Common origin of plasmid encoded alpha-hemolysin genes in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alpha (alpha)-hemolysin is a pore forming cytolysin and serves as a virulence factor in intestinal and extraintestinal pathogenic strains of E. coli. It was suggested that the genes encoding alpha-hemolysin (hlyCABD) which can be found on the chromosome and plasmid, were acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Plasmid-encoded alpha-hly is associated with certain enterotoxigenic (ETEC), shigatoxigenic (STEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains. In uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), the alpha-hly genes are located on chromosomal pathogenicity islands. Previous work suggested that plasmid and chromosomally encoded alpha-hly may have evolved independently. This was explored in our study.

Results

We have investigated 11 alpha-hly plasmids from animal and human ET

SUBMITTER: Burgos Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2918590 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature