ArgO145, a Stx2a prophage of a bovine O145:H- STEC strain, is closely related to phages of virulent human strains

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution genetics and evolution, 2018-06, Vol.60, p.126-132
• Main Authors: Krüger, A., Burgán, J., Friedrich, A.W., Rossen, J.W.A., Lucchesi, P.M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Humans; O145:H; Prophages - genetics; Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - pathogenicity; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - virology; Stx-converting phages
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.02.024

Shiga toxins (Stx) are the main virulence factor of a pathogroup of Escherichia coli strains that cause severe human diseases. These toxins are encoded in prophages (Stx prophages), and generally their expression depends on prophage induction. Several studies have reported high diversity among both Stx prophages and Stx. In particular, the toxin subtype Stx2a is associated with high virulence and HUS. Here, we report the genome of ArgO145, an inducible Stx2a prophage identified in a bovine O145:H‐ strain which produced high levels of Shiga toxin and Stx phage particles. The ArgO145 genome shared lambda phage organization, with recombination, regulation, replication, lysis, and head and tail structural gene regions, although some lambda genes encoding regulatory proteins could not be identified. Remarkably, some Stx2a phages of strains isolated from patients in other countries showed high similarity to ArgO145. •The genome of ArgO145, an inducible Stx2a prophage of a bovine STEC, was analyzed.•ArgO145 shared high identity with some phages detected in clinical O157:H7 strains•It shows similar organization to other stx phages with differences in early genes.•ArgO145 carried several genes probably associated with persistence in the host.