title: A selC-associated genomic island of the extraintestinal avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strain BEN2908 is involved in carbohydrate uptake and virulence.
abstract: The complete nucleotide sequence and genetic organization of a new genomic island (AGI-3) isolated from the extraintestinal avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strain BEN2908 is reported. This 49,600-bp island is inserted at the selC locus and contains putative mobile genetic elements such as a phage-related integrase gene, transposase genes, and direct repeats. AGI-3 shows a mosaic structure of five modules. Some of these modules are present in other E. coli strains and in other pathogenic bacterial species. The gene cluster aec-35 to aec-37 of module 1 encodes proteins associated with carbohydrates assimilation such as a major facilitator superfamily transporter (Aec-36), a glycosidase (Aec-37), and a putative transcriptional regulator of the LacI family (Aec-35). The aec-35 to aec-37 cluster was found in 11.6% of the tested pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli strains. When present, the aec-35 to aec-37 cluster is strongly associated with the selC locus (97%). Deletion of the aec-35-aec-37 region affects the assimilation of seven carbohydrates, decreases the growth rate of the strain in minimal medium containing galacturonate or trehalose, and attenuates the virulence of E. coli BEN2908 for chickens.
authors.affiliation: Equipe de Pathologie Bactérienne, UR86, INRA, 37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chouikha
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Germon
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brée
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilot
authors.forename: Maryvonne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moulin-Schouleur
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schouler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002645:Chickens; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D044404:Genomic Islands; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012343:RNA, Transfer