KINETIC AND ANTIGENIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ALTERED PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS BY CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI DURING CULTIVATION WITH HUMAN EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Cultivation of Campylobacter jejuni with INT 407 cell monolayer cultur es results in new or enhanced synthesis of a number of proteins compar ed with bacteria cultured in the absence of the epithelial cells. Thes e proteins were detected within 60 min after the addition of the bacte ria to the epithelial cell cultures, and their synthesis was temporall y associated with an increase in C jejuni internalization. A rabbit an tiserum raised against bacteria that were cultivated with INT 407 cell s recognized nine proteins that were not recognized by an antiserum ag ainst C jejuni cultivated in medium alone. The former antiserum inhibi ted the internalization, but not the binding, of Campylobacter jejuni in a dose-dependent fashion. The results suggest that one or more of t he proteins synthesized by C jejuni in response to cocultivation with epithelial cells plays a role in facilitating internalization.