RDEC-1 (serotype O15) is an attaching and effacing strain of @entity95 enteropathogenic @entity526 (REPEC) that causes @entity294 in postweanling @entity95 . It expresses AF/R1 pili that mediate Peyer's patch M-cell adherence. We investigated Peyer's patch adherence, the presence of virulence genes, ileal brush @entity1423 , and pilus expression in 9 strains representing several serotypes of REPEC as well as in two commensal strains. Postweanling @entity95 were inoculated with 10(6) organisms and sacrificed at 24 h, and tissues were prepared for examination by light microscopy. Strains B10 and RDEC-1 were also studied at 12 and 72 h postinoculation. All REPEC strains were eaeA positive, expressed pili, and adhered to ileal brush borders. Both commensal strains expressed pili, and one strain adhered to brush borders. All REPEC strains demonstrated some degree of Peyer's patch lymphoid follicle adherence, ranging from diffuse coverage to small patches covering two to three dome epithelial cells. Strains C102 and C110 had genes homologous with the structural subunit gene of the AF/R1 pilus (afrA) of RDEC-1, which correlated with greater degrees of lymphoid follicle adherence and lesser degrees of ileal villus adherence. The observation that all REPEC strains adhere to Peyer's patch epithelium suggests the possibility that @entity1 strains of enteropathogenic @entity526 (EPEC) might do likewise. EPEC strains might thus serve as mucosal vaccine vectors in @entity1 . Better understanding of the molecular mechanism of REPEC adherence should provide a model for the targeting of the Peyer's patch in @entity1 .

Peyer's patch adherence of enteropathogenic @entity526 strains in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['humans', 'human'] @entity1423 :: ('MESH:D001791', 'Disease') :: ['border aggregation'] @entity294 :: ('MESH:D003967', 'Disease') :: ['diarrhea'] @entity95 :: ('9986', 'Species') :: ['rabbits', 'rabbit'] @entity526 :: ('562', 'Species') :: ['Escherichia coli', 'E. coli']
@entity95 :: (9986,Species) :: ['rabbits']
