Sequence of the E. coli O104 antigen gene cluster and identification of O104 specific genes

The Escherichia coli O104 polysaccharide is an important antigen, which contains sialic acid and is often associated with EHEC clones. Sialic acid is a component of many animal tissues, and its presence in bacterial polysaccharides may contribute to bacterial pathogenicity. We sequenced the genes responsible for O104 antigen synthesis and have found genes which from their sequences are identified as an O antigen polymerase gene, an O antigen flippase gene, three CMP-sialic acid synthesis genes, and three potential glycosyl transferase genes. The E. coli K9 group IB capsular antigen has the same structure as the O104 O antigen, and we find using gene by gene PCR that the K9 gene cluster is essentially the same as that for O104. It appears that the distinction between presence as group IB capsule or O antigen for this structure does not involve any difference in genes present in the O antigen gene cluster. By PCR testing against representative strains for the 166 E. coli O antigens and some randomly selected Gram-negative bacteria, we identified three O antigen genes which are highly specific to O104/K9. This work provides the basis for a sensitive test for rapid detection of O104 E. coli. This is important both for decisions on patient care as early treatment may reduce the risk of life-threatening complications and for a faster response in control of food borne outbreaks.     

Characterization of E. coli O24 and O56 O Antigen Gene Clusters Reveals a Complex Evolutionary History of the O24 Gene Cluster

O antigen is part of the lipopolysaccharide present in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. It has many different forms, which are almost entirely due to genetic variations of O antigen gene clusters. In this study, the O antigen gene clusters of E. coli O24 and O56 were sequenced, and all genes were assigned functions on the basis of homology. Comparison of O antigen gene clusters indicated that E. coli O24 O antigen gene cluster has possibly arisen from the E. coli O56 gene cluster, through inactivation of two glycosyltransferase genes and acquisition of two new genes from E. coli O157 and O152, respectively. The insertion sequence elements seemed to play important roles for the assembly of the O24 O antigen gene cluster. This is the first time that the evolutionary history of a multi-origin O antigen gene cluster is clearly demonstrated. Genes specific to E. coli O24 and O56 were also identified, which may be used for development of DNA-based serotyping schemes.     

致犊牛脑膜炎大肠杆菌新疆分离株ibeB基因的特性分析北大核心CSCD

【目的】分析致犊牛脑膜炎大肠杆菌分离株ibeB基因的分子生物学信息。【方法】以自脑炎死亡犊牛脑组织、肝组织分离鉴定的O161-K99-STa致病性大肠杆菌牛-EN株和牛-EG分离株为材料。根据GenBank中公布的脑膜炎大肠杆菌K1株RS218 ibeB基因序列设计1对引物,采用PCR方法,从分离株中成功克隆ibe B基因,比较分离株ibeB基因与不同来源大肠杆菌ibeB基因的部分生物信息学特性。【结果】分离株ibeB基因序列全长1500 bp,包含1371 bp开放阅读框,共编码457个氨基酸;生物信息学分析显示,牛-EN株与致人脑膜炎大肠杆菌K1 RS218的核苷酸和氨基酸同源性分别为90.5%和96.9%,牛-EG株与大肠杆菌K12的核苷酸和氨基酸同源性分别为99.4%和100.0%;ibeB蛋白为亲水性蛋白,分子质量为50.26 kDa,理论等电点为6.05;该蛋白无跨膜区,但具有信号肽序列;亚细胞定位显示,分泌信号通路位点(SP)占比例为0.939,说明该蛋白属于分泌型蛋白。【结论】从致脑膜炎大肠杆菌分离株中成功克隆ibeB基因,该基因与致人脑膜炎大肠杆菌K1 RS218 ibeB基因有较高的同源性,均有相似的生物学特性,属肠外致病性大肠杆菌。     

pMH2, a small plasmid bearing the nif gene cluster of Enterobacter agglomerans 333 as an excisable cassette

