The Escherichia coli O157 flagellar regulatory gene flhC and not the flagellin gene fliC impacts colonization of cattle.

ABSTRACT: A virulent European Escherichia coli O157:H- isolate is nonmotile due to a 12-bp deletion in the flagellar regulatory gene flhC. To investigate the contribution of flhC in the relationship between E. coli O157:H7 and cattle, we constructed a similar flhC regulatory mutant in the well-characterized strain ATCC 43894. There was no difference in the growth rate between the wild type and this regulatory mutant, but phenotypic arrays showed substrate utilization differences. Survival in the bovine gastrointestinal tract and colonization of the rectoanal junction mucosa were assessed. Mixtures of both strains were given orally or rectally to steers or administered into the rumen of cattle dually cannulated at the rumen and duodenum. One day post-oral dose, most rectal/fecal isolates (74%) were t

SUBMITTER: Dobbin HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1459738 | biostudies-literature | 2006 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature