Evaluating the pathogenic potential of environmental Escherichia coli by using the Caenorhabditis elegans infection model.

ABSTRACT: The detection and abundance of Escherichia coli in water is used to monitor and mandate the quality of drinking and recreational water. Distinguishing commensal waterborne E. coli isolates from those that cause diarrhea or extraintestinal disease in humans is important for quantifying human health risk. A DNA microarray was used to evaluate the distribution of virulence genes in 148 E. coli environmental isolates from a watershed in eastern Ontario, Canada, and in eight clinical isolates. Their pathogenic potential was evaluated with Caenorhabditis elegans, and the concordance between the bioassay result and the pathotype deduced by genotyping was explored. Isolates identified as potentially pathogenic on the basis of their complement of virulence genes were significantly more likely to be

SUBMITTER: Merkx-Jacques A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3623224 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature