scholarly journals Premethylation of Foreign DNA Improves Integrative Transformation Efficiency in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (24) ◽  
pp. 8500-8506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Jianping Yu ◽  
Weiwen Zhang ◽  
Deirdre R. Meldrum

ABSTRACTRestriction digestion of foreign DNA is one of the key biological barriers against genetic transformation in microorganisms. To establish a high-efficiency transformation protocol in the model cyanobacterium,Synechocystissp. strain PCC 6803 (Synechocystis6803), we investigated the effects of premethylation of foreign DNA on the integrative transformation of this strain. In this study, two type II methyltransferase-encoding genes, i.e.,sll0729(geneM) andslr0214(geneC), were cloned from the chromosome ofSynechocystis6803 and expressed inEscherichia coliharboring an integration plasmid. After premethylation treatment inE. coli, the integration plasmid was extracted and used for transformation ofSynechocystis6803. The results showed that although expression of methyltransferase M had little impact on the transformation ofSynechocystis6803, expression of methyltransferase C resulted in 11- to 161-fold-higher efficiency in the subsequent integrative transformation ofSynechocystis6803. Effective expression of methyltransferase C, which could be achieved by optimizing the 5′ untranslated region, was critical to efficient premethylation of the donor DNA and thus high transformation efficiency inSynechocystis6803. Since premethylating foreign DNA prior to transformingSynechocystisavoids changing the host genetic background, the study thus provides an improved method for high-efficiency integrative transformation ofSynechocystis6803.

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 411-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afonso G. Abreu ◽  
Vanessa Bueris ◽  
Tatiane M. Porangaba ◽  
Marcelo P. Sircili ◽  
Fernando Navarro-Garcia ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAutotransporter (AT) protein-encoding genes of diarrheagenicEscherichia coli(DEC) pathotypes (cah,eatA,ehaABCDJ,espC,espI,espP,pet,pic,sat, andtibA) were detected in typical and atypical enteropathogenicE. coli(EPEC) in frequencies between 0.8% and 39.3%. Although these ATs have been described in particular DEC pathotypes, their presence in EPEC indicates that they should not be considered specific virulence markers.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 4115-4122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel R. Spurbeck ◽  
Paul C. Dinh ◽  
Seth T. Walk ◽  
Ann E. Stapleton ◽  
Thomas M. Hooton ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTExtraintestinalEscherichia coli(ExPEC), a heterogeneous group of pathogens, encompasses avian, neonatal meningitis, and uropathogenicE. colistrains. While several virulence factors are associated with ExPEC, there is no core set of virulence factors that can be used to definitively differentiate these pathotypes. Here we describe a multiplex of four virulence factor-encoding genes,yfcV,vat,fyuA, andchuA, highly associated with uropathogenicE. colistrains that can distinguish three groups ofE. coli: diarrheagenic and animal-associatedE. colistrains, human commensal and avian pathogenicE. colistrains, and uropathogenic and neonatal meningitisE. colistrains. Furthermore, human intestinal isolates that encode all four predictor genes express them during exponential growth in human urine and colonize the bladder in the mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection in higher numbers than human commensal strains that do not encode the four predictor genes (P= 0.02), suggesting that the presence of the predictors correlates with uropathogenic potential.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (38) ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Pechacek ◽  
Myung Hwangbo ◽  
Russell Moreland ◽  
Mei Liu ◽  
Jolene Ramsey

Escherichia coli 4s is a Gram-negative bacterium found in the equine intestinal ecosystem alongside diverse other coliform bacteria and bacteriophages. This announcement describes the complete genome of the T7-like E. coli 4s podophage Penshu1. From its 39,263-bp genome, 54 protein-encoding genes and a 179-bp terminal repeat were predicted.


mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. Monk ◽  
Jai J. Tree ◽  
Benjamin P. Howden ◽  
Timothy P. Stinear ◽  
Timothy J. Foster

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureusis a prominent global nosocomial and community-acquired bacterial pathogen. A strong restriction barrier presents a major hurdle for the introduction of recombinant DNA into clinical isolates ofS. aureus. Here, we describe the construction and characterization of the IMXXB series ofEscherichia colistrains that mimic the type I adenine methylation profiles ofS. aureusclonal complexes 1, 8, 30, and ST93. The IMXXB strains enable direct, high-efficiency transformation and streamlined genetic manipulation of majorS. aureuslineages.IMPORTANCEThe genetic manipulation of clinicalS. aureusisolates has been hampered due to the presence of restriction modification barriers that detect and subsequently degrade inappropriately methylated DNA. Current methods allow the introduction of plasmid DNA into a limited subset ofS. aureusstrains at high efficiency after passage of plasmid DNA through the restriction-negative, modification-proficient strain RN4220. Here, we have constructed and validated a suite ofE. colistrains that mimic the adenine methylation profiles of different clonal complexes and show high-efficiency plasmid DNA transfer. The ability to bypass RN4220 will reduce the cost and time involved for plasmid transfer intoS. aureus. The IMXXB series ofE. colistrains should expedite the process of mutant construction in diverse genetic backgrounds and allow the application of new techniques to the genetic manipulation ofS. aureus.


2015 ◽  
Vol 198 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regine Hengge ◽  
Michael Y. Galperin ◽  
Jean-Marc Ghigo ◽  
Mark Gomelsky ◽  
Jeffrey Green ◽  
...  

In recent years,Escherichia colihas served as one of a few model bacterial species for studying cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling. The widely usedE. coliK-12 laboratory strains possess 29 genes encoding proteins with GGDEF and/or EAL domains, which include 12 diguanylate cyclases (DGC), 13 c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases (PDE), and 4 “degenerate” enzymatically inactive proteins. In addition, six new GGDEF and EAL (GGDEF/EAL) domain-encoding genes, which encode two DGCs and four PDEs, have recently been found in genomic analyses of commensal and pathogenicE. colistrains. As a group of researchers who have been studying the molecular mechanisms and the genomic basis of c-di-GMP signaling inE. coli, we now propose a general and systematicdgcandpdenomenclature for the enzymatically active GGDEF/EAL domain-encoding genes of this model species. This nomenclature is intuitive and easy to memorize, and it can also be applied to additional genes and proteins that might be discovered in various strains ofE. coliin future studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 6853-6858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Tada ◽  
Pham Hong Nhung ◽  
Tohru Miyoshi-Akiyama ◽  
Kayo Shimada ◽  
Mitsuhiro Tsuchiya ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTForty clinical isolates of multidrug-resistantPseudomonas aeruginosawere obtained in a medical setting in Hanoi, Vietnam. Whole genomes of all 40 isolates were sequenced by MiSeq (Illumina), and phylogenic trees were constructed from the single nucleotide polymorphism concatemers. Of these 40 isolates, 24 (60.0%) harbored metallo-β-lactamase-encoding genes, includingblaIMP-15,blaIMP-26,blaIMP-51, and/orblaNDM-1. Of these 24 isolates, 12 harboredblaIMP-26and belonged to sequence type 235 (ST235).Escherichia coliexpressingblaIMP-26was significantly more resistant to doripenem and meropenem thanE. coliexpressingblaIMP-1andblaIMP-15. IMP-26 showed higher catalytic activity against doripenem and meropenem than IMP-1 and against all carbapenems tested, including doripenem, imipenem, meropenem, and panipenem, than did IMP-15. These data suggest that clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant ST235P. aeruginosaproducing IMP-26 with increased carbapenem-hydrolyzing activities are spreading in medical settings in Vietnam.


2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke P. Allsopp ◽  
Christophe Beloin ◽  
Glen C. Ulett ◽  
Jaione Valle ◽  
Makrina Totsika ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTUropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC) is the primary cause of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the developed world. The major factors associated with virulence of UPEC are fimbrial adhesins, which mediate specific attachment to host receptors and trigger innate host responses. Another group of adhesins is represented by the autotransporter (AT) subgroup of proteins. The genome-sequenced prototype UPEC strain CFT073 contains 11 putative AT-encoding genes. In this study, we have performed a detailed molecular characterization of two closely related AT adhesins from CFT073: UpaB (c0426) and UpaC (c0478). PCR screening revealed that theupaBandupaCAT-encoding genes are common inE. coli. TheupaBandupaCgenes were cloned and characterized in a recombinantE. coliK-12 strain background. This revealed that they encode proteins located at the cell surface but possess different functional properties: UpaB mediates adherence to several ECM proteins, while UpaC expression is associated with increased biofilm formation. In CFT073,upaBis expressed whileupaCis transcriptionally repressed by the global regulator H-NS. In competitive colonization experiments employing the mouse UTI model, CFT073 significantly outcompeted itsupaB(but notupaC) isogenic mutant strain in the bladder. This attenuated phenotype was also observed in single-challenge experiments, where deletion of theupaBgene in CFT073 significantly reduced early colonization of the bladder.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaya Banjo ◽  
Atsushi Iguchi ◽  
Kazuko Seto ◽  
Taisei Kikuchi ◽  
Tetsuya Harada ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTInEscherichia coli, more than 180 O groups and 53 H types have been recognized. The O:H serotyping ofE. colistrains is an effective method for identifying strains with pathogenic potential and classifying them into clonal groups. In particular, the serotyping of Shiga toxin-producingE. coli(STEC) strains provides valuable information to evaluate the routes, sources, and prevalence of agents in outbreak investigations and surveillance. Here, we present a complete and practical PCR-based H-typing system,E. coliH-genotyping PCR, consisting of 10 multiplex PCR kits with 51 single PCR primer pairs. Primers were designed based on a detailed comparative analysis of sequences from all H-antigen (flagellin)-encoding genes,fliCand its homologs. The specificity of this system was confirmed by using all H type reference strains. Additionally, 362 serotyped wild strains were also used to evaluate its practicality. All 277 H-type-identified isolates gave PCR products that corresponded to the results of serological H typing. Moreover, 76 nonmotile and nine untypeable strains could be successfully subtyped into any H type by the PCR system. TheE. coliH-genotyping PCR developed here allows broader, rapid, and low-cost subtyping of H types and will assist epidemiological studies as well as surveillance of pathogenicE. coli.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 1330-1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regiane C. B. Dias ◽  
Melissa A. Vieira ◽  
Ana C. Moro ◽  
Danilo F. M. Ribolli ◽  
Aydir C. M. Monteiro ◽  
...  

Purpose. This study aimed to characterize 27 Escherichia coli isolates obtained from peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis that occurred at the University Hospital of Botucatu Medical School, Brazil, between 1997 and 2015. Methodology. These isolates were characterized regarding the occurrence of 22 virulence factor-encoding genes, antimicrobial resistance and biofilm production. We then evaluated whether these factors influenced the clinical outcome. Results. Over an 18-year period, 726 episodes of PD-related peritonitis were diagnosed, with 27 of them (3.7 %) being due to E. coli . The majority of the isolates were classified in phylogroups B1 (33.3 %), B2 (30.0 %) or F (18.0 %). fimH (100.0 %), ompT (66.7 %) and irp2 (51.9 %) were the most prevalent genes, while papA, papC, iha, sat, irp2, iucD, ireA, ibe10, ompT and kpsMTII were significantly more prevalent among isolates belonging to phylogroups B2 and F (P<0.05). Non-susceptibility to quinolones was detected in six isolates, which harboured chromosomal and/or plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants, while two CTX-M extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli were identified. Virulence factor-encoding genes (alone or in combination) and antimicrobial resistance were not associated with non-resolution outcomes. However, there was a trend for the ability to produce biofilm to be associated with treatment failure, although this association was not statistically significant. Conclusion. The E. coli isolates were heterogeneous in terms of the features investigated, and were susceptible to most of the antimicrobial drugs tested, despite the unsuccessful treatment observed in more than 50.0 % of the patients. Studies including more cases could help to clarify if biofilm production can influence the outcome in patients with PD-related peritonitis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 896-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. T. Solheim ◽  
C. Sekse ◽  
A. M. Urdahl ◽  
Y. Wasteson ◽  
L. L. Nesse

ABSTRACTDissemination of Shiga toxin (Stx)-encoding bacteriophages is the most likely mechanism for the spread of Stx-encoding genes and the emergence of new Stx-producingEscherichia coli(STEC). Biofilm has been reported to be a place where horizontal gene transfer by plasmid conjugation and DNA transformation may occur, and in this study, horizontal gene transfer by transduction has been demonstrated. Transfer of Stx-encoding bacteriophages to potentially pathogenicE. coliin biofilm was observed at both 20°C and 37°C. The infection rates were higher at 37°C than at 20°C. To our knowledge, this study is the first to show lateral gene transfer in biofilm mediated by a temperate bacteriophage. The study shows that the biofilm environment can be suitable for transduction events and can thereby be an environment for the emergence of new pathogenicE. coli.


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