EXPRESSION OF THIN AGGREGATIVE FIMBRIAE PROMOTES INTERACTION OF SALMONELLA-TYPHIMURIUM SR-11 WITH MOUSE SMALL-INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS

The factors that mediate binding of Salmonella typhimurium to small in testinal epithelial cells have not been fully characterized. In this p aper,ve demonstrate that elimination of production of thin aggregative fiber by a transposon insertion within the gene encoding the subunit protein of the fiber reduced binding of S. typhimurium SR-11 to a cond itionally immortalized proximal small intestinal epithelial cell line established from transgenic mice. This binding defect could be overcom e by transcomplementation with a wild-type allele. The conditionally i mmortalized cell line should prove useful in identifying the epithelia l cell receptor for bacterial attachment since expression of its bacte rial binding activity can be induced by manipulating the line's prolif erative status.