Non-O157 Verotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli: A Problem, Paradox, and Paradigm

2003 ◽  
Vol 228 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl A. Bettelheim

The problems associated with identification and characterization of non-O157 verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) are discussed. The paradox of VTEC is that most reports of human illnesses are associated with serotypes such as O157:H7, O111:H– (nonmotile), O26:H11, and O113:H21, which are rarely found in domestic animals. However, those VTEC serotypes commonly found in domestic animals, especially ruminants, rarely cause human illnesses. When they cause human illnesses, the symptoms are similar to those caused by the serotypes E. coli O157:H7, O111:H–, O26:H11, and O113:H21. The impact of VTEC on human and animal health is also addressed. The VTEC and their toxicity are considered as a paradigm for emerging pathogens. The question on how such pathogens could arise from a basic commensal population is also addressed.

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 99-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Biswas ◽  
MAK Parvez ◽  
M Shafiquzzaman ◽  
S Nahar ◽  
MN Rahman

Context: Escherichia coli is shed in the feces of warm blooded animals and humans and thus potential for public health. Detection and characterization of E. coli in the ready-to-eat (RTE) foods concerns due to their presence indicates fecal contamination of the food.   Objective: To identify, characterize and RFLP pattern analysis of E. coli isolated from RTE foods vended in Islamic University campus, Kushtia.   Materials and Methods: Fifty samples from four types of consumed foods in six student halls of residence, some temporary restaurants of Islamic University, Kushtia were assessed for bacterial contamination by standard methods. Identification and characterization of E. coli isolates were performed using IMViC tests. Genomic DNA was used to perform RFLP pattern analysis.   Results: Thirty seven out of 50 (74%) examined samples of RTE foods had E. coli contamination. The highest number of E. coli was isolated from vegetable oriented RTE foods (90.90%) and fish, meat and cereals samples were also significantly E. coli positive. RFLP profiling of two E. coli isolates were observed.   Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence that some RTE foods had unsatisfactory levels of contamination with E. coli. Thus street vended RTE food could be important potential vehicles for food-borne diseases. Molecular characterization may be exploited to identify food borne pathogen among different species.  Keywords: Ready-to-eat foods; Escherichia coli; RFLP pattern DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbs.v18i0.8783 JBS 2010; 18(0): 99-103


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (7) ◽  
pp. 2615-2618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Mashhadi ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Huimin Xu ◽  
Robert H. White

ABSTRACT The riboflavin kinase in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii has been identified as the product of the MJ0056 gene. Recombinant expression of the MJ0056 gene in Escherichia coli led to a large increase in the amount of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) in the E. coli cell extract. The unexpected features of the purified recombinant enzyme were its use of CTP as the phosphoryl donor and the absence of a requirement for added metal ion to catalyze the formation of FMN. Identification of this riboflavin kinase fills another gap in the archaeal flavin biosynthetic pathway. Some divalent metals were found to be potent inhibitors of the reaction. The enzyme represents a unique CTP-dependent family of kinases.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (14) ◽  
pp. 4318-4325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaru Ohara ◽  
Henry C. Wu ◽  
Krishnan Sankaran ◽  
Paul D. Rick

ABSTRACT We report here the identification of a new lipoprotein, NlpI, inEscherichia coli K-12. The NlpI structural gene (nlpI) is located between the genes pnp(polynucleotide phosphorylase) and deaD (RNA helicase) at 71 min on the E. coli chromosome. The nlpI gene encodes a putative polypeptide of approximately 34 kDa, and multiple lines of evidence clearly demonstrate that NlpI is indeed a lipoprotein. An nlpI::cm mutation rendered growth of the cells osmotically sensitive, and incubation of the insertion mutant at an elevated temperature resulted in the formation of filaments. The altered phenotype of the mutant was a direct consequence of the mutation in nlpI, since it was complemented by the wild-type nlpI gene alone. Overexpression of the unaltered nlpI gene in wild-type cells resulted in the loss of the rod morphology and the formation of single prolate ellipsoids and pairs of prolate ellipsoids joined by partial constrictions. NlpI may be important for an as-yet-undefined step in the overall process of cell division.


1970 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Augustin Kakon Gomes ◽  
Humaira Akhter ◽  
Belal Mahmud ◽  
Sirajul Islam Khan ◽  
Anowara Begum

Isolation, identification and characterization of Escherichia coli were carried out in terms of biochemical, serological, antibiogram, plasmid profile and culture condition of urine samples. Out of 50 urine samples, 36 were positive for E. coli that were confirmed by biochemical (e.g. oxidase, kligler’s iron agar, indole, methyl red-voges proskauer and citrate utilization) tests and 4-methyl-umbelliferyl-β-D-glucoronide (MUG) test. Twenty seven strains gave positive result with different antisera whereas nine strains were untypable (UT), respectively. Thirty six strains were also tested by antibiogram against ten different antibiotics. Most E. coli strains were resistant to bacitracin, ampicillin, novobiocin, kanamycin and streptomycin. Eighty three per cent strains were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin while 11 and 12% showed resistance to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin, respectively. By plasmid profile analysis of the 36 strains seven different plasmid patterns were observed. Comparison of the plasmid profiles with the antibiogram results indicated the presence of resistant (R) plasmid. Thirty four isolates of E. coli contained a common 25 kb plasmid that may possibly be responsible for drug resistance in this study. The results suggested that the prevalence of multi-drug resistant and new serotype of E. coli may be increasing rapidly which is alarming for treatment of urinary tract infection in Bangladesh.Key words: Prevalence; Characterization; E. coli; Multi-drug resistant; Serotype; Clinical sampleDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v20i1.8834Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 20(1): 23-30, 2011 (January)


2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 1934-1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Chen ◽  
Carrie R. Lewis ◽  
Kakolie Goswami ◽  
Elisabeth L. Roberts ◽  
Chitrita DebRoy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTProphages make up 12% of the enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coligenome and play prominent roles in the evolution and virulence of this food-borne pathogen. Acquisition and loss of and rearrangements within prophage regions are the primary causes of differences in pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns among strains ofE. coliO157:H7. Sp11 and Sp12 are two tandemly integrated and putatively defective prophages carried byE. coliO157:H7 strain Sakai. In this study, we identified 3 classes of deletions that occur within the Sp11-Sp12 region, at a frequency of ca. 7.74 × 10−4. One deletion resulted in a precise excision of Sp11, and the other two spanned the junction of Sp11 and Sp12. All deletions resulted in shifts in the XbaI fragment pattern observed by PFGE. We sequenced the inducible prophage pool of Sakai but did not identify any mature phage particles corresponding to either Sp11 or Sp12. Deletions containingpchBandpsrC, which are Sp11-carried genes encoding proteins known or suspected to regulate type III secretion, did not affect the secretion levels of the EspA or EspB effector. Alignment of the Sp11-Sp12 DNA sequence with its corresponding regions in otherE. coliO157:H7 and O55:H7 strains suggested that homologous recombination rather than integrase-mediated excision is the mechanism behind these deletions. Therefore, this study provides a mechanism behind the previously observed genetic instability of this genomic region ofE. coliO157:H7.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. e00865-20
Author(s):  
Kieran A. Milner ◽  
Denice C. Bay ◽  
David Alexander ◽  
Andrew Walkty ◽  
James A. Karlowsky ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTHere, we characterize the fosA genes from three Escherichia coli clinical isolates recovered from Canadian patients. Each fosA sequence was individually overexpressed in E. coli BW25113, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed to assess their role in fosfomycin resistance. The findings from this study identify and functionally characterize FosA3, FosA8, and novel FosA7 members and highlight the importance of phenotypic characterization of fosA genes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 1449-1453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Yuan ◽  
Jian-Hua Liu ◽  
Gong-Zheng Hu ◽  
Yu-Shan Pan ◽  
Zhi-Ming Liu ◽  
...  

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a serious threat to human and animal health. This study collected 51 non-replicate E. coli isolates from 14 different chicken farms in Henan Province in China from December 2007 to August 2008. The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli, molecular characterization of the ESBL-related bla genes, including bla TEM, bla SHV and bla CTX-M, and the susceptibilities of these bacteria to various antimicrobial agents were determined. Thirty-one of the 51 isolates were positive for an ESBL phenotype and 29 of these isolates carried one or more bla genes. Twenty-two isolates harboured bla TEM genes and 15 isolates carried bla CTX-M genes (one CTX-M-14, three CTX-M-24 and 11 CTX-M-65). One isolate carried bla TEM -57; the remaining bla TEM isolates carried bla TEM-1 with one silent nucleotide base variation (T18C). We believe that this is the first study to report TEM-57 in E. coli isolates. All isolates harbouring bla CTX-M-24 and bla CTX-M-14 and five of the bla CTX-M-65 isolates also harboured the bla TEM-1 gene. To our knowledge, this study is the first to describe detection of CTX-M-65-producing E. coli isolated from chickens. None of the isolates contained the bla SHV gene. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that bla CTX-M and bla TEM genes could be transferred to E. coli DH5α. The results indicate that ESBL frequency has reached an alarming level in chicken isolates in China, with TEM-1 and CTX-M-65 enzymes being the two predominant β-lactamases detected.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 432
Author(s):  
Montira Yossapol ◽  
Miku Yamamoto ◽  
Michiyo Sugiyama ◽  
Justice Opare Odoi ◽  
Tsutomu Omatsu ◽  
...  

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria affect human and animal health worldwide. Here, CTX-M-14-producing Escherichia coli isolates were isolated from Siberian weasels (Mustela sibirica) that were captured on a veterinary campus. To clarify the source of bacteria in the weasels, we examined the domestic animals reared in seven facilities on the campus. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli were isolated on deoxycholate hydrogen sulfide lactose agar, containing cephalexin (50 μg/mL) or cefotaxime (2 μg/mL), and were characterized with antimicrobial susceptibility testing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), replicon typing, and β-lactamase typing analyses. Next-generation sequencing of the ESBL-encoding plasmids was also performed. CTX-M-14 producers isolated from both domestic animals and weasels were classified into six clusters with seven PFGE profiles. The PFGE and antimicrobial resistance profiles were characterized by the animal facility. All CTX-M-14 plasmids belonged to the IncI1 type with a similar size (98.9–99.3 kb), except for one plasmid that was 105.5 kb in length. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) revealed that the CTX-M-14 plasmid in the weasel isolates might have the same origin as the CTX-M-14 plasmid in the domestic animals. Our findings shed further light on the association of antimicrobial resistance between wild and domestic animals.


2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. LORUSSO ◽  
A. DAMBROSIO ◽  
N. C. QUAGLIA ◽  
A. PARISI ◽  
G. LASALANDRA ◽  
...  

Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O26 is an emergent pathotype that has caused an increasing number of sporadic cases and outbreaks of gastroenteritis, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome in the United States and Europe. Many cases are associated with the consumption of milk and undercooked or fermented meats. The stx2 strains of VTEC O26 seem to be more likely to cause human infections than isolates expressing only stx1. The isolation and identification of VTEC O26 from foods is labor intensive and time-consuming. We developed a multiplex PCR (M-PCR) assay for the identification and characterization of E. coli O26 VTEC and its detection in raw milk and ground beef. The method is based on the amplification of the wzx, stx1, and stx2 genes for the simultaneous detection of the O26 antigen and verocytotoxin types 1 and 2. This M-PCR assay had a sensitivity of 108 CFU/ml when applied to a bacterial suspension and of 106 CFU/ml or g when applied to both inoculated milk and minced beef samples. This M-PCR assay also was highly specific, and results were consistently negative for negative controls (nonpathogenic E. coli strains, uninoculated milk and beef samples, and samples inoculated with the nontarget microorganisms). This method could be used for the rapid detection of E. coli O26 VTEC from foods and for the rapid identification and characterization of clinical and environmental isolates.


2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 6949-6956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiming Ouyang ◽  
Richard Isaacson

ABSTRACT A putative ABC transporter, fit, with significant homology to several bacterial iron transporters was identified in Escherichia coli. The E. coli fit system consists of six genes designated fitA, -B, -C, -D, -E, and -R. Based on DNA sequence analysis, fit encodes an outer membrane protein (FitA), a periplasmic binding protein (FitE), two permease proteins (FitC and -D), an ATPase (FitB), and a hypothetical protein (FitR). Introduction of the E. coli fit system into E. coli strain K-12 increased intracellular iron content and transformed bacteria were more sensitive to streptonigrin, which suggested that fit transports iron in E. coli. Expression of fit was studied using a lacZ reporter assay. A functional, bidirectional promoter was identified in the intergenic region between genes fitA and fitB. The expression of the E. coli fit system was found to be induced by iron limitation and repressed when Fe2+ was added to minimal medium. Several fit mutants were created in E. coli using an in vitro transposon mutagenesis strategy. Mutations in fit did not affect bacterial growth in iron-restricted media. Using a growth promotion test, it was found that fit was not able to transport enterobactin, ferrichrome, transferrin, and lactoferrin in E. coli.


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