Foodborne Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infections of the small intestine cause diarrhea especially in children and are a major cause of childhood death in developing countries. EPEC infects the apical membrane of the epithelium of the small intestine by attaching, effacing the microvilli under the bacteria and then forming microcolonies on the cell surface. We first asked the question where on epithelial cells EPEC attaches and grows. Using models of polarized epithelial monolayers, we evaluated the sites of initial EPEC attachment to the apical membrane and found that EPEC preferentially attached over the cell-cell junctions and formed microcolonies preferentially where three cells come together at tricellular tight junctions. The ability of EPEC to adhere increased when host cell polarity was compromised yielding EPEC access to basolateral proteins. EPEC pedestals contain basolateral cytoskeletal proteins. Thus, we asked if attached EPEC causes reorganization the protein composition of the host cell plasma membrane at sites of microcolony formation. We found that EPEC microcolony growth at the apical membrane resulted in a local accumulation of basolateral plasma membrane proteins surrounding the microcolony. Basolateral marker protein aquaporin-3 localized to forming EPEC microcolonies. Components of the basolateral vesicle targeting machinery were re-routed. The Exocyst (Exo70) was recruited to individual EPEC as was the basolateral vesicle SNARE VAMP-3. Moreover, several Rab variants were also recruited to the infection site, and their dominant-negative equivalents were not. To quantitatively study the recruitment of basolateral proteins, we created a pulse of the temperature sensitive basolateral VSVG, VSVG3-SP-GFP, from the trans-Golgi Network. We found that after release from the TGN, significantly more VSVG3-SP-GFP accumulated at the site of microcolony growth than on equivalent membrane regions of uninfected cells. This suggests that trafficking of vesicles destined for the basolateral membrane are redirected to the apical site of microcolony growth. Thus, in addition to disrupting host cell fence function, local host cell plasma membrane protein composition is changed by altered protein trafficking and recruitment of basolateral proteins to the apical microcolony. This may aid EPEC attachment and subsequent microcolony growth.

Aim: Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) shuttling between intracellular vesicles and the apical plasma membrane is pivotal in arginine vasopressin-mediated urine concentration and is dysregulated in multiple diseases associated with water balance disorders. Children and adults with acute pyelonephritis have a urinary concentration defect and studies in children revealed increased AQP2 excretion in the urine.This study aimed to analyse AQP2 trafficking in response to acute pyelonephritis.Methods: Immunofluorescence analysis was used to evaluate subcellular localization of AQP2 and AQP2-S256A (mimicking non-phosphorylated AQP2 on serine 256) in cells stimulated with bacterial lysates and of AQP2 and pS256-AQP2 in a mouse model at day 5 of acute pyelonephritis. Western blotting was used to evaluate AQP2 levels and AQP2 phosphorylation on S256 upon incubation with bacterial lysates. Time-lapse imaging was used to measure intracellular cAMP levels in response to incubation with bacterial lysates. Results:In cell cultures, lysates from both uropathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria-mediated AQP2 plasma membrane targeting and increased AQP2 phosphorylation on serine 256 (pS256) without increasing cAMP levels. Both bacterial lysates induced plasma membrane targeting of AQP2-S256A.Immunofluorescence analysis of renal sections from mice after 5 days of acute pyelonephritis revealed apical plasma membrane targeting of AQP2 and pS256-AQP2 in inner medullary collecting ducts. Conclusion:Uropathogenic bacteria induce AQP2 plasma membrane targeting in vitro and in vivo. cAMP levels were not elevated by the bacterial lysates and AQP2 plasma membrane targeting could occur without S256 phosphorylation. This may explain increased AQP2 excretion in the urine during acute pyelonephritis.