| 1. |
- Bölin, Ingrid, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli with STh and STp genotypes is associated with diarrhea both in children in areas of endemicity and in travelers.
- 2006
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In: Journal of clinical microbiology. - 0095-1137. ; 44:11, s. 3872-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is an important cause of diarrhea among children in developing countries and in travelers to areas of ETEC endemicity. ETEC strains isolated from humans may produce a heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and two types of the heat-stable enterotoxin STa, called STh and STp, encoded by the estA gene. Two commonly used assay methods for the detection of STa, the infant mouse assay or different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, are unable to distinguish between the two subtypes of ST. Different genotypic methods, such as DNA probes or PCR assays, may, however, allow such discrimination. Using gene probes, it has recently been reported that ETEC strains producing STp as the only enterotoxin are not associated with diarrhea. In this study, we have used highly specific PCR methods, including newly designed primers for STh together with previously described STp primers, to compare the relative distribution of STh and STp in ETEC isolated from children with diarrhea in three different geographically distinct areas, i.e., Bangladesh, Egypt, and Guatemala, and from travelers to Mexico and Guatemala. It was found that ETEC strains producing STp were as commonly isolated from cases of diarrhea as strains producing STh both in Egypt and Guatemala, whereas STp strains were considerably less common in Bangladesh. No difference was found in the relative distribution of STh and STp in ETEC strains isolated from travelers with diarrhea and from asymptomatic carriers. Irrespective of ST genotype, the disease symptoms were also similar in both children and travelers.
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| 2. |
- Elfvin, Anders, 1971, et al.
(author)
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Gastric expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and myeloperoxidase in relation to nitrotyrosine in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils.
- 2006
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In: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 41:9, s. 1013-8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: For obscure reasons Helicobacter pylori infection of the gastric mucosa is maintained despite a pronounced host defence response. The present study elucidates possible H. pylori-related interference in the oxy- and nitro-radical formation pathways. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male Mongolian gerbils were infected with two different H. pylori strains, TN2GF4 and SS1. At 3, 6, 12 or 18 months after inoculation, gastric expressions of myeloperoxidase (MPO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitrotyrosine were assessed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Expression of both iNOS and MPO was markedly up-regulated in the H. pylori-infected animals compared with non-infected controls. The TN2GF4-infected animals initially (at 3 and 6 months) demonstrated pronounced expression of both iNOS and MPO. The SSI-infected animals exhibited a slower onset with significantly increased iNOS after 12 and 18 months. Nitrotyrosine expression was slightly elevated in the infected groups at 3 and 6 months compared with that in the controls. Nitrotyrosine levels then decreased and were no longer significantly different from those of controls (TN2GF4-infected animals) or were lower (SS1-infected animals) than in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that peroxynitrite formation as reflected by nitrotyrosine expression is low or even inhibited in chronic H. pylori infection despite pronounced expression of enzymes representing both the oxy- and nitro-radical formation pathways. The results support the theory that H. pylori survival is related to functional inhibition of mucosal enzymatic NO and/or oxy-radical formation.
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| 3. |
- Tobias, Joshua, 1969, et al.
(author)
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Construction of non-toxic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae strains expressing high and immunogenic levels of enterotoxigenic E. coli colonization factor I fimbriae.
- 2008
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In: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X. ; 26:6, s. 743-52
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To express high quantities of colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) derived from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) for use in ETEC vaccines, the entire CFA/I operon consisting of four genes (cfa-A, -B, -C, -E) was cloned into plasmid expression vectors that could be maintained either with or without antibiotic selection. Expression from the powerful tac promoter was under the control of the lacIq repressor present on the plasmids. Fimbriae were expressed on the surface of both a non-toxigenic E. coli K12 strain and a non-toxigenic strain of Vibrio cholerae following induction with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). It was found that the recombinant E. coli strains expressed up to 16-fold higher levels of CFA/I fimbriae compared to a reference strain which had previously been shown to be among the highest natural producers of the CFA/I fimbriae among tested wild type ETEC strains. Oral immunization with formalin-killed recombinant E. coli bacteria over-expressing CFA/I induced significantly higher serum IgA and IgG+M antibodies responses compared to the reference strain. Oral immunization with formalin-killed recombinant V. cholerae bacteria also induce strong CFA/I-specific serum IgA and IgG+M responses. We conclude that our constructs may be useful as candidate strains in an oral killed CF-ETEC vaccine.
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| 4. |
- Bölin, Ingrid, 1952-
(author)
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Temperature-inducible and calcium-regulated proteins encoded by the virulence plasmid of Yersinia
- 1987
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The pathogenic members of the genus Yersinia, Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. pestis and Y. enterocolitica are transmitted from animals to man and may give rise to disease with a variety of symptoms. These bacteria possess related plasmids necessary for virulence. In this study, gene products encoded by the virulence plasmid have been identified and characterized.A temperature-inducible outer membrane protein YOP1, is encoded by the virulence plasmid. YOP1 is expressed by Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica at 37°C. The genetic locale of trie structural gene for YOPl on the virulence plasmid was determined. A mutant that was unable to express this protein, remained fully virulent, showing that YOP1 is not a virulence determinant.Several other proteins encoded by the virulence plasmid are induced at 37°C in a medium lacking Ca2+. These proteins are not expressed at 26°C and expression is repressed by Ca2+-concentrations in excess of 2.5 mM. In Ca2+-deficient medium, the induced proteins can be found extracellu- larly as well as in the outer membrane. However, in the presence of Ca at 37°C they are only found in the outer membrane. The released proteins consist of eight polypeptides as revealed by two-dimensional electrophoresis. These proteins, Y0P2a and 2b, YOP3, Y0P4a and 4b, the V-antigen and a small uncharacterized polypeptide, are expressed by all three pathogenic Yersinia species, both in vivo and in vitro.The Ca2+-controlled expression of the YOP proteins is regulated by genes in the Ca2+ -region, which are conserved in the three species. Mutations in this region repress the expression of the Ca2+-regulated YOPs. The genetic loci identified for five of these proteins revealed that only the structural gene of the Y0P4b protein is part of the Ca2+ -region. The other genes were found at separate locations outside this region. The structural genes for YOP4b, YOP3 and the V-antigen, together with the genes for two additional polypeptides, were localized to a common region conserved on the plasmids of the Yersinia species. The structural genes for Y0P2b (yopH) and Y0P5 (yopE) are located in different positions on the plasmid from Y. enterocolitica, compared to the other two species. This plasmid has Been rearranged so that these genes are located close to one another.The DNA sequence of the yopH gene shows that it is a singly transcriptional unit. Transcription of this gene is regulated by Ca2+-concentration and by temperature. A mutant strain of Y. pseudo tuberculosis, deleted for the yopH gene on the virulence plasmid, is avirulent In mice. Virulence is restored by trans-complementation with the cloned yopH gene. The mutant strain is also’ unable to inhibit phagocytosis of macrophages as compared to the wild-type strain. The trans-compleroented strain shows inhibition comparable to that of the wild-type. Therefore, the YOP2b protein is considered to be an essential virulence determinant.
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| 5. |
- Carlsohn, Elisabet, et al.
(author)
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HpaA is essential for Helicobacter pylori colonization in mice
- 2006
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In: Infect Immun. ; 74:2, s. 920-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Infection with the human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori can give rise to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. All H. pylori strains express the surface-localized protein HpaA, a promising candidate for a vaccine against H. pylori infection. To study the physiological importance of HpaA, a mutation of the hpaA gene was introduced into a mouse-adapted H. pylori strain. To justify that the interruption of the hpaA gene did not cause any polar effects of downstream genes or was associated with a second site mutation, the protein expression patterns of the mutant and wild-type strains were characterized by two different proteomic approaches. Two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis analysis of whole-cell extracts and subcellular fractionation combined with nano-liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for outer membrane protein profiling revealed only minor differences in the protein profile between the mutant and the wild-type strains. Therefore, the mutant strain was tested for its colonizing ability in a well-established mouse model. While inoculation with the wild-type strain resulted in heavily H. pylori-infected mice, the HpaA mutant strain was not able to establish colonization. Thus, by combining proteomic analysis and in vivo studies, we conclude that HpaA is essential for the colonization of H. pylori in mice.
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| 6. |
- Elfvin, Anders, 1971, et al.
(author)
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Helicobacter pylori induces gastritis and intestinal metaplasia but no gastric adenocarcinoma in Mongolian gerbils.
- 2005
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In: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 40:11, s. 1313-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The Mongolian gerbil is considered as the model of choice when studying adenocarcinoma related to Helicobacter pylori infection. The purpose of this study was to compare two different H. pylori strains and elucidate whether adenocarcinomas developed in gerbils. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male gerbils were separated into three groups: one control and two groups infected with two different strains of H. pylori, TN2GF4 and SS1. At 3, 6, 12 or 18 months after inoculation 5 animals from each group were sacrificed. The stomach was used for culture, and for histology. RESULTS: Inflammation was seen after 3 months in all the infected animals. In the controls no pathology was found at any time. Intestinal metaplasia was found in both the infected groups. Glands buried in the submucusal layer, changes that might be misinterpreted as adenocarcinoma, were found in 10% of the SS1 and in 65% of the TN2GF4 animals. Adenocarcinoma was not found in any of the gerbils. CONCLUSIONS: All studies claiming to have found H. pylori-induced adenocarcinomas in gerbils describe atypical glands penetrating into the muscularis propria and interpret these as invasive growths due to cancer. An alternative interpretation is that the deranged glandular structures grow in and below the submucosa. It is suggested that atypical glands in the muscularis layer are not enough as a diagnostic criterion for gastric adenocarcinoma. It is concluded that adenocarcinoma has not yet been shown convincingly to develop in Mongolian gerbils infected with H. pylori. Nevertheless, it is a model well suited for studying gastritis, gastric ulcer and premalignant changes such as metaplasia.
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| 7. |
- Elfvin, Anders, 1971, et al.
(author)
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Quantitative measurement of nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils in vivo
- 2007
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 42:10, s. 1175-1181
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. Peroxynitrite formation, as reflected by nitrotyrosine expression, is low in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils despite pronounced expression of radical-forming enzymes. The aim of the present study was to investigate in vivo whether H. pylori inhibits either one or both of the nitro- and oxyradical formation pathways. Material and methods. Male Mongolian gerbils were infected with two different H. pylori strains, TN2GF4 and SS1. Six months after inoculation, direct measurement of NO and H(2)O(2) was performed in vivo using electrochemical microsensors positioned in close proximity to the gastric mucosa. Results. In the TN2GF4-infected animals the level of NO was significantly lower than that in controls. No significant difference in NO levels was detected between the SS1-infected group and the controls. H(2)O(2) was significantly increased in the SS1 animals compared with that in controls after 6 months. The H(2)O(2) level in the TN2GF4 group did not differ from that in controls. Conclusions. The results indicate that H. pylori infection is associated with strain-dependent functional inhibition of both the NO and oxyradical formation pathways in the gastric mucosa.
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| 8. |
- Hernroth, Bodil, 1951, et al.
(author)
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Factors influencing survival of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica (serovar Typhimurium) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in marine environments
- 2010
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In: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1574-6941 .- 0168-6496. ; 71:2, s. 272-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract The presence and persistence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is poorly investigated in marine habitats. Here we compared ETEC with the more studied fecal contaminant, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. enterica) and the marine bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus. All three species of bacteria were culturable on agar plates during 8 weeks of incubation in seawater. However, the culturability of ETEC was positively affected by low temperature whereas V. parahaemolyticus was negatively affected. High-nutrient conditions favored the growth of ETEC but not the other bacteria. When the bacteria were fed to blue mussels, V. parahaemolyticus inhibited the filtration activity and the ingestion was lower than that of the enterobacteria. On the other hand, the mussels were less efficient in eliminating V. parahaemolyticus and an in vitro study showed that the hemocytes of three different species of bivalves were not able to kill this strain of V. parahaemolyticus. The bactericidal capacity of bivalves was seemingly an efficient elimination pathway for S. enterica and ETEC. This study showed that ETEC in endemic areas should, to the same degree as S. enterica and V. parahaemolyticus, be taken in consideration when assessing the role of marine environments as a source of enteric infection.
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| 9. |
- Lagergård, Teresa, 1946, et al.
(author)
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On the evolution of the sexually transmitted bacteria Haemophilus ducreyi and Klebsiella granulomatis.
- 2011
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In: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. - : Wiley. - 1749-6632 .- 0077-8923. ; 1230
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Haemophilus ducreyi and Klebsiella (Calymmatobacterium) granulomatis are sexually transmitted bacteria that cause characteristic, persisting ulceration on external genitals called chancroid and granuloma inguinale, respectively. Those ulcers are endemic in developing countries or exist, as does granuloma inguinale, only in some geographic "hot spots."H. ducreyi is placed in the genus Haemophilus (family Pasteurellacae); however, this phylogenetic position is not obvious. The multiple ways in which the bacterium may be adapted to its econiche through specialized nutrient acquisitions; defenses against the immune system; and virulence factors that increase attachment, fitness, and persistence within genital tissue are discussed below. The analysis of K. granulomatis phylogeny demonstrated a high degree of identity with other Klebsiella species, and the name K. granulomatis comb. nov. was proposed. Because of the difficulty in growing this bacterium on artificial media, its characteristics have not been sufficiently defined. More studies are needed to understand bacterial genetics related to the pathogenesis and evolution of K. granulomatis.
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| 10. |
- Lothigius, Åsa, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is detectable in water samples from an endemic area by real-time PCR.
- 2008
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In: Journal of applied microbiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2672 .- 1364-5072. ; 104:4, s. 1128-36
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIMS: We aimed to develop an assay for sensitive detection and quantification of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in different types of water samples. METHODS AND RESULTS: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays with primers against ETEC enterotoxin genes estA (STh) estB (STp) and eltB (LT) were designed and the detection levels were determined to be three bacteria per PCR reaction. Gene copy numbers were estimated to be four (LT), two (STh) and one (STp) per bacteria. Twenty-six household and 13 environmental water samples from Bangladesh were filtered through 0.22-microm filters; DNA was extracted from the filters and analysed by real-time PCR. The results were compared with toxin GM1-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in which colonies were tested for toxin production after cultivation of the filters. Out of the 39 samples tested, 18 household and 8 environmental samples were positive for ETEC in real-time PCR, but only 6 positive samples were found with GM1-ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: The method allows for highly sensitive detection and quantification of ETEC based on detection of toxin DNA in water samples. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The method facilitates detection and identification of ETEC in water and allows comparison between water contamination and incidence of ETEC diarrhoea in endemic areas.
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