Neither Motility nor Chemotaxis Plays a Role in the Ability of Escherichia coli F-18 To Colonize the Streptomycin-Treated Mouse Large Intestine

Authors

Beth A. McCormick
David C. Laux, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Paul S. Cohen, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1990

Department

Microbiology

Abstract

Escherichia coli F-18, isolated from the feces of a healthy human in 1977, is an excellent colonizer of the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine and displays normal motility and chemotaxis ability. A chemotaxis-defective derivative of E. coli F-18, E, coli F-18 CheA^-, and a nonflagellated derivative, E. coli F-18 Fla^-, were constructed. These strains were found to colonize the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine as well as E. coli F-18 when mice were fed both E. coli F-18 and either the CheA^- or Fla^- derivative at high levels (10¹⁰ CFU of each strain per mouse) or low levels (10⁴ CFU of each strain per mouse). Furthermore, E. coli F-18 lost motility and chemotaxis ability when grown in colonic or cecal mucus in vitro despite retaining the ability to synthesize flagella. Thus, it appears that neither motility nor chemotaxis plays a role in the ability of E. coli F-18 to colonize because this strain becomes functionally nonmotile upon growth in the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

McCormick, B. A., Laux, D. C., & Cohen, P. S. (1990). Neither Motility nor Chemotaxis Plays a Role in the Ability of Escherichia coli F-18 To Colonize the Streptomycin-Treated Mouse Large Intestine. Infect. Immun., 58(9), 29557-2961. Retrieved from https://iai.asm.org/content/58/9/2957.

Available at: https://iai.asm.org/content/58/9/2957