A small plasmid containing the entire nif gene cluster of Enterobacter agglomerans 333 as an excisable cassette has been constructed, using pACYC177 as a vector. Two cosmid clones taken from a gene library of E. agglomerans plasmid pEA3 were used as a source of nif genes. A SmaI fragment of peaMS2-2, containing the H,D,K,Y,E,N,X,U,S,V,W,Z,M,L,A and B genes and an ApaI fragment of peaMS2-16 containing nifA,B,Q,F and J were selected to construct pMH2. The resulting plasmid of 33 kb carries the complete nif gene cluster as a nif cassette on a single XbaI fragment. The nif construct pMH2 in Escherichia coli strains has significant nitrogenase activity compared to wild-type E. agglomerans 333. The nif gene cluster construct was found to be very stable.     

Cloning of the histidine, pyrimidine and cysteine genes of Azospirillum brasilense: Expression of pyrimidine and three clustered histidine genes in Escherichia coli

Summary A gene bank from Azospirillum brasilense, Sp6 strain, was constructed in Escherichia coli in plasmid pRK290 and was used to identify Azospirillum genes. Clones carrying the his1, his2, pyr and cys1 genes were identified by genetic complementation and the expression of A. brasilense his1, his2 and pyr genes in E. coli was demonstrated. By E. coli complementation experiments, a cluster of three genes for the histidine biosynthetic pathway in A. brasilense has also been found, suggesting the existence of an operon-like unit.     

O-antigen structure and gene clusters of Escherichia coli O51 and Salmonellaenterica O57; another instance of identical O-antigens in the two species

The O-polysaccharides were released by mild acid hydrolysis from the lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli O51 and Salmonella enterica O57 and found to possess the same structure, which was established by sugar analysis and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy: The O-antigen gene clusters of E. coli O51 and S. enterica O57 were sequenced and found to contain the same genes with a high-level similarity. All genes expected for the synthesis of the O-antigen were identified based on their similarity to genes from available databases.     

口服微生态制剂对孕妇肠道和阴道大肠杆菌K1和B族链球菌定殖的干预

【目的】本研究主要从临床探讨口服益生菌对孕妇微生态环境(阴道和肠道)中Escherichia coli K1和B族链球菌(GBS)定殖率的影响以预防新生儿血流播散性细菌性脑膜炎。【方法】收集2011年至2017年期间在广东省范围门诊就诊的2539例妊娠健康孕妇的阴道、直肠分泌物。选择符合要求的32孕周孕妇47例随机分成两组,其中益生菌组22例,对照组25例,用荧光定量PCR检测不同组孕妇体内服药前、后的微生态环境中大肠埃希菌的变化。然后选择50例GBS筛查阳性的35孕周孕妇,随机分成益生菌组和对照组,荧光定量PCR检测不同分组孕妇体内微生态环境中GBS定量变化。同时使用荧光PCR筛查对临床收集的2539例孕晚期(35周)孕妇生殖道、直肠分泌物标本进行GBS检测并计算携带率。【结果】研究前对不同组别孕妇的基本资料进行差异分析,结果显示两组在年龄差别、经产妇比例和受教育水平3个方面比较均无差异(P0.05),证明不同组间孕妇具有可比性。然后观察上述不同组别的孕妇服用益生菌体内微生态状况,用荧光定量PCR方法进行检测,结果显示用益生菌组在服药前后,阴道和直肠分泌物中大肠杆菌数量显著下降(F=32.866,P0.001),孕妇服用益生菌后E. coli K1的数量显著低于服用益生菌前(P0.05),且益生菌组与对照组相比大肠杆菌数量显著下降(P0.05,F=41.546,P0.001);同时检查服益生菌组孕妇体内GBS的变化,荧光定量PCR检测结果显示服用益生菌前后GBS的定殖数量有降低趋势,且与对照组相比有下降趋势。最后我们用荧光定量PCR筛查孕晚期妇女B族链球菌带菌状况,其GBS携带率为8.07%。【结论】本研究结果提示本文筛查的广东省孕晚期孕妇的B族链球菌平均携带率为8.07%,GBS可能是新生儿发生细菌性脑膜炎的危险因素之一;口服益生菌疗法可能通过抑制E. coli K1在孕妇肠道和生殖道的定殖以预防血流播散性新生儿细菌性脑膜炎。     

