Serum resistance and virulence of Escherichia coli isolated from turkeys

Twenty-five strains of Escherichia coli isolated from turkeys were characterized for their serum resistance and virulence. An in vitro bactericidal assay was used to determine the serum resistance of E coli. Virulence was determined by survival time after IV inoculation of each strain into 3-week-old turkeys. Serum-resistant E coli strains were generally found to be virulent for turkeys, whereas serum-sensitive E coli strains were avirulent. Of the 25 strains, 18 strains were placed in the 2 categories of serum-resistant/virulent and serum-sensitive/avirulent. Five strains were serum-resistant and avirulent, and 2 strains were serum-sensitive and virulent. Serum resistance appears to be an important determinant of virulence for E coli in turkeys; however, the requirement for other virulence factors, in addition to serum resistance, was suggested by the finding that 5 serum-resistant strains were avirulent in turkeys.     

鸡致病性大肠埃希菌素V质粒研究进展

大肠埃希菌素V(ColV)质粒是鸡致病性大肠埃希菌中重要的毒力质粒之一,能够编码大肠埃希菌素V、血清抗性、铁摄取系统等与致病相关的毒力基因。目前虽然对鸡的大肠埃希菌病研究的比较广泛,但其确切的发病机制仍需继续深入研究。文章综述了ColV质粒与鸡大肠埃希菌病的联系,及其3个表型与鸡致病性大肠埃希菌毒力的关系,为防控鸡大肠埃希菌病提供新的思路。     

Virulence factors of avian Escherichia coli

A total of 45 strains of Escherichia coli isolates from chickens with colisepticemia were examined for virulence factors commonly found in pathogenic groups of E. coli. These strains were studied for the following: pathogenicity in 1-day-old chicks; toxin, hemolysin, and colicin production; cell invasiveness and adherence; hemagglutination for fimbriae detection; serum resistance; aerobactin production in iron-limited conditions; and plasmid content. The characteristics exhibited by virulent strains were invasion for HeLa and chicken fibroblast cells, serum resistance, colicin V, and aerobactin production. None of the isolates were toxigenic or positive in hemagglutination tests. The molecular genetic studies of the virulence factors by agarose electrophoresis showed that the plasmids of these strains are of high molecular weight.     

Location of increased serum survival gene and selected virulence traits on a conjugative R plasmid in an avian Escherichia coli isolate

Avian colibacillosis is a costly disease for the poultry industry. The mechanisms of virulence employed by the etiologic agent of this disease remain ill defined. However, accumulated evidence suggests that complement resistance and the presence of the increased serum survival gene (iss) in an avian Escherichia coli isolate may be indicative of its ability to cause disease. This association of iss with the E. coli implicated in avian disease may mean that iss and/or, perhaps, the genes associated with it are important contributors to avian E. coli virulence. For this reason, we have begun a search for iss's location in the bacterial genome. Thus far, iss in an avian E coli isolate has been localized to a conjugative R plasmid and estimated to be about 100 kilobase (kb) in size, encoding resistance to tetracycline and ampicillin. Hybridization studies have revealed that this plasmid contains sequences with homology to tsh, a gene associated with virulence of avian E coli; intI 1, a gene encoding the integrase of Class 1 integrons; and certain genes of the aerobactin- and CoIV-encoding operons. Sequences homologous to merA, a gene of the mercury resistance operon, were not identified on this R plasmid. This plasmid, when transferred into an avirulent, recipient strain by conjugation, enhanced the transconjugant's resistance to complement but not its virulence, in spite of the plasmid's possession of several putative virulence genes and traits. Such results may reflect the multifactorial nature of virulence, the degree of the recipient's impairment for virulence, or an inability of the embryo assay used here to detect this plasmid's contribution to virulence. Additionally, this plasmid contains genes encoding antimicrobial resistances, which may provide a selective advantage to virulent E. coli in the production environment. Further study will be needed to determine whether this plasmid is widespread among virulent E. coli and to ascertain the implications that this link between virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes may have for poultry management.     

Salmonella Abortusequi strains of equine origin harbor a 95kb plasmid responsible for virulence in mice.

Most Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. choleraesuis serovar Abortusequi strains of equine origin harbor a 95kb plasmid, pSA95. Results of PCR and Southern blot analysis suggest that pSA95 contains spv genes. A pSA95-cured strain of S. Abortusequi was 48 times less virulent to mice than its parental strain. Virulence was restored by reintroduction of pSA95. These results provide clear evidence that pSA95 confers virulence on S. Abortusequi in mice. This is the first report describing a virulence plasmid of S. Abortusequi.     

Comparative infectivity for axenic and specific-pathogen-free chickens of O2 Escherichia coli strains with or without virulence factors

Adhesion to epithelial respiratory cells, iron acquisition, and production of K1 polysaccharide capsules have been proposed as potential virulence factors of avian Escherichia coli. These factors were studied by inoculating groups of axenic or specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens intratracheally with O2 E. coli strains after previous challenge with a wild strain of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). In all experiments, the association between IBV and an E. coli strain endowed with the three virulence factors previously mentioned resulted in the most severe pathological effects, as measured by mortality, weight gains, lesions, and reisolation of E. coli from internal organs. An E. coli strain devoid of virulence factors was able only to induce mild pathological effects restricted to the respiratory tract when combined with IBV. Both E. coli strains were more invasive in axenic chickens than in SPF chickens. These results confirm the probable involvement of the three factors studied in the pathogenic properties of avian E. coli. This model can be used to assess the role of virulence factors, by comparing pairs of positive and negative isogenic strains.     

Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of potential virulence of intestinal avian Escherichia coli strains isolated in Algeria

In order to characterize potential pathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic hens and chickens originating from intensive battery rearing in North Algeria, the presence of a large range of virulence factors and markers was studied in 50 strains by DNA-DNA hybridization on colonies and phenotypic tests. The sequences we focused on were those coding for adhesins F5, F41, F17, Pap, Afa, and Sfa; intimin Eae; and toxins STa, STb, LT1, Stx1, Stx2, CNF1, and CNF2. The phenotypes explored were the colicins, aerobactin, hemolysins, and hemagglutinin production and serum resistance. The genotypic and phenotypic tests enabled us to categorize the isolates into two distinct groups: those with a potential to invade the host (27 strains were serum resistant and/or produced aerobactin), among which three strains were also potentially diarrheagenic, one strain was LT1 + F17+ Afa+ Pap+ (enterotoxigenic E. coli) and the two others were Stx1 (verotoxigenic E. coli). Twenty-three strains were colicinogenic, including 19 strains producing colicin V. This latter factor was also detected in isolates negative for the other virulence factors. On the basis of the type of erythrocytes agglutinated, we established 14 mannose-resistant hemagglutination patterns among the 37 strains tested, including 22 serum-resistant and/or aerobactin producing strains and 15 strains negative for these two characters. None of the strains produced alpha hemolysin, whereas two strains produced beta hemolysin and enterohemolysin, respectively. Congo red fixation was observed in 25 strains. No relationship could be detected between Congo red fixation and the presence of other virulence markers, such as serum resistance and aerobactin production. This study shows that among isolates originating from the feces of diarrheic chickens, the proportion of potentially diarrheagenic E. coli strains is low.     

Identification of Escherichia coli recovered from milk of sows with coliform mastitis by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using standardized reagents

A standardized-reagents commercial kit for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used for typing 58 Escherichia coli strains that were recovered from the milk of sows, having coliform mastitis, within a single swineherd in Sweden. Previously, the 58 E. coli strains were characterized serologically and profiled biochemically. They were also evaluated for their serum resistance and their ability to adhere to fibronectin and bovine fetal fibroblasts. The RAPD analysis was fast, easily performed, and required only a nanogram of DNA. The indistinguishable banding patterns obtained with repeated analyses of 2 isolates from each strain demonstrated that RAPD analysis using standardized beads is a technique that provides reproducible results for typing E. coli strains that cause mastitis in sows. The results of the RAPD analyses demonstrated that E. coli sow mastitis strains are highly variable in serotype, biochemical profiles, virulence factors, and RAPD type, and that all 58 strains can be differentiated by means of the RAPD technique. The strains grouped into 24 RAPD types by combining the results of 2 primers, and into 38 groups by combining the results of serotype and RAPD type. No relationship between serotypes, virulence factors and RAPD types was found.     

Virulence factors and markers in Escherichia coli from calves with bacteremia

Relative pathogenicity of 151 Escherichia coli isolates from 36 calves with bacteremia after necropsy was studied by measurement of the LD50 after mice were inoculated IP with E coli isolates. Study of virulence factors and markers revealed that the pathogenicity of E coli was associated with the production of hydroxamate siderophores and with resistance to serum bactericidal effects. Production of colicins, including colicin V, and of surface antigen 31A was correlated with virulence. The close association between phenotypic expression of virulence factors and markers was consistent with a hypothesis of a localization of genes coding for virulence factors and markers on the same plasmid.     

Multiple antimicrobial resistance region of a putative virulence plasmid from an Escherichia coli isolate incriminated in avian colibacillosis

Infections due to Escherichia coli have been costly to the poultry industry, but the exact virulence mechanisms used by these organisms to cause disease in birds remain undefined. Several factors have been shown to contribute to the virulence of avian E. coli, and many of the genes encoding these factors have been found on large conjugative plasmids. Because of the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance genes on these same plasmids, it is possible that the use of antimicrobial agents may select for persistence of E. coli containing such plasmids. In the present study, a subclone of one of these plasmids was identified as likely containing some virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. In an effort to better understand the relationship between virulence and resistance in these plasmids, this subclone was sequenced and the sequence analyzed. Analysis of this 30-kilobase (kb) region of plasmid pTJ100 revealed a mosaic of virulence genes, insertion sequences, antimicrobial resistance cassettes, and their remnants. Many of the resistance genes found in this region were expressed under laboratory conditions, indicating that certain antimicrobial agents, including disinfectants, antibiotics, and heavy metals, could promote selection of E. coli containing such plasmids in the production environment. Also, analysis of the G + C content of this clone indicated that it is the likely consequence of a complex evolution with components derived from various sources. The occurrence of many mobile elements in conjunction with antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in this 30-kb region may indicate that the genetic constitution of the clone is quite plastic. Although further study will be required to better define this plasmid's role in avian E. coli virulence, the sequence described here is, to our knowledge, the longest known contiguous sequence of a ColV plasmid yet presented. Analysis of this sequence indicates that this clone and its parent plasmid may be important to the pathogenesis of avian colibacillosis and the evolution of avian E. coli virulence.     

致病性大肠杆菌耐药性与其质粒相关性研究

对本地临床分离的20株致病性大肠杆菌进行耐药性检测和质粒检测。耐药性检测结果显示,受检20株致病性大肠杆菌对临床常用5种抗菌药物均表现为耐药,大肠杆菌耐药程度及多重耐药现象较为严重。质粒图谱分析结果表明,在大肠杆菌耐药性菌株中,尤其是耐药程度较高且呈多重耐药的菌株中,耐药质粒的检出率较高。实验结果提示:致病性大肠杆菌耐药性与其耐药质粒存在密切相关。     

河西走廊地区犊牛腹泻致病性大肠杆菌分离鉴定、毒力因子及耐药性检测

[目的]为了分析河西走廊地区犊牛腹泻致病性大肠杆菌携带毒力基因和耐药性情况,[方法]2020—2021年在河西走廊地区采集患腹泻病犊牛的粪便、肛拭子及肝脏等病料组织279份,采用人工感染试验动物、PCR方法和K-B药敏纸片法分别检测犊牛腹泻性大肠杆菌致病性、毒力因子和耐药性。[结果]结果表明,分离得到了126株大肠杆菌,其中79株犊牛腹泻性大肠杆菌能引起小鼠死亡;分离的79株致病性大肠杆菌的毒力基因crl、irp2、fimH、papC、K88、K99、stx1、stx2检测率在40.5%～100%之间,其他毒力基因检测率在15.2%～34.2%之间;分离的79株致病性大肠杆菌对氨苄西林、阿莫西林、新霉素等8种药物的耐药率在49.4%～96.2%之间,对其他药物的耐药率在5.1%～32.9%之间。[结论]从河西走廊地区患腹泻病犊牛病料组织中分离得到79株致病性大肠杆菌,这些菌株携带多种毒力基因,对临床中常用的抗菌药物产生了耐药性。     

Virulence profiles of Shiga toxin 2e-producing Escherichia coli isolated from healthy pig at slaughter

Recently, virulence patterns of Stx2e-producing Escherichia coli from pigs with edema disease and from humans were compared and strains from diseased pigs were reported to be unlikely human pathogens [Sonntag, A.K., Bielaszewska, M., Mellmann, A., Dierksen, N., Schierack, P., Wieler, L.H., Schmidt, M.A., Karch, H., 2005. Shiga toxin 2e-producing Escherichia coli isolates from humans and pigs differ in their virulence profiles and interactions with intestinal epithelial cells. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71, 8855-8863]. In the present study, 31 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains harboring stx2e, which were previously isolated out of fecal samples from healthy pigs at slaughter [Kaufmann, M., Zweifel, C., Blanco, M., Blanco, J.E., Blanco, J., Beutin, L., Stephan, R., 2006. Escherichia coli O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in fecal samples of finished pigs at slaughter in Switzerland. J. Food Prot. 69, 260-266], were characterized by phenotypic and genotypic traits. Nine of the thirty-one sorbitol-positive non-O157 STEC (stx2e) isolated from healthy pigs belonged to serotypes found in STEC isolated from humans, including two serotypes (O9:H-, O26:H-) reported in association with hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Otherwise, the serotypes were different from those isolated from cases of edema disease in pigs. The eae (intimin) gene, which is strongly correlated with severe human disease, was not detected. Moreover, all strains were lacking the genes for enterohemolysin (ehxA), porcine A/E associated protein (paa), STEC autoagglutinating adhesin (saa) and the serin protease EspI (espI). Nine strains tested positive for astA (EAST1), one O141:H17 strain for fedA (F18 fimbrial adhesin) and one O159:H- strain for terF (tellurite resistance). Similar to the Stx2e-producing E. coli isolated from humans, which are mainly lacking further virulence factors, genes of an iron uptake system on the high-pathogenicity island (irp2, fyuA) were detected in three ONT:H10 and ONT:H19 strains from healthy pigs. Consequently, although the isolated strains are unlikely to be associated with severe human diseases, healthy pigs cannot be excluded as a potential source of human infection with Stx2e-producing STEC.     

Virulence factors of Escherichia coli isolated from cows with acute mastitis

A total of 184 Escherichia coli isolates recovered from cows with acute mastitis were examined for recognized pathogenic mechanisms and virulence factors commonly found in pathogenic groups of E coli. A modification of the Eng procedure (for detecting complement deficiencies in serum) was used to test for resistance to different animal sera. The Sereny test (for invasiveness), infant mouse test (for heat-stable enterotoxin), and Y-1 adrenal tumor cell assay (for heat-labile enterotoxin) were used. Hemagglutination tests, using rabbit, sheep, and guinea pig RBC, were done with and without added mannose. All of the 184 isolates were serum resistant in all tested sera. None of the isolates was invasive. Only 1 isolate was positive for heat-stable enterotoxin and 2 cultures were positive for heat-labile enterotoxin. Multiple patterns of hemagglutination were observed. The majority of the isolates exhibited both mannose-sensitive and mannose-resistant hemagglutinins with guinea pig and rabbit RBC. A few strains were positive only in mannose-sensitive or mannose-resistant hemagglutination tests. A few strains were negative in all hemagglutination tests. Based on our results, E. coli from cows with acute mastitis lack the virulence factors commonly observed in other E coli groups associated with disease. Serum resistance was the only characteristic that could be related to virulence.     

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC).

