Escherichia coli killing by Shigella sonnei is mediated by colicins found in epidemiologically successful sublineages

ABSTRACT: Shigella sonnei as an enteric pathogen, can benefit from outcompeting gut commensals such as Escherichia coli and there can be several mechanisms that assist in interbacterial competition. It is, therefore, important to understand these mechanisms as they provide insights into the interactions of these pathogens in the complex environment they exist. We used our novel Bulk Phenotyping of Epidemiological Replicates (BPER) pipeline combined with bacterial Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on a previously described real-world collection of S. sonnei isolates (n=165) to demonstrate the vital role that colicins could have played in shaping the observed epidemiology of S. sonnei. We then used targeted mass spectrometry on representative S. sonnei isolates to detect colicin sequences in cell free supernatants, which further validated our BPER results to suggest the vital role of colicins. Here, we also introduce BPER as an epidemiologically relevant way of phenotypic testing in the laboratory where the phenotypic results can be interpreted with much more relevance to the effects of those phenotypes in natural settings.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive

ORGANISM(S): Shigella Sonnei

SUBMITTER: Lauriane Kuhn  

LAB HEAD: Kate Baker

PROVIDER: PXD036656 | Pride | 2023-10-24

REPOSITORIES: Pride