutinated guinea pig erythrocytes, with inhibition by D-mannose.
  • Immune sera against E4 fimbriae showed cross-reactivity with type-1 fimbriae (F1), which have a 21-kDa subunit.

Conclusions:

  • The purified Salmonella typhimurium fimbriae (E4) possess adhesive properties mediated by D-mannose recognition.
  • There is antigenic cross-reactivity between E4 and type-1 fimbriae, indicating potential shared epitopes.
  • These findings contribute to the understanding of Salmonella fimbrial diversity and host-pathogen interactions.

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