scholarly journals Genomic Subtraction To Identify and Characterize Sequences of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O91:H21

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 2316-2325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Pradel ◽  
Sabine Leroy-Setrin ◽  
Bernard Joly ◽  
Valérie Livrelli
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Virulence Plasmids ◽  
Subtraction Procedure ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Genomic Subtraction

ABSTRACT To identify Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli genes associated with severe human disease, a genomic subtraction technique was used with hemolytic-uremic syndrome-associated O91:H21 strain CH014 and O6:H10 bovine strains. The method was adapted to the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli genome: three rounds of subtraction were used to isolate DNA fragments specific to strain CH014. The fragments were characterized by genetic support analysis, sequencing, and hybridization to the genome of a collection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains. A total of 42 fragments were found, 19 of which correspond to previously identified unique DNA sequences in the enterohemorrhagic E. coli EDL933 reference strain, including 7 fragments corresponding to prophage sequences and others encoding candidate virulence factors, such a SepA homolog protein and a fimbrial usher protein. In addition, the subtraction procedure yielded plasmid-related sequences from Shigella flexneri and enteropathogenic and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli virulence plasmids. We found that lateral gene transfer is extensive in strain CH014, and we discuss the role of genomic mobile elements, especially bacteriophages, in the evolution and possible transfer of virulence determinants.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated in Poland

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Januszkiewicz ◽  
Waldemar Rastawicki
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Virulence Gene ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Heat Stable ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Uremic Syndrome

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains also called verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) represent one of the most important groups of food-borne pathogens that can cause several human diseases such as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic – uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. The ability of STEC strains to cause disease is associated with the presence of wide range of identified and putative virulence factors including those encoding Shiga toxin. In this study, we examined the distribution of various virulence determinants among STEC strains isolated in Poland from different sources. A total of 71 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains isolated from human, cattle and food over the years 1996 – 2010 were characterized by microarray and PCR detection of virulence genes. As stx1a subtype was present in all of the tested Shiga toxin 1 producing E. coli strains, a greater diversity of subtypes was found in the gene stx2, which occurred in five subtypes: stx2a, stx2b, stx2c, stx2d, stx2g. Among STEC O157 strains we observed conserved core set of 14 virulence factors, stable in bacteria genome at long intervals of time. There was one cattle STEC isolate which possessed verotoxin gene as well as sta1 gene encoded heat-stable enterotoxin STIa characteristic for enterotoxigenic E. coli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of virulence gene profiles identified in STEC strains isolated from human, cattle and food in Poland. The results obtained using microarrays technology confirmed high effectiveness of this method in determining STEC virulotypes which provides data suitable for molecular risk assessment of the potential virulence of this bacteria.

scholarly journals Phylogenetically Related Argentinean and Australian Escherichia coli O157 Isolates Are Distinguished by Virulence Clades and Alternative Shiga Toxin 1 and 2 Prophages

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (13) ◽  
pp. 4724-4731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen E. Mellor ◽  
Eby M. Sim ◽  
Robert S. Barlow ◽  
Beatriz A. D'Astek ◽  
Lucia Galli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Polymorphism Analysis ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACTShiga toxigenicEscherichia coliO157 is the leading cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. The frequencies ofstxgenotypes and the incidences of O157-related illness and HUS vary significantly between Argentina and Australia. Locus-specific polymorphism analysis revealed that lineage I/II (LI/II)E. coliO157 isolates were most prevalent in Argentina (90%) and Australia (88%). Argentinean LI/II isolates were shown to belong to clades 4 (28%) and 8 (72%), while Australian LI/II isolates were identified as clades 6 (15%), 7 (83%), and 8 (2%). Clade 8 was significantly associated with Shiga toxin bacteriophage insertion (SBI) typestx2(locus of insertion,argW) in Argentinean isolates (P< 0.0001). In Argentinean LI/II strains,stx2is carried by a prophage inserted atargW, whereas in Australian LI/II strains theargWlocus is occupied by the novelstx1prophage. In both Argentinean and Australian LI/II strains,stx2cis almost exclusively carried by a prophage inserted atsbcB. However, alternativeq933- orq21-related alleles were identified in the Australianstx2cprophage. Argentinean LI/II isolates were also distinguished from Australian isolates by the presence of the putative virulence determinant ECSP_3286 and the predominance of motile O157:H7 strains. Characteristics common to both Argentinean and Australian LI/II O157 strains included the presence of putative virulence determinants (ECSP_3620, ECSP_0242, ECSP_2687, ECSP_2870, and ECSP_2872) and the predominance of thetir255T allele. These data support further understanding of O157 phylogeny and may foster greater insight into the differential virulence of O157 lineages.

