Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1966 Apr;91(4):1410–1417. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.4.1410-1417.1966

Virulence of Escherichia coli Strains for Chick Embryos1

Calvin J Powell Jr 1, Richard A Finkelstein 1,2
PMCID: PMC316057  PMID: 5326106

Abstract

Powell, Calvin J., Jr. (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), and Richard A. Finkelstein. Virulence of Escherichia coli strains for chick embryos. J. Bacteriol. 91:1410–1417. 1966.—Fifty-three strains of Escherichia coli, freshly isolated from patients at Children's Hospital, Washington, D.C., were tested for virulence for 13-day chick embryos by allantoic inoculation of serial dilutions of viable cell suspensions. No clear-cut relationship could be demonstrated between inoculum size and response (death of the embryos) which would permit comparisons of virulence based on ld50 determinations. However, the strains were classified into three groups according to the proportion of embryos which succumbed, regardless of inoculum size. There was no association between enteropathogenicity and embryo virulence, although there was high correlation between hemagglutinative activity for chicken erythrocytes and virulence of strains for embryos. Differences in virulence were not related to ability to multiply in the allantoic cavity nor did bacteremia appear to be essential for death of the embryos. Serial passage in eggs failed to alter virulence. Both the route of inoculation and the age of the embryos had a marked effect on the outcome of challenge with strains of varying virulence. The embryos were most susceptible to challenge by the intravenous route. The susceptibility of younger embryos decreased with increasing embryonic maturity, although some reversal of this trend was noted with 19-day embryos. The toxicity of culture filtrates and filtrates of allantoic fluid from infected embryos seemed to be related to strain virulence, suggesting that elaboration and availability of toxic factors may have an important bearing on the lethality of E. coli strains for chick embryos.

Full text

PDF
1413

Selected References

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

  1. DUGUID J. P., SMITH I. W., DEMPSTER G., EDMUNDS P. N. Non-flagellar filamentous appendages (fimbriae) and haemagglutinating activity in Bacterium coli. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1955 Oct;70(2):335–348. doi: 10.1002/path.1700700210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. EWING W. H. Sources of Escherichia coli cultures that belonged to O antigen groups associated with infantile diarrheal disease. J Infect Dis. 1962 Mar-Apr;110:114–120. doi: 10.1093/infdis/110.2.114. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FINKELSTEIN R. A. OBSERVATIONS ON MODE OF ACTION OF ENDOTOXIN IN CHICK EMBRYOS. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1964 Mar;115:702–707. doi: 10.3181/00379727-115-29012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FINKELSTEIN R. A., RANSOM J. P. Non-specific resistance to experimental cholera in embryonated eggs. J Exp Med. 1960 Aug 1;112:315–328. doi: 10.1084/jem.112.2.315. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. GARDNER E. W., LYLES S. T., LANKFORD C. E., HAGENS S. J. Vibrio cholerae infection in the embryonated egg. J Infect Dis. 1963 May-Jun;112:264–272. doi: 10.1093/infdis/112.3.264. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. LANKFORD C. E. Factors of virulence of Vibrio cholerae. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1960 Nov 21;88:1203–1212. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1960.tb20111.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LINDBERG R. B., YOUNG V. M. Observations on enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1956 Aug 10;66(1):100–107. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1956.tb40107.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MOLL R., INGALSBE C. K. The pathogenicity of certain strains of Escherichia coli for young mice and calves. Am J Vet Res. 1955 Apr;16(59):337–341. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Parr L. W. COLIFORM BACTERIA. Bacteriol Rev. 1939 Jun;3(1):1–48. doi: 10.1128/br.3.1.1-48.1939. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. SMITH R. T., THOMAS L. The lethal effect of endotoxins on the chick embryo. J Exp Med. 1956 Aug 1;104(2):217–231. doi: 10.1084/jem.104.2.217. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. TURGEON F., BORDUAS A. G., FRAPPIER A. [Pathogenicity for the chick embryo and the mouse of some enteropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli]. Rev Can Biol. 1960 Dec;19:417–424. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES