Open AccessExpression of type I pili is abolished in verotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli O157
Author(s) -
Enami Mika,
Nakasone Noboru,
Honma Yasuko,
Kakinohana Shige,
Kudaka Jun,
Iwanaga Masaaki
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb08764.x
Subject(s) - vtec , pilus , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacterial adhesin , enterobacteriaceae , fimbriae proteins , shiga like toxin , gene , genetics
Verotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) were examined for production of type I pili. None of 34 strains of VTEC serogroup O157 examined expressed any pili, whereas 26 strains of 27 VTEC serogroup O26 and seven strains of nine non‐VTEC O157 produced type I pili. These VTEC strains were collected from sporadic human cases and cattle in Okinawa in 1997. The genes encoding the major structural component (FimA) and the adhesin (FimH) of type I pili were detected in all 70 strains examined. The inability to express type I pili could be a unique character of VTEC O157 and this trait could be a new candidate to identify the organisms.