Isolation of K88 Antigen Variants (ab,ac, ad) from Porcine Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Belonging to Different Serotypes

Fimbriae isolation by means of thermal shock was applied to fifteen K88-positive (three K88ab, nine K88ac and three K88ad) Escherichia coli reference strains belonging to serotypes O8:K87, O32, O45, O138:K81, O141:K85, O147:K89, O149:K91, and O157, as well as to ten K88-positive enterotoxigenic strains isolated from porcine diarrhea in Spain, all of them belonging to the O149 serogroup. Fimbriae were removed from the bacterial cells by thermal shock at 60 C and then precipitated using ammonium sulfate. The final amount of K88 antigen and the purification degree were not related to the serogroup of the bacteria or to the antigen variant but were related to the buffer used for isolation. Phosphate buffer containing urea was shown to be more effective than Tris-HCl for isolation of K88 antigen. The molecular weights by SDS-PAGE for K88ab, K88ac, and K88ad were 28.5, 29.2, and 31.0 kDa, respectively. All enterotoxigenic E. coli strains isolated in Spain showed the K88ac variant.     

苏北地区规模化猪场产肠毒素大肠杆菌的分离鉴定及灭活疫苗效果评估

[目的]产肠毒素大肠杆菌(Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli,ETEC)是引起仔猪腹泻的重要病原菌,本研究通过调查苏北地区规模化猪场ETEC的流行情况,分析其生物学特性,研制具有免疫保护效果的优势血清型菌株的灭活疫苗,以期对苏北地区ETEC的防控提供参考。[方法]从苏北地区规模化猪场采集3-30日龄的仔猪新鲜粪样、肛拭子及小肠组织样,分离出ETEC,对分离菌株进行血清型鉴定、耐药性测定、小鼠致病力测定;最后通过动物免疫试验研究优势血清型菌株灭活疫苗对小鼠的免疫保护效果。[结果]从21个规模化猪场采集病料562份,通过PCR鉴定及测序得到141株ETEC;血清凝集试验鉴定出85株菌的O抗原血清型,其中08、0101和0128为优势血清型,占定型菌株的61.2%(52/85),其他血清型包括09、03、020、0148、0149等;分析141株ETEC对14种常见抗生素的耐药情况,得出分离株对新霉素、红霉素、四环素、庆大霉素、强力霉素、阿莫西林、甲氧苄啶/磺胺甲恶唑高度耐药,耐药率均高达80%以上;对恩诺沙星敏感性较高,敏感率达50.4%(71/141);对多粘菌素B和头孢噻肟中介耐药,占比分别为66%(93/141)和51.8%(73/141);多重耐药现象严重,其中10重耐药的菌株占比最大,为19%(27/141);小鼠攻毒试验测得08血清型强毒株YC-6的半数致死量(median lethal dose,LD50)为1.4×10^7 CFU/只,最低致死量(minimum lethal dose,MLD)为3×10^7 CFU/只;08血清型强毒株YC-6和0101血清型强毒株LYG-3制备的单价灭活疫苗对小鼠的保护率均达到100%,因此利用08血清型强毒株YC-6和0101血清型强毒株LYG-3研制二价灭活疫苗,结果显示该二价疫苗对感染不同血清型ETEC小鼠的保护率在83%以上。[结论]本研究通过对苏北地区ETEC的流行病学调查,得出其优势血清型,并研制出针对对优势血清型免疫保护效果较好的二价灭活疫苗,给临床ETEC的监测和防控提供参考。     

A genome-wide association analysis for susceptibility of pigs to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F41

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a type of pathogenic bacteria that cause diarrhea in piglets through colonizing pig small intestine epithelial cells by their surface fimbriae. Different fimbriae type of ETEC including F4, F18, K99 and F41 have been isolated from diarrheal pigs. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study to map the loci associated with the susceptibility of pigs to ETEC F41 using 39454 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 667 F₂ pigs from a White Duroc×Erhualian F₂ cross. The most significant SNP (ALGA0022658, P=5.59×10⁻¹³) located at 6.95 Mb on chromosome 4. ALGA0022658 was in high linkage disequilibrium (r²>0.5) with surrounding SNPs that span a 1.21 Mb interval. Within this 1.21 Mb region, we investigated ZFAT as a positional candidate gene. We re-sequenced cDNA of ZFAT in four pigs with different susceptibility phenotypes, and identified seven coding variants. We genotyped these seven variants in 287 unrelated pigs from 15 diverse breeds that were measured with ETEC F41 susceptibility phenotype. Five variants showed nominal significant association (P<0.05) with ETEC F41 susceptibility phenotype in International commercial pigs. This study provided refined region associated with susceptibility of pigs to ETEC F41 than that reported previously. Further works are needed to uncover the underlying causal mutation(s).     

不同猪种肠毒素大肠杆菌（ETEC）F4受体微卫星标记遗传差异性研究The

采用13号染色体上与K88ab和K88ac受体基因连锁的2对引物（S0223和S0068）,研究沙子岭猪和大约克猪的遗传差异性。结果表明,2个猪种在2个基因座均存在多态性,其基因杂合度和Shannon信息指数存在很大差异,而中外猪种的K88ab和K88ac受体基因也存在遗传差异,这2对引物可望作为K88ab和K88ac受体基因的遗传标记。Abstract: The genetic variation of ETEC F4 receptor in Shaziling and Yorkshire breeds were studied using two microsatellite markers(S0223 and S0068). The results showed that there were polymorphisms in the two markers, and there were great variations of the gene heterozygosity and Shannon information index in the two breeds. It was also reported that there were differences in K88ab and K88ac receptors in Chinese native breeds and foreign breeds, so the two markers might be the genetic markers of F4 receptor gene.     

Assessing antigen specific HLA-DR+ antibody secreting cell (DR+ASC) responses in whole blood in enteric infections using an ELISPOT technique

Antibody secreting cells (ASCs) generate antibodies in an antigen-specific manner as part of the adaptive immune response to infections, and these cells increase their surface expression of HLA-DR. We have studied this parameter (HLA-DR+ ASC) in patients with recent diarrheal infection using immuno-magnetic cell sorting and an enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) technique that requires only one milliliter of blood. We validated this approach in adult patients with cholera (n = 15) or ETEC diarrhea (n = 30) on days 2, 7 and 30 after showing clinical symptom at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) hospital in Dhaka, and we compared responses to age-matched healthy controls (n = 7). We found that HLA-DR+ ASC (DR+ASC) responses specific both for T cell-dependent (cholera toxin B subunit), and T cell-independent (lipopolysaccharide) antigens were elevated at day 7 after showing clinical cholera symptom. Similarly, DR+ASCs were elevated against both heat-labile toxin and colonization factors following ETEC infection. We observed significant correlations between antigen-specific DR+ASC responses and antigen-specific, gut homing ASC and plasma antibody responses. This study demonstrates that a simple ELISPOT procedure allows determination of antigen-specific ASC responses using a small volume of whole blood following diarrhea. This technique may be particularly useful in studying DR+ASC responses in young children and infants, either following infection or vaccination.     

表达毒素源性大肠杆菌定居因子抗原CS6的一组基因的克隆

人源毒素源性大肠杆菌(Enterotoxigenic E.Coil ETEC)是引起婴幼儿及旅游者腹泻的主要致病菌。ETEC的致病因子包括定居因子抗原 (Colonization factor antigens,CFAs)和肠毒素。大多数ETEC菌株均能产生抗原特异的菌毛,介导细菌与宿主小肠粘膜表面并在粘膜表面上受体的结合,使得细菌能定殖于粘膜表面并在粘膜的功能性清除中存活下来。已经报道的定居因子抗原包括CFA/Ⅰ,CFA/Ⅱ、CFA/Ⅲ、CFA/Ⅳ(PCF8775)、PCF09和PCFO159等。CFA/Ⅰ和CFA/Ⅲ均由单一的菌毛亚基构成,CFA/Ⅱ、CFA/Ⅳ则由多种表面抗原(colisurface antigen,CS)复合而成。所有的CFA/Ⅳ阳性菌株均表达CS6抗原,其中有些同时表达CS4或CS5抗原。CS4和CS5都是直径6～7nm的菌毛,能引起人和牛血红细胞的甘露糖抗性的凝集反应(MRHA)。迄今为止,没有观祭到CS6明显的菌毛结构,CS6也不能引起MRHA阳性反应。然而动物实验的结果表明,CS6是CFA/Ⅳ复合抗原中一种对定居作用最重要的抗原”,。本研究组已经通过分子克隆的手段获得了能分别表达CFA/Ⅰ和CS3抗原的重组菌株,用于人源ETEC疫苗的研究。本文报道了表达CS6菌毛抗原的DNA片段的克隆,并用免疫吸附制备的CS6抗血清测定了重组菌株表达的菌毛蛋白。     

Survival and gene expression of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli during long‐term incubation in sea water and freshwater

Aims: In this study, the main objective was to verify the hypothesis of induction of ‘viable but non‐culturable’ (VBNC) forms of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) during incubation in water. Methods and Results: Six clinically isolated ETEC strains were studied. Viable counts showed culturable ETEC bacteria for up to 3 months in freshwater but only two out of six strains were culturable in seawater at this time point. Although the bacterial cells remained intact, no production or secretion of heat‐labile (LT) or heat‐stable (ST) enterotoxins was observed using GM1‐ELISA methods. However, genes encoding ETEC toxins (STh and LT), colonization factors (CS7 and CS17), gapA and 16S RNA were expressed during 3 months in both sea water and freshwater microcosms as determined by real‐time RT‐PCR on cDNA derived from the bacteria. Conclusions: Clinically isolated ETEC strains can survive for long periods in both sea water and freshwater. The bacterial cells remain intact, and the gene expression of virulence genes and genes involved in metabolic pathways are detected after 3 months. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results indicate that ETEC bacteria can enter a VBNC state during stressful conditions and suggest that ETEC has the potential to be infectious after long‐term incubation in water.     

毒素源性大肠杆菌CFA/I、CS_3重组菌株的粘附力、免疫原性和保护性的研究

本研究采用可逆性肠结扎成兔腹泻(RITARD)动物模型检测了毒素源性大肠杆菌(ETEC)定居因子抗原Ⅰ(CFA/Ⅰ)和表面抗原3(CS_3)重组菌株的肠道粘附力、免疫原性和保护性。经肠道及口服接种时重组菌株对肠道均有较强的粘附力,与CFAs阴性宿主菌相比P<0.01。口服免疫家兔时,第四周血清抗体滴度达到高峰,分别为1∶9 000和1∶80 000;肠道免疫家兔后血清效价在第二周达到高峰,滴度分别为1∶8 000和1∶60 000。在抗体滴度高峰时进行ETEC野生株攻毒,结果显示口服组抗腹泻保护率为66.7％～75％,肠道组为50.1％～71.4％。攻毒后免疫家兔的排菌天数较对照组明显减少。     

人源产肠毒素大肠杆菌疫苗的研发进展

腹泻是全球范围内引起5岁以下幼童死亡的第二大病因,而产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)是引起腹泻的最常见病原菌,其产生的细菌定植因子(CFs)和肠毒素是关键的毒力因子。CFs介导细菌黏附宿主小肠上皮细胞并完成定植,产生热敏肠毒素(LT)和热稳定肠毒素(ST)破坏宿主上皮细胞内的体液平衡,使体液和电介质过量分泌从而导致腹泻。预防ETEC腹泻的首选方法是使用能激发宿主产生抗黏附素免疫力和抗肠毒素免疫力的疫苗,阻断ETEC黏附和定植并中和肠毒素。目前一种名为Dukoral~的霍乱疫苗因能刺激机体产生抗热敏毒素免疫,已经被一些国家批准用于短期保护和预防旅行者腹泻。新型试验性ETEC候选疫苗正在研发中,旨在提供保护期长、反应谱广的抗ETEC感染免疫保护力。本文针对疫苗研发的关键问题和研究现状作一综述,并对未来的研究作出展望。     

Molecular serogrouping of porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from Australia

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common etiological agent of neonatal, pre and post weaning diarrhoea in piglets. One of the most important steps in the diagnosis and epidemiological understanding of this organism is accurate serogrouping. In many instances, however, conventional serogrouping fails to produce accurate identification of serogroups. In this communication we report a modified and simplified molecular serogrouping method (rfb-RFLP) for the accurate identification of the most common porcine ETEC strains that cause neonatal, pre and post weaning diarrhoea in Australia.