ANALYSIS OF THE VARIABILITY OF S-FIMBRIAE EXPRESSION IN AN ESCHERICHIA-COLI PATHOGEN

作者：OTT M; HACKER J

来源：FEMS Microbiology Letters, 1991, 79(2-3): 233-238.

DOI：10.1111/j.1574-6968.1991.tb04534.x

• ESCHERICHIA-COLI
• S-FIMBRIA
• VARIABILITY
• EXPRESSION

The uropathogenic Escherichia coli wild-type strain 536 produces S-fimbriae, P-related fimbriae and type I fimbriae. Using immuno-colony dot and ELISA techniques, variants were detected showing an increased degree of S-fimbrial production. It was demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy that in normal (wild-type) and hyper-S-fimbriated E. coli populations non-fimbriated cells also exist, and that the percentage of S-fimbriated and non-fimbriated bacteria was roughly identical in either population. Hyper-S-fimbriated variants could be stably maintained. The transition from wild-type to hyper-S-fimbriation, which occurs spontaneously, is markedly higher than vice versa. Southern blot analysis of the S fimbrial adhesin (sfa) determinants of normal and hyper-fimbriated strains revealed no marked difference in the gene structure.

• 出版日期1991-4-15