This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Serra-Moreno, R.
Right arrow Articles by Muniesa, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Serra-Moreno, R.
Right arrow Articles by Muniesa, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, September 2007, p. 6645-6654, Vol. 189, No. 18
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00466-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Insertion Site Occupancy by stx2 Bacteriophages Depends on the Locus Availability of the Host Strain Chromosome{triangledown}

Ruth Serra-Moreno, Juan Jofre, and Maite Muniesa*

University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Received 28 March 2007/ Accepted 10 July 2007

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an emergent pathogen characterized by the expression of Shiga toxins, which are encoded in the genomes of lambdoid phages. These phages are infectious for other members of the Enterobacteriaceae and establish lysogeny when they integrate into the host chromosome. Five insertion sites, used mainly by these prophages, have been described to date. In the present study, the insertion of stx2 prophages in these sites was analyzed in 168 STEC strains isolated from cattle. Additionally, insertion sites were determined for stx2 phages which (i) converted diverse laboratory host strains, (ii) coexisted with another stx2 prophage, and (iii) infected a recombinant host strain lacking the most commonly used insertion site. Results show that depending on the host strain, phages preferentially use one insertion site. For the most part, yehV is occupied in STEC strains while wrbA is preferentially selected by the same stx phages in E. coli laboratory strains. If this primary insertion site is unavailable, then a secondary insertion site is selected. It can be concluded that insertion site occupancy by stx phages depends on the host strain and on the availability of the preferred locus in the host strain.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: University of Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Phone: 34934039386. Fax: 34934039047. E-mail: mmuniesa{at}ub.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 20 July 2007.


Journal of Bacteriology, September 2007, p. 6645-6654, Vol. 189, No. 18
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00466-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Yang, Z., Kim, J., Zhang, C., Zhang, M., Nietfeldt, J., Southward, C. M., Surette, M. G., Kachman, S. D., Benson, A. K. (2009). Genomic Instability in Regions Adjacent to a Highly Conserved pch Prophage in Escherichia coli O157:H7 Generates Diversity in Expression Patterns of the LEE Pathogenicity Island. J. Bacteriol. 191: 3553-3568 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Imamovic, L., Jofre, J., Schmidt, H., Serra-Moreno, R., Muniesa, M. (2009). Phage-Mediated Shiga Toxin 2 Gene Transfer in Food and Water. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 1764-1768 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Garcia-Aljaro, C., Muniesa, M., Jofre, J., Blanch, A. R. (2009). Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity among Induced, stx2-Carrying Bacteriophages from Environmental Escherichia coli Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 329-336 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Strauch, E., Hammerl, J. A., Konietzny, A., Schneiker-Bekel, S., Arnold, W., Goesmann, A., Puhler, A., Beutin, L. (2008). Bacteriophage 2851 Is a Prototype Phage for Dissemination of the Shiga Toxin Variant Gene 2c in Escherichia coli O157:H7. Infect. Immun. 76: 5466-5477 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kotewicz, M. L., Mammel, M. K., LeClerc, J. E., Cebula, T. A. (2008). Optical mapping and 454 sequencing of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 isolates linked to the US 2006 spinach-associated outbreak. Microbiology 154: 3518-3528 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Serra-Moreno, R., Jofre, J., Muniesa, M. (2008). The CI Repressors of Shiga Toxin-Converting Prophages Are Involved in Coinfection of Escherichia coli Strains, Which Causes a Down Regulation in the Production of Shiga Toxin 2. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4722-4735 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mellmann, A., Lu, S., Karch, H., Xu, J.-g., Harmsen, D., Schmidt, M. A., Bielaszewska, M. (2008). Recycling of Shiga Toxin 2 Genes in Sorbitol-Fermenting Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:NM. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 67-72 [Abstract] [Full Text]