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Advances in Yersinia Research pp 281–287Cite as

Unique Virulence Properties of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 954))

Abstract

Most yersiniosis in Europe are caused by Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3. We investigated the cell adhesion and invasion properties of different clinical and animal isolates of Y. enterocolitica O:3 and found that they vary significantly from those of other serotypes. All tested Y. enterocolitica O:5,27, O:8, and O:9 strains were able to enter human epithelial cells when grown at moderate temperature, whereas all Y. enterocolitica O:3 strains were noninvasive under these growth conditions. In contrast, efficient host cell invasion was observed with serotype O:3 strains grown at 37°C, conditions under which host cell entry of other Y. enterocolitica serotypes was significantly reduced. These differences were found to be based on variations affecting the function and expression of surface adhesins in response to temperature. At moderate temperature Y. enterocolitica O:3 strains are nonmotile and express lipopolysaccharides with a unique outer core and an O-antigen structure which prevents host cell adhesion by the surface molecule invasin. Furthermore, invasin production is constitutive in O:3 strains in contrast to other Y. enterocolitica serotypes in which the invasin gene is repressed at 37°C. Coexpression of invasin and the adhesin YadA are responsible for efficient invasion of serotype O:3 strains at body temperature. Enhanced expression of invasin is caused by a constitutive promoter located within the insertion sequence element IS1667 inserted into the promoter region of the invasin gene (inv) in all tested Y. enterocolitica O:3 strains. In addition, a P98S substitution prevents degradation of the transcriptional regulator RovA of the invasin gene at 37°C. Both genetic alterations influence bacterial colonization in a murine infection model.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Ann Kathrin Heroven for critical reading of the manuscript. Work described in this study was supported by the BMBF (Consortium FBI-Zoo), der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Infection Biology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany

    Frank Uliczka & Petra Dersch

  2. Department of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany

    Frank Uliczka & Petra Dersch

Authors
  1. Frank Uliczka
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  2. Petra Dersch
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Correspondence to Petra Dersch .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Centro de Pesquisa Aggeu Magalhães, Campus da UFPE, Recife, 50670, Brazil

    Alzira Maria Paiva de Almeida

  2. , Centro de Pesquisa Aggeu Magalhães, Campus da UFPE, Recife, 50670-420, Brazil

    Nilma Cintra Leal

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Uliczka, F., Dersch, P. (2012). Unique Virulence Properties of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3. In: de Almeida, A., Leal, N. (eds) Advances in Yersinia Research. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 954. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3561-7_35

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