Detection and characterization of the fimbrial sfp cluster in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O165:H25/NM isolates from humans and cattle.

ABSTRACT: The sfp cluster, encoding Sfp fimbriae and located in the large plasmid of sorbitol-fermenting (SF) enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 (pSFO157), has been considered a unique characteristic of this organism. We discovered and then characterized the sfp cluster in EHEC O165:H25/NM (nonmotile) isolates of human and bovine origin. All seven strains investigated harbored a complete sfp cluster (carrying sfpA, sfpH, sfpC, sfpD, sfpJ, sfpF, and sfpG) of 6,838 bp with >99% nucleotide sequence homology to the sfp cluster of SF EHEC O157:NM. The sfp cluster in EHEC O165:H25/NM strains was located in an approximately 80-kb (six strains) or approximately 120-kb (one strain) plasmid which differed in structure, virulence genes, and sfp flanks from pSFO157. All O165:H25/NM strains belonged

SUBMITTER: Bielaszewska M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2612197 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature