Table 1.
Characteristic traits of the E. coli O178 isolates investigated in this study.
| Presence of (putative) virulence genesa | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strain | H-typeb | Source | Origin | Year | stx-genotypec | ehxA | espP | iha | saa | subABd | tia | lpfAO113 | terE | pagC | espIe |
| CB10181 | 19 | beef | Germany | 2005 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| CB10542 | 19 | ground beef | Germany | 2006 | stx1a stx2a stx2c | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| CB10545 | 19 | ground beef | Germany | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| CB10659 | 19 | ground lamb | Germany | 2006 | stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | + | − |
| CB10751 | 19 | meat, deer | Germany | 2007 | stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | + | − |
| CB10836 | 19 | ground beef/pork | Germany | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| CB11017 | 19 | ground beef | Germany | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| CB11536 | 19 | ground beef/pork | Germany | 2008 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| CB11726 | 19 | ground beef | Germany | 2008 | stx2a stx2d | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | + | − |
| CB12008 | 19 | raw milk | Germany | 2009 | stx1a stx2a stx2d | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | + | − | − |
| CB12145 | 19 | ground beef | Germany | 2009 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| CB12220 | 19 | beef | Germany | 2009 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | + | − | − |
| CB13785 | 19 | beef | Germany | 2011 | stx1a stx2d | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| CB13787 | 19 | beef | Germany | 2011 | stx1a stx2d | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| CB14014 | 19 | ground beef | Germany | 2012 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| CB14018 | 19 | cattle | Germany | 2012 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| CB14051 | 19 | cattle | Germany | 2012 | stx1a stx2d | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| 188/06 30 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| 276 | 19 | dog | Argentina | 2005 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| 377ii | 19 | dog | Argentina | 2005 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| 489/06 16 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| 489/06 24 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| 489/06 36 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| 612/06 21 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| 612/06 33 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| 612/06 35 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| 612/06 9 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| 96/00 | 19 | human (HUS) | Argentina | 2000 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| C11 | 19 | ground beef | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| C18iii | 19 | ground beef | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| C22 | 19 | ground beef | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c stx2b | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| C27 | 19 | ground beef | Argentina | 2006 | stx1a stx2d | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| C39 | 19 | ground beef | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| C42 | 19 | ground beef | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−001 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−023 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−024 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| FP−065 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| FP−067 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| FP−070 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| FP−073 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| FP−075 | [19] | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| FP−080 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2a stx2d | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | − | − | − | − |
| FP−082 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | + | + | − |
| FP−087 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| FP−089 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−090 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | + | + | − |
| FP−100 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | + | − |
| FP−110 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | + | − | − |
| FP−112 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−113 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2009 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−116 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−134 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−163 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−194 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2008 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | + | + | − |
| FP−203 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| FP−229 | [19] | cattle | Argentina | 2008 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| FP−245 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2008 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| I−005 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2006 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| I−011 | [19] | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| I−023 | [19] | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| I−039 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a stx2d | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | + | + | − |
| I−058 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| I−073 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| I−115 | 19 | cattle | Argentina | 2007 | stx1a stx2a | + | + | + | + | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| P5a | [19] | dog | Argentina | 2007 | stx2c | − | + | + | − | − | nd | + | − | + | − |
| CB06224 | [7] | human (D) | Germany | 1996 | stx1c stx2b | + | + | + | − | subAB2 | + | + | − | − | + |
| CB06571 | [7] | human (AS) | Germany | 1996 | stx1c | + | + | + | − | subAB2 | + | + | + | − | + |
| CB09017f | [7] | human (E) | Germany | 2001 | − | − | − | − | − | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| CB10124 | [7] | meat, deer | Germany | 2005 | stx1c stx2b | + | + | + | − | subAB2 | + | + | − | − | + |
| CB11675 | [7] | meat, deer | Germany | 2008 | stx1c stx2b | + | + | + | − | subAB2 | + | + | + | − | + |
| CB12072 | 7 | cattle | Germany | 2009 | − | − | − | − | − | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
| CB11890 | 10 | meat, deer | Germany | 2009 | stx1a | − | + | + | − | subAB1 | − | + | − | − | − |
| CB12372 | 16 | salad | Germany | 2009 | − | − | − | − | − | − | nd | + | − | − | − |
HUS, hemolytic uremic syndrome; D, diarrhea; E, enteritis; AS, asymptomatic carrier; +, the gene is present; −, the gene is absent.
The genes encode the following proteins: ehxa, enterohemolysin; espP, serine protease (EspP); iha; iron-regulated gene A homolog adhesin (Iha); saa, STEC autoagglunating adhesin (Saa); subAB, subtilase-like serine protease toxin (SubAB); tia, invasion determinant described in enterotoxigenic E. coli; lpfAO113, major subunit of long polar fimbriae of STEC O113; OI-43/48-terE (marker of ter cluster), tellurite resistance; OI-122-pagC (Z4321), homolog of PagC protein of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium; espI, serine protease (EspI).
Twenty eight of the LEE- or OI-encoded virulence-associated genes (eae, espG [LEE], ent, nleB, nleE, efa1, efa2 [OI-122], nleF, nleH1-2, nleA, nleG, espM1, ecs1822 [OI-71], ureD [OI-43/48] (marker für ure cluster), ecs1763, espN, espM2, espX2, espX7, espO1-1, espY4-2, espX6, espW, espY1, espY3, nleH1-1, nleD-2, and espJ) as well as the plasmid pO157-encoded genes katP, etpD, and toxB as well as the lpfAO157 gene which encodes the major subunit of long polar fimbriae of EHEC O157:H7 EDL933, and the EAEC marker gene aggr were not detected in any of the strains (except the EPEC O178:H7 strain CB09017, see below).
[] indicates nonmotile strains that were analyzed for their fliC genotypes by PCR/RFLP of HhaI-digested fliC PCR products.
The standardized Stx nomenclature published by Scheutz et al. (2012) was used.
Two variants of the subAB were detected; subAB1 indicates subAB98NK2, plasmid pO113-encoded. No tia gene was detected in these strains. subAB2 indicates subABED32, chromosomal encoded on a putative PAI. The tia gene was detected in these strains. nd, not done.
Encoded by the locus of protease and adherence (LPA) which is located in the chromosome (Schmidt et al., 2001).
The EPEC O178:H7 strain CB09017 revealed genes eae, espG, and espF (LEE-encoded) and genes ent/espL2, nleB, nleE, efa1, efa2, nleF, nleH1-2, ecs1763, espM2, espW, espX1, nleH1-1, espR1, and espJ (OI-encoded).