Open AccessGenetic Typing of Shiga Toxin 2 Variants of Escherichia coli by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis
Author(s) -
Liesbet De Baets,
Imme Van der Taelen,
Marina De Filette,
Denis Piérard,
Lesley Allison,
Henri De Greve,
Jean-Pierre Hernálsteens,
Hein Imberechts
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.70.10.6309-6314.2004
Subject(s) - shiga toxin , biology , escherichia coli , stx2 , haeiii , genetics , shiga like toxin , restriction fragment length polymorphism , typing , gene , phylogenetic tree , polymerase chain reaction
Shiga toxins Stx1 and Stx2 play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections. Several variants of the stx(2) gene, encoding Stx2, have been described. In this study, we developed a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism system for typing stx(2) genes of STEC strains. The typing system discriminates eight described variants and allows the identification of new stx(2) variants and STEC isolates carrying multiple stx(2) genes. A phylogenetic tree, based on the nucleotide sequences of the toxin-encoding genes, demonstrates that stx(2) sequences with the same PvuII HaeIII HincII AccI type generally cluster together.