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.     

禽致病性大肠杆菌gspL基因缺失株构建及生物学特性

【目的】研究gsp L基因缺失对禽致病性大肠杆菌(Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC)生物学特性的影响。【方法】利用Red重组方法构建禽致病性大肠杆菌DE17株的gsp L缺失株;分析野生株与缺失株的生长特性、黏附和入侵DF1细胞的差异;采用荧光定量PCR的方法比较野生株和缺失株毒力基因转录水平的变化;比较野生株与缺失株的半数致死量(LD50)差异。【结果】gsp L缺失不影响DE17的生长特性,但其黏附和入侵DF1细胞能力显著下调。荧光定量PCR检测结果表明,缺失株毒力基因lux S,pfs,fyu A和iss转录水平明显上调,tsh的转录水平明显下调,而vat,ibe A,stx2f和omp A的转录水平无显著变化;LD50检测结果表明,缺失株比野生株毒力增强了12倍。【结论】gsp L基因的缺失不影响禽致病性大肠杆菌的生长特性,但能减弱其黏附和入侵能力,且可以正调控禽致病性大肠杆菌部分毒力基因的转录水平,推测gsp L基因可能与APEC对宿主的致病性有关。     

动物源产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)黏附素研究进展

动物源产肠毒素大肠杆菌(enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli,ETEC)是引起动物(尤其是幼龄动物)腹泻的主要病原菌。已知黏附素和肠毒素是ETEC中两种重要的毒力因子,在致病性中两者缺一不可。其中黏附素结合到宿主易感肠上皮细胞是ETEC感染的第一步,也是最重要的关键步骤。动物源ETEC的菌毛黏附素主要包括K88、K99、987P、F18、F17和F41等。人们从20世纪60年代就开始了ETEC菌毛黏附素的相关研究,包括菌毛的基因、结构组成、生物合成、菌毛表达的调控机制以及黏附素和宿主受体相互作用等,这些研究基础有助于我们深入了解ETEC病原菌的感染机理;并且在疾病诊断和新疫苗的开发中具有重大意义。     

禽致病性大肠杆菌Ⅰ型菌毛fimH基因缺失突变株的构建及部分生物学特性的分析

基于禽大肠杆菌Ⅰ型菌毛黏附素fimH基因的已知序列,利用λ噬菌体的Red重组系统构建禽致病性大肠杆菌国内分离株A2(血清型O2:K89)Ⅰ型菌毛黏附素fimH基因缺失突变株A2△fimH::Cat,在二次重组中利用携带能够表达FLP位点特异性重组酶的质粒pCP20(温度敏感性)以去除上述缺失突变株中抗性基因标志,结合PCR扩增和测序结果,证明fimH基因缺失株.A2△fimH的正确构建.通过fimH基因互补试验使A2△fimH缺失突变株恢复了与野生株具有相同的凝集活性.红细胞和酵母细胞凝集试验结果表明,野生株呈现良好的凝集效果,并能被0.5%甘露糖完全抑制,而A2△fimH缺失突变株未呈现任何凝集现象.体外生长试验结果表明,在同样的培养条件下,A2△fimH缺失突变株生长周期的各个阶段都要稍慢于野生株.禽致病性大肠杆菌国内分离株Ⅰ型菌毛黏附素fimH基因缺失突变株成功构建,为进一步深入研究禽大肠杆菌Ⅰ型菌毛与机体相互作用的分子机制,肠道外感染的致病机理及对国内禽大肠杆菌病的防控策略奠定了一定基础.     

肠外致病性大肠杆菌致病机制及公共卫生学意义

致病性大肠杆菌包括肠致病性大肠杆菌(intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, IPEC)和肠外致病性大肠杆菌(extraintestinalpathogenicE.coli,ExPEC),可引起人和动物多种感染性疾病。ExPEC主要在肠道外其他组织脏器定殖并导致感染,包括尿道致病性大肠杆菌(uropathogenicE.coli, UPEC)、新生儿脑膜炎大肠杆菌(newborn meningitis E. coli, NMEC)和禽致病性大肠杆菌(avian pathogenic E. coli, APEC)。人源ExPEC (UPEC和NMEC)主要引起人尿道感染、肾盂肾炎和新生儿脑膜炎,而APEC可导致禽类的大肠杆菌病,造成家禽业的巨大经济损失。另外,乳腺致病性大肠杆菌(mammary pathogenic E. coli, MPEC)和猪源ExPEC可导致奶牛乳房炎、猪的肺炎及急性败血症等病症。研究发现,ExPEC类菌株在基因组结构上很相似,与IPEC本质区别在于致病机制不同,ExPEC具有很多相同的毒力基因和耐药基因,而且动物源ExPEC...     

禽致病性大肠杆菌E058株毒力基因(aerobactin)与sit操纵子基因突变株的构建及其致病性

[目的]探究毒力基因aerobactin与sit操纵子与禽致病性大肠杆菌E058株致病作用的相关性.[方法]利用Red同源重组方法,构建APEC E058株aerobactin与sit操纵子基因缺失株E058Δvir,并通过一系列的体内及体外试验对其生物学特性进行研究.[结果]生长曲线测定、细菌侵袭试验及体外竞争等试验结果表明,突变株与亲本株差异不显著;体内动态分布试验结果显示,突变株E058Δvir在5个被检脏器中均极显著地低于亲本株(P＜0.001).[结论]aerobactin与sit操纵子与禽致病性大肠杆菌E058株的致病性相关,是其重要的致病因子.     

华东地区致初生仔猪腹泻大肠杆菌的O血清型和毒力因子

从江苏、江西、安徽等7个省疑似黄、白痢直肠棉拭及病死猪的十二指肠和肠系膜淋巴结中分离鉴定出339株病原性大肠杆菌。经O血清型鉴定,除77株未能定型、41株自凝外,测定出221个分离株的O血清型,这些分离株覆盖了64个血清型,以O107、O101、O20、O93、O11和O149为主,共99株,占定型菌株的44.80%。这些血清型与已报道的常见血清型间存在一定差异。运用黏附素单抗对以上菌株进行F4、F5、F6、F18、F41　5种黏附素检测,共97个分离株表达黏附素(28061%),而表达两种和3种黏附素的菌株分别有22株和8株,它们分别占表达黏附素菌株的22.68%和8.25%,其中单独表达F4、F6、F5+F41黏附素菌株分别有18、30、15株,分别占表达黏附素菌株的18.56%、30.93%和15.46%;同时运用多重PCR对其中145个分离株进行毒素基因(Sta、STb、LT、SLT2e)的检测,拥有Sta和STb毒素基因的菌株分别占检测菌株的51.72%和3724%。F6、F4、F5+F41和Sta、STb为该地区致初生仔猪腹泻大肠杆菌常见的毒力因子。     

禽致病性大肠杆菌江苏、安徽分离株的生物学特性分析

[目的]研究禽致病性大肠杆菌(Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC)江苏、安徽分离株的优势血清型,并分析其生物学特性.[方法]对分离自病禽的细菌进行鉴定,采用玻片凝集法测定禽致病性大肠杆菌的血清型,PCR方法检测14种毒力基因的分布,采用美国临床和实验室标准化研究所的方法进行药物敏感性检测,改良结晶紫半定量法检测分离细菌的生物被膜形成能力. [结果]共分离到禽致病性大肠杆菌56株,血清型检测结果表明,O78血清型占64.29％,为主要血清型.毒力基因检测显示,fimC、pfs、ompA和luxS的阳性率超过90％.药物敏感性检测显示,58.93％的菌株对8种以上的药物耐受.生物被膜检测显示,有16株细菌生物被膜形成能力为中等以上,其中68.75％的菌株耐8种以上的药物.[结论]O78为主要流行的血清型.fimC、pfs、ompA和luxS基因为APEC保守基因.多重耐药性仍很普遍,细菌生物被膜与耐药性具有相关性.     

54株猪源肠外致病性大肠杆菌血清型、系统进化群和基因型

摘 要:[背景]近年来,我国规模猪场着重加强了对猪繁殖与呼吸综合征、猪圆环病毒病、猪瘟、猪伪狂犬病、猪链球菌病、副猪嗜血杆菌病等疫病的防控,却忽视了由肠外致病性大肠杆菌(Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli,ExPEC)对猪群健康产生的潜在危害性,了解和掌握猪源ExPEC流行特征意义显著。[目的]探究临床分离的54株猪源ExPEC血清型、系统进化群和基因型的分布及流行特征。[方法]应用玻板凝集试验和试管凝集试验鉴定O抗原血清型,采用PCR技术检测系统进化群鉴定相关基因、28个ExPEC相关毒力基因以及多位点序列分型相关基因。[结果]受试菌中有52株确定了O抗原血清型,其中40株为O38 (74.1%),为优势血清型;8株为O127 (14.8%),O93和O11均2株(各占3.7%)。受试菌中44株为B2群(81.5%),是主要系统进化群,D群和B1群均5 株(各占 9.3%);28 个 ExPEC 相关毒力基因中ompA、ibeA、fimH、traT、focD、papA、iroN、iutA、iucD、cvaC、tsh、kpsMT Ⅱ、iss和ompT出现的频率超过50%,其中ompA和ibeA检出率分别达100%和96.3%,为高度流行的毒力基因,未检到cnf1,而bmaE、malX和iha更倾向分布于D群菌株中。受试菌共呈现31种ST型,其中ST10和ST648均5株(各占9.3%),ST410和ST101均4株(各占7.4%)。[结论]猪源ExPEC优势血清型及系统进化群在不同地区、不同时段上的流行分布均存在一定差异,呈现动态过程,O38作为优势血清型目前尚未见报道,具有高致病性的B2群和D群菌株有逐渐增多的趋势。ST型复杂多样,呈现遗传多样性,在一定程度上与人源和禽源ExPEC具有相同的遗传背景。     

pagP基因对禽致病性大肠杆菌抗菌肽抗性和致病性的影响

【目的】禽致病性大肠杆菌(Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC)不仅严重影响全球的养禽业,对人类公共健康也造成巨大的潜在威胁。pag P基因在细菌的抗菌肽抗性和致病性方面发挥重要作用,但关于pag P基因在APEC中的功能尚不清楚。本文构建禽致病性大肠杆菌pag P基因缺失株,对缺失株的抗菌肽抗性和致病性进行研究。【方法】利用Red重组系统构建APEC的pag P基因缺失株,然后利用回复质粒构建回复株。研究pag P基因对细胞黏附与入侵、生物被膜形成能力、外膜渗透性、抗菌肽敏感性、致病性等方面的影响。【结果】成功构建pag P基因缺失株和回复株,抗菌肽抗性试验发现pag P基因缺失株对多粘菌素B、鸡β-防御素2(AVBD2)的敏感性显著增加(P0.01),致病性试验结果表明pag P基因缺失株的毒力显著降低(P0.01)。【结论】APEC的pag P基因对AVBD2的敏感性和APEC的致病性密切相关,为深入研究pag P基因的功能及调控作用奠定了基础。     

DNA sequence of a ColV plasmid and prevalence of selected plasmid-encoded virulence genes among avian Escherichia coli strains

ColV plasmids have long been associated with the virulence of Escherichia coli, despite the fact that their namesake trait, ColV production, does not appear to contribute to virulence. Such plasmids or their associated sequences appear to be quite common among avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) and are strongly linked to the virulence of these organisms. In the present study, a 180-kb ColV plasmid was sequenced and analyzed. This plasmid, pAPEC-O2-ColV, possesses a 93-kb region containing several putative virulence traits, including iss, tsh, and four putative iron acquisition and transport systems. The iron acquisition and transport systems include those encoding aerobactin and salmochelin, the sit ABC iron transport system, and a putative iron transport system novel to APEC, eit. In order to determine the prevalence of the virulence-associated genes within this region among avian E. coli strains, 595 APEC and 199 avian commensal E. coli isolates were examined for genes of this region using PCR. Results indicate that genes contained within a portion of this putative virulence region are highly conserved among APEC and that the genes of this region occur significantly more often in APEC than in avian commensal E. coli. The region of pAPEC-O2-ColV containing genes that are highly prevalent among APEC appears to be a distinguishing trait of APEC strains.     

V型分泌系统(T5SS)在禽致病性大肠杆菌中的分布及流行情况

【背景】禽致病性大肠杆菌(Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC)可引起禽的大肠杆菌病,严重危害养禽业。V型分泌系统(Type V secretion system,T5SS)在APEC感染过程中发挥重要作用。【目的】分析不同致病型大肠杆菌的T5SS在APEC中的分布规律,探讨T5SS与APEC的大肠杆菌进化分群及其他毒力因子的关联性。【方法】根据大肠杆菌的15个T5SS序列设计特异性引物,采用PCR检测T5SS在APEC临床分离株中的分布;分析APEC菌株的系统进化分群及毒力因子分布,探讨T5SS分布和APEC系统进化分群及毒力因子的相关性。【结果】T5SS在APEC临床分离株中广泛分布,其中ydeK和pplfP的分布率最高,分别为98.55%和92.03%;而upaC和pic的分布率均低于10%。系统进化分群结果显示,APEC主要属于A、B1和D进化分群,B2群较少;T5SS分布和进化分群分析发现ehaA、ehaB、pic、vat在D进化分群APEC菌株中分布率较高,而ehaG、ag43/flu、apaC主要分布于A及B1群APEC中。然而,T5SS和APEC其他毒力基因分布无明显的关联性。【结论】T5SS广泛存在于APEC分离株中,且部分T5SS分布与大肠杆菌系统进化分群存在关联性。     

Complete DNA sequence of a ColBM plasmid from avian pathogenic Escherichia coli suggests that it evolved from closely related ColV virulence plasmids

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli causing colibacillosis in birds, is responsible for significant economic losses for the poultry industry. Recently, we reported that the APEC pathotype was characterized by possession of a set of genes contained within a 94-kb cluster linked to a ColV plasmid, pAPEC-O2-ColV. These included sitABCD, genes of the aerobactin operon, hlyF, iss, genes of the salmochelin operon, and the 5' end of cvaB of the ColV operon. However, the results of gene prevalence studies performed among APEC isolates revealed that these traits were not always linked to ColV plasmids. Here, we present the complete sequence of a 174-kb plasmid, pAPEC-O1-ColBM, which contains a putative virulence cluster similar to that of pAPEC-O2-ColV. These two F-type plasmids share remarkable similarity, except that they encode the production of different colicins; pAPEC-O2-ColV contains an intact ColV operon, and pAPEC-O1-ColBM encodes the colicins B and M. Interestingly, remnants of the ColV operon exist in pAPEC-O1-ColBM, hinting that ColBM-type plasmids may have evolved from ColV plasmids. Among APEC isolates, the prevalence of ColBM sequences helps account for the previously observed differences in prevalence between genes of the "conserved" portion of the putative virulence cluster of pAPEC-O2-ColV and those genes within its "variable" portion. These results, in conjunction with Southern blotting and probing of representative ColBM-positive strains, indicate that this "conserved" cluster of putative virulence genes is primarily linked to F-type virulence plasmids among the APEC isolates studied.     

禽致病性大肠杆菌脂多糖核心型分布与毒力基因的相关性分析

【目的】大肠杆菌脂多糖(LPS)核心型根据其化学结构的不同分为5种,即R1、R2、R3、R4和K12。通过对禽致病性大肠杆菌(Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC)安徽、江苏、上海和河南等省市分离株的脂多糖核心型分布情况的研究,分析其与大肠杆菌主要毒力基因之间的潜在联系,以期为APEC的研究和防治提供参考。【方法】对分离到的76株APEC,利用PCR方法开展对LPS核心型分型鉴定和毒力基因检测;分析LPS核心型的分布和毒力基因、致病性之间的相关性。【结果】在76株APEC分离株中,68.4% (52株)为R1核心型,15.8% (12株)为R3型,11.8% (9株)为R4型,3.9% (3株)为R2型,未检测到K12核心型。毒力基因鉴定结果中yijp、mat、fimC、ibeB和ompA的检验阳性率均达到90%以上,可作为APEC的保守基因。其中LPS核心型R1与neuC、cva/cvi、irp2均具有显著正相关性(P<0.05),R3与iroN、irp2均具有显著负相关性(P<0.05),R4核心型与aatA显著正相关(P<0.05)。【结论】APEC的LPS核心型主要为R1。LPS核心型对部分毒力基因分布具有显著影响。     

Prevalence of avian-pathogenic Escherichia coli strain O1 genomic islands among extraintestinal and commensal E. coli isolates

Escherichia coli strains that cause disease outside the intestine are known as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) and include pathogens of humans and animals. Previously, the genome of avian-pathogenic E. coli (APEC) O1:K1:H7 strain O1, from ST95, was sequenced and compared to those of several other E. coli strains, identifying 43 genomic islands. Here, the genomic islands of APEC O1 were compared to those of other sequenced E. coli strains, and the distribution of 81 genes belonging to 12 APEC O1 genomic islands among 828 human and avian ExPEC and commensal E. coli isolates was determined. Multiple islands were highly prevalent among isolates belonging to the O1 and O18 serogroups within phylogenetic group B2, which are implicated in human neonatal meningitis. Because of the extensive genomic similarities between APEC O1 and other human ExPEC strains belonging to the ST95 phylogenetic lineage, its ability to cause disease in a rat model of sepsis and meningitis was assessed. Unlike other ST95 lineage strains, APEC O1 was unable to cause bacteremia or meningitis in the neonatal rat model and was significantly less virulent than uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) CFT073 in a mouse sepsis model, despite carrying multiple neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC) virulence factors and belonging to the ST95 phylogenetic lineage. These results suggest that host adaptation or genome modifications have occurred either in APEC O1 or in highly virulent ExPEC isolates, resulting in differences in pathogenicity. Overall, the genomic islands examined provide targets for further discrimination of the different ExPEC subpathotypes, serogroups, phylogenetic types, and sequence types.     

Genotypic analyses of Escherichia coli isolated from chickens with colibacillosis and apparently healthy chickens in Japan

A genotypic comparison using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), amplified ribosomal restriction analysis (ARDRA) as well as PCRs targeting virulence associated genes reported elsewhere in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli(APEC) was made between E. coli strains isolated from chickens with colibacillosis and those from the feces of apparently healthy chickens in Japan. The majority (67%) of clinical isolates belonged to a certain phylogenetic ARDRA but not PFGE cluster, with virulence-related genes carried by ColV plasmid being markedly prevalent. The result suggests that APEC strains originated from the same "ancestor" in the course of E. coli evolution.     

The genome sequence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strain O1:K1:H7 shares strong similarities with human extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli genomes

Escherichia coli strains that cause disease outside the intestine are known as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) and include human uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Regardless of host of origin, ExPEC strains share many traits. It has been suggested that these commonalities may enable APEC to cause disease in humans. Here, we begin to test the hypothesis that certain APEC strains possess potential to cause human urinary tract infection through virulence genotyping of 1,000 APEC and UPEC strains, generation of the first complete genomic sequence of an APEC (APEC O1:K1:H7) strain, and comparison of this genome to all available human ExPEC genomic sequences. The genomes of APEC O1 and three human UPEC strains were found to be remarkably similar, with only 4.5% of APEC O1's genome not found in other sequenced ExPEC genomes. Also, use of multilocus sequence typing showed that some of the sequenced human ExPEC strains were more like APEC O1 than other human ExPEC strains. This work provides evidence that at least some human and avian ExPEC strains are highly similar to one another, and it supports the possibility that a food-borne link between some APEC and UPEC strains exists. Future studies are necessary to assess the ability of APEC to overcome the hurdles necessary for such a food-borne transmission, and epidemiological studies are required to confirm that such a phenomenon actually occurs.     

Virulence gene profiling of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin 1-harboring E. coli (EAST1EC) derived from sporadic diarrheal patients

Between 2007 and 2009, a total of 2168 Escherichia coli strains derived from diarrheal patients, defined as putative diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC), were collected from medical institutions in Akita prefecture, Japan. Thirty five of the strains lacked typical pathogenic determinants of DEC other than astA, which encodes enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC) heat-stable enterotoxin 1 (EAST1). These E. coli strains are referred to as EAST1EC. Several studies have suggested a role of EAST1 in diarrhea; however, the correlation between diarrhea and the presence of astA remains inconclusive. To investigate whether EAST1EC strains derived from diarrheal patients shared pathogenic factors other than EAST1, virulence gene profiling of 12 virulence genes - iha, lpfA, ldaG, pilS, pic, pet, irp2, daa, aah, aid, cdtB and hlyA - was carried out. PCR analysis revealed that four of the 35 EAST1EC strains harbored only astA, 24 harbored genes associated with adhesins and intestinal colonization, three strains harbored the gene for α-hemolysin, and 24 strains harbored the gene for a siderophore. These results indicated that some EAST1EC strains harbor various virulence genes associated with distinct E. coli pathotypes, primarily enterohemorrhagic E. coli and EAggEC, which may represent additional pathogenic determinants of EAST1EC.     

Virulence factor gene profiles of Escherichia coli isolates from clinically healthy pigs

Nonpathogenic, intestinal Escherichia coli (commensal E. coli) supports the physiological intestinal balance of the host, whereas pathogenic E. coli with typical virulence factor gene profiles can cause severe outbreaks of diarrhea. In many reports, E. coli isolates from diarrheic animals were classified as putative pathogens. Here we describe a broad variety of virulence gene-positive E. coli isolates from swine with no clinical signs of intestinal disease. The isolation of E. coli from 34 pigs from the same population and the testing of 331 isolates for genes encoding heat-stable enterotoxins I and II, heat-labile enterotoxin I, Shiga toxin 2e, and F4, F5, F6, F18, and F41 fimbriae revealed that 68.6% of the isolates were positive for at least one virulence gene, with a total of 24 different virulence factor gene profiles, implying high rates of horizontal gene transfer in this E. coli population. Additionally, we traced the occurrence of hemolytic E. coli over a period of 1 year in this same pig population. Hemolytic isolates were differentiated into seven clones; only three were found to harbor virulence genes. Hemolytic E. coli isolates without virulence genes or with only the fedA gene were found to be nontypeable by slide agglutination tests with OK antisera intended for screening live cultures against common pathogenic E. coli serogroups. The results appear to indicate that virulence gene-carrying E. coli strains are a normal part of intestinal bacterial populations and that high numbers of E. coli cells harboring virulence genes and/or with hemolytic activity do not necessarily correlate with disease.     

Target genes for virulence assessment of Escherichia coli isolates from water, food and the environment

The widespread species Escherichia coli includes a broad variety of different types, ranging from highly pathogenic strains causing worldwide outbreaks of severe disease to avirulent isolates which are part of the normal intestinal flora or which are well characterized and safe laboratory strains. The pathogenicity of a given E. coli strain is mainly determined by specific virulence factors which include adhesins, invasins, toxins and capsule. They are often organized in large genetic blocks either on the chromosome ('pathogenicity islands'), on large plasmids or on phages and can be transmitted horizontally between strains. In this review we summarize the current knowledge of the virulence attributes which determine the pathogenic potential of E. coli strains and the methodology available to assess the virulence of E. coli isolates. We also focus on a recently developed procedure based on a broad-range detection system for E. coli-specific virulence genes that makes it possible to determine the potential pathogenicity and its nature in E. coli strains from various sources. This makes it possible to determine the pathotype of E. coli strains in medical diagnostics, to assess the virulence and health risks of E. coli contaminating water, food and the environment and to study potential reservoirs of virulence genes which might contribute to the emergence of new forms of pathogenic E. coli.