The Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) encodes a typeIII secretion apparatus which is responsible for the translocation of effector proteins into the cytosol of the host cell, thereby, mediating different virulence properties. Several of these effector proteins, e.g. SopE, are involved in the mediation of invasion into non-phagocytic cells early in the infection (Hardt, et al., 1998). In this work, SopE2, an additional TSS1-translocated effector protein with 70 % identity to SopE was identified. In contrast to SopE, which is only present in a few Salmonella isolates, SopE2 was detected in all analysed isolates. It is therefore presumed, that SopE2 is a basic virulence factor of Salmonella, which could function together synergistically with SopE. SopE2 is a G-nucleotide exchange factor for the small RhoGTPase Cdc42, a central regulator of cellular signalling pathways. It could be shown in this work, that either SopE2- as SopE-dependant activation of Cdc42 results in the reorganisation of the actin cytoskeletton via recrution of Arp2/3 complexes, which in turn leads to efficient formation of membrane ruffles and invasion. This SopE2 (and SopE) mediated activation of Cdc42, with its central position in the cellular signalling network, proposes further manipulation of signalling cascades within the eukaryotic cell by these effector proteins. Further, SopE2 binding proteins such as the Rho GTPases Rac1 and RhoA could be identified by using affinity chromatography, 2D-gel-analysis and mass spectrometry. Additionally Rab15, a Rab GTPase involved in vesicle trafficking was identified. Supplementary, transfection experiments indicated that invaded S. typhimurium accumulate Arf6-vesicle in their vicinity. It is not clear yet, if SopE or SopE2 directly participate in this recrution or if it is a indirect effect of the invasion. Additionally, several non-GTPase proteins were identified: the calcium binding protein allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF1), which probably participates in the regulation of actin and the cholesterol binding protein apolipoprotein A-1 (APO-A1). The identification of these proteins in complex with SopE2 displays a possibility to analyse further functions of SopE2 in future.
«
The Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) encodes a typeIII secretion apparatus which is responsible for the translocation of effector proteins into the cytosol of the host cell, thereby, mediating different virulence properties. Several of these effector proteins, e.g. SopE, are involved in the mediation of invasion into non-phagocytic cells early in the infection (Hardt, et al., 1998). In this work, SopE2, an additional TSS1-translocated effector protein with 70 % identity to SopE was iden...
»