Fibronectin-facilitated invasion of T84 eukaryotic cells by Campylobacter jejuni occurs preferentially at the basolateral cell surface.

Previous studies have indicated that the ability to bind to fibronectin is a key feature in successful cell invasion by Campylobacter jejuni. Given the spatial distribution of fibronectin and the architecture of the epithelium, this suggests the possibility that C. jejuni cell invasion might preferentially occur at the basolateral cell surface. To test this hypothesis, we examined the interaction of C. jejuni with T84 human colonic cells. When grown under the appropriate conditions, T84 cells form a polarized cell monolayer. C. jejuni translocation of a T84 cell monolayer appeared to occur via a paracellular (extracellular) route as opposed to a transcellular (intracellular) route based on the finding that a C. jejuni noninvasive mutant translocated as efficiently as its isogenic parent. Additional studies revealed that two distinct C. jejuni wild-type isolates could compete with one another for host cell receptors, whereas a C. jejuni fibronectin-binding-deficient mutant could not compete with a wild-type isolate for host cell receptors. Further, C. jejuni adherence and internalization were significantly inhibited by antifibronectin antibodies but only when cells were first treated with EGTA to expose basolateral cell surfaces. Together, these results support the theory that C. jejuni invasion occurs preferentially at the basolateral surface of eukaryotic cells.