A nanobody targeting the translocated intimin receptor inhibits the attachment of enterohemorrhagic E. coli to human colonic mucosa

PLoS Pathog. 2019 Aug 29;15(8):e1008031. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008031. eCollection 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is a human intestinal pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. No vaccines or specific therapies are currently available to prevent or treat these infections. EHEC tightly attaches to the intestinal epithelium by injecting the intimin receptor Tir into the host cell via a type III secretion system (T3SS). In this project, we identified a camelid single domain antibody (nanobody), named TD4, that recognizes a conserved Tir epitope overlapping the binding site of its natural ligand intimin with high affinity and stability. We show that TD4 inhibits attachment of EHEC to cultured human HeLa cells by preventing Tir clustering by intimin, activation of downstream actin polymerization and pedestal formation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TD4 significantly reduces EHEC adherence to human colonic mucosa in in vitro organ cultures. Altogether, these results suggest that nanobody-based therapies hold potential in the development of much needed treatment and prevention strategies against EHEC infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion / drug effects
  • Bacterial Adhesion / physiology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Camelus
  • Colon / metabolism*
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Colon / pathology
  • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli / physiology*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / pathology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / immunology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / immunology
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / immunology
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Single-Domain Antibodies
  • Tir protein, E coli