Four different intimin types were identified: θ2 (theta), σ (sigma), τ (tau) and upsilon (Table 1). We have detected in aEPEC strains 4281-7 and 1632-7 (serotypes O104:H- and O26:H-, respectively)

two new intimin genes eae-τ and eae-ν that showed less than 95% nucleotide sequence identity with existing intimin genes. Furthermore, a third new variant of the eae gene (theta 2 – θ2) was identified selleck in the aEPEC strain 1871-1 (serotype O34:H-). The complete nucleotide sequences of the new eae-θ2 (FM872418), eae-τ (tau) (FM872416) and eae-upsilon; (FM872417) variant genes were determined. By using CLUSTAL W [41] for optimal sequence alignment, we determined the genetic relationship of the three new intimin genes and the remaining 27 eae variants. A genetic identity of 90% was calculated between the new eae-τ (tau) variant and eae-γ2 (gama2),

eae-θ (theta) and eae-σ (sigma) genes. The eae-upsilon; showed a 94% of identity with eae-ι1. The eae-θ2 (theta-2) gene is very similar (99%) to eae-θ of Tarr & Whittam [20] and to eae-γ2 of Oswald et al. [19]. Table 1 Characteristics of the aEPEC strains studied. Strain Serotype Intimin Type Tozasertib adherence pattern FAS test         HeLa cells T84 cells 0621-6 ONT:H- σ * LA + + 1551-2 ONT:H- ο LA + + 1632-7 O26:H- upsilon; ** DA + + 1871-1 O34:H- θ2 ** LAL + + 4051-6 O104:H2 ο AA + + 4281-7 O104:H-

τ** LAL + + E2348/69 O127:H6 α1 LA + Milciclib chemical structure + Adhesion pattern detected on HeLa cells: localized adherence (LA), localized adherence like (LAL), aggregative adherence (AA) and diffuse adherence (DA) (Vieira et al., 2001). (*) Strains that had eae gene sequenced in this study and (**) strains that carry new intimin subtypes (GenBank accession numbers: 1871-1 (FM872418); 4281-7 (FM872416) and 1632-7 (FM872417). Quantitative assessment of bacterial invasion Farnesyltransferase was performed with all strains, but different incubation-periods were used to test aEPEC strains (6 h) and tEPEC E2348/69 (3 h), because the latter colonizes more efficiently (establishes the LA pattern in 3 h) than aEPEC strains [3] and induce cell-detachment after 6 h of incubation (not shown). The quantitative gentamicin protection assay confirmed the invasive ability of aEPEC 1551-2 in HeLa cells and showed that 4 of the other 5 aEPEC strains studied were also significantly more invasive than tEPEC E2348/69 (Fig. 1A). The percentages of invasion found varied between 13.3% (SE ± 3.0) and 20.9% (SE ± 2.4), respectively, for aEPEC strains 4051-6 (intimin omicron) and 0621-6 (intimin sigma). When compared to tEPEC E2348/69 (intimin alpha 1) (1.4% ± 0.3), the invasion indexes of all strains were significantly higher (p < 0.05), except for aEPEC strain 4281-7 (intimin tau, 2.4% ± 0.3).