Role of motAB in Adherence and Internalization in Polarized Caco-2 Cells and in Cecal Colonization of Campylobacter jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni, a gram-negative motile bacterium commonly found in the chicken gastrointestinal tract, is one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. An intact and functional flagellum is important for C. jejuni virulence and colonization. To understand the role of C. jejuni motility in adherence and internalization in polarized Caco-2 cells and in cecal colonization of chickens we constructed a C. jejuni NCTC11168 V1 Delta motAB mutant. The motAB genes code for the flagellar motor, which enables the rotation of the flagellum. The nonmotile Delta motAB mutant expressed a full-length flagellum, which allowed us to differentiate between the roles of full-length flagella and motility in the ability of C. jejuni to colonize. To study the adherence and invasion abilities of the C. jejuni Delta motAB mutant we chose to use polarized Caco-2 cells, which are thought to be more representative of in vivo intestinal cell architecture and function. Although the C. jejuni Delta motAB mutant adhered significantly better than the wild type to the Caco-2 cells, we observed a significant reduction in the ability to invade the cells. In this study we obtained evidence that the flagellar rotation triggers C. jejuni invasion into polarized Caco-2 cells and we believe that C. jejuni is propelled into the cell with a drill-like rotation. The Delta motAB mutant was also tested for its colonization potential in a 1-day-old chicken model. The nonmotile C. jejuni Delta motAB mutant was not able to colonize any birds at days 3 and 7, suggesting that motility is essential for C. jejuni colonization.