This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mokady, D.
Right arrow Articles by Ron, E. Z.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mokady, D.
Right arrow Articles by Ron, E. Z.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2005, p. 66-73, Vol. 43, No. 1
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.1.66-73.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Extensive Gene Diversity in Septicemic Escherichia coli Strains

Daphna Mokady, Uri Gophna, and Eliora Z. Ron*

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

Received 4 August 2004/ Returned for modification 14 September 2004/ Accepted 21 September 2004

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains (ExPEC) are the cause of a diverse spectrum of invasive infections in humans and animals, and these infections often lead to septicemia. Strains of serogroups O2 and O78 of E. coli are involved in human urinary tract infections and newborn meningitis and also constitute the major serotypes involved in avian colisepticemia. In the present study we compared the unique genomic sequences of two such septicemic strains, strains O2-1772 and O78-9, obtained by suppression subtractive hybridization. Evaluation of the degree of similarity between these two strains, which cause the same disease, revealed a high degree of diversity, with only a few shared genes. Subsequently, additional strains of each serogroup of human and animal origin were screened by PCR, and the results provided further evidence for the existence of a high degree of genome plasticity. These results were unexpected, in view of data showing that the two O157:H7 strains that have been sequenced are nearly identical in terms of virulence factors. Furthermore, the data obtained for the septicemic strains suggest that each step in the infection can be mediated by a number of alternative virulence factors, indicating the existence of a mix-and-match combinatorial system. Although whole-genome comparisons of E. coli strains causing different diseases have shown great differences in gene contents, we show that such differences exist even within strains that cause the same disease and that target the same host tissues. Moreover, in addition to the high level of genome plasticity, we show that the large pool of virulence genes in the septicemic strains is independent of the host, implying a high degree of zoonotic risk.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel. Phone: 972-3-6409379. Fax: 972-3-6414138. E-mail: eliora{at}post.tau.ac.il.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2005, p. 66-73, Vol. 43, No. 1
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.1.66-73.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Zhao, L., Gao, S., Huan, H., Xu, X., Zhu, X., Yang, W., Gao, Q., Liu, X. (2009). Comparison of virulence factors and expression of specific genes between uropathogenic Escherichia coli and avian pathogenic E. coli in a murine urinary tract infection model and a chicken challenge model. Microbiology 155: 1634-1644 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johnson, T. J., Wannemuehler, Y., Doetkott, C., Johnson, S. J., Rosenberger, S. C., Nolan, L. K. (2008). Identification of Minimal Predictors of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence for Use as a Rapid Diagnostic Tool. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 3987-3996 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johnson, T. J., Wannemuehler, Y., Johnson, S. J., Stell, A. L., Doetkott, C., Johnson, J. R., Kim, K. S., Spanjaard, L., Nolan, L. K. (2008). Comparison of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains from Human and Avian Sources Reveals a Mixed Subset Representing Potential Zoonotic Pathogens. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 7043-7050 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mapes, S., Rhodes, D. M., Wilson, W. D., Leutenegger, C. M., Pusterla, N. (2007). Comparison of five real-time PCR assays for detecting virulence genes in isolates of Escherichia coli from septicaemic neonatal foals. Vet Rec. 161: 716-718 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Moulin-Schouleur, M., Reperant, M., Laurent, S., Bree, A., Mignon-Grasteau, S., Germon, P., Rasschaert, D., Schouler, C. (2007). Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains of Avian and Human Origin: Link between Phylogenetic Relationships and Common Virulence Patterns. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 3366-3376 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Durant, L., Metais, A., Soulama-Mouze, C., Genevard, J.-M., Nassif, X., Escaich, S. (2007). Identification of Candidates for a Subunit Vaccine against Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli. Infect. Immun. 75: 1916-1925 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Moulin-Schouleur, M., Schouler, C., Tailliez, P., Kao, M.-R., Bree, A., Germon, P., Oswald, E., Mainil, J., Blanco, M., Blanco, J. (2006). Common Virulence Factors and Genetic Relationships between O18:K1:H7 Escherichia coli Isolates of Human and Avian Origin.. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 3484-3492 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hamilton, M. J., Yan, T., Sadowsky, M. J. (2006). Development of Goose- and Duck-Specific DNA Markers To Determine Sources of Escherichia coli in Waterways.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 4012-4019 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ideses, D., Gophna, U., Paitan, Y., Chaudhuri, R. R., Pallen, M. J., Ron, E. Z. (2005). A Degenerate Type III Secretion System from Septicemic Escherichia coli Contributes to Pathogenesis. J. Bacteriol. 187: 8164-8171 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»