Cytotoxic Escherichia coli strains encoding colibactin isolated from immunocompromised mice with urosepsis and meningitis.

ABSTRACT: Immune-compromised mouse models allow for testing the preclinical efficacy of human cell transplantations and gene therapy strategies before moving forward to clinical trials. However, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of the Wsh/Wsh mouse strain to create an immune-compromised model lacking function of Rag2 and Il2rγ led to unexpected morbidity and mortality. This warranted an investigation to ascertain the cause and predisposing factors associated with the outbreak. Postmortem examination was performed on 15 moribund mice. The main lesions observed in these mice consisted of ascending urogenital tract infections, suppurative otitis media, pneumonia, myocarditis, and meningoencephalomyelitis. As Escherichia coli strains harboring polyketide synthase (pks) genomic island were recently isolated from

SUBMITTER: Bakthavatchalu V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5858775 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature