Virulence factors of non-O1 non-O139 Vibrio cholerae isolated in Córdoba, Argentina.
V. cholerae non-O1 non-O139 serogroups isolated from clinical and environmental sources in Córdoba, Argentina, were analyzed for the presence and expression of virulence genes. Most of the strains studied contained the genes toxR and hlyA, but lacked ctxA, zot, ace, tcpA and stn. The culture supernatants were tested for hemolytic and cytotoxic activity. The enterotoxic potential of the strains was studied in a rabbit ileal loop assay and their genetic profiles were compared by PFGE. The environmental strains varied in their virulence phenotype and showed no clonal relationships. The clinical strains were highly enterotoxic, hemolytic, proteolytic and showed indistinguishable PFGE profiles, although they differed in their cytotoxic activity. This is the first description, using cell culture and "in vivo" studies, of the virulence properties of non-O1 non-O139 V. cholerae from Argentina.
Bidinost
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Departamento de Bioquímica Clinica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.
Saka
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HA
Aliendro
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Sola
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Panzetta-Duttari
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Carranza
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Echenique
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Patrito
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Bocco
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D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D019556:COS Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011817:Rabbits; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D044163:Vibrio cholerae non-O1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D014871:Water Microbiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C073845:hemolysin, Vibrio; C084287:hlyA protein, Vibrio cholerae; C037420:stN protein, Vibrio cholerae; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C039814:hemagglutinin-protease