Genetic and structural analyses of Escherichia coli O107 and O117 O-antigens

The O-antigen, consisting of many repeats of an oligosaccharide, is an essential component of the lipopolysaccharide on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria. The O-antigen is one of the most variable cell constituents, and different O-antigen forms are almost entirely due to genetic variations in O-antigen gene clusters. In this paper, we present structural and genetic evidence for a close relationship between Escherichia coli O107 and E. coli O117 O antigens. The O-antigen of E. coli O107 has a pentasaccharide repeating unit with the following structure: →4)-β- d -Gal p NAc-(1→3)-α- l -Rha p -(1→4)-α- d -Glc p NAc-(1→4)-β- d -Gal p -(1→3)-α- d -Gal p NAc-(1→, which differs from the known repeating unit of E. coli O117 only in the substitution of d -GlcNAc for d -Glc. The O-antigen gene clusters of E. coli O107 and O117 share 98.6% overall DNA identity and contain the same set of genes in the same organization. It is proposed that one cluster was evolved from another via mutations, and the substitution of a few amino acids residues in predicted glycosyltransferases resulted in the functional change of one such protein for transferring different sugars in O107 ( d -GlcNAc) and O117 ( d -Glc), leading to different O-antigen structures. This is an example of the O-antigen alteration caused by nucleotide mutations, which is less commonly reported for O-antigen variations.     

Reliability of O157:H7 ID agar (O157 H7 ID-F) for the detection and isolation of verocytotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli belonging to serogroup O157

AIMS: The reliability of the O157:H7 ID agar (O157 H7 ID-F) to detect verocytotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli (VTEC) of serogroup O157 was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: This medium, designed to detect strains belonging to the clone of VTEC O157:H7/H-, contains carbohydrates and two chromogenic substrates to detect beta-d-galactosidase and beta-d-glucuronidase and sodium desoxycholate to increase selectivity for Gram-negative rods. A total of 347 strains of E. coli including a variety of serotypes, verocytotoxigenicity of human and animal sources were tested. The green VTEC O157 colonies were easy to detect among the other dark purple to black E. coli colonies. Of 63 O157:H7/H- strains, 59 (93.7%) gave the characteristic green colour. Three of the failed four strains of O157:H- were not verocytotoxigenic, missing only one VTEC O157. Three non-O157 strains gave the characteristic green colour on the medium and were VTEC OR:H- (2) and Ont:H- (1), possibly being degraded variants of the O157 enterohaemorrhagic E. coli clone. CONCLUSIONS: The O157:H7 ID agar (O157 H7 ID-F) was largely successful in isolating VTEC belonging to the O157:H7/H- clone. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A medium, suitable for isolating strains of VTEC O157 was successfully evaluated and should be useful for the isolation of these pathogens.     

Thermal death of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle feeds

AIMS: To determine if the temperatures used in feed manufacture are likely to destroy Escherichia coli O157. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two commercial feeds were ground and inoculated with E. coli O157 cells. The feeds were heated to 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 degrees C. Heating produced quadratic survivor curves, with rapid initial decreases. The survival characteristics of E. coli O157 differed in the two feeds. The reductions observed in one feed may not have been due to heat alone. There was evidence that indigenous anti-E. coli O157 factor(s) in one feed acted with the heat and contributed to the observed rates of bacterial death. Heating at 70 degrees C for 20 or 120 s resulted in approx. 1.3 and 2.2 log reductions in E. coli O157 numbers respectively. Lesser reductions were observed at lower temperatures. CONCLUSIONS: The time/temperature combinations used in commercial pelleting processes would not effectively kill high numbers of E. coli O157. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first study to look at the survival of E. coli O157 strains after heat treatment within concentrated animal feed. The study provides information on the likely risk of E. coli O157 surviving the animal feed manufacturing process.     

RAPID detection and quantification of E. coli O157/O26/O111 in minced beef by real-time PCR

AIM: To develop a real-time PCR detection procedure for Escherichia coli O111, O26 and O157 from minced meat. METHODS AND RESULTS: Strains (n = 8) of each of E. coli O26, E. coli O111 and E. coli O157 were inoculated at ca 10-20 CFU g(-1) into minced retail meat and enriched for 6 h at 41.5 degrees C as follows: E. coli O26 in tryptone soya broth (TSB) supplemented with cefixime (50 microg l(-1)), vancomycin (40 mg l(-1)) and potassium tellurite (2.5 mg l(-1)); E. coli O111 in TSB supplemented with cefixime (50 microg l(-1)) and vancomycin (40 mg l(-1)); E. coli O157 in E. coli broth supplemented with novobiocin (20 mg l(-1)). DNA was extracted from the enriched cultures, and detected and quantified by real-time PCR using verotoxin (vt1 and vt2) and serogroup (O157 per gene; O26 fliC-fliA genes and O111 wzy gene) specific primers. CONCLUSIONS: The methods outlined were found to be sensitive and specific for the routine detection of E. coli O111, O26 and O157 in minced beef. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The enrichment, isolation and detection procedures used in this study provide a rapid routine-based molecular method for the detection and differentiation of E. coli O26, O111 and O157 from minced meat.     

Polysorbates prevent biofilm formation and pathogenesis of Escherichia coli O104:H4

Escherichia coli biotype O104:H4 recently caused the deadliest E. coli outbreak ever reported. Based on prior results, it was hypothesized that compounds inhibiting biofilm formation by O104:H4 would reduce its pathogenesis. The nonionic surfactants polysorbate 80 (PS80) and polysorbate 20 (PS20) were found to reduce biofilms by ≥ 90% at submicromolar concentrations and elicited nearly complete dispersal of preformed biofilms. PS80 did not significantly impact in vivo colonization in a mouse infection model; however, mice treated with PS80 exhibited almost no intestinal inflammation or tissue damage while untreated mice exhibited robust pathology. As PS20 and PS80 are classified as ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS) compounds by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these compounds have clinical potential to treat future O104:H4 outbreaks.     

Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains that do not produce Shiga toxin from bovine, avian and environmental sources

AIMS: To determine the potential for naturally occurring Shiga toxin-negative Escherichia coli O157 to acquire stx(2) genes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Multiple E. coli O157:H7 isolates positive for eae and ehxA, but not for stx genes, were isolated from cattle, water trough sediment, animal bedding and wild bird sources on several Ohio dairy farms. These isolates were experimentally lysogenized by stx(2)-converting bacteriophage. CONCLUSIONS: Shiga toxin-negative strains of E. coli O157 are present in multiple animal and environmental sources. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Shiga toxin-negative strains of E. coli O157 present in the food production environment are able to acquire the stx genes, demonstrating their potential to emerge as new Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains.     

The lipopolysaccharide core type of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other non-O157 verotoxin-producing E. coli

A mouse monoclonal antibody specific for the R3 lipopolysaccharide core type of Escherichia coli was used to determine the core type of E. coli O157:H7 and other non-O157 verotoxin-producing E. coli strains. Lipopolysaccharide extracts from 28 clinical isolates were examined by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting and all were found to have the R3 core. None of the core lipopolysaccharide from the strains tested reacted with the control R1 and R2 specific monoclonal antibodies. A common core type between all the verotoxin-producing E. coli strains tested may be significant when considering the immune response to these bacteria, and to the receptor for the VT bacteriophage.     

Production of an autoinducer of growth by norepinephrine cultured Escherichia coli O157:H7

Abstract Escherichia coli O157:H7 were cultured in the presence or absence of norepinephrine to generate conditioned media. The presence of a growth-inducing factoKs) in the conditioned media was examined by measurement of the ability of conditioned media to support the growth of fresh cultures of E. coli O157:H7. Supplementation of fresh cultures with as little as 0.024% (v/v) norepinephrine conditioned medium resulted in increased growth as compared to controls, thereby indicating the presence of an autoinducer of growth. Analysis of the production kinetics for the autoinducer during the generation of conditioned media indicates that it differs from other more well characterized autoinducers. It is proposed that the neurohumoral environment of the host may contribute to the production of bacterial growth factors.     

Cell density dependent acid sensitivity in stationary phase cultures of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Escherichia coli O157:H7, the causative agent of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome, can survive in a highly acidic environment. The acid resistance of this organism, as measured by its ability to survive in low pH, depended on the density of the cells present during the assay. At low cell densities (相似文献   

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the eae gene homologue from enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7

The eae gene has recently been shown to be necessary for the attaching and effacing (AE) activity of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) on intestinal epithelial cells. In this paper we report the cloning and nucleotide sequence of a similar gene from a strain of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) serotype O157:H7. An EHEC eae sequence was identified which was 97% homologous to the EPEC eae gene for the first 2200 bp and 59% homologous over the last 800 bp. Both eae sequences show 50% homology to the central region of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis inv gene. The receptor-binding domain of the inv gene product lies near the carboxyl terminus. This suggests that the predicted amino acid sequence divergence in the carboxyl termini of the eae gene products might result in different antigenic and receptor specificity of these putative adhesins.     

大肠杆菌44277(O2: K1) 中rmlB 基因功能

摘要: 【目的】确定rmlB 基因在大肠杆菌( O2: K1) L-型鼠李糖合成中的作用。【方法】将基因rmlB 进行原核表达并测定酶活; 用同源重组的方法将rmlB 基因敲除,分析表型变化,并运用质谱,以及核磁共振等手段分析脂多糖O 侧链的结构,以确定rmlB 在O 抗原合成中的作用。【结果】成功对rmlB 基因进行了表达并测定了重组蛋白的酶活,确定蛋白RmlB 具有dTDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase 活性。成功构建了rmlB 基因缺失突变株,对突变株进行表型分析发现突变株的表型与野生株相比无变化。对突变株分析发现突变株中的O抗原仍含有L-型鼠李糖,说明在该菌株中可能存在RmlB 的同功能酶或者存在其它的L-型鼠李糖合成途径。【结论】rmlB 基因编码的蛋白具有dTDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase 活性但此基因对于L-型鼠李糖的合成不是必需的。     

Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization in small domestic ruminants

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 was first implicated in human disease in the early 1980s, with ruminants cited as the primary reservoirs. Preliminary studies indicated cattle to be the sole source of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks in humans; however, further epidemiological studies soon demonstrated that E. coli O157:H7 was widespread in other food sources and that a number of transmission routes existed. More recently, small domestic ruminants (sheep and goats) have emerged as important sources of E. coli O157:H7 human infection, particularly with the widespread popularity of petting farms and the increased use of sheep and goat food products, including unpasteurized cheeses. Although the colonization and persistence characteristics of E. coli O157:H7 in the bovine host have been studied intensively, this is not the case for small ruminants. Despite many similarities to the bovine host, the pathobiology of E. coli O157:H7 in small domestic ruminants does appear to differ significantly from that described in cattle. This review aims to critically review the current knowledge regarding colonization and persistence of E. coli O157:H7 in small domestic ruminants, including comparisons with the bovine host where appropriate.     

Inducible stx2 phages are lysogenized in the enteroaggregative and other phenotypic Escherichia coli O86:HNM isolated from patients

We characterized two Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O86:HNM isolates from a patient with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or bloody diarrhea. Both of them did not possess the eaeA gene. However, the isolate from a HUS patient carried genetic markers of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and showed aggregative adherence pattern to HEp-2 cells. The other isolate from bloody diarrhea, which was negative with EAEC markers, was diffusely adhered to HEp-2 cells. The stx2 gene in both E. coli O86:HNM strains was encoded in each infectious phage, which was partially homologous to that of strain EDL933, a STEC O157:H7. These results will help to explain the genotypic divergences of STEC.     

Direct PCR detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7

AIMS: This paper reports a simple, rapid approach for the detection of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). METHODS AND RESULTS: Direct PCR (DPCR) obviates the need for the recovery of cells from the sample or DNA extraction prior to PCR. Primers specific for Stx-encoding genes stx1 and stx2 were used in DPCR for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 added to environmental water samples and milk. CONCLUSIONS: PCR reactions containing one cell yielded a DPCR product. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This should provide an improved method to assess contamination of environmental and other samples by STEC and other pathogens.     

Clonal turnover of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in experimentally infected cattle

A total of 401 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 isolates from two experimentally infected calves were analyzed using molecular biological methods. Genetic differences detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were observed between the inoculated and recovered strains as early as 1 day post inoculation. The loss of the inoculated clone was observed in one calf. Replication and dissemination of the EHEC O157:H7 strains that mutated in cattle may result in the diversification of this organism among cattle populations.     

Restoration of culturability of starvation-stressed and low-temperature-stressed Escherichia coli O157 cells by using H2O2-degrading compounds

Late-exponential-phase cells of Escherichia coli O157:H- strain E32511/HSC became nonculturable in sterilized distilled water microcosms at 4 °C. Plate counts declined from 3 × 10⁶ to less than 0.1 CFU/ml in about 21 days. However, when samples of microcosms at 21 days were inoculated onto an agar medium amended with catalase or nonenzyme peroxide-degrading compounds such as sodium pyruvate or α-ketoglutaric acid, plate counts increased to 10⁴–10⁵ CFU/ml within 48 h. The proposed mode of action of the catalase or pyruvate is via the degradation of the metabolic by-product H₂O₂, rather than through supplementation of a required nutrient in the recovery of nonculturable cells. Our studies were based on the assumption that E32511/HSC strain responds to starvation and a low temperature by entering a nonculturable state and that the correction of oxidative stress upon the inoculation of bacteria on agar plates promotes recovery of nonculturable cells. Received: 15 January 1999 / Accepted: 8 April 1999