title: Distribution of the outer membrane haem receptor protein ChuA in environmental and human isolates of Escherichia coli.
abstract: ChuA, the haem receptor of Escherichia coli, is thought to contribute to the pathogenicity of E. coli strains causing extraintestinal infections. We investigated the prevalence and distribution of chuA in E. coli analysing 304 strains from different origins. 30% of E. coli strains isolated from the environment and about 70% of E. coli strains isolated from human sources carried chuA. No difference in chuA prevalence was found between commensals isolated from the intestine of healthy volunteers and isolates from extraintestinal infections. Our results indicate that ChuA might be involved in the colonization of human hosts.
authors.affiliation: Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Clinicum Grosshadern, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hornef
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roggenkamp
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C423457:ChuA protein, E coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface