肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7前噬菌体CP-933Y缺失突变株的构建

目的:利用Red重组系统敲除肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7前噬菌体片段CP-933Y,进而构建CP-933Y缺失突变株。方法:以肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7菌株为模板,加入酶切位点PCR扩增前噬菌体CP-933Y上、下游各600 bp的同源臂序列;酶切后分别连接到p UC19-kan质粒的卡那霉素(包含FRT位点)抗性基因两侧,构建中间是卡那霉素抗性基因标记含有目的基因上、下游同源序列的线性片段;导入含有p KD46质粒的O157∶H7菌株中,利用Red编码的同源重组酶使该片段与目的基因上、下游发生同源重组,卡那霉素抗性基因置换菌株中CP-933Y前噬菌体片段,最后导入p CP20质粒去除卡那霉素抗性标记基因。结果:经PCR及测序验证,O157∶H7菌株中前噬菌体片段CP-933Y被敲除,敲除株与野生株具有相似的生长曲线。结论:构建了大肠杆菌O157∶H7前噬菌体CP-933Y缺失株,为进一步研究前噬菌体CP-933Y的功能奠定了基础。     

志贺毒素2型噬菌体ΦMin27的stx2基因突变株构建及其感染特性

[目的]通过构建一株stx2基因突变的志贺毒素2型噬菌体,来观察它对不同血清型大肠杆菌的感染特性.[方法]利用九噬菌体的Red重组系统,将氯霉素抗性基因(cat)插入到大肠杆菌O157:H7 Min27株的stx2基因中,获得O157:H7 Min27的突变菌株Min27(Astx::cat).用丝裂霉素对该突变菌株进行诱导,结合抗性标记和PCR方法筛选出一株突变的志贺毒素2型噬菌体,命名为ΦMin27(△stx::cat).采用双层琼脂平板法和氯霉素抗性筛选的方法,观察ΦMin27(△stx::cat)感染21株不同血清型大肠杆菌后的裂解和溶原转换情况.[结果]2株血清型分别为O 60和O 138的大肠杆菌可以被ΦMin27(△stx::cat)溶原感染,表现出对氯霉素的抗性,但没有形成噬菌斑,而大肠杆菌MG1655株既可以被溶原又可以被裂解.溶原的菌株经丝裂霉素诱导后,能释放出感染性的ΦMin27(△stx::cat)颗粒,并对大肠杆菌MC1061进行裂解形成噬菌斑.[结论]ΦMin27(△stx::cat)可以感染和溶原特定的大肠杆菌,且溶原菌株能释放出原感染性的噬菌体,显示出ΦMin27噬菌体具有携带外源基因在若干不同血清型的大肠杆菌间水平转移的能力,为进一步研究Stx噬菌体的感染机理和志贺毒素表达调控奠定了基础.     

铜绿假单胞菌噬菌体PaP4的分离与鉴定

[目的]鉴定一株新分离的铜绿假单胞菌噬菌体PaP4的生物学特性.[方法]双层琼脂培养法制备PaP4的单个噬斑,观察噬斑特点;用聚乙二醇8000浓缩PaP4颗粒后,再用氯化铯密度梯度离心纯化;用透射电子显微镜观察磷钨酸负染色的PaP4颗粒;提取PaP4基因组核酸,通过限制性内切酶图谱分析其核酸类型;按照感染复数(MOI)分别为0.000 1、0.001、0.01、0.1、1和10加入噬菌体纯培养液和宿主菌,充分裂解细菌后,测定噬菌体滴度;以MOI=10的比例加入噬菌体及宿主菌,进行一步生长实验,绘制一步生长曲线.[结果]PaP4的噬斑直径约3 mm-5 mm,圆形透明边缘清晰;PaP4噬菌体呈多面体立体对称的头部,直径约50 nm,有一个约30 nm的短尾;限制性酶切实验表明PaP4基因组为双链DNA;当MOI为0.001时PaP4感染其宿主菌产生的子代噬菌体滴度最高;用一步生长曲线描绘了其生长特性.[结论]PaP4属dsDNA短尾科裂解性噬菌体;最佳感染复数是0.001;由一步生长曲线得出感染宿主菌的潜伏期是25 min,裂解期是20 min,平均裂解量是150.     

裂解型布鲁氏菌噬菌体的分子特征研究

目的:研究布鲁氏茵噬茵体Tb(Tbilisi)的形态学和分子生物学特征.方法:采用透射电镜观察噬茵体颗粒形态,双层琼脂法观察噬斑形态,梯度密度离心纯化噬茵体颗粒,提取噬茵体基因组,采用多种限制性内切酶(S1,DNase I,RNase A,BamHI)对基因组进行酶切琼脂糖凝胶电泳,SDS-PAGE观察噬茵体颗粒全蛋白片段.结果:Tb噬茵体电镜下显示头部直径为57±2nm,短尾(32±3mm长),分类学属于短尾噬茵体科.培养48小时后显示清晰噬斑,大小为2～3mm.核酸结构分析均表明Tb噬菌体基因组为线性dsDNA分子.基因组DNA经限制性内切酶BamHI酶切产生2条清晰条带,分子量在34.5kb左右.SDS-PAGE全蛋白电泳显示Tb噬菌体含有9条主要结构蛋白.结论:该研究证实了Tb噬菌体属于短尾病毒科噬菌体,对宿主菌存在裂解效应并产生2～3mm清晰透亮形态的噬斑,基因组为dsDNA分子,全蛋白包含9条主要的结构蛋白.该研究结果为布鲁氏菌噬菌体的分子水平的研究提供了新的研究基础.     

编码志贺毒素噬菌体的多样性与宿主谱[英]／Shantini D…／／Infect Imnlun．

在美国，每年由大肠埃希菌O157：H7引起的感染报道为73000多病例，疾病表现为水样腹泻、血性腹泻以致出现血尿综合征，其主要致病因子是志贺毒素(Stx)。大肠埃希菌(STEC)如O157：H7产生的Stx有2种：Stx1及Stx2。Stx1与志贺痢疾杆菌产生的志贺毒素基本相同。Stx2与Stx1在氨基酸水平有55％同源性。STEC可产生Stx1或Stx2，或两者都产生，但重症疾病与Stx2有关。Stx是由溶源性噬菌体编码的。Stx2的编码噬菌体有高度多样性，从同一次暴发流行中分离到的O157：H7菌株，     

基于基因组学的肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体安全性评估

泛耐药肺炎克雷伯菌的流行,使得临床面临无药可用,越来越多的肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体近年来被报道,并在动物模型中证明了它们用于防控细菌感染的有效性。然而,噬菌体作为病毒的一类,不同于传统的抗菌药物,在临床应用之前需要进行更为全面的评估,本研究将基于基因组学对已报道的肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体安全性进行评估。通过生物信息学分析噬菌体基因组上是否含有肺炎克雷伯菌限制性内切酶识别位点来评估其基因组稳定性,并就其是否携带有害基因和是否属于溶原性噬菌体等方面进行分析研究。目前已报道22株肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体的全基因组,7株属于肌尾科,12株属于短尾科,3株属于长尾科;而本研究基于噬菌体全基因组同源性分析结果将短尾科、长尾科和肌尾科中的JD001归为一类,定义为Kp_PhageⅠ;肌尾科分为Kp_phageⅡa和Kp_PhageⅡb两类。噬菌体基因组上含有数目不等的肺炎克雷伯菌限制性内切酶识别位点,不携带有毒力基因和耐药基因。5株属于温和噬菌体,17株属于烈性噬菌体。研究显示肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体在基因组水平具有良好的安全性,但是基因组上较多的肺炎克雷伯菌限制性内切酶识别位点,使其抗菌谱可能较窄。在使用噬菌体用于防控细菌感染时部分温和噬菌体需要谨慎排除。     

铜绿假单胞菌噬菌体PaP2基因组的末端鉴定

在噬菌体全基因组测序工作中 ,基因组结构性质和末端鉴定是一个重要内容 ,只有在明确了末端的性质与结构之后 ,对一个生物体的测序工作才告结束。噬菌体PaP2是我室新近分离的 1株溶原性铜绿假单胞菌噬菌体 ,以噬菌体PaP2基因组为模板 ,经过鸟枪法随机测序和重叠群组装拼接之后得到的是一个全长为 4 3783bp的表观为“环状”的dsDNA基因组 ,基因组在自然状态下的固有形状需要用实验证实。用在基因组上仅有一个切点的限制性内切酶AatⅡ和只有 2个切点的限制性内切酶ScaI进行酶切反应 ,之后将噬菌体基因组的物理图谱和电子酶切图谱进行比较 …     

出血性大肠杆菌O157基因缺失疫苗株的构建及其免疫

出血性大肠杆菌O157感染是重要的新发食物源性传染病,主要致病特征之一是能引起人肠上皮细胞特征性的A/E损伤,A/E损伤主要是由LEE致病岛所编码的毒力因子所引起,ler是LEE致病岛毒力基因群的中心调节基因,对LEE致病岛所编码的毒力因子有正调控作用。O157:H7另一个毒力因子是由整合到染色体上的原噬菌体编码的Stx毒素。以O157:H786-24为始发菌株,利用自杀性质粒pCVD442和同源重组的原理构建了O157:H7的ler基因缺失突变菌株(缺失了ler基因中第73-351位的碱基,共279bp),并利用噬菌体消除技术筛选到消除了编码Stx的原噬菌体DNA的菌株,构建出了O157:H7ler/stx基因缺失突变弱毒菌株,并对该菌株的Vero细胞毒性、小鼠模型的安全性以及乳鼠的被动免疫保护作用进行了研究。结果表明,O157:H7ler/stx基因缺失突变菌株丧失了对Vero细胞的毒性作用,并丧失了对实验小鼠的致病性,具有良好的安全性。乳鼠被动免疫保护性实验表明,用该菌株免疫母鼠后,乳鼠通过吸吮母乳可以获得良好的被动免疫保护作用。因此本研究所构建的O157:H7ler/stx基因缺失突变弱毒菌株可作为预防EHEC O157:H7感染的疫苗候选株,为最终研究制出O157的基因工程菌苗奠定基础。     

一株新分离的肠杆菌噬菌体的快速遗传鉴定及其宿主识别基因的快速克隆

以大肠杆菌8099为宿主自医院污水中分离出一株肠杆菌噬菌体IME08,其遗传物质经RNA酶、DNA酶处理证实其为DNA,用限制性内切酶处理该DNA证实其为双链DNA。利用随机引物PCR技术扩增并克隆该噬菌体基因组的随机片段,经测序后同源比对,判断该噬菌体是一株新的T4-like噬菌体。根据4株T4-like噬菌体 (T4,JS98,T2及K3) 宿主识别基因 (g37) 5'端的高度保守序列,采用随机PCR与巢式PCR结合的“基因组跳跃”策略快速克隆出了该噬菌体的宿主识别基因g37和g38。     

肺炎支原体P1蛋白羧基端基因片段在大肠杆菌中克隆的研究

在大肠杆菌中克隆肺炎支原体P1蛋白羧基端基因片段,为P1蛋白基因片段的扩增、表达及探讨羧基端基因片段功能打基础.采用PCR扩增方法获取P1结构基因.扩增产物用SalI和EcoRI酶切消化,回收1kb大小的DNA片段并与pUC19DNA连接,转入大肠杆菌JM109菌株.用X-gal平板及质粒图谱分析方法筛选重组克隆株,再用限制性核酸内切酶酶切图谱分析鉴定.经PCR扩增MPDNA获得1条5.0kbDNA片段.重组质粒限制性内切酶指纹图谱显示出2条带,1条为pUC19载体DNA带,另1条是1kb的插入片段.实验获得肺炎支原体P1蛋白结构基因及含P1蛋白羧基端DNA片段的重组克隆株.     

Genome analysis of a novel Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1)-converting phage which is closely related to Stx2-converting phages but not to other Stx1-converting phages

Two Stx-converting phages, designated Stx1 phi and Stx2 phi-II, were isolated from an Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain, Morioka V526, and their entire nucleotide sequences were determined. The genomes of both phages were similar except for the stx gene-flanking regions. Comparing these phages to other known Stx-converting phages, we concluded that Stx1 phi is a novel Stx1-converting phage closely related to Stx2-converting phages so far reported.     

Distinctiveness of the genomic sequence of Shiga toxin 2-converting phage isolated from Escherichia coli O157:H7 Okayama strain as compared to other Shiga toxin 2-converting phages

Shiga toxin 2-converting phage was isolated from Escherichia coli O157:H7 associated with an outbreak that occurred in Okayama, Japan in 1996 (M. Watarai, T. Sato, M. Kobayashi, T. Shimizu, S. Yamasaki, T. Tobe, C. Sasakawa and Y. Takeda, Infect. Immun. 61 (1998) 3210-3204). In this study, we analyzed the complete nucleotide sequence of Shiga toxin 2-converting phage, designated Stx2phi-I, and compared it with three recently reported Stx2-phage genomes. Stx2phi-I consisted of 61,765 bp, which included 166 open reading frames. When compared to 933W, VT2-Sakai and VT2-Sa phages, six characteristic regions (regions I-VI) were found in the Stx2 phage genomes although overall homology was more than 95% between these phages. Stx2phi-I exhibited remarkable differences in these regions as compared with VT-2 Sakai and VT2-Sa genes but not with 933W phage. Characteristic repeat sequences were found in regions I-IV where the genes responsible for the construction of head and tail are located. Regions V and VI, which are the most distinct portion in the entire phage genome were located in the upstream and downstream regions of the Stx2 operons that are responsible for the immunity and replication, and host lysis. These data indicated that Stx2phi-I is less homologous to VT2-Sakai and VT2-Sa phages, despite these three phages being found in the strains isolated at the almost same time in the same geographic region but closely related to 933W phage which was found in the E. coli O157 strain 933W isolated 14 years ago in a different geographic area.     

Heterogeneity of Escherichia coli phages encoding Vero cytotoxins: comparison of cloned sequences determining VT1 and VT2 and development of specific gene probes

Phages coding for production of Vero cytotoxins VT1 or VT2 in strains of Escherichia coli serotype O157.H7 or O157.H- were morphologically indistinguishable. Their genome size and restriction enzyme digests of the phage DNA were similar. These phages were clearly different in these respects from a VT1-encoding phage isolated from a strain of E. coli O26.H11 (H19). However the VT1 region cloned from the phage originating in the E. coli O157.H7 strain was identical to the VT1 region previously cloned from the phage carried by H19. Sequences encoding VT2 that were cloned from the phage in E. coli O157.H- have been mapped and the VT2 region identified by transposon insertion. The cloned regions coding for VT1 or VT2 production had no similarities in the presence of restriction enzyme sites over a distance of about 2 kb, and two VT1-specific probes spanning a region of about 1.4 kb did not hybridize under stringent conditions with cloned VT2 DNA. A 2 kb HincII fragment contained the VT2 genes but hybridized to VT1-encoding phages and recombinant plasmids via flanking phage DNA. A 0.85 kb AvaI-PstI fragment was a specific probe for VT2 sequences and did not hybridize under stringent conditions to phages or plasmid recombinants encoding VT1.     

Analysis of the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 DNA region containing lambdoid phage gene p and Shiga-like toxin structural genes.

In this study, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the p gene contained within a 5-kb EcoRI restriction fragment cloned from Shiga-like toxin II (SLT-II)-converting phage 933W of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain EDL933. The p gene was 702 bp long and had 95.3% sequence similarity to the p gene of phage lambda. Multiple hybridization patterns were obtained when genomic DNA fragments were hybridized with both p and slt-I, slt-II, or slt-IIc sequences. All O157 isolates also possessed an analog of lambda gene p which was not linked with either slt-I or slt-II. Restriction fragment length polymorphism comparisons of clinical O157 isolates and derivates undergoing genotype turnover during infection were made, and loss of large DNA fragments that hybridized with slt-II and p sequences was observed. To further analyze the DNA region containing the p and slt genes, we amplified fragments by using a PCR with one primer complementary to p and the other complementary to either the slt-I or the slt-II gene. PCR analysis with enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 and non-O157 strains yielded PCR products that varied in size between 5.1 and 7.8 kb. These results suggest that even within O157 isolates, the genomes of SLT-converting phages differ. The methods described here may assist in further investigation of SLT-encoding phages and their role in the epidemiology of infection with enterohemorrhagic E. coli.     

Comparison of Vero-cytotoxin-encoding phages from Escherichia coli of human and bovine origin

Phages encoding production of Vero cytotoxins VT1 or VT2 were isolated from strains of Escherichia coli of human and bovine origin. Two human strains of serotype O157: H7 produced both VT1 and VT2 and each carried two separate phages encoding either VT1 or VT2. The phages were morphologically similar to each other and to a VT2 phage previously isolated from a strain of serotype O157: H-; all had regular hexagonal heads and short tails. The phages had similar genome sizes and DNA hybridization and restriction enzyme digestion showed that the DNAs were very closely related. This contrasts with another report that one of the strains tested (933) released two clearly distinguishable phages separately encoding VT1 and VT2. The O157 phages differed from a VT1 phage isolated from a bovine E. coli strain belonging to serotype O26: H11 and from the reference VT1 phage isolated previously from a human strain, H19, of serotype O26: H11. The two O26 phages were morphologically similar with elongated heads and long tails. They had similar genome sizes and DNA hybridization indicated a high level of homology between them. Hybridization of an O157 phage DNA probe to DNA of the O26 phages, and vice versa, showed there was some cross-hybridization between the two types of phage. A phage from a bovine strain of serotype O29: H34 had a regular hexagonal head and short tail resembling those of the O157 phages. The DNA was distinguishable from that of all the other phages tested in restriction digest patterns but hybridized significantly to that of an O157 phage. Hybridization of the phage genomes with VT1 and VT2 gene probes showed that sequences encoding these toxins were highly conserved in the different phages from strains belonging to the three serogroups.     

Analysis of Twin-Arginine Translocation Pathway Homologue in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis>

We investigated the relationship between expression of the O side chain of outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and infection by a Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2)-converting phage in normal and benign strains of Escherichia coli. Of 19 wild-type E. coli strains isolated from the feces of healthy subjects, those with low-molecular-weight LPS showed markedly higher susceptibility to lytic and lysogenic infection by Stx2 phages than those with high-molecular-weight LPS. All lysogens produced infectious phage particles and Stx2. The Stx-negative E. coli O157:H7 strain ATCC43888 with an intact O side chain was found to be resistant to lysis by an Stx2 phage and lysogenic infection by a recombinant Stx2 phage, whereas a rfbE mutant deficient in the expression of the O side chain was readily infected by the phage and yielded stable lysogens. The evidence suggests that an O side chain deficiency leads to the creation of new pathotypes of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) within the intestinal microflora.     

T4-Like genome organization of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 lytic phage AR1

We report the genome organization and analysis of the first completely sequenced T4-like phage, AR1, of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Unlike most of the other sequenced phages of O157:H7, which belong to the temperate Podoviridae and Siphoviridae families, AR1 is a T4-like phage known to efficiently infect this pathogenic bacterial strain. The 167,435-bp AR1 genome is currently the largest among all the sequenced E. coli O157:H7 phages. It carries a total of 281 potential open reading frames (ORFs) and 10 putative tRNA genes. Of these, 126 predicted proteins could be classified into six viral orthologous group categories, with at least 18 proteins of the structural protein category having been detected by tandem mass spectrometry. Comparative genomic analysis of AR1 and four other completely sequenced T4-like genomes (RB32, RB69, T4, and JS98) indicated that they share a well-organized and highly conserved core genome, particularly in the regions encoding DNA replication and virion structural proteins. The major diverse features between these phages include the modules of distal tail fibers and the types and numbers of internal proteins, tRNA genes, and mobile elements. Codon usage analysis suggested that the presence of AR1-encoded tRNAs may be relevant to the codon usage of structural proteins. Furthermore, protein sequence analysis of AR1 gp37, a potential receptor binding protein, indicated that eight residues in the C terminus are unique to O157:H7 T4-like phages AR1 and PP01. These residues are known to be located in the T4 receptor recognition domain, and they may contribute to specificity for adsorption to the O157:H7 strain.     

Prevalence of Stx Phages in Environments of a Pig Farm and Lysogenic Infection of the Field <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> O157 Isolates with a Recombinant Converting Phage

The prevalence and nature of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Stx phage were investigated in 720 swine fecal samples randomly collected from a commercial breeding pig farm in China over a 1-year surveillance period. Eight STEC O157 (1.1%), 33 STEC non-O157 (4.6%), and two stx-negative O157 (0.3%) isolates were identified. Fecal filtrates were screened directly for Stx phages using E. coli K-12 derivative strains MC1061 as indicator, yielding 15 Stx1 and 57 Stx2 phages. One Stx1 and eight Stx2 phages were obtained following norfloxacin induction of the eight field STEC O157 isolates. All Stx1 phages had hexagonal heads with long tails, while Stx2 phages had three different morphologies. Notably, most of field STEC O157 isolates released more free phages and Stx toxin after induction with ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, upon infection with the recombinant phage ΦMin27(Δstx::cat), E. coli laboratory strains produced both lysogenic and lytic phage, whereas two of the eight O157 STEC isolates produced only lysogens. The lysogens from laboratory strains produced infectious particles similar to ΦMin27. Similarly, the lysogens from the STEC O157 isolates released Stx phage too, although free ΦMin27(Δstx::cat) particles were not detected. Collectively, our results reveal that breeding pig farms could be important reservoirs for Stx phages and that residual antibacterial agents may enhance the release of Stx phages and the expression of Stx.     

The highly virulent 2006 Norwegian EHEC O103:H25 outbreak strain is related to the 2011 German O104:H4 outbreak strain

In 2006, a severe foodborne EHEC outbreak occured in Norway. Seventeen cases were recorded and the HUS frequency was 60%. The causative strain, Esherichia coli O103:H25, is considered to be particularly virulent. Sequencing of the outbreak strain revealed resemblance to the 2011 German outbreak strain E. coli O104:H4, both in genome and Shiga toxin 2-encoding (Stx2) phage sequence. The nucleotide identity between the Stx2 phages from the Norwegian and German outbreak strains was 90%. During the 2006 outbreak, stx(2)-positive O103:H25 E. coli was isolated from two patients. All the other outbreak associated isolates, including all food isolates, were stx-negative, and carried a different phage replacing the Stx2 phage. This phage was of similar size to the Stx2 phage, but had a distinctive early phage region and no stx gene. The sequence of the early region of this phage was not retrieved from the bacterial host genome, and the origin of the phage is unknown. The contaminated food most likely contained a mixture of E. coli O103:H25 cells with either one of the phages.     

Intercrossing of phage genomes in a phage cocktail and stable coexistence with Escherichia coli O157:H7 in anaerobic continuous culture

The emergence of phage-resistant cells is the most serious problem for realizing phage therapy and is observed frequently if only one phage strain is used against a particular bacterium. By contrast, using multiple phages (phage cocktail) can delay or control the appearance of phage-resistant cells. Anaerobic continuous culturing of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and a cocktail of EP16, PP17, and SP22 phages were conducted. Comparison of the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern of each phage genome showed a pattern different from wild type. Furthermore, the RFLP pattern of mutant phages consisted of fragments of PP17 and SP22 genome, suggesting both phages had infected the same host simultaneously (superinfection) and exchanged genomic DNA. Through observation of the binding of SYBR Gold-stained mutant phage to individual phage-resistant cells (RC), we found that clonal RC cultures were heterogeneous in their ability to bind mutant phage. The ratio of susceptibility was a few percent, which suggested that a minority of the RC population was susceptible to phage, and this heterogeneity contributes to the stable coexistence of RC and chimeric phages. The ratio of susceptible cells did not change appreciably from bacterial generation to generation.