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Assessment of cagE and babA mRNA Expression During Morphological Conversion of Helicobacter pylori From Spiral to Coccoid

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Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) is an actively dividing spiral bacterium that changes to coccoid morphology under stressful environments. The infectivity of the coccoids is still controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the viability and expression of two important virulence genes (babA and cagE), in antibiotic-induced coccoid forms. Three strains of H. pylori, the standard 26695 and two clinical isolates (p1, p2) were converted to coccoid form by amoxicillin. Coccoids were identified according to Gram-staining and microscopic morphology. The viability of the cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of cagE and babA in coccoid forms were evaluated and compared to the spirals by quantitative PCR assay. The coccoid forms were developed after 72 h exposure of H. pylori to ½ MIC of amoxicillin, and the conversion form was completed (100 %) at 144 h in all of three isolates. Flow cytometry analyses showed that the majority of the induced coccoids (90–99.9 %) were viable. Expression of cagE and babA was seen in coccoids; however, in lower rate (cagE, ~3-fold and babA, ~10-fold) than these in spiral forms. Coccoid forms of two clinical isolates significantly expressed higher rate of cagE and babA than standard 26695 strain (P = 0.01). These results suggest that the induced coccoid form of H. pylori is not a passive entity but can actively infect the human by expression of the virulence genes for long time in stomach and probably play a role in chronic and severe disease.

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Acknowledgments

This assay was supported by Grant No. 390009 from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. We thank Mr. Kazemi and Mis. Jamshidian in Central Laboratory of Faculty of medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Farkhondeh Poursina, Jamshid Faghri, Sharareh Moghim & Hajieh Ghasemian Safaei

  2. Department of Immunology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Hamid Zarkesh-Esfahani

  3. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Bahram Nasr-Esfahani & Hossein Fazeli

  4. Department of Statistic & Epidemiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Akbar Hasanzadeh

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  1. Farkhondeh Poursina
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  2. Jamshid Faghri
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  8. Hajieh Ghasemian Safaei
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Correspondence to Hajieh Ghasemian Safaei.

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Poursina, F., Faghri, J., Moghim, S. et al. Assessment of cagE and babA mRNA Expression During Morphological Conversion of Helicobacter pylori From Spiral to Coccoid. Curr Microbiol 66, 406–413 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-012-0280-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-012-0280-7

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