title: Profiling of Virulence Determinants in Cronobacter sakazakii Isolates from Different Plant and Environmental Commodities.
abstract: Cronobacter sakazakii is an emerging pathogen causing meningitis, sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and immune-compromised adults. The present study describes the profiling of different virulence factors associated with C. sakazakii isolates derived from plant-based materials and environmental samples (soil, water, and vacuum dust). All the isolates exhibited β-hemolysis and chitinase activity, and were able to utilize inositol. Among the nine virulence-associated genes, hly gene coding for hemolysin was detected in all the isolates followed by ompA (outer membrane protein); however, plasmid-borne genes were detected at a level of 60% for both cpa (cronobacter plasminogen activator) and eitA (Ferric ion transporter protein) gene, respectively. Furthermore, the isolate C. sakazakii N81 showed cytotoxicity for Caco-2 cells. The presence of the virulence determinants investigated in this study indicates the pathogenic potential of C. sakazakii with their plausible connection with clinical manifestations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan, 173234, India.
authors.forename: Niharika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan, 173234, India.
authors.forename: Mamta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raghav
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, 201301, India.
authors.forename: Shifa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Narula
authors.affiliation: Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Noida, 201301, India.
authors.forename: Simran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan, 173234, India. gunjanmicro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gunjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goel
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D044083:Cronobacter sakazakii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors