title: Insights into virulence factors determining the pathogenicity of Cronobacter sakazakii.
abstract: Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen associated with outbreaks of life-threatening necrotizing enterocolitis, meningitis and sepsis in neonates and infants. The pathogen possesses an array of virulence factors which aid in tissue adhesion, invasion and host cell injury. Although the identification and validation of C. sakazakii virulence factors has been hindered by availability of suitable neonatal animal model, various studies has reported outer membrane protein A (ompA) as a potential virulence marker. Various other plasmid associated genes such as filamentous hemagglutinin (fhaBC), Cronobacter plasminogen activator (cpa) and genes responsible for iron acquisition (eitCBAD and iucABD/iutA) have been reported in different strains of C. sakazakii. Besides these proposed virulence factors, several biophysical growth factors such as formation of biofilms and resistance to various environmental stresses also contributes to the pathogenic potential of this pathogen. This review provides an update on virulence determinants associated with the pathogenesis of C. sakazakii. The potential reservoirs of the pathogen, mode of transmission and epidemiology are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; Jaypee University of Information Technology ; Waknaghat , Solan , India.
authors.forename: Niharika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Gunjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Mamta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raghav
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044083:Cronobacter sakazakii / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010957:Plasmids; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; C078167:OMPA outer membrane proteins; D010960:Plasminogen Activators
keywords: Cronobacter sakazakii; pathogenesis; powdered infant formula; virulence