Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) isolates obtained from non-diarrheic children carry virulence factor-encoding genes from Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. Coli (ExPEC).
Bruna M Luiz, Maria C Cergole-Novella, Stéfani T A Dantas, Daiany R P de Lira, Guilherme F R de Souza, Iranildo do A Fernandes, Henrique Orsi, Guilherme Solveira, Vera L M Rall, Luís F Dos Santos, Rodrigo T Hernandes
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) is one of the most frequent pathogens isolated from diarrheal patients as well as from healthy individuals in Brazil and has recently also been implicated as an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) associated with bloodstream and urinary tract infections. In this study, 37 EAEC isolates, obtained from fecal samples of non-diarrheic children, were molecularly and phenotypically characterized to access the pathogenic features of these isolates. The EAEC isolates were assigned into the phylogroups A (54.1%), D (29.7%), B1 (13.5%) and B2 (2.7%); and harbored genes responsible for encoding the major pilin subunit of the aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAFs) or aggregate-forming pili (AFP) adhesins as follows: aggA (24.3%), agg3A (5.4%), agg4A (27.0%), agg5A (32.4%) and afpA (10.8%). The most frequent O:H serotypes were O15:H2 (8.1%), O38:H25 (5.4%) and O86:H2 (5.4%). Twenty-one isolates (56.8%) produce the aggregative adherence (AA) pattern on HeLa cells, and biofilm formation was more efficient among EAEC isolates harboring the aggA and agg5A genes. PFGE analysis showed that 31 (83.8%) of the isolates were classified into 10 distinct clusters, which reinforces the high diversity found among the isolates studied. Of note, 40.5% (15/37) of the EAEC isolates have a genetic profile compatible with E. coli isolates with intrinsic potential to cause extraintestinal infections in healthy individuals, and therefore, classified as EAEC/ExPEC hybrids. In conclusion, we showed the presence of EAEC/ExPEC hybrids in the intestinal microbiota of non-diarrheic children, possibly representing the source of some endogenous extraintestinal infections.
期刊介绍:
The Brazilian Journal of Microbiology is an international peer reviewed journal that covers a wide-range of research on fundamental and applied aspects of microbiology.
The journal considers for publication original research articles, short communications, reviews, and letters to the editor, that may be submitted to the following sections: Biotechnology and Industrial Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Bacterial and Fungal Pathogenesis, Clinical Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Fungal and Bacterial Physiology, Bacterial, Fungal and Virus Molecular Biology, Education in Microbiology. For more details on each section, please check out the instructions for authors.
The journal is the official publication of the Brazilian Society of Microbiology and currently publishes 4 issues per year.