Adherence and invasion of Bacteroidales isolated from the human intestinal tract

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 14; no. 10; pp. 955 - 963
• Main Authors: Nakano, V, Piazza, R.M.F., Cianciarullo, A.M., Bueris, V, Santos, M.F., Menezes, M.A., Mendes-Ledesma, M.R.B., Szulczewski, V, Elias, W.P., Pumbwe, L, Wexler, H., Avila-Campos, M.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2008; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: adherence; Animals; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Capsules - analysis; Bacteroides; Bacteroides spp; Bacteroidetes - cytology; Bacteroidetes - isolation & purification; Bacteroidetes - pathogenicity; Bacteroidetes - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; capsule; Cell Line; Child; Child, Preschool; Colony Count, Microbial; Cytosol - microbiology; Diarrhea - microbiology; Epithelial Cells - microbiology; Feces - microbiology; Fimbriae, Bacterial; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; HEp-2 cells; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; invasion; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron; Microscopy, Immunoelectron; Parabacteroides spp; Virulence Factors - analysis; HEp-2 cells; capsule; Parabacteroides spp; invasion; adherence; Bacteroides spp; Human; Gut; Capsule; Adhesion; Bacteroidaceae; Bacteroides; Infection; Bacteria
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2008.02069.x

Members of the genera Bacteroides and Parabacteroides are important constituents of both human and animal intestinal microbiota, and are significant facultative pathogens. In this study, the ability of Bacteroides spp. and Parabacteroides distasonis isolated from both diarrhoeal and normal stools (n = 114) to adhere to and invade HEp-2 cells was evaluated. The presence of putative virulence factors such as capsule and fimbriae was also investigated. Adherence to HEp-2 cells was observed in 75.4% of the strains, which displayed non-localized clusters. Invasion was observed in 37.5% and 26% of the strains isolated from diarrhoeal and non-diarrhoeal stools, respectively. All strains displayed a capsule, whereas none of them showed fimbriae-like structures. This is the first report of the ability of Bacteroides spp. and P. distasonis to adhere to and invade cultured HEp-2 epithelial cells.