Identification and characterization of the locus for diffuse adherence, which encodes a novel afimbrial adhesin found in atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: The O26 serogroup of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is one of the serogroups most frequently implicated in infant diarrhea and is also common among enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strains. The most common O26 strains belong to EPEC/EHEC serotype O26:H11 and are generally Shiga toxin (Stx) positive. Stx-negative E. coli strains that are negative for the EPEC EAF plasmid and bundle-forming pilus (Bfp) are classified as atypical EPEC. Here, we report a novel adhesin present in an stx-negative bfpA-negative atypical EPEC O26:H11 strain isolated from an infant with diarrhea. A cloned 15-kb genomic region from this strain, designated the locus for diffuse adherence (lda), confers diffuse adherence on HEp-2 cells when expressed in E. coli K-12. Sequence analysis of lda revealed a G+C c

SUBMITTER: Scaletsky IC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1201181 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature