Detection of the high-pathogenicity island of Yersinia enterocolitica in enterotoxigenic and enteropathogenic E.coli strains.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the distribution of high-pathogenicity island (HPI) of Yersinia enterocolitica in enterotoxingenic E.coli (ETEC) and enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC), and to understand the structure and function of HPI.


METHODS
PCR was used to detect irp2, fyua and asn-intB genes with subsequent sequence analysis of these genes. Nucleic acid in situ hybridization was employed to identify the specificity of irp2 and fyua.


RESULTS
Thirty irp2-positive strains were isolated from 93 ETEC strains and 3 from 10 EPEC strains, making a positivity rate of 32.25% and 30% respectively, and the positivity rates of fyua gene in ETEC and EPEC were 21.51% and 30% respectively. In most of these positive isolates, HPI was bordered by an asn tRNA locus, as in Yersinia sp.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that the high positivity rate of HPI of Yersinia enterocolitica in ETEC and EPEC strains may be crucial to the virulence changes, virulence evolution and virulence regulation in E.coli.
Wang
Yong
Y
Department of Epidemiology, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. guangdongwy@sohu.com
Wang
Hong
H
Xiang
Qian
Q
Sun
Su-Xia
SX
Yu
Shou-Yi
SY
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000502:physiology*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C090748:FyuA protein, Yersinia; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface