BACKGROUND Lateral gene transfer is the major mechanism for acquisition of new virulence genes in pathogens. Recent whole genome analyses have suggested massive gene transfer between widely divergent organisms. PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS Archeal-like genes acting as virulence genes are present in several pathogens and genomes contain a number of archaeal-like genes of unknown function. Ar...

A population-based study combining (i) antimicrobial, (ii) genetic, and (iii) virulence analyses with molecular evolutionary analyses revealed segregative characteristics distinguishing human clinical and bovine Escherichia coli O157 strains from western Canada. Human (n = 50) and bovine (n = 50) strains of E. coli O157 were collected from Saskatchewan and Manitoba in 2006 and were analyzed by ...

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of a yeast (Candida famata) and bacterium (Lactobacillus plantarum), administered alone or in combination drinking water, on population yeast, Lactobacillus sp. coliforms, prevalence antimicrobial resistance (AMR) virulence genes Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from digesta samples taken throughout life broiler chickens. Male (Ross 308) day-...

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is reported to regulate virulence in Salmonella, Yersinia sp. and Campylobacter jejuni, yet its role in Escherichia coli O157:H7 has not been investigated. To gain insights into its roles in E. coli O157:H7 virulence, pnp deletion mutants were generated and the major virulence factors were compared to their parental wild type strains. Deletion of pnp in E. ...

A collection of 366 Escherichia coli strains from 10 host groups and surface waters were tested for the presence of 15 virulence genes associated with strains causing intestinal and extra-intestinal infections. The virulence genes included eaeA, VT1, 2 and 2e, LT1, ST1 and 2, Einv gene, EAgg gene, CNF1 and 2, papC, O111 and O157 side chain LPS. Of the 262 strains obtained from nine different ho...

Biofilms are an important medical burden, notably for patients with orthopaedic device-related infections. When polymicrobial, these infections more lethal and recalcitrant. Inter-kingdom biofilm poorly understood challenging to treat. Here, in vitro three-species model including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli Candida albicans was developed, represent part of the diversity observed or ...

Maternal-fetal Escherichia coli infections, such as neonatal bacteremia and meningitis, are important causes of morbidity and mortality. From 2006 to 2010, we studied newborns and their mothers who were colonized with E. coli in a French hospital in order to document (i) the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains, (ii) the p...

Escherichia coli often carries linked antimicrobial resistance genes on transmissible genetic elements. Through coselection, antimicrobial use may select for unrelated but linked resistance or virulence genes. This study used unconditional statistical associations to investigate the relationships between antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and antimicrobial resistance genes in 151 E. coli isola...

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 ...