Identification of a Francisella tularensis LVS outer membrane protein that confers adherence to A549 human lung cells

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2006 Oct;263(1):102-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00413.x.

Abstract

Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic bacterium; however, little is known about its initial interactions with mucosal surfaces of the human respiratory tract. To investigate these interactions, we tested whether two Francisella strains could adhere to A549 human lung epithelial cells. We found that LVS adhered well to these cells while Francisella novicida adhered poorly. We used surface biotinylation to identify bacterial proteins that might mediate this adherence. We report the identification of the F. tularensis surface protein FsaP, which, when expressed in nonadherent Escherichia coli, confers recombinant bacteria with the ability to bind to A549 cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Adhesion*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / physiology
  • Base Sequence
  • Biotinylation
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Escherichia coli / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Francisella tularensis / chemistry*
  • Francisella tularensis / genetics
  • Francisella tularensis / pathogenicity
  • Francisella tularensis / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Lung / cytology
  • Lung / microbiology*
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Recombinant Proteins

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/DQ388450
  • GENBANK/DQ388451