A transgenic model for listeriosis: role of internalin in crossing the intestinal barrier

Science. 2001 Jun 1;292(5522):1722-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1059852.

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for severe food-borne infections, but the mechanisms by which bacteria cross the intestinal barrier are unknown. Listeria monocytogenes expresses a surface protein, internalin, that interacts with a host receptor, E-cadherin, to promote entry into human epithelial cells. Murine E-cadherin, in contrast to guinea pig E-cadherin, does not interact with internalin, excluding the mouse as a model for addressing internalin function in vivo. In guinea pigs and transgenic mice expressing human E-cadherin, internalin was found to mediate invasion of enterocytes and crossing of the intestinal barrier. These results illustrate how relevant animal models for human infections can be generated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Translocation
  • Cadherins / genetics
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Enterocytes / metabolism
  • Enterocytes / microbiology*
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Intestine, Small / microbiology
  • Intestine, Small / pathology
  • Listeria monocytogenes / growth & development
  • Listeria monocytogenes / metabolism
  • Listeria monocytogenes / pathogenicity*
  • Listeriosis / microbiology*
  • Listeriosis / pathology
  • Liver / microbiology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Lymph Nodes / microbiology
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neoplasm Proteins*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Spleen / microbiology
  • Spleen / pathology
  • Transgenes
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins*
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cadherins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • FABP7 protein, human
  • Fabp5 protein, mouse
  • Fabp7 protein, mouse
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • internalin protein, Bacteria