Investigating the Distribution of Intimin and Invasin in <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i> and Their Role in Host Tissue Attachment
<i>Background: Aeromonas hydrophila</i> is a key pathogen affecting freshwater fish, including <i>Labeo rohita</i> (rohu), causing significant aquaculture losses. This study explores the role of intimin and invasin, known virulence factors, in <i>A. hydrophila</i>...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Bacteria |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/1/7 |
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| Summary: | <i>Background: Aeromonas hydrophila</i> is a key pathogen affecting freshwater fish, including <i>Labeo rohita</i> (rohu), causing significant aquaculture losses. This study explores the role of intimin and invasin, known virulence factors, in <i>A. hydrophila</i> pathogenesis using in silico methods. <i>Methods</i>: We analyzed the distribution of invasin and intimin across 53 <i>A. hydrophila</i> genomes and examined their physicochemical properties, secondary structures, and 3D models. Since crystal structures were unavailable, homology-based modeling was employed to study the structure of rohu β-integrins. In silico docking was performed to explore the interactions between intimin/invasin and β-integrins. <i>Results</i>: Our findings revealed that intimin and invasin were present in only 6 out of the 53 <i>A. hydrophila</i> strains examined, which were designated as hypervirulent strains. The transmembrane regions of intimin and invasin were modeled as β-barrels, a common feature of porins. The in silico docking experiments indicated the significant binding affinity of invasin and intimin with all the β-integrins of rohu fish, suggesting a critical role in host attachment and cellular internalization. <i>Conclusions</i>: This in silico study highlights the pivotal role of invasin and intimin in host tissue’s binding efficacy, offering valuable insights into the binding potential of <i>A. hydrophila</i> across various organs in rohu fish. |
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| ISSN: | 2674-1334 |