• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.862-868
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• 2014

Certain Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains have the ability to cause diarrheal disease. Five types of diarrheagenic E. coli have been identified, including EHEC, ETEC, EPEC, EAEC, and EIEC. To detect these five diarrheagenic types rapidly, we developed a one-step multiplex PCR (MP-PCR) assay using nine primer pairs to amplify nine virulence genes specific to the different virotypes, with each group being represented (i.e., stx1 and stx2 for EHEC, lt, sth, and stp for ETEC, eaeA and bfpA for EPEC, aggR for EAEC, and ipaH for EIEC). The PCR primers were constructed using MultAlin. The sensitivity and specificity of the constructed multiplex PCR primers were measured using DNA isolated from diarrheagenic E. coli strains representing each group. The limits of detection were as follows: $5{\times}10^1CFU/ml$ for EHEC, $5{\times}10^3CFU/ml$ for ETEC expressing lt and sth, $5{\times}10^4CFU/ml$ for ETEC expressing stp, $5{\times}10^2CFU/ml$ for EPEC, $5{\times}10^4CFU/ml$ for EAEC, and $5{\times}10^2CFU/ml$ for EIEC. To confirm the specificity, C. jejuni, C. perfringens, S. Typhimurium, V. parahaemolyticus, L. monocytogenes, Y. enterocolitica, B. cereus, and S. aureus were used as negative controls, and no amplification was obtained for these. Moreover, this kit was validated using 100 fecal samples from patients with diarrhea and 150 diarrheagenic E. coli strains isolated in Korea. In conclusion, the multiplex PCR assay developed in this study is very useful for the rapid and specific detection of five diarrheagenic E. coli types. This single-step assay will be useful as a rapid and economical method, as it reduces the cost and time required for the identification of diarrheagenic E. coli.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.121-128
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• 2020

Diarrhea is a major public health concern associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli infections. Food-borne pathogenic E. coli can lead to large diarrheal outbreaks and hence, there is a need to estimate the frequency of pathogenic E. coli load in the various types of meat available in markets. In the present study, we classified and characterized diarrheagenic E. coli isolates collected from 399 raw meat samples from retail sources in Korea. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) were detected in 11 (9.7%) samples, including nine strains (8.0%) in beef and two strains (1.8%) in chicken. The frequency of the detected virulence markers were as follows: astA, 28.3%; escV,18.6%; eaeA,17.7%; ent, 7.0%; EHEC-hly, 4.4%; stx1, 3.5%; and stx2, 3.5%. We did not observe any typical EPEC, EIEC, or ETEC virulence determinants in any of the samples. The STEC serotype O26 was detected in one sample, but no other serogroups (O91, O103, O128, O157, O145, O111, and O121) were found. Further research is needed to better understand the virulence mechanism of STEC serotypes, their ecology, and prevalence in animals, food, and the environment. These results will help improve risk assessment and predict the sources of food poisoning outbreaks.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.129-134
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• 2017

병원성 대장균군은 전세계적으로 식중독을 발생하는 중요한 병원균으로 알려져 있다. 국내 유통중인 생닭과 조리된 닭가공품 356시료에서 대장균 80균주(22.5%)를 분리하여 병원성 유전자 multiplex PCR를 이용하여 분석한 결과 astA 유전자가 26균주(32.5%)에서 검출되었으며, escV 유전자는 17균주(21.3%) eaeA 유전자는 16균주(20.0%) 검출되었다. 특히 식품에서 문제가 되는 장출혈성 대장균 유전자 stx 1는 3균주(3.8%)와 stx 2, EHEC-hly는 각 1균주(1.3%)에서 검출되었다. 병원성 유전자를 토대로 STEC, EPEC, EHEC, EIEC or EAEC의 병원성 대장균으로 분류한 결과 45균주(56.3%)가 검출되었으며 typical EPEC, EIEC and ETEC의 병원성 대장균은 검출되지 않았다. STEC 병원성 대장균은 O152, O1, O116, O26, O25, O119, O153 혈청형이 분리되었다. 특히 생닭에서 병원성 대장균에 대한 검출률이 높으므로 생닭을 가공 조리 시 교차 오염이 발생하기 않도록 조리 도구, 조리 환경에 대한 철저한 관리가 필요하다고 생각된다.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.567-572
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• 1993

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.421-426
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• 2014

To characterize the extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in diarrheagenic Escherichia coli from Korea in 2008-2011, we screened seven enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and one enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) that produce ESBLs from a nationwide survey. All eight isolates produced CTX-M-type ESBLs, including CTX-M-12 (n = 4), CTX-M-14 (n = 2), and CTX-M-15 (n = 2). PCR-based replicon typing indicated that the $bla_{CTX-M-12}$ genes of four ETEC isolates were carried on a conjugative IncF plasmid, whereas the $bla_{CTX-M-14}$ of one EAEC was located on an IncK plasmid. This is the first report of the occurrence of $bla_{CTX-M}$ genes in clinical isolates of EAEC in Korea. The ESBL-producing isolates were shown to be different based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing, whereas the four isolates with CTX-M-12 were clonally related. These observations raise an alarm for the spread of plasmid-mediated resistance to ESBL among diarrheagenic E. coli.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권9호
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• pp.1191-1199
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• 2021

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), which belongs to the attaching and effacing diarrheagenic E. coli strains, is a major causative agent of life-threatening diarrhea in infants in developing countries. Most EPEC isolates correspond to certain O serotypes; however, many strains are non-typeable. Two EPEC strains, EPEC001 and EPEC080, which could not be serotyped during routine detection, were isolated. In this study, we conducted an in-depth characterization of their putative O-antigen gene clusters (O-AGCs) and also performed constructed mutagenesis of the O-AGCs for functional analysis of O-antigen (OAg) synthesis. Sequence analysis revealed that the occurrence of O-AGCs in EPEC001 and E. coli O132 may be mediated by recombination between them, and EPEC080 and E. coli O2/O50 might acquire each O-AGC from uncommon ancestors. We also indicated that OAg-knockout bacteria were highly adhesive in vitro, except for the EPEC001 wzy derivative, whose adherent capability was less than that of its wild-type strain, providing direct evidence that OAg plays a key role in EPEC pathogenesis. Together, we identified two EPEC O serotypes in silico and experimentally, and we also studied the adherent capabilities of their OAgs, which highlighted the fundamental and pathogenic role of OAg in EPEC.