Vacuolating cytotoxin produced by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

The purpose of this study was to determine whether avian pathogenic Escherichia coli produced cytotoxic activity. Culture supernatants of 20 E. coli strains isolated from cellulitis lesions in chickens, five E. coli strains from avian septicemia, five from swollen head syndrome, and five from the feces of healthy chickens were incubated with primary chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells, primary chicken kidney (PCK) cells, a quail fibroblast cell line (QT-35), and four mammalian cell lines (human epithelioid cervical carcinoma, African green monkey kidney, Chinese hamster ovary, and human larynx epidermoid carcinoma). Cytotoxicity was observed with supernatants from the 30 avian pathogenic strains on the two primary chicken cells (CEF and PCK). The highest dilution of culture supenatant that induced cytotoxic changes in 50% of the cells was 1/64. Supernatants from the five strains from normal feces were noncytotoxic, and none of the supernatants was cytotoxic for the QT-35 or the four mammalian cell lines. The cytotoxic effect, which was observed as early as 2 hr after exposure of the cells, was maximal at 6 hr and was evident as vacuolation, morphologically indistinguishable from that previously reported for culture supernatants of Helicobacter pylori. Like the activity in H. pylori, the cytotoxicity of the avian pathogenic strains was destroyed by heating at 70 C for 30 min and by exposure to proteolytic enzymes and was retained by filtration with a 100,000 molecular weight cut-off ultrafilter. Supernatants of two vacuolating cytotoxin-positive cultures of H. pylori failed to induce vacuolation of the CEF and PCK cells but caused the characteristic vacuolation in HeLa and Vero cells. The observations suggest that avian pathogenic E. coli produce a cytotoxin that is similar to the cytotoxin of H. pylori but may be specific for avian cells.     

Pathotyping avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains in Korea

To examine the genetic background of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) that affects virulence of this microorganism, we characterized the virulence genes of 101 APEC strains isolated from infected chickens between 1985~2005. Serotypes were determined with available anti-sera and median lethal doses were determined in subcutaneously inoculated chicks. The virulence genes we tested included ones encoding type 1 fimbriae (fimC), iron uptake-related (iroN, irp2, iucD, and fyuA), toxins (lt, st, stx1, stx2, and vat), and other factors (tsh, hlyF, ompT, and iss). Twenty-eight strains were found to be O1 (2.0%), O18 (3.0%), O20 (1.0%), O78 (19.8%), and O115 (2.0%) serotypes. The iroN (100%) gene was observed most frequently followed by ompT (94.1%), fimC (90.1%), hlyF (87.1%), iss (78.2%), iucD (73.3%), tsh (61.4%), fyuA (44.6%), and irp2 (43.6%). The strains were negative for all toxin genes except for vat (10.9%). All the strains were classified into 27 molecular pathotypes (MPs). The MP25, MP19, and MP10 pathotypes possessing iroN-fimC-ompT-hlyF-iucD-tsh-iss-irp2-fyuA (22.8%), iroN-fimC-ompT-hlyF-iucD-tsh-iss (21.8%), and iroN-fimC-ompT-hlyF-iss (11.9%) genotypes, respectively, were predominant. Redundancy of iron uptake-related genes was clearly observed and some strains were associated with higher mortality than others. Therefore, strains with the predominant genotypes can be used for diagnosis and vaccine.     

鸭致病性大肠杆菌的分离与鉴定

对成都华阳地区两个种鸭场的鸭大肠杆菌病流行病学进行调查,并分析其发病特点。从这两个种鸭场的粪便和其中一个鸭场死亡鸭胚中共分离出19株大肠杆菌,我们对其培养特性、形态特征、生化特性、致病性及药物敏感性进行了研究,同时对分离的19株大肠杆菌的0群抗原进行了鉴定,其结果为O141 4株、O138 4株、O101 2株、O154 1株和O78 4株,还有4株未定型,有待于进一步的血清型鉴定。动物实验表明,已鉴定出血清型的15株大肠杆菌均有不同程度的致病性,药物敏感性实验表明,不同菌株对药物敏感性差异较大,但对多数抗菌药还没有产生抗药性。最后针对这两个种鸭场对该病的防治提出了对策。     

Screening petting zoo animals for the presence of potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Several outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157 have been reported in petting zoos, resulting in hospitalization of many children. At present, no standard procedure has been adopted to monitor the presence of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) or Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in petting zoo animals. Direct detection of these strains from rectal swabs of animals in petting zoos was developed and obviated the need to culture the organisms. DNA extracted from bacteria in the swabs was tested for the presence of wecA gene specific for E. coli by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The wecA positive samples were further tested for Shiga-toxin genes stxl and stx2, and the intimin eae by multiplex PCR and for the presence of O157 and H7. Swabs (n=104) from 15 animal species in a petting zoo were tested; 7 goats and 3 cows were found to carry STEC. The method is rapid and convenient for monitoring potentially pathogenic E. coli in petting zoo animals.     

Identification and detection of three new F17 fimbrial variants in Escherichia coli strains isolated from cattle

F17 fimbriae are produced by pathogenic Escherichia coli involved in diarrhea and septicemia outbreaks in calves and lambs. These proteins result from the expression of four different clustered genes, namely f17A, f17D, f17C and f17G, encoding a pilin protein, a periplasmic protein, an anchor protein and an adhesin protein, respectively. Several variants of f17A and f17G genes have been reported and found genetically associated with typical virulence factors of bovine pathogenic E. coli strains. In this study, a new F17e-A variant, closely related to F17b-A, was identified from a collection of 58 E. coli isolates from diarrheic calves in Iran. While highly prevalent in Iranian F17-producing clinical isolates from calves, this variant was rare among E. coli from a French healthy adult bovine population, suggesting a possible association with virulence. The f17Ae gene was also found in the genome of the Shiga-like toxin variant Stx_1d–producing bovine E. coli strain MHI813, and belonged to a gene cluster also encoding a new F17-G3 variant, which greatly differed from F17-G1 and F17-G2. This gene cluster was located on a pathogenicity island integrated in the tRNA pheV gene. The gene coding for a third new F17f-A variant corresponding to a combination of F17c-A and F17d-A was also identified on the pVir68 plasmid in the bovine pathogenic E. coli strain 6.0900. In conclusion, we identified three new F17-A and F17-G variants in cattle E. coli, which may also have significant impact on the development of new diagnostics and vaccination tools.     

Multidrug-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli of sequence type ST131 in animals and foods

Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) has recently emerged as a globally distributed cause of extraintestinal infections in humans. Diverse factors have been investigated as explanations for ST131's rapid and successful dissemination, including transmission through animal contact and consumption of food, as suggested by the detection of ST131 in a number of nonhuman species. For example, ST131 has recently been identified as a cause of clinical infection in companion animals and poultry, and both host groups have been confirmed as faecal carriers of ST131. Moreover, a high degree of similarity has been shown among certain ST131 isolates from humans, companion animals, and poultry based on resistance characteristics and genomic background and human and companion animal ST131 isolates tend to exhibit similar virulence genotypes. However, most ST131 isolates from poultry appear to possess specific virulence genes that are typically absent from human and companion animal isolates, including genes associated with avian pathogenic E. coli. Since the number of reported animal and food-associated ST131 isolates is quite small, the role of nonhuman host species in the emergence, dissemination, and transmission of ST131 to humans remains unclear. Nevertheless, given the profound public health importance of the emergent ST131 clonal group, even the limited available evidence indicates a pressing need for further careful study of this significant question.     

Virulence gene regulation in pathogenic Escherichia coli.

The ability to regulate gene expression throughout the course of an infection is important for the survival of a pathogen in the host. Thus, virulence gene expression responds to environmental signals in many complex ways. Frequently, global regulatory factors associated with specific regulators co-ordinate expression of virulence genes. In this review, we present well-described regulatory mechanisms used to co-ordinate the expression of virulence factors by pathogenic Escherichia coli with a relative emphasis on diseases caused by E. coli in animals. Many of the virulence-associated genes of pathogenic E. coli respond to environmental conditions. The involvement of global regulators, including housekeeping regulons and virulence regulons, specific regulators and then sensor regulatory systems involved in virulence, is described. Specific regulation mechanisms are illustrated using the regulation of genes encoding for fimbriae, curli, haemolysin and capsules as examples.     

53株禽致病性大肠杆菌的耐药表型及耐药基因的检测

为了解禽致病性大肠杆菌耐药表型及耐药基因的情况,选取江苏、安徽等地分离的53株禽致病性大肠杆菌,采用药敏纸片法对9种抗菌药物进行药敏试验,并对四环素类tet(A)、tet(B)、tet(C)、tet(W)、tet(M)、tet(O)、tet(K)、tet(L)耐药基因,喹诺酮类GryA、ParC耐药基因,磺胺类sulⅠ、sulⅡ、sulⅢ耐药基因,β-内酰胺类SHV、CTX-M、ompCA耐药基因,氨基糖苷类aac(3)-Ⅰ、aac(3)-Ⅱ、aac(6')-Ⅰb、aac(6')-Ⅱ、ant(3″)-Ⅰ、armA、rmtA、rmtB、rmtC、rmtD、npmA耐药基因进行PCR检测。结果显示:53株禽致病性大肠杆菌对磺胺异噁唑、环丙沙星、氨苄西林、多西环素的耐药率较高,分别为88.68%(47/53)、71.71%(38/53)、86.79%(46/53)、75.47%(40/53)。其中50株禽致病性大肠杆菌表现为多重耐药,耐4、5、6种药物的现象最为普遍,且不同地区菌株存在差异。tet(A)是四环素耐药基因中最为流行的一种耐药基因(52.83%,28/53),喹诺酮类耐药基因主要由gryA(94.33%,50/53)、parC(94.33%,50/53)基因编码,耐磺胺类药物sulⅠ、sulⅡ、sulⅢ基因均有检出,分别为96.23%(52/53)、98.11%(48/53)、86.79%(46/53),耐β-内酰胺类药物中仅检出ompC A基因(30.19%,16/53),在检测的11种耐氨基糖苷类耐药基因中,最为流行为aac(3)-Ⅱ、aac(6')-Ⅰb、ant(3″)-Ⅰ基因,分别为92.59%(49/53)、98.11%(52/53)、100%(53/53)。耐药基因与相关耐药菌株检出率基本呈正相关。试验结果表明:53株禽致病性大肠杆菌耐药性高,耐药谱广,耐药基因流行现象十分普遍。本试验结果能为禽致病性大肠杆菌的耐药现状与临床用药提供理论指导。     

A study of relationships among F17 a producing enterotoxigenic and non-enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic calves

We investigated the clonal relationships among 41 enterotoxigenic (ETEC) or non-enterotoxigenic (NETEC) Escherichia coli strains producing the F17 a fimbriae isolated from diarrheic calves in France or Belgium in the early 1980s. Twenty-three of the 26 ETEC strains were highly clonally related, most of them with a O101:K32:H9-serotype. The NETEC strains were also divided in clonal subgroups, most of them with O101:H-serotype. The F17 a positive ETEC strains are no longer isolated from diarrheic calves in these countries. It is postulated that the use of a vaccine including O101, K32 and H9 antigens in addition to K99 (F5) explains the strongly reduced isolation of the O101:K32:H9, K99 (F5) E. coli clone.     

合肥地区动物源致病性大肠杆菌ESBLs和PMQR基因流行分布

从安徽省合肥地区多个养殖厂分离鉴定了65株致病性大肠杆菌,用PCR方法检测ESBLs和PMQR基因的流行分布情况,用微量肉汤稀释法测定30株ESBLs和/或PMQR阳性菌对16种抗菌药物的最小抑菌浓度.PCR结果显示:ESBLs阳性率为24.6％(16/65),分别为blaOXA(16株)、blaTEM(15株)和blaCTX-M(14株),未检出blaSHV; PMQR的阳性率为46.2％(30/65),分别为qnrA(9株)、qnrS(18株)、aac(6')-Ib～cr(28株),未检出qnrB、qnrC、qnrD和qepA;且携带ESBLs基因的阳性菌株均携带PMQR基因.首次检测出有7株大肠杆菌同时携带ES-BLs基因型(blaOXA、blaTEM、blaCTX-M)和PMQR基因型(qnrA、qnrS、aac(6')-Ib-cr).药物敏感性测定结果显示:30株携带ESBLs和/或PMQR基因的阳性大肠杆菌对16种抗菌药物的耐药率为16.7％～100％,耐药谱较广,耐药性较严重.16株同时携带ESBLs和PMQR基因的阳性菌株对11种及11种以上药物耐药的菌株占87.5％,14株仅携带PMQR基因的阳性菌株对11种及11种以上药物耐药的菌株占28.5％,表明携带PMQR基因的同时携带ESBLs基因大大增强了菌株的耐药性,携带耐药基因的数量和种类与菌株的多重耐药性相关.     

鸡致病性埃希氏大肠杆菌不同菌株间同源性抗原的研究

通过兔制备了３株引起鸡败血症的埃希氏大肠杆菌（Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ）高免血清,对分离自新疆不同地区的３０余株鸡致病性Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ进行了玻板凝集试验和双向免疫扩散试验。结果证明,在琼扩试验中,不同的Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ菌株间存在着同源性抗原成份,这种同源性抗原在绝大多数Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ间都有数种之多。但是,这种相互间的同源抗原在玻板凝集试验中有时并不能表现,甚至有沉淀线出现的血清与抗原之间在玻板凝集试验中也不能检测出来。     

Virulence factors of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from chickens with colisepticemia in Japan

The virulence factors of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolated in Japan were investigated. Serogroups O, serotypes K1 and K5, and genes cva C, iss, iutA, papA, tsh, and usp, which have been thought to be related to virulence, were examined for their association with E. coli strains isolated from diseased and healthy chickens. The frequently recognized serogroups O1, O2, and O78 were found in 56 of 125 (44.8%) strains of diseased chickens (APEC) versus 13 of 100 (13.0%) strains of healthy chickens (commensal E. coli), a significant difference at risk ratio < 0.01. Although iss, iutA, and tsh were widely distributed in the APEC irrespective of O serogroup, papA, usp, and the K1 serotype were detected in serogroup O2 of APEC. The kfiD gene related to the K5 capsule and VT, LT, and ST genes related to exotoxins were not detected in any strains examined.     

Acid-induced autoagglutination found in chicken pathogenic Escherichia coli strain.

Chicken pathogenic Escherichia coli strains were found to autoagglutinate in a static culture of trypticase soy broth (TSB). One strain, designated PDI-386, was further studied for its autoagglutinating property. Acidity in the cultured medium caused by glucose degradation induced the autoagglutination. The bacterial cells grown in a glucose-free L-broth could be aggregated by adding acid, which suggests a potentiality of autoagglutination of the strain grown in the L-broth. The autoagglutinating parent (Agg) formed small colonies with irregular edges like rough colonies on the TS agar, whereas its non-autoagglutinating variant (Nag) formed larger smooth colonies with a perfectly round edge. The Nag colony was easily generated from the Agg colony on the TS agar. The autoagglutinating property was very unstable when the bacteria was passed in the TSB, but rather stable in the L-broth. Under electron microscope, the Agg were found to possess pili of more than 20 microns in length. However, the phenotypic expression of autoagglutination did not correlate with that of mannose-sensitive hemagglutination against guinea pig erythrocytes. Incubation of the Nag in the L-broth at room temperature for more than 10 days provoked the reversion of the autoagglutination. There was no difference between the Agg and the Nag in terms of surface hydrophobicity, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) patterns of membrane proteins and LPS, and plasmid profiles. The virulence of the Agg was higher than that of the Nag. The autoagglutination property is, however, so unstable that the pathogenicity of E. coli isolates from chickens should be carefully evaluated.     

Preparation and testing of polyvalent EDTA-Na-extract vaccine from Escherichia coli strains pathogenic to Swine]

Monovalent vaccines were prepared of E. coli strains with pathogenicity to swine by means of a technique described elsewhere. A polyvalent vaccine was obtained by mixing the monovalent vaccines. This polyvalent vaccine was tested by criteria usually applied to vaccine of E. coli strains with pathogenicity to man, and it exhibited the same quality characteristics.     

重庆市及三峡库区家畜中大肠杆菌O157带菌的流行病学调查

采集重庆市及三峡库区6个区县家畜粪便样品1 473份,接种mEC＋n增菌肉汤37℃振摇孵育6 h,取增菌液接种CT-SMAC平板,37℃培养18 h,挑取可疑菌落,经血清学检验、PCR扩增和微量生化实验确认,最后用药敏试纸测试其对常用抗生素的敏感性。结果表明,在1 473份粪便样品中共检出11株O157,其中7株O157：H7,4株O157：H？;对分离菌株做药物敏感性试验,发现它们对青霉素、氨苄西林、杆菌肽、头孢呋肟、红霉素、庆大霉素、四环素等存在不同程度的耐药。这次调查为重庆市及三峡库区该病的预防提供了依据。     

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in farm animals.

Animal diseases due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) typically appear as severe watery diarrhoea during the first few days of life (also a few days after weaning in pigs). ETEC adhere to the small intestinal microvilli without inducing morphological lesions and produce enterotoxins acting locally on enterocytes. This action results in the hypersecretion (of water and electrolytes) and reduced absorption. Adhesins and toxins are the two prominent virulence attributes of ETEC and the level of knowledge of these factors determines the chances for successful prevention and therapy of the disease. For animal ETEC the most common adhesins are the fimbriae (pili) on the surface: F4(K88), F5(K99), F6(987P), F41, F42, F165, F17 and F18. Enterotoxins (extracellular proteins or peptides) of animal ETEC are classified as heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins with further subdivisions (LTh-I, LTp-I, LTIIa, LTIIb, STaH, STaP, STb) according to antigenic and biological differences. Fimbriae and LT enterotoxins are made up of large molecular weight proteins which facilitate their utilisation in vaccines and their detection using immunodiagnostic systems. The adhesive fimbriae and enterotoxins of animal ETEC are plasmid determined (except F41 and F17). Virulence gene probes (DNA hybridisation, PCR) are specific and sensitive diagnostic and epidemiologic tools for the detection of ETEC. Based on genetic typing, the ETEC, in spite of limited serogroups, seem to represent a population of E. coli with a diverse genetic background.