Phase variation of F1651 (Prs-like) fimbriae from Escherichia coli causing septicaemia in animals

2000 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1101-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josée Harel ◽  
France Daigle ◽  
Céline Forget ◽  
Marie-Catherine Tessier ◽  
Cécile Crost ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Phase Variation ◽  
Immunofluorescence Staining ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Young Pigs ◽  
Dam Methylation ◽  
Structural Subunit ◽  
Type Strains

Escherichia coli O115:F165 strains are associated with septicaemia in young pigs and synthesize fimbriae involved in virulence, designated as F1651. F1651 fimbriae belong to the P fimbrial family and are encoded by the foo gene cluster. The foo regulatory region of strain 5131 possesses characteristics similar to that of members of the P regulatory family, including papI and papB homologues, and two GATC sites separated by 102 bp, targets of differential Dam methylation. In wild-type strains, the synthesis of F1651 is repressed by leucine and the fimbriae undergo phase variation. Immunofluorescence staining showed that phase variation of F1651 results in a majority of cells (98%) in the ON phase, in contrast with phase variation of other members of this regulatory family, for which the majority of the cells are in the OFF state. Using a translational fusion in strain 5131 between phoA and fooA, encoding for the major structural subunit of F1651, it was shown that leucine inhibits the OFF to ON switch and modulates the basal transcription of the foo operon.Key words: Escherichia coli, fimbriae, phase variation, regulation, septicaemia.

scholarly journals Role of Motility and the flhDC Operon in Escherichia coli MG1655 Colonization of the Mouse Intestine

2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 3315-3324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Gauger ◽  
Mary P. Leatham ◽  
Regino Mercado-Lubo ◽  
David C. Laux ◽  
Tyrrell Conway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Flagellar Motor ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Mouse Intestine ◽  
Flagellum Biosynthesis ◽  
Colonizing Ability

ABSTRACT Previously, we reported that the mouse intestine selected mutants of Escherichia coli MG1655 that have improved colonizing ability (M. P. Leatham et al., Infect. Immun. 73:8039-8049, 2005). These mutants grew 10 to 20% faster than their parent in mouse cecal mucus in vitro and 15 to 30% faster on several sugars found in the mouse intestine. The mutants were nonmotile and had deletions of various lengths beginning immediately downstream of an IS1 element located within the regulatory region of the flhDC operon, which encodes the master regulator of flagellum biosynthesis, FlhD4C2. Here we show that during intestinal colonization by wild-type E. coli strain MG1655, 45 to 50% of the cells became nonmotile by day 3 after feeding of the strain to mice and between 80 and 90% of the cells were nonmotile by day 15 after feeding. Ten nonmotile mutants isolated from mice were sequenced, and all were found to have flhDC deletions of various lengths. Despite this strong selection, 10 to 20% of the E. coli MG1655 cells remained motile over a 15-day period, suggesting that there is an as-yet-undefined intestinal niche in which motility is an advantage. The deletions appear to be selected in the intestine for two reasons. First, genes unrelated to motility that are normally either directly or indirectly repressed by FlhD4C2 but can contribute to maximum colonizing ability are released from repression. Second, energy normally used to synthesize flagella and turn the flagellar motor is redirected to growth.

scholarly journals Natural Genetic Transformation of Clinical Isolates of Escherichia coli in Urine and Water

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 440-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Woegerbauer ◽  
Bernard Jenni ◽  
Florian Thalhammer ◽  
Wolfgang Graninger ◽  
Heinz Burgmann
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Natural Genetic Transformation ◽  
Type Strains

ABSTRACT Transfer of plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes in Escherichia coli wild-type strains is possible by transformation under naturally occurring conditions in oligotrophic, aquatic environments containing physiologic concentrations of calcium. In contrast, transformation is suppressed in nitrogen-rich body fluids like urine, a common habitat of uropathogenic strains. Current knowledge indicates that transformation of these E. coli wild-type strains is of no relevance for the acquisition of resistance in this clinically important environment.

scholarly journals Regulation of P-Fimbrial Phase Variation Frequencies in Escherichia coli CFT073

2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 3325-3334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Holden ◽  
Makrina Totsika ◽  
Lynn Dixon ◽  
Kirsteen Catherwood ◽  
David L. Gally
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Phase Transition ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Phase Variation ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Host Tissue ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
E Coli ◽  
K 12 ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT Adherence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli to host tissue is required for infection and is mediated by fimbriae, such as pyelonephritis-associated pili (Pap). Expression of P fimbriae is regulated by phase variation, and to date, phase transition frequencies have been measured only for pap regulatory region constructs integrated into the E. coli K-12 chromosome. The aim of this work was to measure P phase transition frequencies in clinical isolates for the first time, including frequencies for the sequenced strain E. coli CFT073. P fimbriation and associated phase transition frequencies were measured for two E. coli clinical isolates and compared with levels for homologous pap constructs in E. coli K-12. Fimbriation and off-to-on transition frequencies were always higher in the clinical isolate. It was concluded that the regulatory inputs controlling papI expression are likely to be different in E. coli CFT073 and E. coli K-12 as (i) phase variation could be stimulated in E. coli K-12 by induction of papI and (ii) the level of expression of a papI::gfp + fusion was higher in E. coli CFT073 than in E. coli K-12. Furthermore, phase transition frequencies for the two E. coli CFT073 pap clusters were shown to be different depending on the culture conditions, indicating that there is a hierarchy of expression depending on signal inputs.

