Edwardsiella piscicida Enters Nonphagocytic Cells via a Macropinocytosis-Involved Hybrid Mechanism

Abstract

Bacterial internalization is the first step in breaking through the host cell defense. Therefore, studying the mechanism of bacterial internalization improves the understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of bacteria. In this study, the internalization process on nonphagocytic cells by Edwardsiella piscicida was evaluated. Our results showed that E. piscicida can be internalized into nonphagocytic cells via macropinocytosis and caveolin-mediated endocytosis, and that cholesterol and dynamin are involved in this process. These results reveal a new method for inhibiting E. piscicida infection, providing a foundation for further studies of bacterial pathogenicity.