scholarly journals Genomic Characterization of Two Shiga Toxin–Converting Bacteriophages Induced From Environmental Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujie Zhang ◽  
Yen-Te Liao ◽  
Alexandra Salvador ◽  
Vivian C. H. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Genomic Characterization

Shiga toxin (Stx), encoded by stx genes located in prophage sequences, is the major agent responsible for the pathogenicity of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and is closely associated with the development of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Although numerous Stx prophage sequences have been reported as part of STEC bacterial genomes, the information about the genomic characterization of Stx-converting bacteriophages induced from STEC strains is relatively scarce. The objectives of this study were to genomically characterize two Stx-converting phages induced from environmental STEC strains and to evaluate their correlations with published Stx-converting phages and STEC strains of different origins. The Stx1-converting phage Lys8385Vzw and the Stx2-converting phage Lys19259Vzw were induced from E. coli O103:H11 (RM8385) and E. coli O157:H7 (RM19259), respectively. Whole-genome sequencing of these phages was conducted on a MiSeq sequencer for genomic characterization. Phylogenetic analysis and comparative genomics were performed to determine the correlations between these two Stx-converting phages, 13 reference Stx-converting phages, and 10 reference STEC genomes carrying closely related Stx prophages. Both Stx-converting phages Lys8385Vzw and Lys19259Vzw had double-stranded DNA, with genome sizes of 50,953 and 61,072 bp, respectively. Approximately 40% of the annotated coding DNA sequences with the predicted functions were likely associated with the fitness for both phages and their bacterial hosts. The whole-genome–based phylogenetic analysis of these two Stx-converting phages and 13 reference Stx-converting phages revealed that the 15 Stx-converting phages were divided into three distinct clusters, and those from E. coli O157:H7, in particular, were distributed in each cluster, demonstrating the high genomic diversity of these Stx-converting phages. The genomes of Stx-converting phage Lys8385Vzw and Lys19259Vzw shared a high-nucleotide similarity with the prophage sequences of the selected STEC isolates from the clinical and environmental origin. The findings demonstrate the genomic diversity of Stx-converting phages induced from different STEC strains and provide valuable insights into the dissemination of stx genes among E. coli population via the lysogenization of Stx-converting phages.

scholarly journals Prevalence and molecular detection of shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli from diarrheic cattle

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Akter ◽  
S Majumder ◽  
KH MNH Nazir ◽  
M Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Molecular Detection ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Specific Primers ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Positive Isolate

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotically important pathogen which causes hemorrhagic colitis, diarrhea, and hemolytic uremic syndrome in animals and humans. The present study was designed to isolate and identify the STEC from fecal samples of diarrheic cattle. A total of 35 diarrheic fecal samples were collected from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The samples were primarily examined for the detection of E. coli by cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics, followed by confirmation of the isolates by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using gene specific primers. Later, the STEC were identified among the isolated E. coli through detection of Stx-1 and Stx-2 genes using duplex PCR. Out of 35 samples, 25 (71.43%) isolates were confirmed to be associated with E. coli, of which only 7 (28%) isolates were shiga toxin producers, and all of them were positive for Stx-1. However, no Stx-2 positive isolate could be detected. From this study, it may be concluded that cattle can act as a reservoir of STEC which may transmit to human or other animals.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 14(1): 63-68, June 2016

Outbreak of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O104:H4 Infection in Germany Causes a Paradigm Shift with Regard to Human Pathogenicity of STEC Strains

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 408-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
LOTHAR BEUTIN ◽  
ANNETT MARTIN
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Outbreak Strain ◽  
Fenugreek Seeds ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Aggregative Adherence ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Enterocyte Effacement ◽  
The Way

An outbreak that comprised 3,842 cases of human infections with enteroaggregative hemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EAHEC) O104:H4 occurred in Germany in May 2011. The high proportion of adults affected in this outbreak and the unusually high number of patients that developed hemolytic uremic syndrome makes this outbreak the most dramatic since enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strains were first identified as agents of human disease. The characteristics of the outbreak strain, the way it spread among humans, and the clinical signs resulting from EAHEC infections have changed the way Shiga toxin–producing E. coli strains are regarded as human pathogens in general. EAHEC O104:H4 is an emerging E. coli pathotype that is endemic in Central Africa and has spread to Europe and Asia. EAHEC strains have evolved from enteroaggregative E. coli by uptake of a Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a)–encoding bacteriophage. Except for Stx2a, no other EHEC-specific virulence markers including the locus of enterocyte effacement are present in EAHEC strains. EAHEC O104:H4 colonizes humans through aggregative adherence fimbrial pili encoded by the enteroaggregative E. coli plasmid. The aggregative adherence fimbrial colonization mechanism substitutes for the locus of enterocyte effacement functions for bacterial adherence and delivery of Stx2a into the human intestine, resulting clinically in hemolytic uremic syndrome. Humans are the only known natural reservoir known for EAHEC. In contrast, Shiga toxin–producing E. coli and EHEC are associated with animals as natural hosts. Contaminated sprouted fenugreek seeds were suspected as the primary vehicle of transmission of the EAHEC O104:H4 outbreak strain in Germany. During the outbreak, secondary transmission (human to human and human to food) was important. Epidemiological investigations revealed fenugreek seeds as the source of entry of EAHEC O104:H4 into the food chain; however, microbiological analysis of seeds for this pathogen produced negative results. The survival of EAHEC in seeds and the frequency of human carriers of EAHEC should be investigated for a better understanding of EAHEC transmission routes.

How Does Escherichia coli O157:H7 Testing in Meat Compare with What We Are Seeing Clinically?

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID W. K. ACHESON
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
The United States ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Uremic Syndrome

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is but one of a group of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that cause both intestinal disease such as bloody and nonbloody diarrhea and serious complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). While E. coli O157: H7 is the most renowned STEC, over 200 different types of STEC have been documented in meat and animals, at least 60 of which have been linked with human disease. A number of studies have suggested that non-O157 STEC are associated with clinical disease, and non-O157 STEC are present in the food supply. Non-O157 STEC, such as O111 have caused large outbreaks and HUS in the United States and other countries. The current policy in the United States is to examine ground beef for O157:H7 only, but restricting the focus to O157 will miss other important human STEC pathogens.

Divergent Signal Transduction Responses to Infection with Attaching and Effacing Escherichia coli

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 1688-1696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Ismaili ◽  
Elaine McWhirter ◽  
Michelle Y. C. Handelsman ◽  
James L. Brunton ◽  
Philip M. Sherman
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Cytoskeletal Proteins ◽  
Epec Strain ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Phosphorylated Proteins ◽  
Host Cell Proteins ◽  
Uremic Syndrome

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is an attaching and effacing pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Although this organism causes adhesion pedestals, the cellular signals responsible for the formation of these lesions have not been clearly defined. We have shown previously that STEC O157:H7 does not induce detectable tyrosine phosphorylation of host cell proteins upon binding to eukaryotic cells and is not internalized into nonphagocytic epithelial cells. In the present study, tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were detected under adherent STEC O157:H7 when coincubated with the non-intimately adhering, intimin-deficient, enteropathogenic E. coli(EPEC) strain CVD206. The ability to be internalized into epithelial cells was also conferred on STEC O157:H7 when coincubated with CVD206 ([158 ± 21] % of control). Neither the ability to rearrange phosphotyrosine proteins nor that to be internalized into epithelial cells was evident following coincubation with another STEC O157:H7 strain or with the nonsignaling espB mutant of EPEC.E. coli JM101(pMH34/pSSS1C), which overproduces surface-localized O157 intimin, also rearranged tyrosine-phosphorylated and cytoskeletal proteins when coincubated with CVD206. In contrast, JM101(pMH34/pSSS1C) demonstrated rearrangement of cytoskeletal proteins, but not tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, when coincubated with intimin-deficient STEC (strains CL8KO1 and CL15). These findings indicate that STEC O157:H7 forms adhesion pedestals by mechanisms that are distinct from those in attaching and effacing EPEC. Taken together, these findings point to diverging signal transduction responses to infection with attaching and effacing bacterial enteropathogens.

Escherichia coli O157 and non-O157 Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli in Fecal Samples of Finished Pigs at Slaughter in Switzerland

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. KAUFMANN ◽  
C. ZWEIFEL ◽  
M. BLANCO ◽  
J. E. BLANCO ◽  
J. BLANCO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Strain Testing ◽  
Typical Epec ◽  
Uremic Syndrome

Fecal samples from 630 slaughtered finisher pigs were examined by PCR to assess the shedding of Escherichia coli O157 (rfbE) and Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC, stx). The proportion of positive samples was 7.5% for rfbE and 22% for stx. By colony hybridization, 31 E. coli O157 and 45 STEC strains were isolated, and these strains were further characterized by phenotypic and genotypic traits. Among E. coli O157 strains, 30 were sorbitol positive, 30 had an H type other than H7, and none harbored stx genes. Intimin (eae), enterohemolysin (ehxA), EAST1 (astA), and porcine A/E–associated protein (paa) were present in 10, 3, 26, and 6% of strains. Among them, one eae-γ1–positive O157:H7 strain testing positive for ehxA and astA and two eae-α1–positive O157:H45 strains were classified as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). The O157:H45 EPEC harbored the EAF plasmid and the bfpA gene, factors characteristic for typical EPEC. The isolated STEC strains (43 sorbitol positive) belonged to 11 O:H serotypes, including three previously reported in human STEC causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (O9:H−, O26:H−, and O103:H2). All but one strain harbored stx2e. The eae and ehxA genes, which are strongly correlated with human disease, were present in only one O103:H2 strain positive for stx1 and paa, whereas the astA gene was found more frequently (14 strains). High prevalence of STEC was found among finisher pigs, but according to the virulence factors the majority of these strains seem to be of low virulence.

scholarly journals Contribution and Interaction of Shiga Toxin Genes to Escherichia coli O157:H7 Virulence

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian A.M. Tarr ◽  
Taryn Stokowski ◽  
Smriti Shringi ◽  
Phillip I. Tarr ◽  
Stephen B. Freedman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Additive Interaction ◽  
Shiga Toxins ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Uremic Syndrome ◽  
Shiga Toxin Genes

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the predominant cause of diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. Its cardinal virulence traits are Shiga toxins, which are encoded by stx genes, the most common of which are stx1a, stx2a, and stx2c. The toxins these genes encode differ in their in vitro and experimental phenotypes, but the human population-level impact of these differences is poorly understood. Using Shiga toxin-encoding bacteriophage insertion typing and real-time polymerase chain reaction, we genotyped isolates from 936 E. coli O157:H7 cases and verified HUS status via chart review. We compared the HUS risk between isolates with stx2a and those with stx2a and another gene and estimated additive interaction of the stx genes. Adjusted for age and symptoms, the HUS incidence of E. coli O157:H7 containing stx2a alone was 4.4% greater (95% confidence interval (CI) −0.3%, 9.1%) than when it occurred with stx1a. When stx1a and stx2a occur together, the risk of HUS was 27.1% lower (95% CI −87.8%, −2.3%) than would be expected if interaction were not present. At the population level, temporal or geographic shifts toward these genotypes should be monitored, and stx genotype may be an important consideration in clinically predicting HUS among E. coli O157:H7 cases.

scholarly journals Genetic Structure and Distribution of Four Pathogenicity Islands (PAI I536 to PAI IV536) of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain 536

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 6365-6372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Dobrindt ◽  
Gabriele Blum-Oehler ◽  
Gabor Nagy ◽  
György Schneider ◽  
André Johann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Coli Strain ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Pathogenicity Islands ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Core Element ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Virulence Potential

ABSTRACT For the uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain 536 (O6:K15:H31), the DNA sequences of three pathogenicity islands (PAIs) (PAI I536 to PAI III536) and their flanking regions (about 270 kb) were determined to further characterize the virulence potential of this strain. PAI I536 to PAI III536 exhibit features typical of PAIs, such as (i) association with tRNA-encoding genes; (ii) G+C content differing from that of the host genome; (iii) flanking repeat structures; (iv) a mosaic-like structure comprising a multitude of functional, truncated, and nonfunctional putative open reading frames (ORFs) with known or unknown functions; and (v) the presence of many fragments of mobile genetic elements. PAI I536 to PAI III536 range between 68 and 102 kb in size. Although these islands contain several ORFs and known virulence determinants described for PAIs of other extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) isolates, they also consist of as-yet-unidentified ORFs encoding putative virulence factors. The genetic structure of PAI IV536, which represents the core element of the so-called high-pathogenicity island encoding a siderophore system initially identified in pathogenic yersiniae, was further characterized by sample sequencing. For the first time, multiple PAI sequences (PAI I536 to PAI IV536) in uropathogenic E. coli were studied and their presence in several wild-type E. coli isolates was extensively investigated. The results obtained suggest that these PAIs or at least large fragments thereof are detectable in other pathogenic E. coli isolates. These results support our view that the acquisition of large DNA regions, such as PAIs, by horizontal gene transfer is an important factor for the evolution of bacterial pathogens.

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