Characterization of the flanking region of the Shiga toxin operon in Stx2a bacteriophages reveals a diversity of the NanS-p sialate O-acetylesterase gene.

ABSTRACT: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are diarrheagenic strains that can cause bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Their main virulence factor, the Shiga toxin (Stx), is encoded by phages integrated into the bacterial chromosome. Stx phages are widely diverse and carry many genes with limited or unknown function. As the toxin subtype Stx2a is associated with highly pathogenic strains, this study was mainly focused on the characterization of the stx flanking region of Stx2a phages. Of particular interest was a sialate O-acetylesterase (NanS-p), which has been described previously to be encoded downstream stx in some phage genomes and may confer a growth advantage for STEC. Complete DNA sequences of Stx2a phages and prophages were retrieved from the GenBank dat

SUBMITTER: Pascal SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10462455 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature