Genetic Characterization of ExPEC-Like Virulence Plasmids among a Subset of NMEC

PloS One
Bryon A NicholsonGanwu Li

Abstract

Neonatal Meningitis Escherichia coli (NMEC) is one of the most common causes of neonatal bacterial meningitis in the US and elsewhere resulting in mortality or neurologic deficits in survivors. Large plasmids have been shown experimentally to increase the virulence of NMEC in the rat model of neonatal meningitis. Here, 9 ExPEC-like plasmids were isolated from NMEC and sequenced to identify the core and accessory plasmid genes of ExPEC-like virulence plasmids in NMEC and create an expanded plasmid phylogeny. Results showed sequenced virulence plasmids carry a strongly conserved core of genes with predicted functions in five distinct categories including: virulence, metabolism, plasmid stability, mobile elements, and unknown genes. The major functions of virulence-associated and plasmid core genes serve to increase in vivo fitness by adding multiple iron uptake systems to the genetic repertoire to facilitate NMEC's survival in the host's low iron environment, and systems to enhance bacterial resistance to host innate immunity. Phylogenetic analysis based on these core plasmid genes showed that at least two lineages of ExPEC-like plasmids could be discerned. Further, virulence plasmids from Avian Pathogenic E. coli and NMEC plasmi...Continue Reading

References

Oct 1, 1992·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·D ManenL Caro
Jul 25, 2000·Archives of Disease in Childhood·K GrimwoodT Nolan
Sep 30, 2000·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·O ClermontE Bingen
Sep 5, 2002·Research in Veterinary Science·R M La Ragione, M J Woodward
Apr 18, 2003·The New England Journal of Medicine·Greg S MartinMarc Moss
Nov 25, 2003·The EMBO Journal·David C ArthurJ N Mark Glover
Mar 26, 2004·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·James B KaperHarry L Mobley
Feb 22, 2005·Veterinary Research·Kylie E Rodriguez-SiekLisa K Nolan
Jul 6, 2006·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Laura E WilliamsAnne O Summers
Feb 6, 2007·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Timothy J JohnsonLisa K Nolan
Mar 22, 2007·International Journal of Medical Microbiology : IJMM·Christa EwersLothar H Wieler
May 1, 2007·The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology·Edie ScheurwaterAnthony J Clarke
Feb 19, 2008·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Timothy J JohnsonLisa K Nolan
Mar 20, 2008·Genome Research·Daniel R Zerbino, Ewan Birney
Nov 28, 2008·BMC Genomics·Françoise JaureguySylvain Brisse
Apr 21, 2009·Methods in Molecular Biology·Stéphane GuindonOlivier Gascuel
Dec 1, 2009·Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : MMBR·Timothy J Johnson, Lisa K Nolan
Dec 8, 2009·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Matthew A Croxen, B Brett Finlay
Feb 4, 2010·Infection and Immunity·Corinne K CusumanoScott J Hultgren
Jul 20, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Fernando Ruiz-PerezJames P Nataro
Oct 13, 2011·Molecular Systems Biology·Fabian SieversDesmond G Higgins
Dec 24, 2011·Science·Jenny L BakerRonald R Breaker
Nov 6, 2014·Genome Research·Stephen J SalipanteJay Shendure

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCR
electrophoresis

Software Mentioned

Prokka
custom Perl scripts
PHYLIP
ClustalOmega
Velvet Optimizer
dnaml
FASTq
Velvet
combFunc

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Here is the latest research.

Bacterial Meningitis (ASM)

Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Here is the latest research.