Real-time detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 sequences using a circulating-flow system of quartz crystal microbalance

A DNA piezoelectric biosensing method for real-time detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a circulating-flow system was developed in this study. Specific probes [a 30-mer oligonucleotide with or without additional 12 deoxythymidine 5′-monophosphate (12-dT)] for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 gene eaeA, synthetic oligonucleotide targets (30 and 104 mer) and PCR-amplified DNA fragments from the E. coli O157:H7 eaeA gene (104 bp), were used to evaluate the efficiency of the probe immobilization and hybridization with target DNA in the circulating-flow quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) device. It was found that thiol modification on the 5′-end of the probes was essential for probe immobilization on the gold surface of the QCM device. The addition of 12-dT to the probes as a spacer, significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) the hybridization efficiency (H%). The results indicate that the spacer enhanced the H% by 1.4- and 2-fold when the probes were hybridized with 30- and 104-mer targets, respectively. The spacer reduced steric interference of the support on the hybridization behavior of immobilized oligonucleotides, especially when the probes hybridized with relatively long oligonucleotide targets. The QCM system was also applied in the detection of PCR-amplified DNA from real samples of E. coli O157:H7. The resultant H% of the PCR-amplified double-strand DNA was comparable to that of the synthetic target T-104AS, a single-strand DNA. The piezoelectric biosensing system has potential for further applications. This approach lays the groundwork for incorporating the method into an integrated system for rapid PCR-based DNA analysis.     

Structure and genetics of the O-antigen of Escherichia coli O158

A structure of the O-polysaccharide (O-antigen) of Escherichia coli O158 has been reported (Datta, A. K.; Basu, S.; Roy, N. Carbohydr. Res.1999, 322, 219–227). In this work, we reinvestigated the O158 polysaccharide using sugar analyses, Smith degradation, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and established the following structure, which is at variance with the structure established earlier:This structure is in agreement with the predicted functions of genes found in the O-antigen gene cluster of E. coli O158.     

Genetic and physical characterization of putP, the proline carrier gene of Escherichia coli K12

Summary Two new mutants of E. coli K12, strains PT9 and PT32 were isolated, that were defective in proline transport. They had no high affinity proline transport activity, but their cytoplasmic membranes retained proline binding activity with altered sensitivity to inhibition by p-chloromercuribenzoate(pCMB). The lesion was mapped at the putP gene, which is located at min 23 on the revised E. coli genetic map (Bachmann 1983) as a composite gene in the proline utilization gene cluster, putP, putC, and putA, arranged in this order. The putC gene was shown to regulate the synthesis of proline dehydrogenase (putA gene product).Hybrid plasmids carrying the put region (Motojima et al. 1979; Wood et al. 1979) were used to construct the physical map of the put region. The possible location of the putP gene in the DNA segment was determined by subcloning the putP gene, genetic complementation, and recombination analyses using several proline transport mutants.Abbreviations pCMB p-chloromercuribenzoate - DM Davis and Mingioli - Ap ampicillin - NTG N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine - EMS ethylmethane sulfonate - Str streptomycin - Tet tetracycline - Ac l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid - DHP 3, 4-dehydro-d,l-proline - MTT 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2)2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide - Tris tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane - EDTA ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid - Kan kanamycin - Spc spectinomycin     

携带Paenibacillus polymyxa WLY78固氮基因簇(nif)的重组大肠杆菌Escherichia coli78-7转录组分析

[目的]来自Paenibacillus polymyxa WLY78的固氮基因簇（nifBHDKEfNXhesAnifV）可以转化入Escherichia coli中表达并使重组大肠杆菌合成有固氮活性的固氮酶。本文拟通过对重组大肠杆菌E.coli 78-7的转录组分析以提高其固氮能力。[方法]对固氮条件（无氧无NH₄⁺）和非固氮条件（空气和100 mmol/L NH₄⁺）培养的重组大肠杆菌E.coli 78-7进行转录组分析。[结果]nif基因在两种培养条件下显著表达,说明在重组大肠杆菌中可规避原菌中氧气和NH₄⁺对nif基因的负调控。对于固氮过程必需的非nif基因,如参与钼、硫、铁元素转运的mod、cys和feoAB,这些基因在两种培养条件下表达水平有差异。而参与铁硫簇合成的suf和isc基因簇在两条件下表达水平差异巨大。此外,参与氮代谢的基因在固氮条件下显著上调。[结论]重组大肠杆菌中与固氮相关的非nif基因在该菌的固氮过程中具有较大影响,本文对在异源宿主中调高固氮酶活性研究具有重要意义。     

Genetic aspects of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in Lactococcus lactic

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers designed from a multiple alignment of predicted amino acid sequences from bacterial aroA genes were used to amplify a fragment of Lactococcus lactis DNA. An 8 kb fragment was then cloned from a lambda library and the DNA sequence of a 4.4 kb region determined. This region was found to contain the genes tyrA, aroA, aroK, and pheA, which are involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis and folate metabolism. TyrA has been shown to be secreted and AroK also has a signal sequence, suggesting that these proteins have a secondary function, possibly in the transport of amino acids. The aroA gene from L. lactis has been shown to complement an E. coli mutant strain deficient in this gene. The arrangement of genes involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in L. lactis appears to differ from that in other organisms.The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the EMBL, GenBank, and DDBJ Nucleotide Sequence Databanks and have been assigned the accession number X78413     

Cloning of the excC and excD genes involved in the release of periplasmic proteins by Escherichia coli K12

Summary Strains of Escherichia coli K12 carrying a tolA, tolB, lky or exc mutation located at min 16.5 on the genetic map released periplasmic proteins into the extracellular medium. Wild-type genes defined by these mutations have been cloned from E. coli genomic bank made with plasmid pBR328. Subcloning experiments and complementation studies showed that lky and exc mutations were located either in the previously described tolA and tolB genes or in the newly characterized excC and excD genes. Using minicells, excC and excD gene products were identified as proteins with a molecular mass of 19 and 21 kDa, respectively.     

GFP基因在新疆小拟南芥和拟南芥中的表达分析

以质粒pMCB30为模板,扩增GFP基因,连接到载体pCMBIA2300-35S-OCS上,构建过量表达载体p35S:GFP,将其转入农杆菌GV3101.通过农杆菌介导法将p35S:GFP载体分别转入新疆特色植物小拟南芥和拟南芥中.T0代经含有卡那霉素的1/2MS培养基筛选,获得了T1代转基因小拟南芥2株,T1代转基因拟南芥9株.通过激光共聚焦显微镜观察,在转基因小拟南芥和拟南芥的根尖细胞中均可检测到GFP绿色荧光蛋白;对转基因植株进行PCR扩增,均可检测到GFP基因,表明GFP基因已成功转入小拟南芥和拟南芥中.该研究建立了小拟南芥的遗传转化体系,为进一步利用GFP基因和进一步研究小拟南芥的功能基因奠定基础.     

Selective cloning of genes encoding RNase H from Salmonella typhimurium, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli rnh mutant

Summary We have cloned genes encoding RNase H from Escherichia coli rnh mutants, Salmonella typhimurium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Selection was accomplished by suppression of the temperature-sensitive growth phenotype of Escherichia coli strains containing the rnh-339::cat and either recB270 (Ts) or recC271 (Ts) mutations. RNases H from E. coli and S. typhimurium contained 155 amino acid residues and differed at only 11 positions. The S. cerevisiae and E. coli RNases H were about 30% homologous. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of several RNases H from cellular and retroviral sources revealed some strongly conserved regions as well as variable regions; the carboxyl-terminus was particularly variable. The overlapping, divergent promoter gene organization found in E. coli was observed to be present in S. typhimurium.     

Mapping of the sor genes for l-sorbose degradation in the chromosome of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Summary A series of mutants was isolated in Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 1033, among them mutants unable to grown on l-sorbose. Different R' plasmids carrying the sor genes and other surrounding chromosomal genes were also isolated. Each plasmid contained the structural genes sorA for an Enzyme II of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent carbohydrate: phosphotransferase system, sorD for a d-glucitol 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, sorE for an l-sorbose 1-phosphate reductase, and the corresponding regulator gene sorR. These structural genes are coordinately expressed and inducible by l-sorbose. Cis-dominant and pleiotropic mutations rendering the expression of the sor genes constitutive or eliminating it were isolated. Complementation of a series of mutations in Escherichia coli K12 and K. pneumoniae by various R' and F' plasmids and by P1 transduction in K. pneumoniae located the sor genes within the following gene sequence: rbs rha pfkA metB ppc argH ilv btuB rpoB metA ace sor pgi malB uvrA. The rbs-ilv gene loci tightly linked in E. coli K12 at 84 min, are separated in the map of K. pneumoniae 1033 and located at 86 and 89 min, respectively.     

Escherichia coli O157 Somatic Antigen Is Present in an Isolate of E. fergusonii

A bacterium that tested positive with antibodies specific for Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from beef during routine screening procedures. The bacterium was identified as E. fergusonii by biochemical testing and partial sequencing of 16S rRNA. The isolate was tested for the presence of genes encoding Shiga toxins, the E. coli attaching and effacing factor, enterohemolysin, and the O157 O antigen. The isolate tested negative for Shiga toxins and other E. coli O157 virulence markers but was found to harbor the genes encoding the O157 antigen. These results suggest genetic transfer of the O antigen gene cluster between E. coli O157:H7 and E. fergusonii.     

Oenothera mitochondrial orf454, a gene involved in cytochrome c biogenesis corresponds to orf169 and orf322 of Marchantia

We have characterized a mitochondrial gene in Oenothera, designated orf454, capable of encoding a component of the cytochrome c biogenesis system. This open reading frame is interrupted by an intron of 941 nucleotides showing high similarity to a group II intron residing in the rpl2 gene. RNA editing, which is observed at 18 cytidine positions within the orf454 reading frame, improves the similarity to protein-coding sequences in bacteria and higher plants and removes the last 16 amino acids. orf454 also shows high sequence similarity to two overlapping reading frames (orf169 and orf322) of Marchantia mitochondria. These ORFs belong to an operon-like cluster of genes in the liverwort that is not conserved in Oenothera mitochondria. However, in bacteria these reading frames are organized like the Marchantia gene cluster. It has been shown by genetical analysis in Rhodobacter capsulatus that these genes are essential for cytochrome c biogenesis. Genes of bacterial operons — ccl1 in Rhodobacter and yejR and nrfE in Escherichia coli — show high sequence similarity to the mitochondrial reading frames orf577 and orf454 of Oenothera. orf454, which we describe here, is homologous to the C-terminal region of these bacterial genes, while the previously described orf577 is homologous to the N-terminal region.     

大肠杆菌突变株高密度生长的多因素分析

【背景】pBHR68是表达聚-3-羟基丁酸酯(Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate,PHB)合成基因簇的高拷贝质粒,大肠杆菌K-12突变菌株S17-3在携带该质粒时生长密度高,耐低p H且在低pH条件下生长时高产可拉酸(Colanic Acid,CA)。【目的】系统探究与菌种(大肠杆菌S17-3)及质粒(pBHR68)相关的高密度生长现象的分子机理,提示PHB和CA合成代谢与高密度生长的偶联机制。【方法】解析质粒的构成、CA合成途径基因组成对高密度生长现象的影响;利用全基因组同比分析寻找可能的关键突变基因;开展转录组学分析,筛查大肠杆菌S17-3及其转化子在不同培养方式中的转录组数据,通过基因敲除实现基因功能及细胞生长状态的验证。【结果】大肠杆菌S17-3的高密度生长菌与PHB合成的操纵子的过表达以及rhsA的多位点突变相关,RcsA是CA合成与高密度生长中碳代谢流调控的关键调控蛋白。在低pH培养时,敲除可拉酸合成的关键糖基转移酶导致生物量提升;此外,大肠杆菌S17-3/pBHR68的高密度生长还可能与乳糖操纵子异常的转录调控相关,lacZ突变株高密度生长特性消失,而且无法合成可拉酸。【结论】研究分析了引起大肠杆菌S17-3高密度生长的多种因素,为大肠杆菌提高生长密度现象的进一步分析提供了重要线索,也为利用大肠杆菌S17-3的优异生理特性将其改造为寡糖合成的底盘细胞奠定了研究基础。     

Escherichia coli O104 in Feedlot Cattle Feces: Prevalence,Isolation and Characterization

Escherichia coli O104:H4, an hybrid pathotype of Shiga toxigenic and enteroaggregative E. coli, involved in a major foodborne outbreak in Germany in 2011, has not been detected in cattle feces. Serogroup O104 with H type other than H4 has been reported to cause human illnesses, but their prevalence and characteristics in cattle have not been reported. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of E. coli O104 in feces of feedlot cattle, by culture and PCR detection methods, and characterize the isolated strains. Rectal fecal samples from a total of 757 cattle originating from 29 feedlots were collected at a Midwest commercial slaughter plant. Fecal samples, enriched in E. coli broth, were subjected to culture and PCR methods of detection. The culture method involved immunomagnetic separation with O104-specific beads and plating on a selective chromogenic medium, followed by serogroup confirmation of pooled colonies by PCR. If pooled colonies were positive for the wzx_O104 gene, then colonies were tested individually to identify wzx_O104-positive serogroup and associated genes of the hybrid strains. Extracted DNA from feces were also tested by a multiplex PCR to detect wzx_O104-positive serogroup and associated major genes of the O104 hybrid pathotype. Because wzx_O104 has been shown to be present in E. coli O8/O9/O9a, wzx_O104-positive isolates and extracted DNA from fecal samples were also tested by a PCR targeting wbdD_O8/O9/O9a, a gene specific for E. coli O8/O9/O9a serogroups. Model-adjusted prevalence estimates of E. coli O104 (positive for wzx_O104 and negative for wbdD_O8/O9/O9a) at the feedlot level were 5.7% and 21.2%, and at the sample level were 0.5% and 25.9% by culture and PCR, respectively. The McNemar’s test indicated that there was a significant difference (P < 0.01) between the proportions of samples that tested positive for wzx_O104 and samples that were positive for wzx_O104, but negative for wbdD_O8/O9/O9a by PCR and culture methods. A total of 143 isolates, positive for the wzx_O104, were obtained in pure culture from 146 positive fecal samples. Ninety-two of the 143 isolates (64.3%) also tested positive for the wbdD_O8/O9/O9a, indicating that only 51 (35.7%) isolates truly belonged to the O104 serogroup (positive for wzx_O104 and negative for wbdD_O8/O9/O9a). All 51 isolates tested negative for eae, and 16 tested positive for stx1 gene of the subtype 1c. Thirteen of the 16 stx1-positive O104 isolates were from one feedlot. The predominant serotype was O104:H7. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that stx1-positive O104:H7 isolates had 62.4% homology to the German outbreak strain and 67.9% to 77.5% homology to human diarrheagenic O104:H7 strains. The 13 isolates obtained from the same feedlot were of the same PFGE subtype with 100% Dice similarity. Although cattle do not harbor the O104:H4 pathotype, they do harbor and shed Shiga toxigenic O104 in the feces and the predominant serotype was O104:H7.