Long-term systemic and mucosal antibody responses measured in BALB/c mice following intranasal challenge with viable enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

The immunogenicity induced in BALB/c mice following intranasal challenge with a viable nonlethal dose (1.2 x 10(8) CFU) of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain E23477A (O139:H28:CS1:CS3:LT+:ST+) was studied over a 140-day period. Serum IgG and IgM antibodies against coli surface antigen 3 (CS3), O139 lipopolysaccharide and heat-labile enterotoxin were measured by day 14 and remained at elevated levels out to day 140. The serum IgG response to the somatic antigens (CS3 and O139 lipopolysaccharide) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the IgG response to heat-labile enterotoxin, and the serum IgG response to CS3 was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the IgG response to O139 lipopolysaccharide. The predominant serum IgG subclasses to CS3 were IgG1 and IgG2a, and they were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than IgG2b and IgG3. The predominant serum IgG subclass response to O139 lipopolysaccharide was initially IgG3 until day 56, after which IgG1 was predominant. The serum subclass response to CS3 indicated a mixed T helper 1/2 (Th1/Th2) profile, whereas the response to O139 lipopolysaccharide was primarily that of a Th2-type, at least over time. Fecal IgG and IgA responses to CS3 and O139 lipopolysaccharide were detected by day 14 and were measured out to day 140, with the CS3 fecal antibody responses being significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the O139 lipopolysaccharide and heat-labile enterotoxin fecal antibody responses. The aim of this study is the development of the intranasal mouse model that can aid in better understanding the immunopathology of ETEC infection and in screening of vaccine candidates prior to volunteer trials.     

Prevalence of Colonization Factor Antigens (CFAs) and Adherence to HeLa Cells in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Feces of Children in São Paulo

Fifty-eight enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains, isolated from children with and without diarrhea in Sao Paulo, were examined for the presence of colonization factor antigens (CFAs) and their ability to adhere to HeLa cells. Antisera to CFA/I, the coli surface (CS) antigens CS1CS3, CS2CS3, and CS2 of CFA/II, CFA/III, and CS5CS6 and CS6 of CFA/IV were used. CFAs were identified in 43% of the ETEC strains: 40% of the strains with CFAs harbored CFA/I, 24% carried CFA/II (CS1CS3), 24% carried CFA/IV (CS6), and 12% carried CFA/IV (CS5CS6). CFAs occurred mainly among ETEC strains producing only heat-stable (ST-I) enterotoxin and in strains also producing heat-labile toxin (LT-I). No ETEC strains tested expressed CFA/III. A marked change in serotypes of ST-I-producing strains was found in Sao Paulo between 1979 and 1990. Adherence to HeLa cells was detected in 14% of the ETEC strains. All of them had a diffuse adherence pattern and produced only ST-I, and 88% carried CS6 antigen.     

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.     

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in children with acute diarrhoea and controls in Teresina/PI, Brazil: distribution of enterotoxin and colonization factor genes

Aims: To investigate the distribution of the genes that encode enterotoxins and the colonization factors (CF) types as well as the antibiotic susceptibility profile of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) isolated from children from the Brazilian Northeast. Methods and Results: We conducted a 3·5‐year prospective study that involved 250 children with and 150 without diarrhoea, aged 1–60 months, from low‐income families in Teresina/Brazilian Northeast. All samples were assayed for E. coli, enterotoxin and CF genes and antimicrobial susceptibility by microbiological methods and PCR. ETEC strains were isolated from 9·2% children with and 4·0% without diarrhoea. Infection was more common in children aged 6–24 months in rainy months. elt⁺/CFA/IV⁺ and elt⁺/CS14⁺ were the most frequent genotypes. Susceptibility to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin and resistance to ampicillin, cephalothin and sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim were common. Conclusions: elt ⁺ isolates and ETEC strains harbouring genes encoding CFA/IV and CS/14 were the most common ETEC found in Brazilian Northeast. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our data, the first generated for north‐eastern Brazilian children, may be important for the development of an effective vaccine and for facilitation of an empirical choice of antibiotic treatment or prophylaxis for traveller’s diarrhoea in the area studied.     

产志贺样毒素和肠毒素大肠杆菌分子流行病学

[目的]人和动物腹泻的主要病原菌为大肠杆菌,本文主要研究贵州省致腹泻大肠杆菌毒力因子的分布类型.[方法]采用PCR技术对各毒力因子的基因分布进行研究.[结果]共分离到333株大肠杆菌,其中产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)在腹泻的人、猪、牛群中占优势,分别为:人群73(n=112),猪群82(n=106),牛群18(n=115).在ETEC菌株中检测到热敏肠毒素(lt)和不耐热肠毒素(st)基因,还存在lt/st并存现象.从人、猪、牛群中还检测到产志贺样毒素大肠杆菌(STEC),其中源自猪的STEC的检出率最高.大部分STEC同时携带lt、st或lt和st同时并存.编码F18菌毛的主亚基由fedA基因编码.对所分离大肠杆菌F18菌毛进行的研究结果表明,fedA基因主要与肠毒素基因共存,与stx基因并存的类型较少,25份猪源STEC菌株中仅有4份检测到fedA基因.[结论]贵州省人群、猪群和牛群致腹泻病原菌中以带F18菌毛的ETEC为主,STEC主要分布在腹泻的猪群中.     

大肠杆菌耐热性肠毒素STI三重串联突变体与黏附素K99融合基因的表达研究

产肠毒素大肠杆菌（ETEC）是一种导致仔畜和婴儿腹泻的主要病原之一,它的毒力因子主要有两类：黏附素（CFAs）和耐热性肠毒素（ST）或不耐热性肠毒素（LT）。通过PCR技术及双酶切连接技术,成功构建了含有3个STI突变体和1个黏附素K99基因的重组表达质粒pE3S(S)LK和pE3S(G)LK。重组菌株BL21(DE3) (pE3S(S)LK)和BL21(DE3)(pE3S(G)LK)的表达产物经SDS-PAGE和免疫印迹分析,表明以上两种重组菌株均能高效表达3STI(S)-K99和3STI(G)-K99融合蛋白,且融合蛋白能够被产肠毒素性大肠杆菌强毒株C83922 抗血清特异性识别。其次,利用乳鼠灌胃实验检测重组蛋白的生物学毒性,结果均为阴性(G/C值≤0.083),这表明该菌株已无STI生物学毒性。这些为研发预防大肠杆菌性腹泻的新型高效多价基因工程疫苗提供了基本素材和理论指导。     

Crystal Structure of the Minor Pilin CofB,the Initiator of CFA/III Pilus Assembly in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Type IV pili are extracellular polymers of the major pilin subunit. These subunits are held together in the pilus filament by hydrophobic interactions among their N-terminal α-helices, which also anchor the pilin subunits in the inner membrane prior to pilus assembly. Type IV pilus assembly involves a conserved group of proteins that span the envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. Among these is a set of minor pilins, so named because they share their hydrophobic N-terminal polymerization/membrane anchor segment with the major pilins but are much less abundant. Minor pilins influence pilus assembly and retraction, but their precise functions are not well defined. The Type IV pilus systems of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae are among the simplest of Type IV pilus systems and possess only a single minor pilin. Here we show that the enterotoxigenic E. coli minor pilins CofB and LngB are required for assembly of their respective Type IV pili, CFA/III and Longus. Low levels of the minor pilins are optimal for pilus assembly, and CofB can be detected in the pilus fraction. We solved the 2.0 Å crystal structure of N-terminally truncated CofB, revealing a pilin-like protein with an extended C-terminal region composed of two discrete domains connected by flexible linkers. The C-terminal region is required for CofB to initiate pilus assembly. We propose a model for CofB-initiated pilus assembly with implications for understanding filament growth in more complex Type IV pilus systems as well as the related Type II secretion system.     

Towards a metabolic engineering strain “commons”: An Escherichia coli platform strain for ethanol production

In the genome‐engineering era, it is increasingly important that researchers have access to a common set of platform strains that can serve as debugged production chassis and the basis for applying new metabolic engineering strategies for modeling and characterizing flux, engineering complex traits, and optimizing overall performance. Here, we describe such a platform strain of E. coli engineered for ethanol production. Starting with a fully characterized host strain (BW25113), we site‐specifically integrated the genes required for homoethanol production under the control of a strong inducible promoter into the genome and deleted the genes encoding four enzymes from competing pathways. This strain is capable of producing >30 g/L of ethanol in minimal media with <2 g/L produced of any fermentative byproduct. Using this platform strain, we tested previously identified ethanol tolerance genes and found that while tolerance was improved under certain conditions, any effect on ethanol production or tolerance was lost when grown under production conditions. Thus, our findings reinforce the need for a metabolic engineering “commons” that could provide a set of platform strains for use in more sophisticated genome‐engineering strategies. Towards this end, we have made this production strain available to the scientific community. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1520–1526. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

产肠毒素大肠杆菌亚单位疫苗3STaM(G)-K99和3STaM(S)-K99的纯化及其免疫学性质的研究

产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)是一种导致新生犊牛和仔猪腹泻的主要病原体之一.ETEC的毒力因子主要有黏附素(CFs)、不耐热性肠毒素(LT)和耐热性肠毒素(ST)三种.在前期研究中,利用PCR和酶切连接技术成功构建了两种ETEC亚单位疫苗3STaM (G)-K99和3STaM(S)-K99,且在大肠杆菌中获得高效表达.本研究利用阴离子交换层析纯化融合蛋白3STaM (G)-K99 and 3STaM(S)-K99,辅以弗氏佐剂免疫新西兰大白兔,通过Elisa分析其免疫学性质,并利用肠毒素中和实验在昆明系乳鼠中评价其激发抗STa中和抗体的能力.实验结果表明:亚单位疫苗3STaM(G)-K99 and 3STaM (S)-K99能够激发相对较高水平、可针对天然STa、ETEC和融合蛋白STa-K99的特异性抗体.其次,亚单位疫苗中STa突变体(STaM)组分的肠毒素活性显著降低,且其所激发的特异性抗体属于中和抗体,能有效抑制天然STa的肠毒素活性.亚单位疫苗3STaM (G)-K99 and 3STaM(S)-K99为研制预防ETEC感染性腹泻的多价基因工程疫苗提供了基本素材和理论指导.     

Polymorphisms of three gene-derived STS on pig chromosome 13q41 are associated with susceptibility to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F4ab/ac in pigs

Neonatal diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)F4 is a common and serious disease,resulting in significant economical loss in the pig industry.The locus encoding ETEC F4 receptor has been mapped to pig chromosome(SSC)13q41,and one of the most significantly linked markers is S0075.In this study,we selected three genes including SLC12A8,MYLK and KPNA1 from a chromosomal region flanking S0075 on SSC13 to develop pig specific sequence tagged sites(STS). Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the three pig STS using DNA of four full-sib susceptible and resistant animals in a White Duroc×Erhualian intercross.All grandparents,parents and 755 offspring in the intercross were genotyped for three polymorphisms,including SLC12A8 g.159A>G,MYLK g.1673A>G and KPNA1 g.306A>G.Family-based transmission disequilibrium test(TDT) revealed that all polymorphisms and the corresponding haplotypes are significantly associated with ETEC F4ab/ac(especially F4ac)brush border adhesion phenotypes,indicating that these polymor- phism are in linkage disequlibrium with causal mutation(s)of the gene encoding ETEC F4ab/ac receptor. Our results strengthen the evidence for the involvement of SSC13q41 in high acquiring risk of ETEC F4ab/ac infection,and provide novel polymorphic markers for fine mapping of the ETEC F4ab/ac receptor locus.     

Phylogenetic divergence of island biotas: Molecular dates,extinction, and “relict” lineages

Island formation is a key driver of biological evolution, and several studies have used geological ages of islands to calibrate rates of DNA change. However, many islands are home to “relict” lineages whose divergence apparently pre‐dates island age. The geologically dynamic New Zealand (NZ) archipelago sits upon the ancient, largely submerged continent Zealandia, and the origin and age of its distinctive biota have long been contentious. While some researchers have interpreted NZ's biota as equivalent to that of a post‐Oligocene island, a recent review of genetic studies identified a sizeable proportion of pre‐Oligocene “relict” lineages, concluding that much of the biota survived an incomplete drowning event. Here, we assemble comparable genetic divergence data sets for two recently formed South Pacific archipelagos (Lord Howe; Chatham Islands) and demonstrate similarly substantial proportions of relict lineages. Similar to the NZ biota, our island reviews provide surprisingly little evidence for major genetic divergence “pulses” associated with island emergence. The dominance of Quaternary divergence estimates in all three biotas may highlight the importance of rapid biological turnover and new arrivals in response to recent climatic and/or geological disturbance and change. We provide a schematic model to help account for discrepancies between expected versus observed divergence‐date distributions for island biotas, incorporating the effects of both molecular dating error and lineage extinction. We conclude that oceanic islands can represent both evolutionary “cradles” and “museums” and that the presence of apparently archaic island lineages does not preclude dispersal origins.     

Lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli K12 Strains That Express Cloned Genes for the Ogawa and Inaba Antigens of Vibrio cholerae O1: Identification of O-Antigenic Factors

Structural and serological studies were performed with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) expressed by Escherichia coli K12 strains No. 30 and No. 64, into which cosmid clones derived from Vibrio cholerae O1 NIH 41 (Ogawa) and NIH 35A3 (Inaba) had been introduced, respectively. The two recombinant strains, No. 30 (Ogawa) and No. 64 (Inaba), produced LPS that included, in common, the O-polysaccharide chain composed of an α(1 → 2)-linked N-(3-deoxy-L -glycero-tetronyl)-D -perosamine (4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-D -manno-pyranose) homopolymer attached to the core oligosaccharide of the LPS of E. coli K12. Structural analysis revealed the presence of N-(3-deoxy-L -glycero-tetronyl)-2-O-methyl-D -perosamine at the non-reducing terminus of the O-polysaccharide chain of LPS from No. 30 (Ogawa) but not from No. 64 (Inaba). Serological analysis revealed that No. 30 (Ogawa) and No. 64 (Inaba) LPS were found to share the group antigen factor A of V. cholerae O1. They were distinguished by presence of the Ogawa antigen factor B [co-existing with relatively small amounts of the Inaba antigen factor (c)] in the former LPS and the Inaba antigen factor C in the latter LPS. It appears, therefore, that No. 30 (Ogawa) and No. 64 (Inaba) have O-antigenic structures that are fully consistent with the AB(c) structure for the Ogawa and the AC structure for the Inaba O-forms of V. cholerae O1, respectively. Thus, the present study clearly confirmed our previous finding that the Ogawa antigenic factor B is substantially related to the 2-O-methyl group at the non-reducing terminus of the α(1 → 2)-linked N-(3-deoxy-L -glycero-tetronyl)-D -perosamine homopolymer that forms the O-polysaccharide chain of LPS of V. cholerae O1 (Ogawa).     

“Amyloid‐beta accumulation cycle” as a prevention and/or therapy target for Alzheimer's disease

The cell cycle and its regulators are validated targets for cancer drugs. Reagents that target cells in a specific cell cycle phase (e.g., antimitotics or DNA synthesis inhibitors/replication stress inducers) have demonstrated success as broad‐spectrum anticancer drugs. Cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) are drivers of cell cycle transitions. A CDK inhibitor, flavopiridol/alvocidib, is an FDA‐approved drug for acute myeloid leukemia. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is another serious issue in contemporary medicine. The cause of AD remains elusive, although a critical role of latent amyloid‐beta accumulation has emerged. Existing AD drug research and development targets include amyloid, amyloid metabolism/catabolism, tau, inflammation, cholesterol, the cholinergic system, and other neurotransmitters. However, none have been validated as therapeutically effective targets. Recent reports from AD‐omics and preclinical animal models provided data supporting the long‐standing notion that cell cycle progression and/or mitosis may be a valid target for AD prevention and/or therapy. This review will summarize the recent developments in AD research: (a) Mitotic re‐entry, leading to the “amyloid‐beta accumulation cycle,” may be a prerequisite for amyloid‐beta accumulation and AD pathology development; (b) AD‐associated pathogens can cause cell cycle errors; (c) thirteen among 37 human AD genetic risk genes may be functionally involved in the cell cycle and/or mitosis; and (d) preclinical AD mouse models treated with CDK inhibitor showed improvements in cognitive/behavioral symptoms. If the “amyloid‐beta accumulation cycle is an AD drug target” concept is proven, repurposing of cancer drugs may emerge as a new, fast‐track approach for AD management in the clinic setting.     

Relationship between the expression level of SLA-DQA and Escherichia coli F18 infection in piglets

The expression of SLA-DQA was assayed by Real-time PCR to analyze the differential expression between ETEC F18-resistant and -sensitive post-weaning piglets, and then to compare the expression levels of SLA-DQA in 11 different tissues from 8-, 18-, 30- and 35-day-old ETEC F18-resistant piglets, which aimed at discussing the role of SLA-DQA in resistance to ETEC F18. The results showed that SLA-DQA is broadly expressed in 11 tissues with the highest expression level in lymph nodes, and a relatively higher expression level in lung, spleen, jejunum, and duodenum. In tissues of lymph node, lung, spleen, jejunum, and duodenum, the mRNA expression of SLA-DQA in resistant individuals was significantly higher than that in sensitive ones (P < 0.05). In most tissues, the expression of SLA-DQA increased from 8 to 18 and 30 days (weaning day), and increased persistently to 35 days of post-weaning. Expression levels of SLA-DQA on 35 days in most tissues were significant higher than that on 8, 18 and 30 days (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the resistance to ETEC F18 in post-weaning piglets is related to up-regulation of mRNA expression of SLA-DQA to a certain extent. The analysis suggested that SLA-DQA may be not the direct immune factor that resisted the Escherichia coli F18, but perhaps enhanced humoral immunity and cell immunity to reduce the transmembrane signal transduction of ETEC F18 bacterial LPS and then led to the resistance to ETEC F18 in piglets.     

Half‐Intercalation Stabilizes Slipped Mispairing and Explains Genome Vulnerability to Frameshift Mutagenesis by Endogenous “Molecular Bookmarks”

Some 60 years ago chemicals that intercalate between base pairs of duplex DNA were found to amplify frameshift mutagenesis. Surprisingly, the robust induction of frameshifts by intercalators still lacks a mechanistic model, leaving this classic phenomenon annoyingly intractable. A promising idea of asymmetric half‐intercalation‐stabilizing frameshift intermediates during DNA synthesis has never been developed into a model. Instead, researchers of frameshift mutagenesis embraced the powerful slipped‐mispairing concept that unexpectedly struggled with the role of intercalators in frameshifting. It is proposed that the slipped mispairing and the half‐intercalation ideas are two sides of the same coin. Further, existing findings are reviewed to test predictions of the combined “half‐intercalation into the slipped‐mispairing intermediate” model against accumulated knowledge. The existence of potential endogenous intercalators and the phenomenon of “DNA bookmarks” reveal ample possibilities for natural frameshift mutagenisis in the cell. From this alarming perspective, it is discussed how the cell could prevent genome deterioration from frameshift mutagenesis.