A study on the C-terminal membrane anchoring of Escherichia coli penicillin-binding protein 5.

Escherichia coli penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) anchors to the inner membrane in a pH-dependent manner via a C-terminal amphiphilic alpha-helix. Low pH was found to enhance both levels of PBP5 membrane anchoring and levels of alpha-helicity in an aqueous PBP5 C-terminal homologue, which led to the suggestion that levels of PBP5 membrane anchoring are related to levels of PBP5 C-terminal alpha-helicity. Here we have used Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and a peptide homologue of the PBP5 C-terminal sequence to investigate the effect of pH on the conformational behavior of this sequence at a lipid interface and on its ability to interact with lipid. Our results suggest that the membrane-anchoring mechanism of PBP5 is unlikely to involve conformational change in the protein's C-terminal region and may therefore involve conformational changes in the protein's ectomembranous domain.     

Modified Escherichia coli B (BL21), a superior producer of plasmid DNA compared with Escherichia coli K (DH5alpha)

Plasmid DNA (pDNA) is an emerging experimental vaccine, produced in E. coli, initially targeted for viral diseases. Unlike traditional protein vaccines whose average dose is micrograms, the average dose of pDNA is on the scale of milligrams. Production yields are, therefore, important for the future development of this vaccine. The E. coli strains currently used for pDNA production, JM109 and DH5alpha, are both suitable for production of stable pDNA due to the deletion of recA and endA, however, these two E. coli K strains are sensitive to growth conditions such as high glucose concentration. On the other hand E. coli BL21 is less sensitive to growth conditions than E. coli JM109 or DH5alpha, this strain grows to higher densities and due to its active glyoxylate shunt and anaplerotic pathways is not sensitive to high glucose concentration. This strain is used for recombinant protein production but not for pDNA production because of its inability to produce stable pDNA. To adapt E. coli BL21 for stable pDNA production, the strain was mutated by deleting both recA and endA, and a proper growth and production strategy was developed. Production values, reaching 2 g/L were obtained using glucose as a carbon source. The produced plasmid, which was constructed for HIV clinical study, was found to have identical properties to the plasmid currently produced by E. coli DH5alpha.     

Puromycin binding to the donor (P-) site of Escherichia coli ribosomes

Puromycin inhibits the interaction of peptidyl-tRNA analogues AcPhe-tRNA_ox-red^Phe, AcPhe-tRNA^Phe and fMet-tRNA_f^Met with the donor (P-) site of Escherichia coli ribosomes. affects almost equally both the rate of the binding and the equilibrium of the system. This means that the effect is due to direct competition for the P-site, but not due to the indirect influence via the acceptor (A-) site. The inhibition was observed also in 30 S ribosomal subunits, therefore the puromycin binding site is situated far from the peptidyl transferase center. Quantitative measurements show that the affinity of puromycin for its new ribosomal binding site is similar to its affinity for the acceptor site of the peptidyl transferase center.     

The amino acid sequence of the β-subunit: Of porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli enterotoxin — Analysis and comparison with literature data

Abstract The amino acid composition and sequence of the β-subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) purified from a porcine (LT_p) strain, WT-1, of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was analysed, and the result was compared with that reported by Dallas and Falkow [Nature 288 (1980) 499-501] who deduced the amino acid sequence of LT_p from data on the DNA sequence of a porcine strain, EWD299. The purified β-subunit of the LT_p of WT-1 was carboxymethylated, succinylated, digested with chymotrypsin and subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The amino acid composition of the peptide peaks from the column were analysed and compared with the data reported by Dallas and Falkow. Only one fraction differed in amino acid composition from that reported, containing lysine instead of methionine. This fraction was found to consist of two peptides with the sequences Lys-Ser-Gly-Glu-Thr-Phe and Arg-Ile-Thr-Tyr. The former peptide is reported to have the sequence Met-Ser-Gly-Glu-Thr-Phe. Thus, the amino acid at position 43 from the N terminus of the β-subunit of LT_p is lysine, not methionine as reported. This is the first report which studied the amino acid sequence of LT_p analysed by protein toxin itself, not by DNA sequence analysis.     

Identification of cyclic AMP-CRP binding sites in the intercistronic regulatory uxaCA-exuT region of Escherichia coli

Abstract In Escherichia coli K-12 the two adjacent operons exuT and uxaCA are divergently transcribed and each possesses its own control region. We show that in vivo the expression of these two operons seems to be sensitive to catabolite repression and to be cAMP-dependent. The nucleotide sequence of 318 nucleotides, including the entire control region of uxaCA and the exuT operator, was determined and two cAMP-CRP binding sites were identified.     

猪源大肠杆菌(ETEC、STEC、AEEC)毒力基因及其与O抗原型的关系

[目的]揭示从我国部分地区仔猪腹泻或水肿病病猪体内分离到的300个大肠杆菌分离株所属病原型(pathotype)、毒力基因及其与O血清型的关系.[方法]O血清型采用常规的凝集试验进行测定,毒力基因采用PCR方法检测.[结果]通过对这300个分离株的O血清型及其毒素、紧密素和黏附素基因进行鉴定,结果显示除50株未定型、17株自凝外,测定出233个分离株的血清型,这些分离株覆盖了45个血清型,其中以0149、0107、0139、093和091为主,共133株,占定型菌株的57.1%;拥有est Ⅰ、estⅡ、elt、stx2e和eae A基因的菌株分别为102(34.0%)、190(63.3%)、81(27.0%)、57(19.0%)和54(18.0%)株;分离株中有51株K88基因阳性(其中菌毛表达率为100%),75株F18基因阳性(其中菌毛表达率为50.7%),在K88菌株中,0149血清型与est Ⅰ或estⅡ elt密切相关,在F18菌株中,0107血清型与est Ⅰ或estⅡ、0139血清型与stx2e紧密相关.依其毒力特征可将这些分离株分为以下6种类型:ETEC、STEC、AEEC、ETEC/STEC、AEEC/ETEC和AEEC/ETEC/STEC,分别拥有190、24、36、32、17和1个菌株,占分离株的63.3%、8.0%、12.0%、10.7%、5.7%和0.3%.通过分析这些分离株的O血清型、毒素类型和黏附素型之间的相关性:猪源ETEC以0149、0107、093和098等血清型为主,0149:K88菌株主要与estⅡ或estⅡ elt肠毒素相关,0107:F18菌株主要与estⅡ相关,093和098血清型菌株主要与estⅡ肠毒素相关;STEC菌株以0139:F18血清型为主,拥有stx2e;AEEC菌株拥有紧密素,无明显优势血清型;ETEC/STEC菌株以0107:F18和0116:F18血清型为主,主要与est Ⅰ stx2e或estⅡ stx2e密切相关,ETEC/AEEC菌株以091和0107血清型为主,全部拥有肠毒素est Ⅰ和紧密素基因.[结论]我国至少存在6种病原型的猪肠道致病性大肠杆菌,其中ETEC为我国部分地区猪大肠杆菌病的主要病原,同时其病原型日益复杂.     

The expression of an R3 lipopolysaccharide-core by pathotypes of Escherichia coli

AIMS: To investigate the incidence of an R3 lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-core amplicon in a range of pathotypes of Escherichia coli, including Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 100 strains of E. coli belonging to a range of pathotypes, including 41 strains of VTEC, were screened for the genes encoding the R3 LPS-core using PCR. Fifty-four per cent produced an amplicon with the R3 primer set. Of the 41 VTEC, 66% had an R3 LPS-core with a PCR product being observed with all strains belonging to serotypes O26:H11, O111ac:H- and O145:H25. However, 46% of enteroaggregative E. coli and 50% of enteropathogenic E. coli were also shown to have an R3 LPS-core structure. CONCLUSIONS: Strains with an R3 LPS-core are widely distributed within the species E. coli. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Strains of E. coli with an R3 LPS-core structure appear not to be associated with a specific pathotype.     

The three-dimensional structure of Escherichia coli porphobilinogen deaminase at 1.76-Å resolution

Porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) catalyses the polymerization of four molecules of porphobilinogen to form the 1-hydroxymethylbilane, preuroporphyrinogen, a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of tetrapyrroles. The three-dimensional structure of wild-type PBGD from Escherichia coli has been determined by multiple isomorphous replacement and refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 0.188 at 1.76 Å resolution. The polypeptide chain of PBGD is folded into three α/β domains. Domains 1 and 2 have a similar overall topology, based on a five-stranded, mixed β-sheet. These two domains, which are linked by two hinge segments but otherwise make few direct interactions, form an extensive active site cleft at their interface. Domain 3, an open-faced, anti-parallel sheet of three strands, interacts approximately equally with the other two domains. The dipyrromethane cofactor is covalently attached to a cysteine side-chain borne on a flexible loop of domain 3. The cofactor serves as a primer for the assembly of the tetrapyrrole product and is held within the active site cleft by hydrogen-bonds and salt-bridges that are formed between its acetate and propionate side-groups and the polypeptide chain. The structure of a variant of PBGD, in which the methionines have been replaced with selenomethionines, has also been determined. The cofactor, in the native and functional form of the enzyme, adopts a conformation in which the second pyrrole ring (C2) occupies an internal position in the active site cleft. On oxidation, however, this C2 ring of the cofactor adopts a more external position that may correspond approximately to the site of substrate binding and polypyrrole chain elongation. The side-chain of Asp84 hydrogen-bonds the hydrogen atoms of both cofactor pyrrole nitrogens and also potentially the hydrogen atom of the pyrrole nitrogen of the porphobilinogen molecule bound to the proposed substrate binding site. This group has a key catalytic role, possibly in stabilizing the positive charges that develop on the pyrrole nitrogens during the ring-coupling reactions. Possible mechanisms for the processive elongation of the polypyrrole chain involve: accommodation of the elongating chain within the active site cleft, coupled with shifts in the relative positions of domains 1 and 2 to carry the terminal ring into the appropriate position at the catalytic site; or sequential translocation of the elongating polypyrrole chain, attached to the cofactor on domain 3, through the active site cleft by the progressive movement of domain 3 with respect to domains 1 and 2. Other mechanisms are considered although the amino acid sequence comparisons between PBGDs from all species suggest they share the same three-dimensional structure and mechanism of activity. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

以蔗糖为底物利用重组大肠杆菌合成甘露醇

【目的】异型发酵乳酸菌可利用胞内产生的甘露醇脱氢酶将果糖高效转化为甘露醇,但果糖作为底物相对昂贵,不利于工业化生产。为了降低生产成本,必须选择廉价的底物。蔗糖相对便宜,并且大量存在于自然界中,能够被重组大肠杆菌利用产生甘露醇。蔗糖水解酶(Sucrose hydrolase)和甘露醇脱氢酶(Mannitol dehydrogenase)是发酵生产甘露醇中催化蔗糖转化成甘露醇的关键酶,构建蔗糖水解酶和甘露醇脱氢酶共表达菌株并进行相关研究是本文的主旨。【方法】利用PCR方法分别从植物乳杆菌(Lactobacillus plantarum)和布氏乳杆菌(Lactobacillus buchneri)基因组DNA中获得sac A和mdh基因,得到大小分别为1 502 bp和1 032 bp的目的基因,经序列分析后将其连接到表达载体p ET-28a(+)上,得到重组表达载体p ET28a-sac A-mdh。将重组质粒转化到大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,并用SDS-PAGE分析目的蛋白的表达情况并测定其酶活。【结果】SDS-PAGE显示表达蛋白的大小亚基分子量分别为55.1 k D和37.8 k D,与预期分子量一致,实现sac A和mdh基因的表达。蔗糖水解酶和甘露醇脱氢酶酶活分别为25.78 U/m L和14.56 U/m L。对重组菌株BL21(DE3)/p ET28a-sac A-mdh进行发酵条件优化,甘露醇质量浓度达到45.19 g/L,总糖转化率为37.66%。【结论】与乳酸菌利用蔗糖发酵生产甘露醇相比,产量提高了6倍,且具有发酵周期短、稳定性高等优点,菌株的成功构建为甘露醇工业化生产奠定了基础。     

Studies on diarrheagenic Escherichia coli isolated from children with diarrhea in Myanmar

Escherichia coli isolates from 217 children in Myanmar with diarrhea were investigated for the presence of virulence genes related to diarrhea by colony hybridization and PCR. The genes examined were lt, stI, stII, stx1, stx2, eae, bfp, pCVD (which is the representative gene of plasmid of pCVD of EAEC), and ial (which is invasion-associated locus of the invasion plasmid found in EIEC). Isolates from 47 of 217 children (21.7%) possessed virulence genes characteristic of diarrheagenic E. coli. No instance was found of co-existence of different E. coli strains with different virulence genes in the same patient. Diarrheagenic E. coli are currently classified into five categories based on their virulence markers: ETEC, EHEC, EPEC, EAEC, and EIEC. Of the 47 isolates examined, 30 were EAEC, 12 were EPEC and 5 were ETEC. Susceptibility tests for antimicrobial agents showed that almost all diarrheagenic isolates were resistant to penicillin, tetracycline and streptomycin. However, the majority of strains were sensitive to cephalexin, nalidixic acid and norfloxacin. In particular, 42 of the 47 isolates were sensitive to norfloxacin, which is a fluoroquinolone. This study shows EAEC and EPEC are responsible for sporadic diarrhea in Myanmar and fluoroquinolones appear to be effective in the treatment of these patients.     

The interaction between dam methylation sites and Xba1 restriction digest sites in Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933

AIMS: The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the reason for the predicted pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern for the sequenced Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933 (EDL933) being different from that observed in practice, using the restriction enzyme Xba1. METHODS AND RESULTS: Primers were designed that flanked either side of each of the predicted Xba1 restriction sites, and the resultant PCR products were sequenced. No sequencing errors were found in the published genome. The distribution of dam methylation sites within the genome was investigated, and a new PFGE pattern was predicted by assuming that any Xba1 restriction site that coincided with a dam methylation site would not be cut. The estimated mean band sizes were obtained from six replicate gels. It was found that the observed and predicted PFGE patterns were in good agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The difference between the observed and the predicted PFGE patterns for EDL933, using Xba1, could be accounted for by assuming that the methylated restriction sites were not cut. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: PFGE is commonly used as a subtyping method. This study provides additional information about the basic technique that could enhance the interpretation of PFGE patterns in comparative studies of the E. coli isolates.     

The serological response to Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli in patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome

AIMS: To screen sera from 80 patients with clinical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and serum antibodies to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli O157, for antibodies to Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) belonging to serogroups O5, O26, O104, O111, O128, O145, O153 and O165. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sera were screened by an LPS-based ELISA and SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting. None of the 80 sera contained antibodies binding to long-chain LPS of any of the LPS types employed; however, nine sera contained antibodies binding to R3 LPS-core epitopes. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of patients' serum antibodies to the LPS of E. coli O157, in the absence of antibodies to the LPS of a range of other VTEC, demonstrated that cases of HUS may be caused by strains of O157 VTEC alone and that concurrent infection with multiple strains of VTEC is not a prerequisite for cases of HUS. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Antibodies to long-chain LPS of VTEC other than O157 were not detected, and so there was no evidence of infection with VTEC belonging to more than one serogroup. The results of immunoassays such as ELISAs and micro-agglutinations must take into consideration antibodies binding to R3 epitopes located on LPS-core.     

The incidence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in cattle with mastitis in Brazil

AIMS: To determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates from bovine mastitic milk in Brazil. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 2144 milk samples from dairy cattle showing mastitis were screened for the presence of E. coli. A total of 182 E. coli isolates were selected and examined. All were subjected to dot blot analysis using the CVD419 probe for the detection of the enterohaemolysin (hly) gene, and to a multiplex PCR for the detection of stx1, stx2 and eaeA genes. STEC were isolated from 22 (12.08%) milk samples. All the STEC isolates were tested for sensibility to 10 antimicrobials; the resistances most commonly observed were to cephalothin (86.3%), tetracycline (63.6%) and doxycycline (63.6%). CONCLUSION: STEC isolates were found in bovine mastitic milk in Brazil. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: STEC isolates from mastitic milk were potentially pathogenic for human in that they belonged to serogroups associated with diarrhoea and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, some of them were stx2, eaeA and hly positive.     

Genotypic analysis of Escherichia coli recovered from product and equipment at a beef-packing plant

AIMS: To identify sources of Escherichia coli on beef by characterizing strains of the organism on animals, equipment and product at beef-packing plant. METHODS AND RESULTS: Generic E. coli were recovered from hides, carcasses, beef trimmings, conveyers and ground beef during the summer of 2001 (750 isolates) and winter of 2002 (500 isolates). The isolates were characterized by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The numbers of E. coli recovered from dressed carcasses were less than the numbers recovered from hides. The numbers recovered from chilled carcasses were too few for meaningful analysis of the strains present on them but the numbers recovered from trimmings and ground beef were larger. The RAPD patterns showed that the majority of isolates from hides, carcasses, beef trimmings, conveyers and ground beef were of similar RAPD types, but a few unique RAPD types were recovered from only one of those sources. The E. coli populations present on the hides of incoming animals and in the beef-processing environment were highly diverse. Randomly selected E. coli isolates from each of the five sources were further characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Most genotypes of E. coli defined by PFGE corresponded to the E. coli types defined by RAPD. CONCLUSIONS: The hides of the incoming animals appeared to be only one of the sources of the E. coli on trimmings and in ground beef, as additional sources were apparently present in equipment used for carcass breaking. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study indicates that hazardous microbiological contamination of meat may occur after the dressing of carcasses at commercial beef-packing plants, which suggests that attention should be given to the control of the contamination of meat during carcass breaking as well as during the dressing of carcasses.     

The effect of freeze-thawing on the release of intracellular proteins from Escherichia coli by means of a bead mill

World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology -     

Complete genome sequence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 and genomic comparison with a laboratory strain K-12.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major food-borne infectious pathogen that causes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Here we report the complete chromosome sequence of an O157:H7 strain isolated from the Sakai outbreak, and the results of genomic comparison with a benign laboratory strain, K-12 MG1655. The chromosome is 5.5 Mb in size, 859 Kb larger than that of K-12. We identified a 4.1-Mb sequence highly conserved between the two strains, which may represent the fundamental backbone of the E. coli chromosome. The remaining 1.4-Mb sequence comprises of O157:H7-specific sequences, most of which are horizontally transferred foreign DNAs. The predominant roles of bacteriophages in the emergence of O157:H7 is evident by the presence of 24 prophages and prophage-like elements that occupy more than half of the O157:H7-specific sequences. The O157:H7 chromosome encodes 1632 proteins and 20 tRNAs that are not present in K-12. Among these, at least 131 proteins are assumed to have virulence-related functions. Genome-wide codon usage analysis suggested that the O157:H7-specific tRNAs are involved in the efficient expression of the strain-specific genes. A complete set of the genes specific to O157:H7 presented here sheds new insight into the pathogenicity and the physiology of O157:H7, and will open a way to fully understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the O157:H7 infection.     

The PurR binding site in the glyA prometer region of Escherichia coli

Site-directed mutagenesis was used to change the PurR binding site in the control region of a glyA-lac gene fusion. Mutations that changed the PurR binding sequence away from the consensus sequence reduced PurR binding, which correlated with reduced purine-mediated repression. Mutations that changed the binding sequence toward the consensus sequence had no significant effect on either PurR binding or purine-mediated repression. Hypoxanthine and guanine, co-repressors for PurR-mediated regulation of the pur regulon, increased binding of PurR to glyA operator DNA.     

Serotypes and virutypes of enteropathogenic and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains from stool samples of children with diarrhoea in Germany

Aims: To investigate the prevalence of traditional and emerging types of enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains in stool samples from children with diarrhoea and to characterize their virulence genes involved in the attaching and effacing (A/E) phenotype. Methods and Results: Serological and PCR‐based methods were used for detection and isolation of EPEC and EHEC strains from 861 stool samples from diarrhoeic children. Agglutination with traditional EPEC and EHEC O‐group‐specific antisera resulted in detection of 38 strains; 26 of these carried virulence factors of EPEC or EHEC. PCR screening for the eae gene resulted in isolation of 97 strains, five carried genes encoding Shiga toxins (stx), one carried the bfpA gene and 91 were atypical EPEC. The 97 EPEC and EHEC strains were divided into 36 O‐serogroups and 21 H‐types, only nine strains belonged to the traditional EPEC O‐groups O26, O55, O86 and O128. In contrast, EPEC serotypes O28:H28, O51:H49, O115:H38 and O127:H40 were found in multiple cases. Subtyping the virulence factors intimin, Tir and Tir‐cytoskeleton coupling effector protein (TccP)/TccP2 resulted in further classification of 93·8% of the 97 strains. Conclusions: Our findings show a clear advantage of the eae‐PCR over the serological detection method for identification of EPEC and EHEC strains from human patients. Significance and Impact of the Study: Molecular detection by the eae‐PCR followed by serotyping and virutyping is useful for monitoring trends in EPEC and EHEC infections and to discover their possible reservoirs.