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Keith M, Park de la Torriente A, Chalka A, Vallejo-Trujillo A, McAteer SP, Paterson GK, Low AS, Gally DL. Predictive phage therapy for Escherichia coli urinary tract infections: Cocktail selection for therapy based on machine learning models. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313574121. [PMID: 38478693 PMCID: PMC10962980 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313574121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
This study supports the development of predictive bacteriophage (phage) therapy: the concept of phage cocktail selection to treat a bacterial infection based on machine learning (ML) models. For this purpose, ML models were trained on thousands of measured interactions between a panel of phage and sequenced bacterial isolates. The concept was applied to Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections. This is an important common infection in humans and companion animals from which multidrug-resistant (MDR) bloodstream infections can originate. The global threat of MDR infection has reinvigorated international efforts into alternatives to antibiotics including phage therapy. E. coli exhibit extensive genome-level variation due to horizontal gene transfer via phage and plasmids. Associated with this, phage selection for E. coli is difficult as individual isolates can exhibit considerable variation in phage susceptibility due to differences in factors important to phage infection including phage receptor profiles and resistance mechanisms. The activity of 31 phage was measured on 314 isolates with growth curves in artificial urine. Random Forest models were built for each phage from bacterial genome features, and the more generalist phage, acting on over 20% of the bacterial population, exhibited F1 scores of >0.6 and could be used to predict phage cocktails effective against previously untested strains. The study demonstrates the potential of predictive ML models which integrate bacterial genomics with phage activity datasets allowing their use on data derived from direct sequencing of clinical samples to inform rapid and effective phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Keith
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Alba Park de la Torriente
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Antonia Chalka
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Adriana Vallejo-Trujillo
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin K. Paterson
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Pathology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Alison S. Low
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH25 9RG, United Kingdom
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Greig DR, Do Nascimento V, Gally DL, Gharbia SE, Dallman TJ, Jenkins C. Re-analysis of an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 associated with raw drinking milk using Nanopore sequencing. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5821. [PMID: 38461188 PMCID: PMC10925052 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54662-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing data to quantify genetic variation to assess within-outbreak strain relatedness and characterise microevolutionary events in the accessory genomes of a cluster of 23 genetically and epidemiologically linked isolates related to an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 caused by the consumption of raw drinking milk. There were seven discrepant variants called between the two technologies, five were false-negative or false-positive variants in the Illumina data and two were false-negative calls in ONT data. After masking horizontally acquired sequences such as prophages, analysis of both short and long-read sequences revealed the 20 isolates linked to the outbreak in 2017 had a maximum SNP distance of one SNP between each other, and a maximum of five SNPs when including three additional strains identified in 2019. Analysis of the ONT data revealed a 47 kbp deletion event in a terminal compound prophage within one sample relative to the remaining samples, and a 0.65 Mbp large chromosomal rearrangement (inversion), within one sample relative to the remaining samples. Furthermore, we detected two bacteriophages encoding the highly pathogenic Shiga toxin (Stx) subtype, Stx2a. One was typical of Stx2a-phage in this sub-lineage (Ic), the other was atypical and inserted into a site usually occupied by Stx2c-encoding phage. Finally, we observed an increase in the size of the pO157 IncFIB plasmid (1.6 kbp) in isolates from 2019 compared to those from 2017, due to the duplication of insertion elements within the plasmids from the more recently isolated strains. The ability to characterize the accessory genome in this way is the first step to understanding the significance of these microevolutionary events and their impact on the genome plasticity and virulence between strains of this zoonotic, foodborne pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Greig
- National Infection Service, United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, NW9 5EQ, UK.
- NIRH Health Protection Research Unit for Gastrointestinal Pathogens, Liverpool, UK.
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Saheer E Gharbia
- National Infection Service, United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Genomes and Enabling Data, Warwick, UK
| | - Timothy J Dallman
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Claire Jenkins
- National Infection Service, United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
- NIRH Health Protection Research Unit for Gastrointestinal Pathogens, Liverpool, UK
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Hoyle DV, Wee BA, Macleod K, Chase-Topping ME, Bease AG, Tongue SC, Gally DL, Delannoy S, Fach P, Pearce MC, Gunn GJ, Holmes A, Allison L. Phylogenetic relationship and virulence composition of Escherichia coli O26:H11 cattle and human strain collections in Scotland; 2002-2020. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1260422. [PMID: 38029122 PMCID: PMC10657854 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1260422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
O26 is the commonest non-O157 Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli serogroup reported in human infections worldwide. Ruminants, particularly cattle, are the primary reservoir source for human infection. In this study, we compared the whole genomes and virulence profiles of O26:H11 strains (n = 99) isolated from Scottish cattle with strains from human infections (n = 96) held by the Scottish Escherichia coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, isolated between 2002 and 2020. Bovine strains were from two national cross-sectional cattle surveys conducted between 2002-2004 and 2014-2015. A maximum likelihood phylogeny was constructed from a core-genome alignment with the O26:H11 strain 11368 reference genome. Genomes were screened against a panel of 2,710 virulence genes using the Virulence Finder Database. All stx-positive bovine O26:H11 strains belonged to the ST21 lineage and were grouped into three main clades. Bovine and human source strains were interspersed, and the stx subtype was relatively clade-specific. Highly pathogenic stx2a-only ST21 strains were identified in two herds sampled in the second cattle survey and in human clinical infections from 2010 onwards. The closest pairwise distance was 9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between Scottish bovine and human strains and 69 SNPs between the two cattle surveys. Bovine O26:H11 was compared to public EnteroBase ST29 complex genomes and found to have the greatest commonality with O26:H11 strains from the rest of the UK, followed by France, Italy, and Belgium. Virulence profiles of stx-positive bovine and human strains were similar but more conserved for the stx2a subtype. O26:H11 stx-negative ST29 (n = 17) and ST396 strains (n = 5) were isolated from 19 cattle herds; all were eae-positive, and 10 of these herds yielded strains positive for ehxA, espK, and Z2098, gene markers suggestive of enterohaemorrhagic potential. There was a significant association (p < 0.001) between nucleotide sequence percent identity and stx status for the bacteriophage insertion site genes yecE for stx2 and yehV for stx1. Acquired antimicrobial resistance genes were identified in silico in 12.1% of bovine and 17.7% of human O26:H11 strains, with sul2, tet, aph(3″), and aph(6″) being most common. This study describes the diversity among Scottish bovine O26:H11 strains and investigates their relationship to human STEC infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah V. Hoyle
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan A. Wee
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kareen Macleod
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Margo E. Chase-Topping
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew G. Bease
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sue C. Tongue
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Gally
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine Delannoy
- Unité ColiPath – Plateforme IdentyPath, Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Agence Nationale De Sécurité Sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Patrick Fach
- Unité ColiPath – Plateforme IdentyPath, Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Agence Nationale De Sécurité Sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Michael C. Pearce
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - George J. Gunn
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Holmes
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory (SERL), Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lesley Allison
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory (SERL), Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Chalka A, Dallman TJ, Vohra P, Stevens MP, Gally DL. The advantage of intergenic regions as genomic features for machine-learning-based host attribution of Salmonella Typhimurium from the USA. Microb Genom 2023; 9:001116. [PMID: 37843883 PMCID: PMC10634445 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is a taxonomically diverse pathogen with over 2600 serovars associated with a wide variety of animal hosts including humans, other mammals, birds and reptiles. Some serovars are host-specific or host-restricted and cause disease in distinct host species, while others, such as serovar S. Typhimurium (STm), are generalists and have the potential to colonize a wide variety of species. However, even within generalist serovars such as STm it is becoming clear that pathovariants exist that differ in tropism and virulence. Identifying the genetic factors underlying host specificity is complex, but the availability of thousands of genome sequences and advances in machine learning have made it possible to build specific host prediction models to aid outbreak control and predict the human pathogenic potential of isolates from animals and other reservoirs. We have advanced this area by building host-association prediction models trained on a wide range of genomic features and compared them with predictions based on nearest-neighbour phylogeny. SNPs, protein variants (PVs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles and intergenic regions (IGRs) were extracted from 3883 high-quality STm assemblies collected from humans, swine, bovine and poultry in the USA, and used to construct Random Forest (RF) machine learning models. An additional 244 recent STm assemblies from farm animals were used as a test set for further validation. The models based on PVs and IGRs had the best performance in terms of predicting the host of origin of isolates and outperformed nearest-neighbour phylogenetic host prediction as well as models based on SNPs or AMR data. However, the models did not yield reliable predictions when tested with isolates that were phylogenetically distinct from the training set. The IGR and PV models were often able to differentiate human isolates in clusters where the majority of isolates were from a single animal source. Notably, IGRs were the feature with the best performance across multiple models which may be due to IGRs acting as both a representation of their flanking genes, equivalent to PVs, while also capturing genomic regulatory variation, such as altered promoter regions. The IGR and PV models predict that ~45 % of the human infections with STm in the USA originate from bovine, ~40 % from poultry and ~14.5 % from swine, although sequences of isolates from other sources were not used for training. In summary, the research demonstrates a significant gain in accuracy for models with IGRs and PVs as features compared to SNP-based and core genome phylogeny predictions when applied within the existing population structure. This article contains data hosted by Microreact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Chalka
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tim J. Dallman
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), University of Utrecht, Heidelberglaan, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Prerna Vohra
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark P. Stevens
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Fitzgerald SF, Mitchell MC, Holmes A, Allison L, Chase-Topping M, Lupolova N, Wells B, Gally DL, McNeilly TN. Prevalence of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 in Wild Scottish Deer with High Human Pathogenic Potential. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2795. [PMID: 37685059 PMCID: PMC10486872 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections associated with wildlife are increasing globally, highlighting many 'spillover' species as important reservoirs for these zoonotic pathogens. A human outbreak of STEC serogroup O157 in 2015 in Scotland, associated with the consumption of venison meat products, highlighted several knowledge gaps, including the prevalence of STEC O157 in Scottish wild deer and the potential risk to humans from wild deer isolates. In this study, we undertook a nationwide survey of wild deer in Scotland and determined that the prevalence of STEC O157 in wild deer is low 0.28% (95% confidence interval = 0.06-0.80). Despite the low prevalence of STEC O157 in Scottish wild deer, identified isolates were present in deer faeces at high levels (>104 colony forming units/g faeces) and had high human pathogenic potential based on whole genome sequencing and virulence gene profiling. A retrospective epidemiological investigation also identified one wild deer isolate from this study as a possible source of a Scottish human outbreak in 2017. These results emphasise the importance of food hygiene practices during the processing of wild deer carcasses for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen F. Fitzgerald
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh EH26 OPZ, UK
| | - Mairi C. Mitchell
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK (L.A.)
| | - Anne Holmes
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK (L.A.)
| | - Lesley Allison
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK (L.A.)
| | - Margo Chase-Topping
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Nadejda Lupolova
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Beth Wells
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh EH26 OPZ, UK
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Tom N. McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh EH26 OPZ, UK
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Chase-Topping M, Dallman TJ, Allison L, Lupolova N, Matthews L, Mitchell S, Banks CJ, Prentice J, Brown H, Tongue S, Henry M, Evans J, Gunn G, Hoyle D, McNeilly TN, Fitzgerald S, Smith-Palmer A, Shaaban S, Holmes A, Hanson M, Woolhouse M, Didelot X, Jenkins C, Gally DL. Analysis of Escherichia coli O157 strains in cattle and humans between Scotland and England & Wales: implications for human health. Microb Genom 2023; 9:001090. [PMID: 37672388 PMCID: PMC10569735 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
For the last two decades, the human infection frequency of Escherichia coli O157 (O157) in Scotland has been 2.5-fold higher than in England and Wales. Results from national cattle surveys conducted in Scotland and England and Wales in 2014/2015 were combined with data on reported human clinical cases from the same time frame to determine if strain differences in national populations of O157 in cattle could be associated with higher human infection rates in Scotland. Shiga toxin subtype (Stx) and phage type (PT) were examined within and between host (cattle vs human) and nation (Scotland vs England and Wales). For a subset of the strains, whole genome sequencing (WGS) provided further insights into geographical and host association. All three major O157 lineages (I, II, I/II) and most sub-lineages (Ia, Ib, Ic, IIa, IIb, IIc) were represented in cattle and humans in both nations. While the relative contribution of different reservoir hosts to human infection is unknown, WGS analysis indicated that the majority of O157 diversity in human cases was captured by isolates from cattle. Despite comparable cattle O157 prevalence between nations, strain types were localized. PT21/28 (sub-lineage Ic, Stx2a+) was significantly more prevalent in Scottish cattle [odds ratio (OR) 8.7 (2.3-33.7; P<0.001] and humans [OR 2.2 (1.5-3.2); P<0.001]. In England and Wales, cattle had a significantly higher association with sub-lineage IIa strains [PT54, Stx2c; OR 5.6 (1.27-33.3); P=0.011] while humans were significantly more closely associated with sub-lineage IIb [PT8, Stx1 and Stx2c; OR 29 (4.9-1161); P<0.001]. Therefore, cattle farms in Scotland were more likely to harbour Stx2a+O157 strains compared to farms in E and W (P<0.001). There was evidence of limited cattle strain migration between nations and clinical isolates from one nation were more similar to cattle isolates from the same nation, with sub-lineage Ic (mainly PT21/28) exhibiting clear national association and evidence of local transmission in Scotland. While we propose the higher rate of O157 clinical cases in Scotland, compared to England and Wales, is a consequence of the nationally higher level of Stx2a+O157 strains in Scottish cattle, we discuss the multiple additional factors that may also contribute to the different infection rates between these nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margo Chase-Topping
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Timothy J. Dallman
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, London NW9 5HT, UK
| | - Lesley Allison
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Nadejda Lupolova
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Louise Matthews
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Sonia Mitchell
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Christopher J. Banks
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Jamie Prentice
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Helen Brown
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Sue Tongue
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Scotland’s Rural College, Inverness IV2 5NA, UK
| | - Madeleine Henry
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Scotland’s Rural College, Inverness IV2 5NA, UK
| | - Judith Evans
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Scotland’s Rural College, Inverness IV2 5NA, UK
| | - George Gunn
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Scotland’s Rural College, Inverness IV2 5NA, UK
| | - Deborah Hoyle
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Tom N. McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Stephen Fitzgerald
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK
| | | | - Sharif Shaaban
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Anne Holmes
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Mary Hanson
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Mark Woolhouse
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3DL, UK
| | - Xavier Didelot
- School of Life Sciences and Department of Statistics, University of Warwick, Warwick CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, London NW9 5HT, UK
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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Takawira FT, Pitout JDD, Thilliez G, Mashe T, Gutierrez AV, Kingsley RA, Peirano G, Matheu J, Midzi SM, Mwamakamba LW, Gally DL, Tarupiwa A, Mukavhi L, Ehlers MM, Mtapuri-Zinyowera S, Kock MM. Faecal carriage of ESBL producing and colistin resistant Escherichia coli in avian species over a 2-year period (2017-2019) in Zimbabwe. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1035145. [PMID: 36619741 PMCID: PMC9816332 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1035145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli have become widespread among food producing animals. These strains serve as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and act as a possible source of infection to humans as transmission can occur by direct or indirect contact. Methods This study investigated the faecal carriage of ESBL producing and colistin resistant E. coli in poultry over a 2-year period (2017-2019) from Zimbabwe. A total of 21 ESBL positive isolates from poultry cloacal specimens were selected for whole genome sequencing from animal E. coli isolates bio-banked at the National Microbiology Reference laboratory using phenotypic susceptibility testing results from the National Escherichia coli Surveillance Program to provide representation of different geographical regions and year of isolation. Cloacal swabs were collected from 3000 broiler live birds from farm 1 and from farm 2, 40 backyard chickens and 10 ducks were sampled. Antimicrobial susceptibility and ESBL testing were performed as per Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Whole genome sequencing of ESBL producing isolates was used to determine sequence types (STs), ARGs, and phylogroups. Results Twenty-one of the included E. coli isolates were confirmed as ESBL producers. Three defined sequence type clonal complexes (CCs) were identified (ST10CC, ST155CC and ST23CC), with ST10CC associated with the most antibiotic resistant profile. The ESBL phenotype was linked to the presence of either cefotaximase-Munich-14 (CTX-M-14) or CTX-M-79. Plasmid mediated quinolone resistant determinants identified were qnrB19 and qnrS1 and one ST10CC isolate from farm 1 broiler chickens harbored a mobile colistin resistance gene (mcr-1). Phylogenetic groups most identified were B1, A and unknown. Discussions The avian ESBL producing E. coli belonged to a diverse group of strains. The detection of several ARGs highlights the importance of implementing enhanced control measures to limit the spread in animals, environment, and humans. This is the first report of mcr-1 in Zimbabwe, which further underscores the importance of the One Health approach to control the spread and development of AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faustinos Tatenda Takawira
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa,National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Johann D. D. Pitout
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa,Department of Microbiology, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Department Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Tapfumanei Mashe
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa,National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | | | - Gisele Peirano
- Department of Microbiology, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Department Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jorge Matheu
- World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - David L. Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Tarupiwa
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Leckson Mukavhi
- University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Health Professions Education, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Marthie M. Ehlers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa,Tshwane Academic Division, National Health Laboratory Service, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Marleen M. Kock
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa,Tshwane Academic Division, National Health Laboratory Service, Pretoria, South Africa,*Correspondence: Marleen M. Kock,
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8
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Fitzgerald S, Rossi G, Low AS, McAteer SP, O’Keefe B, Findlay D, Cameron GJ, Pollard P, Singleton PTR, Ponton G, Singer AC, Farkas K, Jones D, Graham DW, Quintela-Baluja M, Tait-Burkard C, Gally DL, Kao R, Corbishley A. Site Specific Relationships between COVID-19 Cases and SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:15276-15286. [PMID: 34738785 PMCID: PMC8577191 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) has become an important tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, however the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater treatment plant influent (WWTP) and cases in the community is not well-defined. We report here the development of a national WBE program across 28 WWTPs serving 50% of the population of Scotland, including large conurbations, as well as low-density rural and remote island communities. For each WWTP catchment area, we quantified spatial and temporal relationships between SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and COVID-19 cases. Daily WWTP SARS-CoV-2 influent viral RNA load, calculated using daily influent flow rates, had the strongest correlation (ρ > 0.9) with COVID-19 cases within a catchment. As the incidence of COVID-19 cases within a community increased, a linear relationship emerged between cases and influent viral RNA load. There were significant differences between WWTPs in their capacity to predict case numbers based on influent viral RNA load, with the limit of detection ranging from 25 cases for larger plants to a single case in smaller plants. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA load can be used to predict the number of cases detected in the WWTP catchment area, with a clear statistically significant relationship observed above site-specific case thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen
F. Fitzgerald
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Gianluigi Rossi
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Alison S. Low
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Brian O’Keefe
- Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, Strathallan House, Stirling FK9 4TZ, United Kingdom
| | - David Findlay
- Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, Strathallan House, Stirling FK9 4TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Graeme J. Cameron
- Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, Strathallan House, Stirling FK9 4TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Pollard
- Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, Strathallan House, Stirling FK9 4TZ, United Kingdom
| | - Peter T. R. Singleton
- Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, Strathallan House, Stirling FK9 4TZ, United Kingdom
| | - George Ponton
- Scottish
Water, Castle House, 6 Castle Drive, Dunfermline KY11 8GG, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C. Singer
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Kata Farkas
- School
of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
- School of
Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, United
Kingdom
| | - Davey Jones
- School
of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Graham
- School
of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1
7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Marcos Quintela-Baluja
- School
of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1
7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Tait-Burkard
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Gally
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Rowland Kao
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Corbishley
- The
Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
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9
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Takawira FT, Pitout JD, Thilliez G, Mashe T, Gutierrez AV, Kingsley RA, Peirano G, Matheu J, Midzi SM, Mwamakamba LW, Gally DL, Tarupiwa A, Mukavhi L, Ehlers MM, Mtapuri-Zinyowera S, Kock MM. Molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains over a 2-year period (2017-2019) from Zimbabwe. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2021:10.1007/s10096-021-04379-z. [PMID: 34779943 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-021-04379-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to characterize extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (E.coli) (ExPEC) associated with urinary tract infections in nine different geographic regions of Zimbabwe over a 2-year period (2017-2019). A total of 48 ESBL-positive isolates from urine specimen were selected for whole-genome sequencing from 1246 Escherichia coli isolates biobanked at the National Microbiology Reference laboratory using phenotypic susceptibility testing results from the National Escherichia coli Surveillance Programme to provide representation of different geographical regions and year of isolation. The majority of ESBL E. coli isolates produced cefotaximase-Munich (CTX-M)-15, CTX-M-27, and CTX-M-14. In this study, sequence types (ST) 131 and ST410 were the most predominant antimicrobial-resistant clones and responsible for the increase in ESBL-producing E. coli strains since 2017. Novel ST131 complex strains were recorded during the period 2017 to 2018, thus showing the establishment and evolution of this antimicrobial-resistant ESBL clone in Zimbabwe posing an important public health threat. Incompatibility group F plasmids were predominant among ST131 and ST410 isolates with the following replicons recorded most frequently: F1:A2:B20 (9/19, 47%), F2:A1: B (5/19, 26%), and F1:A1:B49 (8/13, 62%). The results indicate the need for continuous tracking of different ESBL ExPEC clones on a global scale, while targeting specific STs (e.g. ST131 and ST410) through control programs will substantially decrease the spread of ESBLs among ExPEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faustinos Tatenda Takawira
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Johann Dd Pitout
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Microbiology, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Department Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Tapfumanei Mashe
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | | | - Gisele Peirano
- Department of Microbiology, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Department Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jorge Matheu
- World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Andrew Tarupiwa
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Leckson Mukavhi
- University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Health Professions Education, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Marthie M Ehlers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service, Academic Division, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Marleen M Kock
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
- National Health Laboratory Service, Academic Division, Pretoria, South Africa.
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10
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Fitzgerald SF, Lupolova N, Shaaban S, Dallman TJ, Greig D, Allison L, Tongue SC, Evans J, Henry MK, McNeilly TN, Bono JL, Gally DL. Genome structural variation in Escherichia coli O157:H7. Microb Genom 2021; 7. [PMID: 34751643 PMCID: PMC8743559 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The human zoonotic pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 is defined by its extensive prophage repertoire including those that encode Shiga toxin, the factor responsible for inducing life-threatening pathology in humans. As well as introducing genes that can contribute to the virulence of a strain, prophage can enable the generation of large-chromosomal rearrangements (LCRs) by homologous recombination. This work examines the types and frequencies of LCRs across the major lineages of the O157:H7 serotype. We demonstrate that LCRs are a major source of genomic variation across all lineages of E. coli O157:H7 and by using both optical mapping and Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing prove that LCRs are generated in laboratory cultures started from a single colony and that these variants can be recovered from colonized cattle. LCRs are biased towards the terminus region of the genome and are bounded by specific prophages that share large regions of sequence homology associated with the recombinational activity. RNA transcriptional profiling and phenotyping of specific structural variants indicated that important virulence phenotypes such as Shiga-toxin production, type-3 secretion and motility can be affected by LCRs. In summary, E. coli O157:H7 has acquired multiple prophage regions over time that act to continually produce structural variants of the genome. These findings raise important questions about the significance of this prophage-mediated genome contingency to enhance adaptability between environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen F Fitzgerald
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Nadejda Lupolova
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Sharif Shaaban
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Timothy J Dallman
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - David Greig
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - Lesley Allison
- Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Sue C Tongue
- Epidemiology Research Unit (Inverness), Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Northern Faculty, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Scotland, IV2 5NA, UK
| | - Judith Evans
- Epidemiology Research Unit (Inverness), Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Northern Faculty, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Scotland, IV2 5NA, UK
| | - Madeleine K Henry
- Epidemiology Research Unit (Inverness), Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Northern Faculty, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Scotland, IV2 5NA, UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 OPZ, UK
| | - James L Bono
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, US Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska, USA
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
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11
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Pollock J, Glendinning L, Smith LA, Mohsin H, Gally DL, Hutchings MR, Houdijk JGM. Temporal and nutritional effects on the weaner pig ileal microbiota. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:58. [PMID: 34454628 PMCID: PMC8403407 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00119-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The porcine gastrointestinal microbiota has been linked to both host health and performance. Most pig gut microbiota studies target faecal material, which is not representative of microbiota dynamics in other discrete gut sections. The weaning transition period in pigs is a key development stage, with gastrointestinal problems being prominent after often sudden introduction to a solid diet. A better understanding of both temporal and nutritional effects on the small intestinal microbiota is required. Here, the development of the porcine ileal microbiota under differing levels of dietary protein was observed over the immediate post-weaning period. RESULTS Ileal digesta samples were obtained at post-mortem prior to weaning day (day - 1) for baseline measurements. The remaining pigs were introduced to either an 18% (low) or 23% (high) protein diet on weaning day (day 0) and further ileal digesta sampling was carried out at days 5, 9 and 13 post-weaning. We identified significant changes in microbiome structure (P = 0.01), a reduction in microbiome richness (P = 0.02) and changes in the abundance of specific bacterial taxa from baseline until 13 days post-weaning. The ileal microbiota became less stable after the introduction to a solid diet at weaning (P = 0.036), was highly variable between pigs and no relationship was observed between average daily weight gain and microbiota composition. The ileal microbiota was less stable in pigs fed the high protein diet (P = 0.05), with several pathogenic bacterial genera being significantly higher in abundance in this group. Samples from the low protein and high protein groups did not cluster separately by their CAZyme (carbohydrate-active enzyme) composition, but GH33 exosialidases were found to be significantly more abundant in the HP group (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS The weaner pig ileal microbiota changed rapidly and was initially destabilised by the sudden introduction to feed. Nutritional composition influenced ileal microbiota development, with the high protein diet being associated with an increased abundance of significant porcine pathogens and the upregulation of GH33 exosialidases-which can influence host-microbe interactions and pathogenicity. These findings contribute to our understanding of a lesser studied gut compartment that is not only a key site of digestion, but also a target for the development of nutritional interventions to improve gut health and host growth performance during the critical weaning transition period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolinda Pollock
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, UK
- SRUC Veterinary Services, Scotland’s Rural College, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura Glendinning
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lesley A. Smith
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hamna Mohsin
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Jos G. M. Houdijk
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, UK
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12
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Abstract
Escherichia coli is a species of bacteria that can be present in a wide variety of mammalian hosts and potentially soil environments. E. coli has an open genome and can show considerable diversity in gene content between isolates. It is a reasonable assumption that gene content reflects evolution of strains in particular host environments and therefore can be used to predict the host most likely to be the source of an isolate. An extrapolation of this argument is that strains may also have gene content that favors success in multiple hosts and so the possibility of successful transmission from one host to another, for example, from cattle to human, can also be predicted based on gene content. In this methods chapter, we consider the issue of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) strains that are present in ruminants as the main host reservoir and for which we know that a subset causes life-threatening infections in humans. We show how the genome sequences of E. coli isolated from both cattle and humans can be used to build a classifier to predict human and cattle host association and how this can be applied to score key STEC serotypes known to be associated with human infection. With the example dataset used, serogroups O157, O26, and O111 show the highest, and O103 and O145 the lowest, predictions for human association. The long-term ambition is to combine such machine learning predictions with phylogeny to predict the zoonotic threat of an isolate based on its whole genome sequence (WGS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadejda Lupolova
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Antonia Chalka
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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13
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Abstract
Lawsonia intracellularis is an obligate intracellular bacterium
associated with enteric disease in pigs. Clinical signs include weight loss,
diarrhea, and, in some cases, sudden death. The hallmark lesion is the
thickening of the intestinal mucosa caused by increased epithelial cell
replication, known as proliferative enteropathy. The immune response to
L. intracellularis is not well defined, and detection of
the infection, especially in the early stages, is still a significant challenge.
We review here the main approaches used to identify this important but poorly
understood pathogen. Detection of L. intracellularis infection
as the cause of clinical disease is confounded by the high prevalence of the
pathogen in many countries and that several other pathogens can produce similar
clinical signs. A single L. intracellularis–specific ELISA and
several amplification assays are available commercially to aid detection and
surveillance, although histopathology remains the primary way to reach a
conclusive diagnosis. There are major gaps in our understanding of L.
intracellularis pathogenesis, especially how the host responds to
infection and the factors that drive infection toward different clinical
outcomes. Knowledge of pathogenesis will increase the predictive value of
antemortem tests to guide appropriate interventions, including identification
and treatment of subclinically affected pigs in the early stages of disease,
given that this important manifestation reduces pig productivity and contributes
to the economic burden of L. intracellularis worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Campillo
- The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Sionagh H Smith
- The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - David L Gally
- The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Tanja Opriessnig
- The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
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14
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Pollock J, Low AS, McHugh RE, Muwonge A, Stevens MP, Corbishley A, Gally DL. Alternatives to antibiotics in a One Health context and the role genomics can play in reducing antimicrobial use. Clin Microbiol Infect 2020; 26:1617-1621. [PMID: 32220638 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This review follows on from the International Conference on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (ICOHAR 2019), where strategies to improve the fundamental understanding and management of antimicrobial resistance at the interface between humans, animals and the environment were discussed. OBJECTIVE This review identifies alternatives to antimicrobials in a One Health context, noting how advances in genomic technologies are assisting their development and enabling more targeted use of antimicrobials. SOURCES Key articles on the use of microbiota modulation, livestock breeding and gene editing, vaccination, antivirulence strategies and bacteriophage therapy are discussed. CONTENT Antimicrobials are central for disease control, but reducing their use is paramount as a result of the rise of transmissible antimicrobial resistance. This review discusses antimicrobial alternatives in the context of improved understanding of fundamental host-pathogen and microbiota interactions using genomic tools. IMPLICATIONS Host and microbial genomics and other novel technologies play an important role in devising disease control strategies for healthier animals and humans that in turn reduce our reliance on antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Pollock
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A S Low
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R E McHugh
- Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK; Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - A Muwonge
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M P Stevens
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A Corbishley
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - D L Gally
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK.
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15
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Wolfson EB, Elvidge J, Tahoun A, Gillespie T, Mantell J, McAteer SP, Rossez Y, Paxton E, Lane F, Shaw DJ, Gill AC, Stevens J, Verkade P, Blocker A, Mahajan A, Gally DL. The interaction of Escherichia coli O157 :H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium flagella with host cell membranes and cytoskeletal components. Microbiology (Reading) 2020; 166:947-965. [PMID: 32886602 PMCID: PMC7660914 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial flagella have many established roles beyond swimming motility. Despite clear evidence of flagella-dependent adherence, the specificity of the ligands and mechanisms of binding are still debated. In this study, the molecular basis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium flagella binding to epithelial cell cultures was investigated. Flagella interactions with host cell surfaces were intimate and crossed cellular boundaries as demarcated by actin and membrane labelling. Scanning electron microscopy revealed flagella disappearing into cellular surfaces and transmission electron microscopy of S. Typhiumurium indicated host membrane deformation and disruption in proximity to flagella. Motor mutants of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium caused reduced haemolysis compared to wild-type, indicating that membrane disruption was in part due to flagella rotation. Flagella from E. coli O157 (H7), EPEC O127 (H6) and S. Typhimurium (P1 and P2 flagella) were shown to bind to purified intracellular components of the actin cytoskeleton and directly increase in vitro actin polymerization rates. We propose that flagella interactions with host cell membranes and cytoskeletal components may help prime intimate attachment and invasion for E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza B. Wolfson
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
- Departments of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, The University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Johanna Elvidge
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Amin Tahoun
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516 Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Trudi Gillespie
- IMPACT Facility, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Judith Mantell
- Departments of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, The University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Yannick Rossez
- Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire, UMR 7025 CNRS, Centre de recherche Royallieu, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Edith Paxton
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Fiona Lane
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Darren J. Shaw
- Division of Clinical Sciences, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Andrew C. Gill
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Jo Stevens
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Paul Verkade
- Departments of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, The University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ariel Blocker
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Building, The University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Arvind Mahajan
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - David L. Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
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16
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Holmes A, Pritchard L, Hedley P, Morris J, McAteer SP, Gally DL, Holden NJ. Dataset of Escherichia coli O157: H7 genes enriched in adherence to spinach root tissue. Data Brief 2020; 31:105769. [PMID: 32551345 PMCID: PMC7287230 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A high-throughput positive-selection approach was taken to generate a dataset of Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 genes enriched in adherence to plant tissue. The approach generates a differential dataset based on BAC clones enriched in the output, after adherence, compared to the inoculum used as the input. A BAC clone library derived from STEC isolate ‘Sakai’ was used since this isolate is associated with a very large-scale outbreak of human disease from consumption of contaminated fresh produce; white radish sprouts. Spinach was used for the screen since it is associated with STEC outbreaks, and the roots provide a suitable site for bacterial colonisation. Four successive of rounds of Sakai BAC clone selection and amplification were applied for spinach root adherence, in parallel to a non-plant control. Genomic DNA was obtained from a total of 7.17 × 108 cfu/ml of bacteria from the plant treatment and 1.13 × 109 cfu/ml of bacteria from the no-plant control. Relative gene abundance of the output compared to the input pools was obtained using an established E. coli DNA microarray chip for STEC. The dataset enables screening for genes enriched under the treatment condition and informs on genes that may play a role in plant-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Holmes
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
| | - Leighton Pritchard
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
- Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Hedley
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Morris
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- The Roslin Institute Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS, The Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS, The Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Holden
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author.
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17
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Holmes A, Pritchard L, Hedley P, Morris J, McAteer SP, Gally DL, Holden NJ. A high-throughput genomic screen identifies a role for the plasmid-borne type II secretion system of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Sakai) in plant-microbe interactions. Genomics 2020; 112:4242-4253. [PMID: 32663607 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) is often transmitted into food via fresh produce plants, where it can cause disease. To identify early interaction factors for STEC on spinach, a high-throughput positive-selection system was used. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone library for isolate Sakai was screened in four successive rounds of short-term (2 h) interaction with spinach roots, and enriched loci identified by microarray. A Bayesian hierarchical model produced 115 CDS credible candidates, comprising seven contiguous genomic regions. Of the two candidate regions selected for functional assessment, the pO157 plasmid-encoded type two secretion system (T2SS) promoted interactions, while a chaperone-usher fimbrial gene cluster (loc6) did not. The T2SS promoted bacterial binding to spinach and appeared to involve the EtpD secretin protein. Furthermore, the T2SS genes, etpD and etpC, were expressed at a plant-relevant temperature of 18 °C, and etpD was expressed in planta by E. coli Sakai on spinach plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Holmes
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Leighton Pritchard
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.; Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Peter Hedley
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Jenny Morris
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Sean P McAteer
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS, The Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - David L Gally
- The Roslin Institute, Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS, The Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Nicola J Holden
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.; SRUC, Northern Faculty, Aberdeen, AB21 9YA, UK..
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18
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Abstract
With the ever-expanding number of available sequences from bacterial genomes, and the expectation that this data type will be the primary one generated from both diagnostic and research laboratories for the foreseeable future, then there is both an opportunity and a need to evaluate how effectively computational approaches can be used within bacterial genomics to predict and understand complex phenotypes, such as pathogenic potential and host source. This article applied various quantitative methods such as diversity indexes, pangenome-wide association studies (GWAS) and dimensionality reduction techniques to better understand the data and then compared how well unsupervised and supervised machine learning (ML) methods could predict the source host of the isolates. The study uses the example of the pangenomes of 1203 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates in order to predict 'host of isolation' using these different methods. The article is aimed as a review of recent applications of ML in infection biology, but also, by working through this specific dataset, it allows discussion of the advantages and drawbacks of the different techniques. As with all such sub-population studies, the biological relevance will be dependent on the quality and diversity of the input data. Given this major caveat, we show that supervised ML has the potential to add real value to interpretation of bacterial genomic data, as it can provide probabilistic outcomes for important phenotypes, something that is very difficult to achieve with the other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadejda Lupolova
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Samantha J Lycett
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
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19
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Pollock J, Gally DL, Glendinning L, Tiwari R, Hutchings MR, Houdijk JGM. Analysis of temporal fecal microbiota dynamics in weaner pigs with and without exposure to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli1,2. J Anim Sci 2020; 96:3777-3790. [PMID: 29982429 PMCID: PMC6127793 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary aim of this work was to study potential effects of subclinical enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) exposure on porcine fecal microbiota composition, with a secondary aim of profiling temporal shifts in bacterial communities over the weaning transition period. 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to profile the fecal microbiota and quantify ETEC excretion in the feces, respectively. Temporal shifts in fecal microbiota structure and stability were observed across the immediate postweaning period (P < 0.05), including significant shifts in the relative levels of specific bacterial phylotypes (P < 0.05). ETEC exposure did not change the fecal microbiota structure (P > 0.05), but significant variations in fecal community structure and stability were linked to variations in ETEC excretion level at particular time points (P < 0.05). In this study, marked temporal changes in microbiota structure and stability were evident over the short weaning transition period, with a relationship between ETEC excretion level and fecal microbiota composition being observed. This study has provided a detailed analysis of fecal microbiota dynamics in the pig, which should help to inform the development of novel management strategies for enteric disorders based on an improved understanding of microbial populations during the challenging postweaning period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolinda Pollock
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, UK.,The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David L Gally
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura Glendinning
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Raksha Tiwari
- Research and Development, Zoetis, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Michael R Hutchings
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jos G M Houdijk
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, UK
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20
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Yara DA, Greig DR, Gally DL, Dallman TJ, Jenkins C. Comparison of Shiga toxin-encoding bacteriophages in highly pathogenic strains of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the UK. Microb Genom 2020; 6:e000334. [PMID: 32100710 PMCID: PMC7200060 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last 35 years in the UK, the burden of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 infection has, during different periods of time, been associated with five different sub-lineages (1983-1995, Ia, I/IIa and I/IIb; 1996-2014, Ic; and 2015-2018, IIb). The acquisition of a stx2a-encoding bacteriophage by these five sub-lineages appears to have coincided with their respective emergences. The Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) system was used to sequence, characterize and compare the stx-encoding prophages harboured by each sub-lineage to investigate the integration of this key virulence factor. The stx2a-encoding prophages from each of the lineages causing clinical disease in the UK were all different, including the two UK sub-lineages (Ia and I/IIa) circulating concurrently and causing severe disease in the early 1980s. Comparisons between the stx2a-encoding prophage in sub-lineages I/IIb and IIb revealed similarity to the prophage commonly found to encode stx2c, and the same site of bacteriophage integration (sbcB) as stx2c-encoding prophage. These data suggest independent acquisition of previously unobserved stx2a-encoding phage is more likely to have contributed to the emergence of STEC O157:H7 sub-lineages in the UK than intra-UK lineage to lineage phage transmission. In contrast, the stx2c-encoding prophage showed a high level of similarity across lineages and time, consistent with the model of stx2c being present in the common ancestor to extant STEC O157:H7 and maintained by vertical inheritance in the majority of the population. Studying the nature of the stx-encoding bacteriophage contributes to our understanding of the emergence of highly pathogenic strains of STEC O157:H7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Yara
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - David R. Greig
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, UK
| | - David L. Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Timothy J. Dallman
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Claire Jenkins
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
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21
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Fitzgerald SF, Beckett AE, Palarea-Albaladejo J, McAteer S, Shaaban S, Morgan J, Ahmad NI, Young R, Mabbott NA, Morrison L, Bono JL, Gally DL, McNeilly TN. Shiga toxin sub-type 2a increases the efficiency of Escherichia coli O157 transmission between animals and restricts epithelial regeneration in bovine enteroids. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008003. [PMID: 31581229 PMCID: PMC6776261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific Escherichia coli isolates lysogenised with prophages that express Shiga toxin (Stx) can be a threat to human health, with cattle being an important natural reservoir. In many countries the most severe pathology is associated with enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) serogroups that express Stx subtype 2a. In the United Kingdom, phage type (PT) 21/28 O157 strains have emerged as the predominant cause of life-threatening EHEC infections and this phage type commonly encodes both Stx2a and Stx2c toxin types. PT21/28 is also epidemiologically linked to super-shedding (>103 cfu/g of faeces) which is significant for inter-animal transmission and human infection as demonstrated using modelling studies. We demonstrate that Stx2a is the main toxin produced by stx2a+/stx2c+ PT21/28 strains induced with mitomycin C and this is associated with more rapid induction of gene expression from the Stx2a-encoding prophage compared to that from the Stx2c-encoding prophage. Bacterial supernatants containing either Stx2a and/or Stx2c were demonstrated to restrict growth of bovine gastrointestinal organoids with no restriction when toxin production was not induced or prevented by mutation. Isogenic strains that differed in their capacity to produce Stx2a were selected for experimental oral colonisation of calves to assess the significance of Stx2a for both super-shedding and transmission between animals. Restoration of Stx2a expression in a PT21/28 background significantly increased animal-to-animal transmission and the number of sentinel animals that became super-shedders. We propose that while both Stx2a and Stx2c can restrict regeneration of the epithelium, it is the relatively rapid and higher levels of Stx2a induction, compared to Stx2c, that have contributed to the successful emergence of Stx2a+ E. coli isolates in cattle in the last 40 years. We propose a model in which Stx2a enhances E. coli O157 colonisation of in-contact animals by restricting regeneration and turnover of the colonised gastrointestinal epithelium. Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157 strains are found in cattle where they are asymptomatic, while human exposure can lead to severe symptoms including bloody diarrhoea and kidney damage due to the activity of Shiga toxin (Stx). The most serious symptoms in humans are associated with isolates that encode Stx subtype 2a. The advantage of these toxins in the animal reservoir is still not clear, however there is experimental evidence implicating Stx with increased bacterial adherence, immune modulation and suppression of predatory protozoa. In this study, the hypothesis that Stx2a is important for super-shedding and calf-to-calf transmission was tested by comparing excretion and transmission dynamics of E. coli O157 strains with and without Stx2a. While Stx2a did not alter excretion levels when calfs were orally challenge, it enabled colonisation of more in contact ‘sentinel’ animals in our transmission model. We show that Stx2a is generally induced more rapidly than Stx2c, resulting in increased levels of Stx2a expression. Both Stx2a and Stx2c were able to restrict cellular proliferation of epithelial cells in cultured bovine enteroids. Taken together, we propose that rapid production of Stx2a and its role in establishing E. coli O157 colonisation in the bovine gastrointestinal tract facilitate effective transmission and have led to its expansion in the cattle E. coli O157 population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen F. Fitzgerald
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
- Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, United Kingdom
| | - Amy E. Beckett
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
- Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sean McAteer
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Sharif Shaaban
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Jason Morgan
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
- Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rachel Young
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. Mabbott
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Morrison
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - James L. Bono
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - David L. Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DLG); (TNM)
| | - Tom N. McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DLG); (TNM)
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22
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Mainda G, Lupolova N, Sikakwa L, Richardson E, Bessell PR, Malama SK, Kwenda G, Stevens MP, Bronsvoort BMD, Muma JB, Gally DL. Whole Genome Sequence Analysis Reveals Lower Diversity and Frequency of Acquired Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Genes in E. coli From Dairy Herds Compared With Human Isolates From the Same Region of Central Zambia. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1114. [PMID: 31214130 PMCID: PMC6555227 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic treatment of sick dairy cattle is critical for the sustainability of this production system which is vital for food security and societal prosperity in many low and middle-income countries. Given the increasingly high levels of antibiotic resistance worldwide and the challenge this presents for the treatment of bacterial infections, the rational use of antibiotics in humans and animals has been emphatically recommended in the spirit of a “One Health” approach. The aim of this study was to characterize antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and their frequencies from whole genome sequences of Escherichia coli isolated from both dairy cattle and human patients in central Zambia. Whole genome sequences of E. coli isolates from dairy cattle (n = 224) and from patients at a local hospital (n = 73) were compared for the presence of acquired AMR genes. In addition we analyzed the publicly available genomes of 317 human E. coli isolates from over the wider African continent. Both acquired antibiotic resistance genes and phylogroups were identified from de novo assemblies and SNP based phylogenetic analyses were used to visualize the distribution of resistance genes in E. coli isolates from the two hosts. Greater acquired AMR gene diversity was detected in human compared to bovine E. coli isolates across multiple classes of antibiotics with particular resistance genes for extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL), quinolones, macrolides and fosfomycin only detected in E. coli genomes of human origin. The striking difference was that the Zambian or wider African human isolates were significantly more likely to possess multiple acquired AMR genes compared to the Zambian dairy cattle isolates. The median number of resistance genes in the Zambian cattle cohort was 0 (0–1 interquartile range), while in the Zambian human and wider African cohorts the medians and interquartile ranges were 6 (4–9) and 6 (0–8), respectively. The lower frequency and reduced diversity of acquired AMR genes in the dairy cattle isolates is concordant with relatively limited antibiotic use that we have documented in this region, especially among smallholder farmers. The relatively distinct resistant profiles in the two host populations also indicates limited sharing of strains or genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Mainda
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Nadejda Lupolova
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Sikakwa
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Emily Richardson
- MicrobesNG, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R Bessell
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sydney K Malama
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Geoffrey Kwenda
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Mark P Stevens
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Barend M deC Bronsvoort
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John B Muma
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - David L Gally
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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23
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Cowley LA, Low AS, Pickard D, Boinett CJ, Dallman TJ, Day M, Perry N, Gally DL, Parkhill J, Jenkins C, Cain AK. Transposon Insertion Sequencing Elucidates Novel Gene Involvement in Susceptibility and Resistance to Phages T4 and T7 in Escherichia coli O157. mBio 2018. [PMID: 30042196 DOI: 10.1128/mbio] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Experiments using bacteriophage (phage) to infect bacterial strains have helped define some basic genetic concepts in microbiology, but our understanding of the complexity of bacterium-phage interactions is still limited. As the global threat of antibiotic resistance continues to increase, phage therapy has reemerged as an attractive alternative or supplement to treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Further, the long-used method of phage typing to classify bacterial strains is being replaced by molecular genetic techniques. Thus, there is a growing need for a complete understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms underpinning phage-bacterium interactions to optimize phage therapy for the clinic as well as for retrospectively interpreting phage typing data on the molecular level. In this study, a genomics-based fitness assay (TraDIS) was used to identify all host genes involved in phage susceptibility and resistance for a T4 phage infecting Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157. The TraDIS results identified both established and previously unidentified genes involved in phage infection, and a subset were confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and phenotypic testing of 14 T4 and 2 T7 phages. For the first time, the entire sap operon was implicated in phage susceptibility and, conversely, the stringent starvation protein A gene (sspA) was shown to provide phage resistance. Identifying genes involved in phage infection and replication should facilitate the selection of bespoke phage combinations to target specific bacterial pathogens.IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance has diminished treatment options for many common bacterial infections. Phage therapy is an alternative option that was once popularly used across Europe to kill bacteria within humans. Phage therapy acts by using highly specific viruses (called phages) that infect and lyse certain bacterial species to treat the infection. Whole-genome sequencing has allowed modernization of the investigations into phage-bacterium interactions. Here, using E. coli O157 and T4 bacteriophage as a model, we have exploited a genome-wide fitness assay to investigate all genes involved in defining phage resistance or susceptibility. This knowledge of the genetic determinants of phage resistance and susceptibility can be used to design bespoke phage combinations targeted to specific bacterial infections for successful infection eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Cowley
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alison S Low
- Division of Immunity and Infection, the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Derek Pickard
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Christine J Boinett
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
- The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Timothy J Dallman
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - Martin Day
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - Neil Perry
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - Amy K Cain
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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24
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Cowley LA, Low AS, Pickard D, Boinett CJ, Dallman TJ, Day M, Perry N, Gally DL, Parkhill J, Jenkins C, Cain AK. Transposon Insertion Sequencing Elucidates Novel Gene Involvement in Susceptibility and Resistance to Phages T4 and T7 in Escherichia coli O157. mBio 2018; 9:e00705-18. [PMID: 30042196 PMCID: PMC6058288 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00705-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Experiments using bacteriophage (phage) to infect bacterial strains have helped define some basic genetic concepts in microbiology, but our understanding of the complexity of bacterium-phage interactions is still limited. As the global threat of antibiotic resistance continues to increase, phage therapy has reemerged as an attractive alternative or supplement to treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Further, the long-used method of phage typing to classify bacterial strains is being replaced by molecular genetic techniques. Thus, there is a growing need for a complete understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms underpinning phage-bacterium interactions to optimize phage therapy for the clinic as well as for retrospectively interpreting phage typing data on the molecular level. In this study, a genomics-based fitness assay (TraDIS) was used to identify all host genes involved in phage susceptibility and resistance for a T4 phage infecting Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157. The TraDIS results identified both established and previously unidentified genes involved in phage infection, and a subset were confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and phenotypic testing of 14 T4 and 2 T7 phages. For the first time, the entire sap operon was implicated in phage susceptibility and, conversely, the stringent starvation protein A gene (sspA) was shown to provide phage resistance. Identifying genes involved in phage infection and replication should facilitate the selection of bespoke phage combinations to target specific bacterial pathogens.IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance has diminished treatment options for many common bacterial infections. Phage therapy is an alternative option that was once popularly used across Europe to kill bacteria within humans. Phage therapy acts by using highly specific viruses (called phages) that infect and lyse certain bacterial species to treat the infection. Whole-genome sequencing has allowed modernization of the investigations into phage-bacterium interactions. Here, using E. coli O157 and T4 bacteriophage as a model, we have exploited a genome-wide fitness assay to investigate all genes involved in defining phage resistance or susceptibility. This knowledge of the genetic determinants of phage resistance and susceptibility can be used to design bespoke phage combinations targeted to specific bacterial infections for successful infection eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Cowley
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alison S Low
- Division of Immunity and Infection, the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Derek Pickard
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Christine J Boinett
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
- The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Timothy J Dallman
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - Martin Day
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - Neil Perry
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, Public Health England, London United Kingdom
| | - Amy K Cain
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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25
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Schutz K, Cowley LA, Shaaban S, Carroll A, McNamara E, Gally DL, Godbole G, Jenkins C, Dallman TJ. Evolutionary Context of Non-Sorbitol-Fermenting Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O55:H7. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 23:1966-1973. [PMID: 29148397 PMCID: PMC5708253 DOI: 10.3201/eid2312.170628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In July 2014, an outbreak of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O55:H7 in England involved 31 patients, 13 (42%) of whom had hemolytic uremic syndrome. Isolates were sequenced, and the sequences were compared with publicly available sequences of E. coli O55:H7 and O157:H7. A core-genome phylogeny of the evolutionary history of the STEC O55:H7 outbreak strain revealed that the most parsimonious model was a progenitor enteropathogenic O55:H7 sorbitol-fermenting strain, lysogenized by a Shiga toxin (Stx) 2a–encoding phage, followed by loss of the ability to ferment sorbitol because of a non-sense mutation in srlA. The parallel, convergent evolutionary histories of STEC O157:H7 and STEC O55:H7 may indicate a common driver in the evolutionary process. Because emergence of STEC O157:H7 as a clinically significant pathogen was associated with acquisition of the Stx2a-encoding phage, the emergence of STEC O55:H7 harboring the stx2a gene is of public health concern.
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26
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Lupolova N, Dallman TJ, Holden NJ, Gally DL. Erratum: Patchy promiscuity: machine learning applied to predict the host specificity of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. Microb Genom 2018; 4. [PMID: 29874157 PMCID: PMC6096936 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - David L Gally
- 4Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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27
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Wang D, McAteer SP, Wawszczyk AB, Russell CD, Tahoun A, Elmi A, Cockroft SL, Tollervey D, Granneman S, Tree JJ, Gally DL. An RNA-dependent mechanism for transient expression of bacterial translocation filaments. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:3366-3381. [PMID: 29432565 PMCID: PMC5909449 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The prokaryotic RNA chaperone Hfq mediates sRNA-mRNA interactions and plays a significant role in post-transcriptional regulation of the type III secretion (T3S) system produced by a range of Escherichia coli pathotypes. UV-crosslinking was used to map Hfq-binding under conditions that promote T3S and multiple interactions were identified within polycistronic transcripts produced from the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) that encodes the T3S system. The majority of Hfq binding was within the LEE5 and LEE4 operons, the latter encoding the translocon apparatus (SepL-EspADB) that is positively regulated by the RNA binding protein, CsrA. Using the identified Hfq-binding sites and a series of sRNA deletions, the sRNA Spot42 was shown to directly repress translation of LEE4 at the sepL 5' UTR. In silico and in vivo analyses of the sepL mRNA secondary structure combined with expression studies of truncates indicated that the unbound sepL mRNA is translationally inactive. Based on expression studies with site-directed mutants, an OFF-ON-OFF toggle model is proposed that results in transient translation of SepL and EspA filament assembly. Under this model, the nascent mRNA is translationally off, before being activated by CsrA, and then repressed by Hfq and Spot42.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dai Wang
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, South Xiangan Rd., Xiangan District, Xiamen, Fujian Province 361102, China
| | - Sean P McAteer
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Agata B Wawszczyk
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Clark D Russell
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Amin Tahoun
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516 Kafrel-Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Alex Elmi
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, UK
| | - Scott L Cockroft
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, David Brewster Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, UK
| | - David Tollervey
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Sander Granneman
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Jai J Tree
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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McAteer SP, Sy BM, Wong JL, Tollervey D, Gally DL, Tree JJ. Ribosome maturation by the endoribonuclease YbeY stabilizes a type 3 secretion system transcript required for virulence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:9006-9016. [PMID: 29678883 PMCID: PMC5995498 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a significant human pathogen that colonizes humans and its reservoir host, cattle. Colonization requires the expression of a type 3 secretion (T3S) system that injects a mixture of effector proteins into host cells to promote bacterial attachment and disease progression. The T3S system is tightly regulated by a complex network of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators. Using transposon mutagenesis, here we identified the ybeZYX-Int operon as being required for normal T3S levels. Deletion analyses localized the regulation to the endoribonuclease YbeY, previously linked to 16S rRNA maturation and small RNA (sRNA) function. Loss of ybeY in EHEC had pleiotropic effects on EHEC cells, including reduced motility and growth and cold sensitivity. Using UV cross-linking and RNA-Seq (CRAC) analysis, we identified YbeY-binding sites throughout the transcriptome and discovered specific binding of YbeY to the "neck" and "beak" regions of 16S rRNA but identified no significant association of YbeY with sRNA, suggesting that YbeY modulates T3S by depleting mature ribosomes. In E. coli, translation is strongly linked to mRNA stabilization, and subinhibitory concentrations of the translation-initiation inhibitor kasugamycin provoked rapid degradation of a polycistronic mRNA encoding needle filament and needle tip proteins of the T3S system. We conclude that T3S is particularly sensitive to depletion of initiating ribosomes, explaining the inhibition of T3S in the ΔybeY strain. Accessory virulence transcripts may be preferentially degraded in cells with reduced translational capacity, potentially reflecting prioritization in protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P McAteer
- From the Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Brandon M Sy
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney 2033, Australia, and
| | - Julia L Wong
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney 2033, Australia, and
| | - David Tollervey
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - David L Gally
- From the Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom,
| | - Jai J Tree
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney 2033, Australia, and
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Tahoun A, Jensen K, Corripio-Miyar Y, McAteer S, Smith DGE, McNeilly TN, Gally DL, Glass EJ. Host species adaptation of TLR5 signalling and flagellin recognition. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17677. [PMID: 29247203 PMCID: PMC5732158 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17935-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) recognition of flagellin instigates inflammatory signalling. Significant sequence variation in TLR5 exists between animal species but its impact on activity is less well understood. Building on our previous research that bovine TLR5 (bTLR5) is functional, we compared human and bovine TLR5 activity and signalling in cognate cell lines. bTLR5 induced higher levels of CXCL8 when expressed in bovine cells and reciprocal results were found for human TLR5 (hTLR5) in human cells, indicative of host cell specificity in this response. Analysis of Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) sequences indicated that these differential responses involve cognate MyD88 recognition. siRNA knockdowns and inhibitor experiments demonstrated that there are some host differences in signalling. Although, PI3K activation is required for bTLR5 signalling, mutating bTLR5 F798 to hTLR5 Y798 within a putative PI3K motif resulted in a significantly reduced response. All ruminants have F798 in contrast to most other species, suggesting that TLR5 signalling has evolved differently in ruminants. Evolutionary divergence between bovine and human TLR5 was also apparent in relation to responses measured to diverse bacterial flagellins. Our results underscore the importance of species specific studies and how differences may alter efficacy of TLR-based vaccine adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Tahoun
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516, Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Kirsty Jensen
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Yolanda Corripio-Miyar
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.,Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 OPZ, UK
| | - Sean McAteer
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - David G E Smith
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 OPZ, UK.,University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 OPZ, UK
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Glass
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
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30
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Gally DL, Stevens MP. Microbe Profile: Escherichia coli O157 : H7 - notorious relative of the microbiologist's workhorse. Microbiology (Reading) 2017; 163:1-3. [PMID: 28218576 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 pathogenesis using basic symbols. The right-hand illustration shows enterohaemorrhagic E. coli interactions with an epithelial cell.Escherichia coli O157 : H7 is a zoonotic diarrhoeal pathogen of worldwide importance. It belongs to a subset of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that can form attaching and effacing lesions on intestinal epithelia via the action of a type 3 secretion system that injects bacterial effectors into enterocytes. Infections in humans often arise from contaminated food or direct environmental exposure and can involve life-threatening Shiga toxin-dependent sequelae. In the three decades since E. coli O157 : H7 was first recognized intensive research has helped to unravel the basis of pathogenesis, but few effective options for prevention and treatment of infections exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Gally
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mark P Stevens
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
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31
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Lupolova N, Dallman TJ, Holden NJ, Gally DL. Patchy promiscuity: machine learning applied to predict the host specificity of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. Microb Genom 2017; 3:e000135. [PMID: 29177093 PMCID: PMC5695212 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli are bacterial species that colonize different animal hosts with sub-types that can cause life-threatening infections in humans. Source attribution of zoonoses is an important goal for infection control as is identification of isolates in reservoir hosts that represent a threat to human health. In this study, host specificity and zoonotic potential were predicted using machine learning in which Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were built based on predicted proteins from whole genome sequences. Analysis of over 1000 S.enterica genomes allowed the correct prediction (67 –90 % accuracy) of the source host for S. Typhimurium isolates and the same classifier could then differentiate the source host for alternative serovars such as S. Dublin. A key finding from both phylogeny and SVM methods was that the majority of isolates were assigned to host-specific sub-clusters and had high host-specific SVM scores. Moreover, only a minor subset of isolates had high probability scores for multiple hosts, indicating generalists with genetic content that may facilitate transition between hosts. The same approach correctly identified human versus bovine E. coli isolates (83 % accuracy) and the potential of the classifier to predict a zoonotic threat was demonstrated using E. coli O157. This research indicates marked host restriction for both S. enterica and E. coli, with only limited isolate subsets exhibiting host promiscuity by gene content. Machine learning can be successfully applied to interrogate source attribution of bacterial isolates and has the capacity to predict zoonotic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - David L Gally
- 4Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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32
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Wagner S, Lupolova N, Gally DL, Argyle SA. Convergence of plasmid architectures drives emergence of multi-drug resistance in a clonally diverse Escherichia coli population from a veterinary clinical care setting. Vet Microbiol 2017; 211:6-14. [PMID: 29102123 PMCID: PMC5680696 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Multi-drug resistant E. coli associated with urinary tract infections in dogs have a commensal strain background. Beta-lactam resistance is associated with blaCMY-2 located exclusively on a highly clonal IncI1 plasmid. IncI1 plasmids carried no other identifiable resistance genes. Isolates in some cases carried up to 5 plasmids, responsible for carriage of the additional resistances.
The purpose of this study was to determine the plasmid architecture and context of resistance genes in multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli strains isolated from urinary tract infections in dogs. Illumina and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing were applied to assemble the complete genomes of E. coli strains associated with clinical urinary tract infections, which were either phenotypically MDR or drug susceptible. This revealed that multiple distinct families of plasmids were associated with building an MDR phenotype. Plasmid-mediated AmpC (CMY-2) beta-lactamase resistance was associated with a clonal group of IncI1 plasmids that has remained stable in isolates collected up to a decade apart. Other plasmids, in particular those with an IncF replicon type, contained other resistance gene markers, so that the emergence of these MDR strains was driven by the accumulation of multiple plasmids, up to 5 replicons in specific cases. This study indicates that vulnerable patients, often with complex clinical histories provide a setting leading to the emergence of MDR E. coli strains in clonally distinct commensal backgrounds. While it is known that horizontally-transferred resistance supplements uropathogenic strains of E. coli such as ST131, our study demonstrates that the selection of an MDR phenotype in commensal E. coli strains can result in opportunistic infections in vulnerable patient populations. These strains provide a reservoir for the onward transfer of resistance alleles into more typically pathogenic strains and provide opportunities for the coalition of resistance and virulence determinants on plasmids as evidenced by the IncF replicons characterised in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Wagner
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Nadejda Lupolova
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - David L Gally
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Sally A Argyle
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
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33
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Shaaban S, Cowley LA, McAteer SP, Jenkins C, Dallman TJ, Bono JL, Gally DL. Evolution of a zoonotic pathogen: investigating prophage diversity in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 by long-read sequencing. Microb Genom 2016; 2:e000096. [PMID: 28348836 PMCID: PMC5359411 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 is a zoonotic pathogen for which colonization of cattle and virulence in humans is associated with multiple horizontally acquired genes, the majority present in active or cryptic prophages. Our understanding of the evolution and phylogeny of EHEC O157 continues to develop primarily based on core genome analyses; however, such short-read sequences have limited value for the analysis of prophage content and its chromosomal location. In this study, we applied Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) sequencing, using the Pacific Biosciences long-read sequencing platform, to isolates selected from the main sub-clusters of this clonal group. Prophage regions were extracted from these sequences and from published reference strains. Genome position and prophage diversity were analysed along with genetic content. Prophages could be assigned to clusters, with smaller prophages generally exhibiting less diversity and preferential loss of structural genes. Prophages encoding Shiga toxin (Stx) 2a and Stx1a were the most diverse, and more variable compared to prophages encoding Stx2c, further supporting the hypothesis that Stx2c-prophage integration was ancestral to acquisition of other Stx types. The concept that phage type (PT) 21/28 (Stx2a+, Stx2c+) strains evolved from PT32 (Stx2c+) was supported by analysis of strains with excised Stx-encoding prophages. Insertion sequence elements were over-represented in prophage sequences compared to the rest of the genome, showing integration in key genes such as stx and an excisionase, the latter potentially acting to capture the bacteriophage into the genome. Prophage profiling should allow more accurate prediction of the pathogenic potential of isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif Shaaban
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Lauren A. Cowley
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Timothy J. Dallman
- Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - James L. Bono
- U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933-0166, USA
| | - David L. Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, UK
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34
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Huerta-Uribe A, Marjenberg ZR, Yamaguchi N, Fitzgerald S, Connolly JPR, Carpena N, Uvell H, Douce G, Elofsson M, Byron O, Marquez R, Gally DL, Roe AJ. Identification and Characterization of Novel Compounds Blocking Shiga Toxin Expression in Escherichia coli O157:H7. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1930. [PMID: 27965652 PMCID: PMC5127787 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli strains constitute a health problem, as they are problematic to treat. Stx production is a key virulence factor associated with the pathogenicity of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and can result in the development of haemolytic uremic syndrome in infected patients. The genes encoding Stx are located on temperate lysogenic phages integrated into the bacterial chromosome and expression of the toxin is generally coupled to phage induction through the SOS response. We aimed to find new compounds capable of blocking expression of Stx type 2 (Stx2) as this subtype of Stx is more strongly associated with human disease. High-throughput screening of a small-molecule library identified a lead compound that reduced Stx2 expression in a dose-dependent manner. We show that the optimized compound interferes with the SOS response by directly affecting the activity and oligomerization of RecA, thus limiting phage activation and Stx2 expression. Our work suggests that RecA is highly susceptible to inhibition and that targeting this protein is a viable approach to limiting production of Stx2 by EHEC. This type of approach has the potential to limit production and transfer of other phage induced and transduced determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Huerta-Uribe
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Zoe R Marjenberg
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Nao Yamaguchi
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephen Fitzgerald
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UK
| | - James P R Connolly
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Nuria Carpena
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Hanna Uvell
- Laboratories for Chemical Biology Umeå, Department of Chemistry, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Gillian Douce
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Michael Elofsson
- Laboratories for Chemical Biology Umeå, Department of Chemistry, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Olwyn Byron
- School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
| | - Rudi Marquez
- Department of Chemistry, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Suzhou, China
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew J Roe
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK
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35
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Waters SA, McAteer SP, Kudla G, Pang I, Deshpande NP, Amos TG, Leong KW, Wilkins MR, Strugnell R, Gally DL, Tollervey D, Tree JJ. Small RNA interactome of pathogenic E. coli revealed through crosslinking of RNase E. EMBO J 2016; 36:374-387. [PMID: 27836995 PMCID: PMC5286369 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201694639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA sequencing studies have identified hundreds of non‐coding RNAs in bacteria, including regulatory small RNA (sRNA). However, our understanding of sRNA function has lagged behind their identification due to a lack of tools for the high‐throughput analysis of RNA–RNA interactions in bacteria. Here we demonstrate that in vivo sRNA–mRNA duplexes can be recovered using UV‐crosslinking, ligation and sequencing of hybrids (CLASH). Many sRNAs recruit the endoribonuclease, RNase E, to facilitate processing of mRNAs. We were able to recover base‐paired sRNA–mRNA duplexes in association with RNase E, allowing proximity‐dependent ligation and sequencing of cognate sRNA–mRNA pairs as chimeric reads. We verified that this approach captures bona fide sRNA–mRNA interactions. Clustering analyses identified novel sRNA seed regions and sets of potentially co‐regulated target mRNAs. We identified multiple mRNA targets for the pathotype‐specific sRNA Esr41, which was shown to regulate colicin sensitivity and iron transport in E. coli. Numerous sRNA interactions were also identified with non‐coding RNAs, including sRNAs and tRNAs, demonstrating the high complexity of the sRNA interactome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafagh A Waters
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sean P McAteer
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetic Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ignatius Pang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Systems Biology Initiative, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nandan P Deshpande
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Systems Biology Initiative, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy G Amos
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kai Wen Leong
- Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marc R Wilkins
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Systems Biology Initiative, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Strugnell
- Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David L Gally
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Tollervey
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jai J Tree
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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36
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Marshall J, Rossez Y, Mainda G, Gally DL, Daniell TJ, Holden NJ. Alternate thermoregulation and functional binding ofEscherichia colitype 1 fimbriae in environmental and animal isolates. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2016; 363:fnw251. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnw251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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37
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Cowley LA, Dallman TJ, Fitzgerald S, Irvine N, Rooney PJ, McAteer SP, Day M, Perry NT, Bono JL, Jenkins C, Gally DL. Short-term evolution of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 between two food-borne outbreaks. Microb Genom 2016; 2:e000084. [PMID: 28348875 PMCID: PMC5320650 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a public health threat and outbreaks occur worldwide. Here, we investigate genomic differences between related STEC O157:H7 that caused two outbreaks, eight weeks apart, at the same restaurant. Short-read genome sequencing divided the outbreak strains into two sub-clusters separated by only three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the core genome while traditional typing identified them as separate phage types, PT8 and PT54. Isolates did not cluster with local strains but with those associated with foreign travel to the Middle East/North Africa. Combined long-read sequencing approaches and optical mapping revealed that the two outbreak strains had undergone significant microevolution in the accessory genome with prophage gain, loss and recombination. In addition, the PT54 sub-type had acquired a 240 kbp multi-drug resistance (MDR) IncHI2 plasmid responsible for the phage type switch. A PT54 isolate had a general fitness advantage over a PT8 isolate in rich medium, including an increased capacity to use specific amino acids and dipeptides as a nitrogen source. The second outbreak was considerably larger and there were multiple secondary cases indicative of effective human-to-human transmission. We speculate that MDR plasmid acquisition and prophage changes have adapted the PT54 strain for human infection and transmission. Our study shows the added insights provided by combining whole-genome sequencing approaches for outbreak investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Cowley
- 1Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - Timothy J Dallman
- 1Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - Stephen Fitzgerald
- 2Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, EH25 9RG Roslin, UK
| | - Neil Irvine
- 3Public Health Agency, 12-22 Linenhall St, BT2 8BS Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Paul J Rooney
- 4Microbiology Laboratory, Royal Victoria Hospital, BT12 6BA Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Sean P McAteer
- 2Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, EH25 9RG Roslin, UK
| | - Martin Day
- 1Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - Neil T Perry
- 1Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - James L Bono
- 5U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933-0166, USA
| | - Claire Jenkins
- 1Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, Public Health England, NW9 5EQ London, UK
| | - David L Gally
- 2Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, EH25 9RG Roslin, UK
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38
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Corbishley A, Connelley TK, Wolfson EB, Ballingall K, Beckett AE, Gally DL, McNeilly TN. Identification of epitopes recognised by mucosal CD4(+) T-cell populations from cattle experimentally colonised with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Vet Res 2016; 47:90. [PMID: 27590451 PMCID: PMC5010706 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0374-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccines targeting enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 shedding in cattle are only partially protective. The correlates of protection of these vaccines are unknown, but it is probable that they reduce bacterial adherence at the mucosal surface via the induction of blocking antibodies. Recent studies have indicated a role for cellular immunity in cattle during colonisation, providing an impetus to understand the bacterial epitopes recognised during this response. This study mapped the epitopes of 16 EHEC O157:H7 proteins recognised by rectal lymph node CD4(+) T-cells from calves colonised with Shiga toxin producing EHEC O157:H7 strains. 20 CD4(+) T-cell epitopes specific to E. coli from 7 of the proteins were identified. The highly conserved N-terminal region of Intimin, including the signal peptide, was consistently recognised by mucosal CD4(+) T-cell populations from multiple animals of different major histocompatibility complex class II haplotypes. These T-cell epitopes are missing from many Intimin constructs used in published vaccine trials, but are relatively conserved across a range of EHEC serotypes, offering the potential to develop cross protective vaccines. Antibodies recognising H7 flagellin have been consistently identified in colonised calves; however CD4(+) T-cell epitopes from H7 flagellin were not identified in this study, suggesting that H7 flagellin may act as a T-cell independent antigen. This is the first time that the epitopes recognised by CD4(+) T-cells following colonisation with an attaching and effacing pathogen have been characterised in any species. The findings have implications for the design of antigens used in the next generation of EHEC O157:H7 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Corbishley
- Farm Animal Practice, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.,Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Timothy K Connelley
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Eliza B Wolfson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Keith Ballingall
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Amy E Beckett
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.,Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK.
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Mainda G, Lupolova N, Sikakwa L, Bessell PR, Muma JB, Hoyle DV, McAteer SP, Gibbs K, Williams NJ, Sheppard SK, La Ragione RM, Cordoni G, Argyle SA, Wagner S, Chase-Topping ME, Dallman TJ, Stevens MP, Bronsvoort BMD, Gally DL. Phylogenomic approaches to determine the zoonotic potential of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolated from Zambian dairy cattle. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26589. [PMID: 27220895 PMCID: PMC4879551 DOI: 10.1038/srep26589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the prevalence and zoonotic potential of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) sampled from 104 dairy units in the central region of Zambia and compared these with isolates from patients presenting with diarrhoea in the same region. A subset of 297 E. coli strains were sequenced allowing in silico analyses of phylo- and sero-groups. The majority of the bovine strains clustered in the B1 ‘commensal’ phylogroup (67%) and included a diverse array of serogroups. 11% (41/371) of the isolates from Zambian dairy cattle contained Shiga toxin genes (stx) while none (0/73) of the human isolates were positive. While the toxicity of a subset of these isolates was demonstrated, none of the randomly selected STEC belonged to key serogroups associated with human disease and none encoded a type 3 secretion system synonymous with typical enterohaemorrhagic strains. Positive selection for E. coli O157:H7 across the farms identified only one positive isolate again indicating this serotype is rare in these animals. In summary, while Stx-encoding E. coli strains are common in this dairy population, the majority of these strains are unlikely to cause disease in humans. However, the threat remains of the emergence of strains virulent to humans from this reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Mainda
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK.,Ministry Livestock and Fisheries, Kabwe, Zambia
| | - Nadejda Lupolova
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Paul R Bessell
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Deborah V Hoyle
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sean P McAteer
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sally A Argyle
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sam Wagner
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Mark P Stevens
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - David L Gally
- Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
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40
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De Majumdar S, Yu J, Fookes M, McAteer SP, Llobet E, Spence SFS, Monaghan A, Kissenpfennig A, Ingram RJ, Bengoechea J, Gally DL, Fanning S, Elborn JS, Schneiders T. Correction: Elucidation of the RamA Regulon in Klebsiella pneumoniae Reveals a Role in LPS Regulation. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005649. [PMID: 27166748 PMCID: PMC4864251 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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41
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Dallman TJ, Ashton PM, Byrne L, Perry NT, Petrovska L, Ellis R, Allison L, Hanson M, Holmes A, Gunn GJ, Chase-Topping ME, Woolhouse MEJ, Grant KA, Gally DL, Wain J, Jenkins C. Applying phylogenomics to understand the emergence of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains causing severe human disease in the UK. Microb Genom 2015; 1:e000029. [PMID: 28348814 PMCID: PMC5320567 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a recently emerged zoonotic pathogen with considerable morbidity. Since the emergence of this serotype in the 1980s, research has focussed on unravelling the evolutionary events from the E. coli O55:H7 ancestor to the contemporaneous globally dispersed strains observed today. In this study, the genomes of over 1000 isolates from both human clinical cases and cattle, spanning the history of STEC O157:H7 in the UK, were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the ancestry, key acquisition events and global context of the strains. Dated phylogenies estimated the time to evolution of the most recent common ancestor of the current circulating global clone to be 175 years ago. This event was followed by rapid diversification. We show the acquisition of specific virulence determinates has occurred relatively recently and coincides with its recent detection in the human population. We used clinical outcome data from 493 cases of STEC O157:H7 to assess the relative risk of severe disease including haemolytic uraemic syndrome from each of the defined clades in the population and show the dramatic effect Shiga toxin repertoire has on virulence. We describe two strain replacement events that have occurred in the cattle population in the UK over the last 30 years, one resulting in a highly virulent strain that has accounted for the majority of clinical cases in the UK over the last decade. There is a need to understand the selection pressures maintaining Shiga-toxin-encoding bacteriophages in the ruminant reservoir and the study affirms the requirement for close surveillance of this pathogen in both ruminant and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip M Ashton
- Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Lisa Byrne
- Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Neil T Perry
- Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Liljana Petrovska
- Animal Laboratories and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Richard Ellis
- Animal Laboratories and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Lesley Allison
- Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Mary Hanson
- Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Anne Holmes
- Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Reference Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - George J Gunn
- Future Farming Systems, R&D Division, SRUC, Drummondhill, Stratherrick Rd., Inverness IV2 4JZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Margo E Chase-Topping
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Mark E J Woolhouse
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Kathie A Grant
- Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin EH25 9RG, UK
| | - John Wain
- University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
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42
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Mainda G, Bessell PR, Bessell PB, Muma JB, McAteer SP, Chase-Topping ME, Gibbons J, Stevens MP, Gally DL, deC Bronsvoort BM. Prevalence and patterns of antimicrobial resistance among Escherichia coli isolated from Zambian dairy cattle across different production systems. Sci Rep 2015. [PMID: 26211388 PMCID: PMC4515737 DOI: 10.1038/srep12439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This study focused on the use of antibiotics on small, medium and commercial-sized dairy farms in the central region of Zambia and its relationship to antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli. A stratified random sample of 104 farms was studied, representing approximately 20% of all dairy farms in the region. On each farm, faecal samples were collected from a random sample of animals and a standardised questionnaire on the usage of antibiotics was completed. An E. coli isolate was obtained from 98.67% (371/376) of the sampled animals and tested for resistance to six classes of antibiotics. The estimated prevalence of resistance across the different farming systems was: tetracycline (10.61; 95%CI: 7.40–13.82), ampicillin (6.02; 95%CI: 3.31–8.73), sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim (4.49; 95%CI: 2.42–6.56), cefpodoxime (1.91; 95%CI: 0.46–3.36), gentamicin (0.89; 95%CI: 0.06–1.84) and ciprofloxacin (0%). Univariate analyses indicated certain diseases, exotic breeds, location, farm size and certain management practices as risk factors for detection of resistance, whereas multivariate analyses showed an association with lumpy skin disease and a protective effect for older animals (>25 months). This study has provided novel insights into the drivers of antibiotic use and their association with antibiotic resistance in an under-studied region of Southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Mainda
- 1] Divisions of Immunity and Infection, Veterinary Clinical Sciences [2] District Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, P.O. Box 80285, Kabwe, Zambia
| | - Paul R Bessell
- Genetics and Genomics, The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | | | - John B Muma
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Zambia
| | - Sean P McAteer
- Divisions of Immunity and Infection, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
| | - Margo E Chase-Topping
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, United Kingdom
| | - James Gibbons
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Science Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4, Eire
| | - Mark P Stevens
- Divisions of Immunity and Infection, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
| | - David L Gally
- Divisions of Immunity and Infection, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
| | - Barend M deC Bronsvoort
- 1] Divisions of Immunity and Infection, Veterinary Clinical Sciences [2] Genetics and Genomics, The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
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43
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McNeilly TN, Mitchell MC, Corbishley A, Nath M, Simmonds H, McAteer SP, Mahajan A, Low JC, Smith DGE, Huntley JF, Gally DL. Optimizing the Protection of Cattle against Escherichia coli O157:H7 Colonization through Immunization with Different Combinations of H7 Flagellin, Tir, Intimin-531 or EspA. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128391. [PMID: 26020530 PMCID: PMC4447243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are important human pathogens, causing hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uraemic syndrome in humans. E. coli O157:H7 is the most common serotype associated with EHEC infections worldwide, although other non-O157 serotypes cause life-threatening infections. Cattle are a main reservoir of EHEC and intervention strategies aimed at limiting EHEC excretion from cattle are predicted to lower the risk of human infection. We have previously shown that immunization of calves with recombinant versions of the type III secretion system (T3SS)-associated proteins EspA, intimin and Tir from EHEC O157:H7 significantly reduced shedding of EHEC O157 from experimentally-colonized calves, and that protection could be augmented by the addition of H7 flagellin to the vaccine formulation. The main aim of the present study was to optimize our current EHEC O157 subunit vaccine formulations by identifying the key combinations of these antigens required for protection. A secondary aim was to determine if vaccine-induced antibody responses exhibited cross-reactive potential with antigens from other EHEC serotypes. Immunization with EspA, intimin and Tir resulted in a reduction in mean EHEC O157 shedding following challenge, but not the mean proportion of calves colonized. Removal of Tir resulted in more prolonged shedding compared with all other groups, whereas replacement of Tir with H7 flagellin resulted in the highest levels of protection, both in terms of reducing both mean EHEC O157 shedding and the proportion of colonized calves. Immunization of calves with recombinant EHEC O157 EspA, intimin and Tir resulted in the generation of antibodies capable of cross-reacting with antigens from non-O157 EHEC serotypes, suggesting that immunization with these antigens may provide a degree of cross-protection against other EHEC serotypes. Further studies are now required to test the efficacy of these vaccines in the field, and to formally test the cross-protective potential of the vaccines against other non-O157 EHEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom N. McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Alexander Corbishley
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mintu Nath
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Simmonds
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Arvind Mahajan
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - J. Christopher Low
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David G. E. Smith
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - David L. Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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44
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Cowley LA, Beckett SJ, Chase-Topping M, Perry N, Dallman TJ, Gally DL, Jenkins C. Analysis of whole genome sequencing for the Escherichia coli O157:H7 typing phages. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:271. [PMID: 25887960 PMCID: PMC4429339 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1470-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli O157 can cause severe bloody diarrhea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Phage typing of E. coli O157 facilitates public health surveillance and outbreak investigations, certain phage types are more likely to occupy specific niches and are associated with specific age groups and disease severity. The aim of this study was to analyse the genome sequences of 16 (fourteen T4 and two T7) E. coli O157 typing phages and to determine the genes responsible for the subtle differences in phage type profiles. Results The typing phages were sequenced using paired-end Illumina sequencing at The Genome Analysis Centre and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency and bioinformatics programs including Velvet, Brig and Easyfig were used to analyse them. A two-way Euclidian cluster analysis highlighted the associations between groups of phage types and typing phages. The analysis showed that the T7 typing phages (9 and 10) differed by only three genes and that the T4 typing phages formed three distinct groups of similar genomic sequences: Group 1 (1, 8, 11, 12 and 15, 16), Group 2 (3, 6, 7 and 13) and Group 3 (2, 4, 5 and 14). The E. coli O157 phage typing scheme exhibited a significantly modular network linked to the genetic similarity of each group showing that these groups are specialised to infect a subset of phage types. Conclusion Sequencing the typing phage has enabled us to identify the variable genes within each group and to determine how this corresponds to changes in phage type. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1470-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Cowley
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Ave, London, NW9 5HT, UK.
| | - Stephen J Beckett
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK.
| | - Margo Chase-Topping
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, R(D)VS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Neil Perry
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Ave, London, NW9 5HT, UK.
| | - Tim J Dallman
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Ave, London, NW9 5HT, UK.
| | - David L Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute, R(D)VS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Ave, London, NW9 5HT, UK.
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45
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Tahoun A, Jensen K, Corripio-Miyar Y, McAteer SP, Corbishley A, Mahajan A, Brown H, Frew D, Aumeunier A, Smith DGE, McNeilly TN, Glass EJ, Gally DL. Functional analysis of bovine TLR5 and association with IgA responses of cattle following systemic immunisation with H7 flagella. Vet Res 2015; 46:9. [PMID: 25827709 PMCID: PMC4333180 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-014-0135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Flagellin subunits are important inducers of host immune responses through activation of TLR5 when extracellular and the inflammasome if cytosolic. Our previous work demonstrated that systemic immunization of cattle with flagella generates systemic and mucosal IgA responses. The IgA response in mice is TLR5-dependent and TLR5 can impact on the general magnitude of the adaptive response. However, due to sequence differences between bovine and human/murine TLR5 sequences, it is not clear whether bovine TLR5 (bTLR5) is able to stimulate an inflammatory response following interaction with flagellin. To address this we have examined the innate responses of both human and bovine cells containing bTLR5 to H7 flagellin from E. coli O157:H7. Both HEK293 (human origin) and embryonic bovine lung (EBL) cells transfected with bTLR5 responded to addition of H7 flagellin compared to non-transfected controls. Responses were significantly reduced when mutations were introduced into the TLR5-binding regions of H7 flagellin, including an R90T substitution. In bovine primary macrophages, flagellin-stimulated CXCL8 mRNA and secreted protein levels were significantly reduced when TLR5 transcript levels were suppressed by specific siRNAs and stimulation was reduced with the R90T-H7 variant. While these results indicate that the bTLR5 sequence produces a functional flagellin-recognition receptor, cattle immunized with R90T-H7 flagella also demonstrated systemic IgA responses to the flagellin in comparison to adjuvant only controls. This presumably either reflects our findings that R90T-H7 still activates bTLR5, albeit with reduced efficiency compared to WT H7 flagellin, or that other flagellin recognition pathways may play a role in this mucosal response.
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46
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De Majumdar S, Yu J, Fookes M, McAteer SP, Llobet E, Finn S, Spence S, Monaghan A, Kissenpfennig A, Ingram RJ, Bengoechea J, Gally DL, Fanning S, Elborn JS, Schneiders T. Elucidation of the RamA regulon in Klebsiella pneumoniae reveals a role in LPS regulation. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004627. [PMID: 25633080 PMCID: PMC4310594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant human pathogen, in part due to high rates of multidrug resistance. RamA is an intrinsic regulator in K. pneumoniae established to be important for the bacterial response to antimicrobial challenge; however, little is known about its possible wider regulatory role in this organism during infection. In this work, we demonstrate that RamA is a global transcriptional regulator that significantly perturbs the transcriptional landscape of K. pneumoniae, resulting in altered microbe-drug or microbe-host response. This is largely due to the direct regulation of 68 genes associated with a myriad of cellular functions. Importantly, RamA directly binds and activates the lpxC, lpxL-2 and lpxO genes associated with lipid A biosynthesis, thus resulting in modifications within the lipid A moiety of the lipopolysaccharide. RamA-mediated alterations decrease susceptibility to colistin E, polymyxin B and human cationic antimicrobial peptide LL-37. Increased RamA levels reduce K. pneumoniae adhesion and uptake into macrophages, which is supported by in vivo infection studies, that demonstrate increased systemic dissemination of ramA overexpressing K. pneumoniae. These data establish that RamA-mediated regulation directly perturbs microbial surface properties, including lipid A biosynthesis, which facilitate evasion from the innate host response. This highlights RamA as a global regulator that confers pathoadaptive phenotypes with implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of Enterobacter, Salmonella and Citrobacter spp. that express orthologous RamA proteins. Bacteria can rapidly evolve under antibiotic pressure to develop resistance, which occurs when target genes mutate, or when resistance-encoding genes are transferred. Alternatively, microbes can simply alter the levels of intrinsic proteins that allow the organism to “buy” time to resist antibiotic pressure. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a pathogen that causes significant blood stream or respiratory infections, but more importantly is a bacterium that is increasingly being reported as multidrug resistant. Our data demonstrate that RamA can trigger changes on the bacterial surface that allow Klebsiella to survive both antibiotic challenge, degradation by host immune peptides and resist phagocytosis. We demonstrate that the molecular basis of increased survival of ramA overexpressing K. pneumoniae, against host-derived factors is associated with RamA-driven alterations of the lipid A moiety of Klebsiella LPS. This modification is likely to be linked to Klebsiella’s ability to resist the host response so that it remains undetected by the immune system. The relevance of our work extends beyond RamA in Klebsiella as other pathogens such as Enterobacter spp and Salmonella spp. also produce this protein. Thus our overarching conclusion is that the intrinsic regulator, RamA perturbs host-microbe and microbe-drug interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamasree De Majumdar
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Division of Pathway and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jing Yu
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Fookes
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P. McAteer
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Enrique Llobet
- Laboratory Microbial Pathogenesis, Fundació d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears (FISIB) Recinto Hospital Joan March, Bunyola, Spain
| | - Sarah Finn
- UCD Centre for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Shaun Spence
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Avril Monaghan
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - José Bengoechea
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Laboratory Microbial Pathogenesis, Fundació d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears (FISIB) Recinto Hospital Joan March, Bunyola, Spain
| | - David L. Gally
- Division of Immunity and Infection, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD Centre for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Thamarai Schneiders
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Belfast, United Kingdom
- Division of Pathway and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The flagellum organelle is an intricate multiprotein assembly best known for its rotational propulsion of bacteria. However, recent studies have expanded our knowledge of other functions in pathogenic contexts, particularly adherence and immune modulation, e.g., for Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. Flagella-mediated adherence is important in host colonisation for several plant and animal pathogens, but the specific interactions that promote flagella binding to such diverse host tissues has remained elusive. Recent work has shown that the organelles act like probes that find favourable surface topologies to initiate binding. An emerging theme is that more general properties, such as ionic charge of repetitive binding epitopes and rotational force, allow interactions with plasma membrane components. At the same time, flagellin monomers are important inducers of plant and animal innate immunity: variation in their recognition impacts the course and outcome of infections in hosts from both kingdoms. Bacteria have evolved different strategies to evade or even promote this specific recognition, with some important differences shown for phytopathogens. These studies have provided a wider appreciation of the functions of bacterial flagella in the context of both plant and animal reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Rossez
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Eliza B. Wolfson
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, United Kingdom
| | - Ashleigh Holmes
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Gally
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Holden
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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48
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Beckham KSH, Connolly JPR, Ritchie JM, Wang D, Gawthorne JA, Tahoun A, Gally DL, Burgess K, Burchmore RJ, Smith BO, Beatson SA, Byron O, Wolfe AJ, Douce GR, Roe AJ. The metabolic enzyme AdhE controls the virulence of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Mol Microbiol 2014; 93:199-211. [PMID: 24846743 PMCID: PMC4249723 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Classical studies have focused on the role that individual regulators play in controlling virulence gene expression. An emerging theme, however, is that bacterial metabolism also plays a key role in this process. Our previous work identified a series of proteins that were implicated in the regulation of virulence. One of these proteins was AdhE, a bi-functional acetaldehyde-CoA dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase. Deletion of its gene (adhE) resulted in elevated levels of extracellular acetate and a stark pleiotropic phenotype: strong suppression of the Type Three Secretion System (T3SS) and overexpression of non-functional flagella. Correspondingly, the adhE mutant bound poorly to host cells and was unable to swim. Furthermore, the mutant was significantly less virulent than its parent when tested in vivo, which supports the hypothesis that attachment and motility are central to the colonization process. The molecular basis by which AdhE affects virulence gene regulation was found to be multifactorial, involving acetate-stimulated transcription of flagella expression and post-transcriptional regulation of the T3SS through Hfq. Our study reveals fascinating insights into the links between bacterial physiology, the expression of virulence genes, and the underlying molecular mechanism mechanisms by which these processes are regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine S H Beckham
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - James P R Connolly
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Jennifer M Ritchie
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of SurreyGuildford, GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Dai Wang
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
- † Present address: School of Public Health, Xiamen University South Xiangan Rd., Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jayde A Gawthorne
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Amin Tahoun
- School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of SurreyGuildford, GU2 7XH, UK
| | - David L Gally
- School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Karl Burgess
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Richard J Burchmore
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Brian O Smith
- Immunity and Infection Division, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of EdinburghEaster Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Scott A Beatson
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University33516, Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Olwyn Byron
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of QueenslandSt. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Alan J Wolfe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine2160 S. First Ave., Bldg. 105, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | - Gillian R Douce
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Andrew J Roe
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, G12 8TA, UK
- *For correspondence. E-mail ; Tel. (+44) 141 3302980; Fax (+44) 141 330 2981
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49
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Wagner S, Gally DL, Argyle SA. Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli from canine urinary tract infections tend to have commensal phylotypes, lower prevalence of virulence determinants and ampC-replicons. Vet Microbiol 2014; 169:171-8. [PMID: 24485933 PMCID: PMC3969583 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Revised: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli is an emerging clinical challenge in domestic species. Treatment options in many cases are limited. This study characterized MDR E. coli isolates from urinary tract infections in dogs, collected between 2002 and 2011. Isolates were evaluated in terms of β-lactamase production, phylogenetic group, ST type, replicon type and virulence marker profile. Comparisons were made with antibiotic susceptible isolates also collected from dogs with urinary tract infections. AmpC β-lactamase was produced in 67% of the MDR isolates (12/18). Of these, 8 could be specifically attributed to the CMY-2 gene. None of the isolates tested in either group expressed ESBLs. Phylo-group distribution was as expected in the susceptible isolates, with an over representation of the pathogenic B2 phylo-group (67%). In contrast, the phylogenetic background for the MDR group was mixed, with representation of commensal phylo-groups A and B1. The B2 phylo-group represented the smallest proportion (A, B1, B2 or D was 28%, 22%, 11% and 33%, respectively). Virulence marker profiles, evaluated using Identibac(®) microarray, discriminated between the two groups. Marker sequences for a core panel of virulence determinants were identified in most of the susceptible isolates, but not in most of the MDR isolates. These findings indicate that for MDR isolates, plasmid-mediated AmpC is an important resistance mechanism, and while still capable of causing clinical disease, there is evidence for a shift towards phylogenetic groups of reduced inferred virulence potential. There was no evidence of zoonotic potential in either the susceptible or MDR urinary tract isolates in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Wagner
- Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - David L Gally
- Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Sally A Argyle
- Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
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50
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Rossez Y, Holmes A, Wolfson EB, Gally DL, Mahajan A, Pedersen HL, Willats WG, Toth IK, Holden NJ. Flagella interact with ionic plant lipids to mediate adherence of pathogenicEscherichia colito fresh produce plants. Environ Microbiol 2013; 16:2181-95. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Rossez
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences; James Hutton Institute; Dundee Scotland UK
| | - Ashleigh Holmes
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences; James Hutton Institute; Dundee Scotland UK
| | - Eliza B. Wolfson
- The Roslin Institute Division of Infection and Immunity; University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS; Edinburgh EH25 9RG UK
| | - David L. Gally
- The Roslin Institute Division of Infection and Immunity; University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS; Edinburgh EH25 9RG UK
| | - Arvind Mahajan
- The Roslin Institute Division of Infection and Immunity; University of Edinburgh, R(D)SVS; Edinburgh EH25 9RG UK
| | | | - William G.T. Willats
- Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology; University of Copenhagen; Denmark
| | - Ian K. Toth
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences; James Hutton Institute; Dundee Scotland UK
| | - Nicola J. Holden
- Cellular and Molecular Sciences; James Hutton Institute; Dundee Scotland UK
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