Wide Distribution of O157-Antigen Biosynthesis Gene Clusters in Escherichia coli
Author Information
Author(s): Iguchi Atsushi, Shirai Hiroki, Seto Kazuko, Ooka Tadasuke, Ogura Yoshitoshi, Hayashi Tetsuya, Osawa Kayo, Osawa Ro
Primary Institution: Interdisciplinary Research Organization, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
Hypothesis
How do O157:non-H7 strains of E. coli evolve and distribute their O157-antigen biosynthesis gene clusters?
Conclusion
The study concludes that horizontal transfer of O157-antigen gene clusters has led to the emergence of multiple O157 lineages within E. coli.
Supporting Evidence
- Most E. coli O157 strains are classified as enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), which are important food-borne pathogens.
- Multilocus sequence analysis revealed that O157:non-H7 strains belong to multiple evolutionary lineages.
- The gene organization of the O157-antigen gene cluster was identical among O157:H7/non-H7 strains.
- Horizontal gene transfer of O157-antigen gene clusters has occurred independently among E. coli strains.
Takeaway
Scientists studied different strains of E. coli to see how they share important genes that help them cause illness, and found that these genes can move around between different strains.
Methodology
The study involved genomic comparisons of chromosomal regions covering the O-antigen gene cluster and its flanking regions between six O157:H7/non-H7 strains.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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