Previous Article | Next Article 
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2003, p. 3379-3383, Vol. 41, No. 7
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.7.3379-3383.2003
Sequence of the Escherichia coli O121 O-Antigen Gene Cluster and Detection of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O121 by PCR Amplification of the wzx and wzy Genes
Pina M. Fratamico,1* Connie E. Briggs,1 Danielle Needle,2 Chin-Yi Chen,1 and Chitrita DebRoy2
Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038,1
Gastroenteric Disease Center, Department of Veterinary Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 168022
Received 2 January 2003/
Returned for modification 19 February 2003/
Accepted 14 April 2003
The DNA sequence of the 15,155-bp O-antigen gene cluster of Escherichia coli O121 was determined, and 14 open reading frames were identified (all had the same transcriptional direction). Analyses of results indicated that the wzx (O-antigen flippase) and wzy (O-antigen polymerase) genes were E. coli O121 specific, so regions in these two genes were chosen for development of PCR assays. The PCR assays using DNA from 99 E. coli O121 strains, strains representative of non-O121 E. coli serogroups, and strains of other bacterial genera and PCR assays using DNA from seven enrichments of swine fecal samples naturally contaminated with E. coli O121 showed specificity for E. coli O121. Thus, the PCR assay can be employed to reliably identify E. coli O121 and to potentially detect the organism in food, fecal, and environmental samples.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 600 East Mermaid Ln., Wyndmoor, PA 19038. Phone: (215) 233-6525. Fax: (215) 233-6581. E-mail:
pfratamico{at}arserrc.gov.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2003, p. 3379-3383, Vol. 41, No. 7
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.7.3379-3383.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Li, Y., Cao, B., Liu, B., Liu, D., Gao, Q., Peng, X., Wu, J., Bastin, D. A., Feng, L., Wang, L.
(2009). Molecular detection of all 34 distinct O-antigen forms of Shigella. J Med Microbiol
58: 69-81
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Heinikainen, S., Pohjanvirta, T., Eklund, M., Siitonen, A., Pelkonen, S.
(2007). Tracing Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli O103, O145, and O174 Infections from Farm Residents to Cattle. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 3817-3820
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Fitzgerald, C., Collins, M., van Duyne, S., Mikoleit, M., Brown, T., Fields, P.
(2007). Multiplex, Bead-Based Suspension Array for Molecular Determination of Common Salmonella Serogroups. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 3323-3334
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Ballmer, K., Korczak, B. M., Kuhnert, P., Slickers, P., Ehricht, R., Hachler, H.
(2007). Fast DNA Serotyping of Escherichia coli by Use of an Oligonucleotide Microarray. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 370-379
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Li, Y., Liu, D., Cao, B., Han, W., Liu, Y., Liu, F., Guo, X., Bastin, D. A., Feng, L., Wang, L.
(2006). Development of a Serotype-Specific DNA Microarray for Identification of Some Shigella and Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains. J. Clin. Microbiol.
44: 4376-4383
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
DebRoy, C., Fratamico, P. M., Roberts, E., Davis, M. A., Liu, Y.
(2005). Development of PCR Assays Targeting Genes in O-Antigen Gene Clusters for Detection and Identification of Escherichia coli O45 and O55 Serogroups. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
71: 4919-4924
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Feng, L., Senchenkova, S. N., Tao, J., Shashkov, A. S., Liu, B., Shevelev, S. D., Reeves, P. R., Xu, J., Knirel, Y. A., Wang, L.
(2005). Structural and Genetic Characterization of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O145 O Antigen and Development of an O145 Serogroup-Specific PCR Assay. J. Bacteriol.
187: 758-764
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
DebRoy, C., Roberts, E., Kundrat, J., Davis, M. A., Briggs, C. E., Fratamico, P. M.
(2004). Detection of Escherichia coli Serogroups O26 and O113 by PCR Amplification of the wzx and wzy Genes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
70: 1830-1832
[Abstract]
[Full Text]