Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Escherichia coli Strains of Non–Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) Serogroups that Carry eae and Lack the EPEC Adherence Factor and Shiga Toxin DNA Probe Sequences

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2001-03, Vol.183 (5), p.762-772
• Main Authors: Vieira, Mônica A. M., Andrade, João R. C., Trabulsi, Luiz R., Rosa, Ana C. P., Dias, Angela M. G., Ramos, Sônia R. T. S., Frankel, Gad, Gomes, Tânia A. T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actins; Actins - metabolism; Adhesins, Bacterial; Bacteria; Bacterial Adhesion - genetics; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - genetics; Bacteriology; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Caco 2 cells; Carrier Proteins; Case-Control Studies; Cells, Cultured; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - microbiology; DNA probes; DNA Probes - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; eae gene; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - pathogenicity; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Proteins; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic loci; Genotype; HeLa Cells; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Hybridization, Genetic; Infectious diseases; Major Articles; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Nucleotide sequences; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Phenotype; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Serotyping; Shiga Toxin - genetics; Translocation, Genetic; Virulence; virulence factors
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/318821

This study was conducted to characterize the virulence potential of 59 Escherichia coli strains carrying eae and lacking the enteropathogenic E. coli adherence factor and Shiga toxin probe sequences. In hybridization studies, all strains carried the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)–associated DNA sequences. Of the other 15 virulence DNA sequences tested, hly was the most frequent (44.1%); 17 combinations of these sequences were found, but strains carrying eae only (eae profile) were the most frequent (35.6%). Except for 1 cytodetaching strain, all others adhered to HeLa and Caco-2 cells, most of which (∼75.0%) showed variations of the localized adherence pattern. Actin accumulation was detected in 75.9% of the nondetaching strains. Most strains had LEE, probably inserted in pheU (49.2%), and presented a nontypeable intimin (83.1%). Translocated intimin receptor–derived DNA sequences correlated with enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli in 61.0% and 32.0% of the strains, respectively. Thirty-five different serotypes were found. Only strains with the eae profile were associated with diarrhea (P=.039)