Intimin type influences the site of human intestinal mucosal colonisation by enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O 157:H7

Abstract

Background: Enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) Escherichia coli epithelial cell adhesion is characterised by intimate attachment, and attaching and effacing (A/E) lesion formation. This event is mediated in part by intimin binding to another bacterial protein, Tir (translocated intimin receptor), which is exported by the bacteria and integrated into the host cell plasma membrane. Importantly, EPEC (O 127:H6) and EHEC (O 157:H7) express antigenically distinct intimin types known as intimin α and γ, respectively. EHEC (O 157:H7) colonises human intestinal explants although adhesion is restricted to the follicle associated epithelium of Peyer's patches. This phenotype is also..