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Sequence heterogeneity of the eae gene and detection of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli using serotype-specific primers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

M. Louie ,
J. De Azavedo ,
R. Clarke ,
A. Borczyk ,
H. Lior ,
M. Richter  and
J. Brunton
M. Louie
Affiliation:
Departments of Microbiology and Medicine, The Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto and Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
J. De Azavedo
Affiliation:
Departments of Microbiology and Medicine, The Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto and Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
R. Clarke
Affiliation:
Agriculture Canada, Health of Animals Laboratory, Guelph, Ontario
A. Borczyk
Affiliation:
Central Public Health Laboratory, Toronto
H. Lior
Affiliation:
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa
M. Richter
Affiliation:
Provincial Laboratory of Public Health for Northern Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
J. Brunton*
Affiliation:
Departments of Microbiology and Medicine, The Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto and Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
*
* Corresponding author: Dr James L. Brunton. The Toronto Hospital. Department of Microbiology. NU 13–124. 200 Elizabeth Street. Toronto. Ontario M5G 2C4.
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The distribution of the Escherichia coli attaching and effacing (eae) gene in strains of verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) isolated from cattle and humans was studied. The majority of strains isolated from humans with bloody diarrhoea or HUS and cattle with severe diarrhoea were eae. positive (82 and 83% respectively). In contrast. 59% of VTEC isolated from asymptomatic cattle were eae negative and of the remaining 41 % that were eae positive, the majority were serotype O157.H7. The nucleotide sequence of the 3′ end of the eae gene of enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) of serotype O55.H7 was found to be almost identical to that of serotype O157. H7. Specific primers are described which detect the eae sequences of VTEC serotypes O157.H7, 0157.H−, and EPEC serotypes O55.H7 and O55.H−. The nucleotide sequence of the 3′ end of the eae gene of serotype O111.H8 differed significantly from that of O157.H7. Primers were developed to specifically identify the eae sequences of VTEC serotypes O111. H− and O111.H8. We conclude that whereas the majority of VTEC associated with disease in cattle and humans possess the eae gene, the gene itself may not be necessary to produce haemorrhagic colitis and HUS. Sequence heterogeneity in the 3′ end of eae alleles of VTEC permits specific identification of subsets of these organisms.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 112 , Issue 3 , June 1994 , pp. 449 - 461
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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