Analysis of the Virulence of an Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain In Vitro and In Vivo and the Influence of Type Three Secretion System
Figure 2
TEM images of rabbit ileal loops infected with aEPEC 1711-4, an isogenic T3SS-mutant or non-pathogenic E. coli HS. (a) wild-type strain at 8 h after infection; (b), (c), and (d)—1711-4 wild-type strain at 24 h after infection. Note an epithelial disorganization at 24 h after infection (c) and (d) in tissue infected with aEPEC 1711-4 strain but not 1711-4 ΔescN (e) or nonpathogenic E. coli strain HS (f). Of note, aEPEC 1711-4 was detected inside an enterocyte at 8 h (a) and 24 h (b) after infection (black arrowheads). Note actin accumulation leading to pedestal formation (black arrow) (c).
