Spontaneous antibiotic resistance mutation associated pleiotropic changes in Escherichia coli O157:H7

Dissecting the Fitness Costs of Complex Mutations

The fitness cost of complex pleiotropic mutations is generally difficult to assess. On the one hand, it is necessary to identify which molecular properties are directly altered by the mutation. On the other, this alteration modifies the activity of many genetic targets with uncertain consequences. Here, we examine the possibility of addressing these challenges by identifying unique predictors of these costs. To this aim, we consider mutations in the RNA polymerase (RNAP) in Escherichia coli as a model of complex mutations. Changes in RNAP modify the global program of transcriptional regulation, with many consequences. Among others is the difficulty to decouple the direct effect of the mutation from the response of the whole system to such mutation. A problem that we solve quantitatively with data of a set of constitutive genes, those on which the global program acts most directly. We provide a statistical framework that incorporates the direct effects and other molecular variables linked to this program as predictors, which leads to the identification that some genes are more suitable to determine costs than others. Therefore, we not only identified which molecular properties best anticipate fitness, but we also present the paradoxical result that, despite pleiotropy, specific genes serve as more solid predictors. These results have connotations for the understanding of the architecture of robustness in biological systems.

Effect of β-lactam antibiotic resistance gene expression on the radio-resistance profile of E. coli O157:H7

Some pathogens might develop favorable global adaptation in response to certain stress treatments resulting in enhanced virulence and/or resistance to a different stress. β-lactam resistance, as well as ampC and ampG genes involved in this resistance, were studied to evaluate their possible role in Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli) radioresistance. E. coli adapted to 25, 15 or 7 μg/mL of kanamycin or carbenicillin, were produced and treated with sensitization (0.4 kGy) or lethal (1.5 kGy) irradiation doses. In E. coli O157:H7, irradiation treatment at 0.4 kGy dose increased ampC and ampG expression respectively by 1.6 and 2-fold in the wild type strain (Wt) but up to by 2.4 and 3.4-fold when the strain was beforehand adapted to 25 μg/mL of carbenicillin (Carb25). Accordingly, ΔampC and ΔampG mutants and E. coli adapted to 25 μg/mL of kanamycin were more sensitive to 0.4 kGy treatment than Wt. While, E. coli Carb25 or overexpression of ampC and ampG provided complete resistance to 0.4 kGy and were even able to survive and grow after exposure to a normally lethal 1.5 kGy irradiation dose. We further noticed that these strains can tolerate other stresses like oxidative, cold and heat shocks. This demonstrates that carbenicillin adaptation promotes resistance to γ-irradiation and to other stresses, likely at least through increased AmpC and AmpG expression. These results are important for the food industry and particularly when considering the use of irradiation for food preservation of meat obtained directly from animals fed β-lactam antibiotics.

Allelic types of long polar fimbriae in bovine and human Escherichia coli O157 strains

Long polar fimbriae (Lpf) are recently discovered adhesins and increasingly important genetic markers of pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. The presence and genotype diversity of Lpf operons was screened in a collection of 97 Escherichia coli O157 strains representing different pathotypes, isolated from healthy cattle (n = 43) and human patients (n = 54) in several countries. Individual structural genes of Lpf were scanned by PCR, and allelic variants were detected with a recently developed typing scheme. Ninety-five strains carried at least one whole Lpf operon (genes lpfABCD and/or lpfABCDE). The 64 enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC) and 24 enteropathogenic (EPEC) strains all carried two Lpf operons, allele 3 of lpfA1 and allele 2 of lpfA2, a combination characteristic of the O157:H7/NM serotype. Out of the 9 bovine atypical (AT; stx-, eae-) strains, 7 carried one complete Lpf operon, allele 1 of lpfA2. The atypical strains belonged to main phylogenetic groups A and B1, while the EHEC and EPEC strains were from group D. Lpf variants carried by the 72 strains of the Escherichia coli Reference Collection (ECOR) were determined with the same typing scheme. Alleles were detected in 25 strains, of which 6 were found negative for the respective Lpf operons in earlier studies. The marker value of the Lpf allelic combination for the O157:H7/NM serotype was confirmed, and further evidence was given for the presence of at least two different genetic lineages of atypical bovine E. coli O157 strains.

Mouse models of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection and shiga toxin injection

Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been responsible for multiple food- and waterborne outbreaks of diarrhea and/or hemorrhagic colitis (HC) worldwide. More importantly, a portion of E. coli O157:H7-infected individuals, particularly young children, develop a life-threatening sequela of infection called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Shiga toxin (Stx), a potent cytotoxin, is the major virulence factor linked to the presentation of both HC and HUS. Currently, treatment of E. coli O157:H7 and other Stx-producing E. coli (STEC) infections is limited to supportive care. To facilitate development of therapeutic strategies and vaccines for humans against these agents, animal models that mimic one or more aspect of STEC infection and disease are needed. In this paper, we focus on the characteristics of various mouse models that have been developed and that can be used to monitor STEC colonization, disease, pathology, or combinations of these features as well as the impact of Stx alone.

Virulence genes and molecular typing of different groups of Escherichia coli O157 strains in cattle

Characterization of an Escherichia coli O157 strain collection (n = 42) derived from healthy Hungarian cattle revealed the existence of diverse pathotypes. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC; eae positive) appeared to be the most frequent pathotype (n = 22 strains), 11 O157 strains were typical enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC; stx and eae positive), and 9 O157 strains were atypical, with none of the key stx and eae virulence genes detected. EHEC and EPEC O157 strains all carried eae-gamma, tir-gamma, tccP, and paa. Other virulence genes located on the pO157 virulence plasmid and different O islands (O island 43 [OI-43] and OI-122), as well as espJ and espM, also characterized the EPEC and EHEC O157 strains with similar frequencies. However, none of these virulence genes were detected by PCR in atypical O157 strains. Interestingly, five of nine atypical O157 strains produced cytolethal distending toxin V (CDT-V) and carried genes encoding long polar fimbriae. Macro-restriction fragment enzyme analysis (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) revealed that these E. coli O157 strains belong to four main clusters. Multilocus sequence typing analysis revealed that five housekeeping genes were identical in EHEC and EPEC O157 strains but were different in the atypical O157 strains. These results suggest that the Hungarian bovine E. coli O157 strains represent at least two main clones: EHEC/EPEC O157:H7/NM (nonmotile) and atypical CDT-V-producing O157 strains with H antigens different from H7. The CDT-V-producing O157 strains represent a novel genogroup. The pathogenic potential of these strains remains to be elucidated.