Genetic typing of shiga toxin 2 variants of Escherichia coli by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
Shiga toxins Stx1 and Stx2 play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections. Several variants of the stx(2) gene, encoding Stx2, have been described. In this study, we developed a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism system for typing stx(2) genes of STEC strains. The typing system discriminates eight described variants and allows the identification of new stx(2) variants and STEC isolates carrying multiple stx(2) genes. A phylogenetic tree, based on the nucleotide sequences of the toxin-encoding genes, demonstrates that stx(2) sequences with the same PvuII HaeIII HincII AccI type generally cluster together.
Dienst Algemene Bacteriologie, Centrum voor Onderzoek in Diergeneeskunde en Agrochemie, Groeselenberg 99, B-1180 Ukkel, Belgium. lideb@var.fgov.be.
Liesbet
L
De Baets
Imme
I
Van der Taelen
Marina
M
De Filette
Denis
D
Piérard
Lesley
L
Allison
Henri
H
De Greve
Jean-Pierre
JP
Hernalsteens
Hein
H
Imberechts
D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2