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) cause aerosacculitis, polyserositis, septicemia and other mainly extraintestinal diseases in chickens, turkeys and other avian species. APEC are found in the intestinal microflora of healthy birds and most of the diseases associated with them are secondary to environmental and host predisposing factors. APEC isolates commonly belong to certain serogroups, O1, O2 and O78, and to a restricted number of clones. Several experimental models have been developed, permitting a more reliable evaluation of the pathogenicity of E. coli for chickens and turkeys. Hence, virulence factors identified on APEC are adhesins such as the F1 and P fimbriae, and curli, the aerobactin iron sequestering system, K1 capsule, temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (Tsh), resistance to the bactericidal effects of serum and cytotoxic effects. Experimental infection studies have shown that the air-exchange regions of the lung and the airsacs are important sites of entry of E. coli into the bloodstream of birds during the initial stages of infection and that resistance to phagocytosis may be an important mechanism in the development of the disease. They have also demonstrated that F1 fimbriae are expressed in the respiratory tract, whereas P fimbriae are expressed in the internal organs of infected chickens. The role of these fimbrial adhesins in the development of disease is not yet, however, fully understood. The more recent use of genetic approaches for the identification of new virulence factors will greatly enhance our knowledge of APEC pathogenic mechanisms. Diagnosis of APEC infections is based on the clinical picture, lesions and isolation of E. coli. This may be strengthened by serotyping and identification of virulence factors using immunological or molecular methods such as DNA probes and PCR. Approaches for the prevention and control of APEC infections include the control of environmental contamination and environmental parameters such as humidity and ventilation. Antibiotherapy is widely used, although APEC are frequently resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. Vaccines containing killed or attenuated virulent bacteria protect against infection with the homologous strain but are less efficient against heterologous strains. Hence, vaccination for colibacillosis is not widely practised because of the large variety of serogroups involved in field outbreaks.     

TonB is essential for virulence in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains have multiple iron-uptake systems that facilitate adaptation to iron-restricted environments and are believed to assist in colonisation of the host. These systems include several TonB-dependent transporters of ferri-siderophores encoded by the chromosome and the large virulence plasmid common to APECs. The tonB gene of the virulent APEC strain E956 was replaced with a selectable antibiotic resistance marker using Lambda Red recombinase mutagenesis. The phenotype of the ΔtonB E956 mutant was compared to the parent strain under various culture conditions and in chickens experimentally infected via the respiratory route. The mutant was resistant to streptonigrin, impaired in its ability to adapt to growth in iron-depleted medium and had greater tolerance of oxidative stress than the parental strain. The mutant was avirulent in chickens, did not affect the growth of chicks and colonisation was mostly limited to the trachea. This study has demonstrated that TonB is essential for virulence in APEC.     

双组分系统CpxR影响禽致病性大肠杆菌的耐药性、抗血清杀菌能力及毒力

CpxR是细菌中Cpx双组分系统（two component system,TCS）的反应调控蛋白,通过调控靶基因的转录表达,在细菌细胞膜稳定及毒力方面发挥作用。本研究旨在探究TCS CpxR对禽致病性大肠杆菌（avian pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC）基本生物学特性、抗血清杀菌能力及致病性的影响。利用Red同源重组系统及互补质粒构建cpxR基因缺失株、互补株,然后比较分析野生株、基因缺失株与互补株的生长曲线、运动性、生物被膜形成能力、药物敏感性、抗血清杀菌能力、动物致病性的差异。结果显示：cpxR基因缺失株与野生株、互补株的生长速度和运动性能无明显差异,且缺失cpxR基因不影响APEC的生物被膜形成能力。然而,缺失CpxR导致APEC对阿米卡星和卡那霉素耐药性降低。血清杀菌试验结果显示,CpxR有助于APEC的抗血清杀菌能力。动物感染试验结果显示,野生株、cpxR基因缺失株和互补株对雏鸭的半数致死量（LD₅₀）分别为7.50×10⁵、7.50×10⁶、1.33×10⁶ CFU,表明CpxR缺失显著降低APEC的毒力。综上表明,TCS CpxR在APEC耐药性、抗血清杀菌能力及毒力方面发挥作用,为阐明APEC的环境适应性、生存能力及致病机制提供参考。     

Complement resistance,as determined by viable count and flow cytometric methods,and its association with the presence of iss and the virulence of avian Escherichia coli

Previous work in our labs has shown that avian Escherichia coli virulence is correlated with resistance to complement. Also, our studies have revealed that the presence of the increased serum survival gene (iss), known to contribute to the complement resistance and virulence of mammalian E. coli, may predict the virulent nature of an avian E. coli isolate. This relationship warrants further research, but further clarification of the relationship among virulence, complement resistance, and iss sequences requires use of complement susceptibility assays. Such assays, unfortunately, are labor-intensive, expensive, and difficult to perform. In the present study, the results of two complement susceptibility assays for 20 E. coli isolates, 10 incriminated in avian colibacillosis and 10 from the intestinal tracts of apparently healthy birds, were compared in an attempt to determine if flow cytometric analysis was a reasonable alternative to a viable count assay. In addition, the virulence of these isolates for chick embryos was determined, and each isolate was examined for the presence of iss using amplification techniques. The flow cytometric method was found to be repeatable for most isolates, and its results showed moderate agreement with those obtained through viable counts. All intestinal isolates of healthy birds proved avirulent using the embryo lethality assay; however, not all isolates from sick birds were demonstrated to be virulent. Possible explanations of these results include that the methods originally used to isolate these organisms failed to detect the illness-inciting strains or that the virulence of these strains had declined following initial isolation. Additionally, we must consider the possibility that the embryo lethality assay of virulence used here might not be sensitive enough to detect differences between these two groups of isolates. Also, it should be noted that virulence assays, such as the one used here, fail to account for predisposing host or environmental conditions, enabling a less virulent isolate to cause disease under natural conditions. Interestingly, the complement resistance of a strain was significantly associated with its lethality in embryos, and iss-containing isolates were significantly more likely than those lacking iss to be classified as complement-resistant and virulent. Such results, at least for this group of avian E. coli, suggest that there is a compelling but imperfect relationship among complement resistance, virulence, and the presence of iss. These results also suggest that the flow cytometric assay may be a reasonable alternative to the viable count method of determining complement resistance.     

鸡源大肠杆菌强毒株耐药基因的定位及耐药质粒消除

本试验对临床分离的多重耐药鸡源致病性大肠杆菌强毒株的耐药基因进行初步定位,为临床选择合适的治疗策略提供理论依据。从送检病死鸡的肝脏、心脏中分离鉴定致病菌,质粒提取试剂盒提取分离菌的耐药质粒,转化入基因工程菌JM109,通过质粒纯化、电泳和药敏试验对耐药基因进行了初步定位。并用艾叶水煮液对该菌株进行体外耐药质粒消除试验。结果分离鉴定到1株强毒力鸡源大肠杆菌,该菌呈多重耐药性,且仅对氟奇霉素和链霉素敏感;由质粒转化和药敏试验结果可初步将耐环丙沙星、青霉素、氧氟沙星、氟哌酸、林可霉素和复方新诺明的基因定位于耐药质粒上,并可随质粒的转移而使转化菌获得耐药性;用艾叶水煮液可使该菌的耐药质粒消除率达60%;质粒消除菌的药敏试验结果表明,消除耐药质粒的细菌恢复了对环丙沙星、青霉素、氧氟沙星、氟哌酸、林可霉素和复方新诺明的敏感性。本研究结果表明,分离菌的耐药基因分别位于质粒和染色体上,艾叶对耐药质粒有较强的消除作用,可作为临床治疗用药。     

Detection of Serotypes and Virulence Factors of Escherichia coli from Piglets in Beijing

To investigate the cause of piglets diarrhea, and the distribution of the serotype and virulence factors of swine Escherichia coli in Beijing, 400 diarrhea samples were collected. TSA serum agar culture method was used to isolate Escherichia coli, serotype identification test and virulence factor genes test were used to verify the presence of O-antigen. 64 strains of E.coli were isolated from 400 diarrhea samples, among which 42 strains of E.coli were classified as 8 serotypes:O101(18.7%),O64(12.5%),O8(10.9%),O20(10.9%),O45(4.7%),O149(4.7%),O2(1.6%) and O89(1.6%), and the major virulence factors were STa, Stx2e, astA and eaeA. There were 8 mainly serotypes that caused piglets diarrhea in Beijing area, among which O101 serotype accounted for the highest proportion. The major virulence factors were astA and eaeA, accounted for more than 50% of all strains, STa and Stx2e accounted for more than 30% of all strains. These data would provide effective data to support the prevention and control of piglet diarrhea in Beijing.