Sorbose fermentation in relation to acquisition and maintenance of enterotoxin plasmids in Escherichia coli.
Previous studies have shown that the majority of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains isolated from humans failed to ferment sorbose. In an attempt to demonstrate if this phenomenon was due to enterotoxin (Ent) plasmid instability in sorbose fermenting strains, recipient E. coli strains were used in conjugation experiments with three donor Ent plasmids. No difference in the ability to uptake the Ent plasmid was shown between sorbose fermenting and non-fermenting recipient strains. In addition, no difference was seen in the stability of the Ent plasmids in recipient strains of each biotype. These results suggest that in-vivo selection may play a role in the predominant isolation of non-sorbose fermenting ETEC strains.
Gunzburg
S T
ST
Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital.
Burke
V
V
D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids / Q000502:physiology*; D013013:Sorbose / Q000378:metabolism*
D004768:Enterotoxins; D013013:Sorbose