Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1982 Aug;151(2):1006–1012. doi: 10.1128/jb.151.2.1006-1012.1982

Genetics of hemolysin of Escherichia coli.

S I Hull, R A Hull, B H Minshew, S Falkow
PMCID: PMC220354  PMID: 7047487

Abstract

The expression of alpha-hemolysin is a property frequently associated with Escherichia coli extraintestinal infections. We have examined the genetic basis for hemolysin expression by an E. coli strain isolated from a human urinary tract infection. The genes necessary for hemolysin synthesis were found to be chromosomal and to map near the ilv gene cluster. Isogenic hly+ and hly derivatives were also prepared and tested for virulence in the chicken embryo model system. Hemolysin was found to be necessary but not in itself sufficient for E. coli virulence in this in vitro model.

Full text

PDF
1006

Images in this article

1010Image
on p.1010

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bachmann B. J., Low K. B., Taylor A. L. Recalibrated linkage map of Escherichia coli K-12. Bacteriol Rev. 1976 Mar;40(1):116–167. doi: 10.1128/br.40.1.116-167.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chaturvedi U. C., Mathur A., Khan A. M., Mehrotra R. M. Cytotoxicity of filtrates of haemolytic Escherichia coli. J Med Microbiol. 1969 Aug;2(3):211–218. doi: 10.1099/00222615-2-3-211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cooke E. M., Ewins S. P. Properties of strains of Escherichia coli isolated from a variety of sources. J Med Microbiol. 1975 Feb;8(1):107–111. doi: 10.1099/00222615-8-1-107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Curtiss R., 3rd Bacterial conjugation. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1969;23:69–136. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.23.100169.000441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Curtiss R., 3rd, Charamella L. J., Berg C. M., Harris P. E. Kinetic and genetic analyses of D-cycloserine inhibition and resistance in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1965 Nov;90(5):1238–1250. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.5.1238-1250.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Curtiss R., 3rd, Charamella L. J., Stallions D. R., Mays J. A. Parental functions during conjugation in Escherichia coli K-12. Bacteriol Rev. 1968 Dec;32(4 Pt 1):320–348. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Curtiss R., 3rd, Stallions D. R. Probability of F integration and frequency of stable Hfr donors in F+ populations of Escherichia coli K-12. Genetics. 1969 Sep;63(1):27–38. doi: 10.1093/genetics/63.1.27. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FALKOW S., SCHNEIDER H., BARON L. S., FORMAL S. B. VIRULENCE OF ESCHERICHIA-SHIGELLA GENETIC HYBRIDS FOR THE GUINEA PIG. J Bacteriol. 1963 Dec;86:1251–1258. doi: 10.1128/jb.86.6.1251-1258.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fried F. A., Wong R. J. Etiology of pyelonephritis: significance of hemolytic Escherichia coli. J Urol. 1970 Jun;103(6):718–721. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)62033-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Goebel W., Royer-Pokora B., Lindenmaier W., Bujard H. Plasmids controlling synthesis of hemolysin in Escherichia coli: molecular properties. J Bacteriol. 1974 Jun;118(3):964–973. doi: 10.1128/jb.118.3.964-973.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hull R. A., Gill R. E., Hsu P., Minshew B. H., Falkow S. Construction and expression of recombinant plasmids encoding type 1 or D-mannose-resistant pili from a urinary tract infection Escherichia coli isolate. Infect Immun. 1981 Sep;33(3):933–938. doi: 10.1128/iai.33.3.933-938.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hull R., Moody E. E. Isolation and genetic characterizaion of Escherichia coli K-12 mutations affecting bacteriophage T5 restriction by the ColIb plasmid. J Bacteriol. 1976 Jul;127(1):229–236. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.1.229-236.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jorgensen S. E., Short E. C., Jr, kurtz H. J., Mussen H. K., Wu G. K. Studies on the origin of the alpha-haemolysin produced by Escherichia coli. J Med Microbiol. 1976 May;9(2):173–189. doi: 10.1099/00222615-9-2-173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. LOVELL R., REES T. A. A filterable haemolysin from Escherichia coli. Nature. 1960 Nov 26;188:755–756. doi: 10.1038/188755b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Le Minor S., Le Coueffic E. Etude sur les hémolysines des enterobacteriaceae. Ann Microbiol (Paris) 1975 Oct-Nov;126(3):313–332. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Low K. B. Escherichia coli K-12 F-prime factors, old and new. Bacteriol Rev. 1972 Dec;36(4):587–607. doi: 10.1128/br.36.4.587-607.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Minshew B. H., Jorgensen J., Counts G. W., Falkow S. Association of hemolysin production, hemagglutination of human erythrocytes, and virulence for chicken embryos of extraintestinal Escherichia coli isolates. Infect Immun. 1978 Apr;20(1):50–54. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.1.50-54.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Noegel A., Rdest U., Springer W., Goebel W. Plasmid cistrons controlling synthesis and excretion of the exotoxin alpha-haemolysin of Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet. 1979 Oct 1;175(3):343–350. doi: 10.1007/BF00397234. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Portnoy D. A., Moseley S. L., Falkow S. Characterization of plasmids and plasmid-associated determinants of Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenesis. Infect Immun. 1981 Feb;31(2):775–782. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.2.775-782.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Powell C. J., Jr, Finkelstein R. A. Virulence of Escherichia coli strains for chick embryos. J Bacteriol. 1966 Apr;91(4):1410–1417. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.4.1410-1417.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rennie R. P., Arbuthnott J. P. Partial characterisation of Escherichia coli haemolysin. J Med Microbiol. 1974 May;7(2):179–188. doi: 10.1099/00222615-7-2-179. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rennie R. P., Freer J. H., Arbuthnott J. P. The kinetics of erythrocyte lysis by Escherichia coli haemolysin. J Med Microbiol. 1974 May;7(2):189–195. doi: 10.1099/00222615-7-2-189. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Royer-Pokora B., Goebel W. Plasmids controlling synthesis of hemolysin in Escherichia coli. II. Polynucleotide sequence relationship among hemolytic plasmids. Mol Gen Genet. 1976 Mar 22;144(2):177–183. doi: 10.1007/BF02428106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SCHNEIDER H., FALKOW S. CHARACTERIZATION OF AN HFR STRAIN OF SHIGELLA FLEXNERI. J Bacteriol. 1964 Sep;88:682–689. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.3.682-689.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. SMITH H. W. The haemolysins of Escherichia coli. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1963 Jan;85:197–211. doi: 10.1002/path.1700850119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Short E. C., Kurtz H. J. Properties of the Hemolytic Activities of Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1971 May;3(5):678–687. doi: 10.1128/iai.3.5.678-687.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Smith H. W., Gyles C. L. The relationship between different transmissible plasmids introduced by F into the same strain of Escherichia coli K12. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Aug;62(3):227–285. doi: 10.1099/00221287-62-3-277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Smith H. W., Halls S. The transmissible nature of the genetic factor in Escherichia coli that controls haemolysin production. J Gen Microbiol. 1967 Apr;47(1):153–161. doi: 10.1099/00221287-47-1-153. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Smith H. W., Heller E. D. The activity of different transfer factors introduced into the same plasmid-containing strain of Escherichia coli K12. J Gen Microbiol. 1973 Sep;78(1):89–99. doi: 10.1099/00221287-78-1-89. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Smith H. W., Linggood M. A. Observations on the pathogenic properties of the K88, Hly and Ent plasmids of Escherichia coli with particular reference to porcine diarrhoea. J Med Microbiol. 1971 Nov;4(4):467–485. doi: 10.1099/00222615-4-4-467. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Smith H. W., Linggood M. A. Transfer factors in Escherichia coli with particular regard to their incidence in enteropathogenic strains. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Aug;62(3):287–299. doi: 10.1099/00221287-62-3-287. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Snyder I. S., Koch N. A. Production and characteristics of hemolysins of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1966 Feb;91(2):763–767. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.2.763-767.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Snyder I. S., Zwadyk P. Some factors affecting production and assay of Escherichia coli haemolysins. J Gen Microbiol. 1969 Jan;55(1):139–143. doi: 10.1099/00221287-55-1-139. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Walton J. R., Smith D. H. New hemolysin (gamma) produced by Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1969 Apr;98(1):304–305. doi: 10.1128/jb.98.1.304-305.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Zwadyk P., Jr, Snyder I. S. Purification and kinetic studies of the hemolysin from Escherichia coli. Can J Microbiol. 1971 Jun;17(6):741–745. doi: 10.1139/m71-118. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. de la Cruz F., Zabala J. C., Ortiz J. M. Incompatibility among alpha-hemolytic plasmids studied after inactivation of the alpha-hemolysin gene by transposition of Tn802. Plasmid. 1979 Oct;2(4):507–519. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(79)90050-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES