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Characterisation of Porcine Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated in Northeastern India. J Vet Res 2020; 64:391-397. [PMID: 32984629 PMCID: PMC7497746 DOI: 10.2478/jvetres-2020-0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is one of the main pathotypes causing gastroenteritis, particularly in young immunocompromised hosts. The study reports the prevalence, characterisation, and molecular epidemiology of EPEC from piglets in northeastern India. Material and Methods A total of 457 faecal samples were collected, from which 1,286 E. coli strains were isolated and screened by PCR. The resultant EPEC strains were serotyped and phenotypically characterised for resistance against 15 antimicrobials. Also, the phylogenetic sequence was analysed for 11 selected strains. Results A total of 42 strains (3.26%) belonged to atypical EPEC, of which, 15 (35.71%, and 2.29% of the 654 strains from this farm type) were isolated from organised and 27 (64.29%, and 4.27% of the 632 strains from this farm type) from unorganised farms; further, 5 (11.90% of the EPEC strains and 1.51% of the 330 strains from this breed) were isolated from the indigenous breeds and 37 (88.10%, and 3.87% of the 956 strains from this breed) from crossbred piglets. Serogroups O111 (11.9%) and O118 (7.14%) were the most prevalent of the 10 present. Sequence analysis of a length of the eaeA gene of 11 isolates of the region showed them to have 100% homology with each other and their identity ranged from 99.4% to 99.7% with GenBank reference sequences. All the EPEC isolates were multi-drug resistant, showing the highest resistance to amoxicillin (80.9%) and cephalexin (76.19%). Conclusion The study highlighted the association of EPEC with piglet’s diarrhoea in northeastern India. EPEC isolates belonged to many serotypes and phenotypically all were multi-drug resistant with close genetic homology.
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Peirano V, Bianco MN, Navarro A, Schelotto F, Varela G. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Associated with Acute Gastroenteritis in Children from Soriano, Uruguay. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2018; 2018:8387218. [PMID: 30515254 PMCID: PMC6234443 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8387218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute diarrheal disease still deserves worldwide attention due to its high morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. While etiologic determination is not mandatory for management of all individual cases, it is needed for generating useful epidemiologic knowledge. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) are relevant enteropathogens, and their investigation requires specific procedures to which resources and training should be dedicated in reference laboratories. METHODOLOGY Following the hypothesis that enteric pathogens affecting children in towns located in the interior of Uruguay may be different from those found in Montevideo, we conducted a diagnostic survey on acute diarrheal disease in 83 children under 5 years of age from populations in the south of the country. RESULTS DEC pathotypes were the only bacterial pathogens found in diarrheal feces (20.48%), followed by rotavirus (14.45%) and enteric adenovirus (4.81%). Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) was the most frequent DEC pathotype identified, and unexpectedly, it was associated with bloody diarrheal cases. These patients were of concern and provided with early consultation, as were children who presented with vomiting, which occurred most frequently in rotavirus infections. aEPEC serotypes were diverse and different from those previously reported in Montevideo children within the same age group and different from serotypes identified in regional and international studies. Enteroinvasive (EIEC) O96 : H19, associated with large outbreaks in Europe, was also isolated from two patients. Antibiotic susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria identified in this study was higher than that observed in previous national studies, which had been mainly carried out in children from Montevideo. CONCLUSION The reduced number of detected species, the marked prevalence of aEPEC, the scarce resistance traits, and the diverse range of serotypes in the virulent DEC identified in this study confirm that differences exist between enteropathogens affecting children from interior towns of Uruguay and those circulating among children in Montevideo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Peirano
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
- Mercedes Hospital Laboratory, State Health Services Administration (ASSE), Uruguay
| | - María Noel Bianco
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Armando Navarro
- Public Health Department, Medicine Faculty, UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Felipe Schelotto
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Gustavo Varela
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
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Platenkamp A, Mellies JL. Environment Controls LEE Regulation in Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1694. [PMID: 30140259 PMCID: PMC6094958 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality in developing regions of the world. Horizontally acquired genetic elements encode virulence structures, effectors, and regulators that promote bacterial colonization and disease. One such genetic element, the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), encodes the type three secretion system (T3SS) which acts as a bridge between bacterial and host cells to pass effector molecules that exert changes on the host. Due to its importance in EPEC virulence, regulation of the LEE has been of high priority and its investigation has elucidated many virulence regulators, including master regulator of the LEE Ler, H-NS, other nucleoid-associated proteins, GrlA, and PerC. Media type, environmental signals, sRNA signaling, metabolic processes, and stress responses have profound, strain-specific effects on regulators and LEE expression, and thus T3SS formation. Here we review virulence gene regulation in EPEC, which includes approaches for lessening disease by exploiting the elucidated regulatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Platenkamp
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Jay L Mellies
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR, United States
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Martins FH, Nepomuceno R, Piazza RMF, Elias WP. Phylogenetic distribution of tir-cytoskeleton coupling protein (tccP and tccP2) genes in atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2018; 364:3827361. [PMID: 28505295 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains employ the type III secretion system (T3SS) effector Tir to induce actin cytoskeletal rearrangements. While some EPEC require tyrosine phosphorylation (Y-P) of Tir to trigger actin assembling, certain strains whose Tir is not tyrosine phosphorylated utilize the T3SS effector Tir-cytoskeleton coupling protein (TccP/TccP2) for efficient actin polymerization. The presence of tccP/tccP2 in typical EPEC belonging to distinct evolutionary lineages is well established but, in contrast, little is known about the distribution of these genes in atypical EPEC (aEPEC) showing distinct phylogenetic background. In this study, we screened 72 pathogenic aEPEC for the presence of tccP/tccP2 genes, and further characterized positive strains regarding tir type, phylogroups and production of TccP/TccP2. The tccP and/or tccP2 genes were detected in 45.8% of the strains, with a predominance of tccP2 allele. Most of these strains carried tirY-P, suggesting that can trigger actin polymerization using both Tir tyrosine phosphorylation and TccP/TccP2 pathways. aEPEC strains carrying tccP or tccP2 were significantly associated to phylogroups E and B1, respectively. We also observed a strain-to-strain variation regarding TccP/TccP2 production. Our results demonstrate a wide distribution of tccP/tccP2 genes among pathogenic aEPEC strains, as well associations between specific alleles and phylogenetic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando H Martins
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Roberto Nepomuceno
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Roxane M F Piazza
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Waldir P Elias
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503-900, Brazil
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Silva C, Zavala-Alvarado C, Puente JL. Self-Conjugation of the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Adherence Factor Plasmid of Four Typical EPEC Isolates. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:6325736. [PMID: 29226143 PMCID: PMC5684527 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6325736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) adherence factor plasmid (pEAF) encodes the proteins involved in the biogenesis of the bundle-forming pilus (BFP), a key virulence factor that mediates microcolony formation and the localized adherence phenotype on the surface of the host enterocytes. The presence or absence of this plasmid defines typical EPEC (tEPEC) and atypical EPEC (aEPEC), respectively. Although lateral transfer of pEAF has been evidenced by phylogenetic studies, conjugal transfer ability has been experimentally established only for two pEAF plasmids from strains isolated in the late 60s. In the present work, we tested the self-conjugation ability of four pEAF plasmids from tEPEC strains isolated between 2007 and 2008 from children in Peru and the potential of aEPEC to receive them. A kanamycin resistance cassette was inserted into donor pEAF plasmids in order to provide a selectable marker in the conjugation experiments. Two aEPEC isolated from the same geographic region were used as recipient strains along with the laboratory E. coli DH5α strain. Here we show that the four pEAF plasmids tested are self-conjugative, with transfer frequencies in the range of 10-6 to 10-9. Moreover, the generation of aEPEC strains harboring pEAF plasmids provides valuable specimens to further perform functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Silva
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, MOR, Mexico
| | - Crispín Zavala-Alvarado
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, MOR, Mexico
| | - José L. Puente
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, MOR, Mexico
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Mellies JL, Platenkamp A, Osborn J, Ben-Avi L. PerC Manipulates Metabolism and Surface Antigens in Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:32. [PMID: 28224117 PMCID: PMC5293775 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli is an important cause of profuse, watery diarrhea in infants living in developing regions of the world. Typical strains of EPEC (tEPEC) possess a virulence plasmid, while related clinical isolates that lack the pEAF plasmid are termed atypical EPEC (aEPEC). tEPEC and aEPEC tend to cause acute vs. more chronic type infections, respectively. The pEAF plasmid encodes an attachment factor as well as a regulatory operon, perABC. PerC, a poorly understood regulator, was previously shown to regulate expression of the type III secretion system through Ler. Here we elucidate the regulon of PerC using RNA sequencing analysis to better our understanding of the role of the pEAF in tEPEC infection. We demonstrate that PerC controls anaerobic metabolism by increasing expression of genes necessary for nitrate reduction. A tEPEC strain overexpressing PerC exhibited a growth advantage compared to a strain lacking this regulator, when grown anaerobically in the presence of nitrate, conditions mimicking the human intestine. We show that PerC strongly down-regulates type I fimbriae expression by manipulating fim phase variation. The quantities of a number of non-coding RNA molecules were altered by PerC. In sum, this protein controls niche adaptation, and could help to explain the function of the PerC homologs (Pch), many of which are encoded within prophages in related, Gram-negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jossef Osborn
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lily Ben-Avi
- Biology Department, Reed College Portland, OR, USA
