Co-ordinate regulation of distinct host cell signalling pathway by multifunctional enteropathogenic Escherichia coli effector molecules

B Kenny, S Ellis, AD Leard, J Warawa, H Mellor, MA Jepson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

139 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major cause of paediatric diarrhoea and a model for the family of attaching and effacing (A/E) pathogens. A/E pathogens encode a type III secretion system to transfer effector proteins into host cells. The EPEC Tir effector protein acts as a receptor for the bacterial surface protein intimin and is involved in the formation of Cdc42-independent, actin-rich pedestal structures beneath the adhered bacteria. In this paper, we demonstrate that EPEC binding to HeLa cells also induces Tir-independent, cytoskeletal rearrangement evidenced by the early, transient formation of filopodia-like structures at sites of infection. Filopodia formation is dependent on expression of the EPEC Map effector molecule – a protein that targets mitochondria and induces their dysfunction. We show that Map-induced filopodia formation is independent of mitochondrial targeting and is abolished by cellular expression of the Cdc42 inhibitory WASP-CRIB domain, demonstrating that Map has at least two distinct functions in host cells. The transient nature of the filopodia is related to an ability of EPEC to downregulate Map-induced cell signalling that, like pedestal formation, was dependent on both Tir and intimin proteins. The ability of Tir to downregulate filopodia was impaired by disrupting a putative GTPase-activating protein (GAP) motif, suggesting that Tir may possess such a function, with its interaction with intimin triggering this activity. Furthermore, we also found that Map-induced cell signalling inhibits pedestal formation, revealing that the cellular effects of Tir and Map must be co-ordinately regulated during infection. Possible implications of the multifunctional nature of EPEC effector molecules in pathogenesis are discussed.
Translated title of the contributionCo-ordinate regulation of distinct host cell signalling pathway by multifunctional enteropathogenic Escherichia coli effector molecules
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1095 - 1107
Number of pages13
JournalMolecular Microbiology
Volume44 (4)
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2002

Bibliographical note

Publisher: Blackwell

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