The expression of plasmid mediated afimbrial adhesin genes in an avian septicemic Escherichia coli strain

• Published in: Journal of veterinary science (Suwŏn-si, Korea) Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 75 - 83
• Main Authors: Stehling, Eliana Guedes (Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil), E-mail: [e-mail], Campos, Tatiana Amabile (Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil), Brocchi, Marcelo (Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil), De Carvalho Azevedo, Vasco Ariston (Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil), Da Silveira, Wanderley Dias (Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) 대한수의학회 01-03-2008; The Korean Society of Veterinary Science
• Subjects: Adhesins, Escherichia coli - genetics; Adhesins, Escherichia coli - metabolism; adhesion; Animals; avian; Chickens; ESCHERICHIA COLI; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Original; PLASMIDE; PLASMIDIOS; PLASMIDS; Plasmids - genetics; Plasmids - metabolism; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; Sepsis - microbiology; 수의학; adhesion; plasmids; Escherichia coli; avian
• ISSN: 1229-845X; 1976-555X
• DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2008.9.1.75

Escherichia coli strain (SEPT13) isolated from the liver of a hen presenting clinical signs of septicaemia had a LD∧50 of 4.0 × 10∨5 CFU/ml in one-day-old chickens, expressed Ia, Ib, E1, E3, K and B colicins and aerobactin. The strain was ampicillin and streptomycin resistant, and found to have fimA, csgA and tsh DNA related sequences; it could adhere to and invade HEp-2 and tracheal epithelial cells, expressed fimbriae (observed by electron microscopy), and had five plasmids of 2.7, 4.7, 43, 56, and 88 MDa. Transposon mutagenesis of strain SEPT13, with transposon TnphoA, resulted in a mutant strain named ST16 that had a LD∧50 of 1.2 × 10∨12 CFU/ml. All other biological characteristics of strain ST16 were the same as those detected for strain SEPT13 except for the migration of an 88 MDa plasmid to the 93 MDa position indicating the insertion of the transposon into the 88 MDa plasmid. The 93 MDa plasmid of strain ST16 was transferred, by electroporation assay, to non-pathogenic receptor strains (E. coli strains K12 MS101 and HB101), resulting in transformant strains A and R, respectively. These strains exhibited adhesion properties to in vitro cultivated HEp-2 cells but did not have the capacity for invasion. The adherence occurred despite the absence of fimbriae; this finding suggests that the 88 MDa plasmid has afimbrial adhesin genes.