title: Comparison of O-Antigen Gene Clusters of All O-Serogroups of Escherichia coli and Proposal for Adopting a New Nomenclature for O-Typing.
abstract: Escherichia coli strains are classified based on O-antigens that are components of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the cell envelope. O-antigens are important virulence factors, targets of both the innate and adaptive immune system, and play a role in host-pathogen interactions. Because they are highly immunogenic and display antigenic specificity unique for each strain, O-antigens are the biomarkers for designating O-types. Immunologically, 185 O-serogroups and 11 OX-groups exist for classification. Conventional serotyping for O-typing entails agglutination reactions between the O-antigen and antisera generated against each O-group. The procedure is labor intensive, not always accurate, and exhibits equivocal results. In this report, we present the sequences of 71 O-antigen gene clusters (O-AGC) and a comparison of all 196 O- and OX-groups. Many of the designated O-types, applied for classification over several decades, exhibited similar nucleotide sequences of the O-AGCs and cross-reacted serologically. Some O-AGCs carried insertion sequences and others had only a few nucleotide differences between them. Thus, based on these findings, it is proposed that several of the E. coli O-groups may be merged. Knowledge of the O-AGC sequences facilitates the development of molecular diagnostic platforms that are rapid, accurate, and reliable that can replace conventional serotyping. Additionally, with the scientific knowledge presented, new frontiers in the discovery of biomarkers, understanding the roles of O-antigens in the innate and adaptive immune system and pathogenesis, the development of glycoconjugate vaccines, and other investigations, can be explored.
authors.affiliation: E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Chitrita
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DebRoy
authors.affiliation: Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Pina M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fratamico
authors.affiliation: Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xianghe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: GianMarco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baranzoni
authors.affiliation: Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Needleman
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Food Safety, Life Sciences Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tebbs
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Food Safety, Life Sciences Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Catherine D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Food Safety, Life Sciences Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allred
authors.affiliation: Animal Health & Food Safety, Life Sciences Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swimley
authors.affiliation: E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mwangi
authors.affiliation: E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kapur
authors.affiliation: E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Raygoza Garay
authors.affiliation: E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Elisabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Katani
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000737:chemistry; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D019081:O Antigens / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D065288:Serogroup; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods*; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D019081:O Antigens; C543926:Wzx protein, E coli; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; C513753:Wzy polymerase, E coli; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases
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