PRODUCTION OF COLONIZATION FACTOR ANTIGEN-II OF ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLI IS SUBJECT TO CATABOLITE REPRESSION

Experiments were performed to study the effect of glucose on the production of the fimbrial colonization factor CFA/II of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). The production of the CFA/II antigen was examined by electron microscopy, quantitative ELISA, and hemagglutination. The results showed that addition of 1% glucose to the growth medium drastically decreased CFA/II production, whereas addition of glycerol or sodium acetate did not have any effect. Bacteria grown in the presence of 1% glucose were essentially devoid of CFA/II fimbriae when examined under the electron microscope. Addition of 1 mM cAMP reversed the repressive effect of glucose, suggesting that the glucose suppression on CFA/II synthesis is via the mechanism of catabolite repression.