A Stable 44S Intermediate in the Autodigestion of 50S Ribosomal Subunits

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 430-431
Author(s):  
John H. Nisbet ◽  
Henry S. Slayter
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Ribosomal Subunit ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Ribosomal Subunits ◽  
Type Strains

Wild - type strains of Escherichia coli are known to contain as many as four endogenous nucleases (Ref. 1). These are commonly found associated with the ribosomes after extraction from the cell, but may be removed, with the exception of RNase IV, by washing the ribosomes in NH4Cl (at 0.2 M and higher concentrations). We have examined the effect of these nucleases on the 50S ribosomal subunit of one wild-type strain, K12 (Hfr 3000), by incubating the unwashed particles at 37° in the presence of varying magnesium concentrations.At 10-4 molar magnesium (slower at 10-3 molar), the 50S particle is converted to a species sedimenting at about 44S. About 20% of the total O.D260 is liberated at the same time. Continued incubation leads to the release of more O.D260 material while the RNA remaining in the 44S (Fig. 1) particle is progressively cleaved, eventually to the point where it consists of one principal fragment of molecular weight 0.42 x 106 daltons and several lesser fragments. The ribosomal RNA and proteins have been characterized by acrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Colicins G and H and their host strains

1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 751-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Side Chains ◽  
Human Origin ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Molecular Weights ◽  
Protein Receptors ◽  
Type Strains ◽  
Host Strains

Escherichia coli strains CA46(pColG) and CA58(pColH) each apparently synthesized two generally similar bactericidal colicin proteins whose molecular weights were approximately 5 500 and 100 000. These proteins were more resistant to trypsin than representative colicins A, D, E1, and V. The smooth wild-type strains harbouring plasmids pColG and pColH were serotyped O169:NM and O30:NM, respectively, being typically associated with nonpathogenic E. coli of human origin. Rough and semirough variants, which were selected using resistance to novobiocin, were intrinsically insensitive to almost as many colicins (10 tested) as their parents. For this reason the wild-type strains would not be useful for identifying colicins G and H on the basis of immunity. The O antigenic side chains of both wild-type strains shielded three of the six bacteriophage protein receptors tested. Key words: colicin, protein, plasmid, O antigen, bacteriophage.

scholarly journals Acquisition and Maintenance of Enterotoxin Plasmids in Wild-type Strains of Escherichia coli

Microbiology ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 129 (10) ◽  
pp. 3111-3120 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Scotland ◽  
N. P. Day ◽  
B. Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Type Strains

scholarly journals The subcutaneous inoculation of pH 6 antigen mutants of Yersinia pestis does not affect virulence and immune response in mice

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey P. Anisimov ◽  
Irina V. Bakhteeva ◽  
Evgeniy A. Panfertsev ◽  
Tat'yana E. Svetoch ◽  
Tat'yana B. Kravchenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Yersinia Pestis ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Average Survival Time ◽  
Average Survival ◽  
Structural Subunit ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Constitutive Production ◽  
Type Strains ◽  
Subcutaneous Inoculation

Two isogenic sets of Yersinia pestis strains were generated, composed of wild-type strains 231 and I-1996, their non-polar pH 6− mutants with deletions in the psaA gene that codes for its structural subunit or the whole operon, as well as strains with restored ability for temperature- and pH-dependent synthesis of adhesion pili or constitutive production of pH 6 antigen. The mutants were generated by site-directed mutagenesis of the psa operon and subsequent complementation in trans. It was shown that the loss of synthesis or constitutive production of pH 6 antigen did not influence Y. pestis virulence or the average survival time of subcutaneously inoculated BALB/c naïve mice or animals immunized with this antigen.

scholarly journals Effect on solute size on diffusion rates through the transmembrane pores of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

1981 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Nikaido ◽  
E Y Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Specific Class ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Intact Cells ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Transmembrane Pores ◽  
Diffusion Rates ◽  
Type Strains

Nutrients usually cross the outer membrane of Escherichia coli by diffusion through water-filled channels surrounded by a specific class of protein, porins. In this study, the rates of diffusion of hydrophilic nonelectrolytes, mostly sugars and sugar alcohols, through the porin channels were determined in two systems, (a) vesicles reconstituted from phospholipids and purified porin and (b) intact cells of mutant strains that produce many fewer porin molecules than wild-type strains. The diffusion rates were strongly affected by the size of the solute, even when the size was well within the "exclusion limit" of the channel. In both systems, hexoses and hexose disaccharides diffused through the channel at rates 50-80% and 2-4%, respectively, of that of a pentose, arabinose. Application of the Renkin equation to these data led to the estimate that the pore radius is approximately 0.6 nm, if the pore is assumed to be a hollow cylinder. The results of the study also show that the permeability of the outer membrane of the wild-type E. coli cell to glucose and lactose can be explained by the presence of porin channels, that a significant fraction of these channels must be functional or "open" under our conditions of growth, and that even 10(5) channels per cell could become limiting when E. coli tries to grow at a maximal rate on low concentrations of slowly penetrating solutes, such as disaccharides.

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