Feedback Effects of Host-Derived Adenosine on Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

摘要

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a common cause of watery diarrhea in children in developing countries. After adhering intimately to small intestinal cells, EPEC secretes effector proteins into host cells, altering host cell functions and causing cell damage and death. We previously showed that EPEC infection triggers the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from host cells and that ATP is broken down to ADP, AMP, and adenosine. Adenosine produced from the breakdown of extracellular ATP triggers fluid secretion in cultured intestinal monolayers and may be an important mediator of EPEC-induced diarrhea.In this study we examined whether adenosine has any effects on EPEC bacteria themselves. Adenosine stimulated EPEC growth in several types of media in vitro. Adenosine also altered the pattern of EPEC adherence to cultured cells from a classic localized adherence pattern to a more diffuse adherence pattern. Adenosine changed the pattern of expression of virulence factors in EPEC, inhibiting the expression of the bundle-forming pilus (BFP) and enhancing expression of the EPEC secreted proteins (Esps). The ability of adenosine to inhibit BFP was dependent on the Plasmid-encoded Regulator (Per).In vivo, experimental manipulations of adenosine levels had strong effects on the outcome of EPEC infection in rabbit intestinal loops. Reduction in adenosine levels by addition of exogenous adenosine deaminase (ADA) reduced numbers of EPEC bacteria recovered by over 10-fold in rabbit intestine in vivo. Conversely, inhibitors of ADA increased EPEC-induced fluid secretion, the number of EPEC bacteria recovered from intestinal fluid, and increased the in vivo expression of espA and espB.In addition to its previously reported effects on host cells and tissues, adenosine also has strong effects on EPEC bacteria, stimulating EPEC growth, altering its adherence pattern, and changing the expression of several important virulence genes. Adenosine is released from host cells in response to EPEC infection, and it appears that EPEC has the ability to sense and respond to the adenosine produced.