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Gomes TAT, Elias WP, Scaletsky ICA, Guth BEC, Rodrigues JF, Piazza RMF, Ferreira LCS, Martinez MB. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Braz J Microbiol 2016; 47 Suppl 1:3-30. [PMID: 27866935 PMCID: PMC5156508 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most Escherichia coli strains live harmlessly in the intestines and rarely cause disease in healthy individuals. Nonetheless, a number of pathogenic strains can cause diarrhea or extraintestinal diseases both in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. Diarrheal illnesses are a severe public health problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and young children, especially in developing countries. E. coli strains that cause diarrhea have evolved by acquiring, through horizontal gene transfer, a particular set of characteristics that have successfully persisted in the host. According to the group of virulence determinants acquired, specific combinations were formed determining the currently known E. coli pathotypes, which are collectively known as diarrheagenic E. coli. In this review, we have gathered information on current definitions, serotypes, lineages, virulence mechanisms, epidemiology, and diagnosis of the major diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia A T Gomes
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Waldir P Elias
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Bacterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel C A Scaletsky
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz E C Guth
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana F Rodrigues
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roxane M F Piazza
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Bacterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luís C S Ferreira
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marina B Martinez
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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de Souza CS, Torres AG, Caravelli A, Silva A, Polatto JM, Piazza RMF. Characterization of the universal stress protein F from atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and its prevalence in Enterobacteriaceae. Protein Sci 2016; 25:2142-2151. [PMID: 27616205 PMCID: PMC5119564 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) are heterogeneous strains in terms of serotypes, adherence patterns and the presence of novel virulence factors. This heterogeneity is intriguing, promoting studies trying to characterize these novel proteins and to better comprehend this pathotype group. In a previous study analyzing low-molecular mass proteomes of four representative aEPEC strains of three different adhesion phenotypes, we classified proteins according to their annotated function, with most of them being involved in metabolism and transport; while some of them were classified as hypothetical proteins. The majority of the hypothetical proteins were homologue products of genes identified in the genome of enterohemorrhagic E. coli. One of the hypothetical proteins was annotated as Z2335, with orthologue in EPEC, and by bioinformatics analysis, this protein was revealed to be the universal stress protein F (UspF). Thus, herein we successfully obtained a recombinant UspF protein from aEPEC, which is a α/β, ATP-binding protein involved in stress response, with comparable protein production among the four studied strains, but showing noteworthy differences when cultivated in different stress conditions, also present in other enterobacterial species, such as Shigella sonnei and Citrobacter freundii. Furthermore, our results confirm that the Usp protein superfamily encompasses a conserved group of proteins involved in stress resistance in aEPEC and other Enterobacteriaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alfredo G Torres
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | | | - Anderson Silva
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Polatto
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roxane M F Piazza
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Finding Regulators Associated with the Expression of the Long Polar Fimbriae in Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2015; 197:3658-65. [PMID: 26350135 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00509-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a human pathogen that requires initial adhesion to the intestine in order to cause disease. Multiple adhesion factors have been identified in E. coli strains, among them the long polar fimbriae (Lpf), a colonization factor associated with intestinal adhesion. The conditions of Lpf expression are well understood in enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC); however, the expression of EPEC lpf has been found to be repressed under any in vitro condition tested. Therefore, we decided to identify those factors silencing expression of EPEC lpf. Because histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS) is a known repressor of EHEC lpf, we tested it and found that H-NS is a repressor of EPEC lpf. We also found that the adhesion of the EPEC Δhns strain was significantly enhanced compared to the wild-type strain. Because lpf expression was modestly increased in the hns mutant, transposon mutagenesis was performed to find a strain displaying higher lpf expression than EPEC Δhns. One Tn5 insertion was identified within the yhjX gene, and further in vitro characterization revealed increased lpf expression and adhesion to Caco-2 cells compared with EPEC Δhns. However, in a murine model of intestinal infection, the EPEC Δhns and EPEC Δhns Tn5 mutants had only a slight change in colonization pattern compared to the wild-type strain. Our data showed that EPEC Lpf is transcribed, but its role in EPEC intestinal colonization requires further analysis. IMPORTANCE Data are presented demonstrating that the long polar fimbriae (lpf) operon in enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is highly regulated; however, derepression occurs by mutagenizing two proteins associated with its control. The study demonstrates that the EPEC lpf operon can be expressed and, therefore, participates in the EPEC adherence phenotype.
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