Project description:Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that causes bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Hfq is an sRNA chaperone protein that is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria. In EHEC strain EDL933, Hfq acts a negative regulator of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) that encodes most of the proteins involved in type three secretion and attaching and effacing lesions. We deleted hfq in E. coli O157:H7 strain 86-24 and compared global transcription profiles of the hfq mutant to the wild type strain in exponential growth phase. Deletion of hfq affected transcription of genes common to nonpathogenic and pathogenic strains of E. coli as well as pathogen-specific genes. Downregulated genes in the hfq mutant included ler as well as genes encoded in LEE2-5 that encode for type three secretion and AE lesion formation. Decreased expression of the LEE genes in the hfq mutant occurred at mid-, late, and stationary growth phases in both LB and DMEM media as detected by qRT-PCR. We also confirmed decreased regulation of the LEE genes by examining secreted proteins and AE lesion formation by the hfq mutant and WT strains. Deletion of hfq also caused decreased expression of the two-component system qseBC involved in inter-kingdom signaling and virulence gene regulation in EHEC as well as an increase in stx2AB expression that encodes for the deadly Shiga toxin. Altogether, these data indicate that Hfq plays a different regulatory role in EHEC 86-24 from what has been reported for EHEC strain EDL933 and that the role of Hfq in EHEC virulence regulation extends beyond the LEE.
Project description:Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that causes bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Hfq is an sRNA chaperone protein that is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria. In EHEC strain EDL933, Hfq acts a negative regulator of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) that encodes most of the proteins involved in type three secretion and attaching and effacing lesions. We deleted hfq in E. coli O157:H7 strain 86-24 and compared global transcription profiles of the hfq mutant to the wild type strain in exponential growth phase. Deletion of hfq affected transcription of genes common to nonpathogenic and pathogenic strains of E. coli as well as pathogen-specific genes. Downregulated genes in the hfq mutant included ler as well as genes encoded in LEE2-5 that encode for type three secretion and AE lesion formation. Decreased expression of the LEE genes in the hfq mutant occurred at mid-, late, and stationary growth phases in both LB and DMEM media as detected by qRT-PCR. We also confirmed decreased regulation of the LEE genes by examining secreted proteins and AE lesion formation by the hfq mutant and WT strains. Deletion of hfq also caused decreased expression of the two-component system qseBC involved in inter-kingdom signaling and virulence gene regulation in EHEC as well as an increase in stx2AB expression that encodes for the deadly Shiga toxin. Altogether, these data indicate that Hfq plays a different regulatory role in EHEC 86-24 from what has been reported for EHEC strain EDL933 and that the role of Hfq in EHEC virulence regulation extends beyond the LEE. Comparison of transcriptional regulation of the WT 86-24 isolate and the hfq mutant for the identification of regulated targets that were followed up by functional analysis.
Project description:Integrating laterally acquired virulence genes into the backbone regulatory network is important for the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli O157:H7, which has captured many virulence genes through horizontal transfer during evolution. GadE is an essential transcriptional activator of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) system, the most efficient acid resistance mechanism in E. coli. The full contribution of GadE to the acid resistance and virulence of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 remains largely unknown. We inactivated gadE in E. coli O157:H7 Sakai and compared global transcription profiles with that of wild type in exponential and stationary phases of growth using microarrays containing 6088 ORFs from three E. coli genomes. gadE inactivation significantly altered the expression of 60 genes independent of growth phase and 122 genes in a growth phase-dependent manner. Inactivation of gadE markedly down-regulated the expression of gadA, gadB, gadC and many acid fitness island genes in a growth phase-dependent manner. Nineteen genes encoded on the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), including ler, showed a significant increase in expression upon gadE inactivation. Altogether, our data indicate that GadE is critical for acid resistance of E. coli O157:H7 and plays an important role in virulence by down-regulating expression of LEE.
Project description:Deletion of yedL was found to signifcantly decrease type three secretion in EHEC O157:H7. Transcriptional profiles of Escherichia coli O157: H7 and the isogenic yedL mutant were generated and compared.
Project description:Deletion of yhaO was found to signifcantly decrease type three secretion in EHEC O157:H7. Transcriptional profiles of Escherichia coli O157: H7 and the isogenic yhaO mutant were generated and compared.
Project description:Two lineages of enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EDL933, Stx1+ and Stx2+) and 86-24 (Stx2+) were investigated in regards to biofilm formation on an abiotic surface. Strikingly, EDL933 strain formed a robust biofilm while 86-24 strain formed no biofilm on either a polystyrene plate or a polyethylene tube. To identify the genetic mechanisms of different biofilm formation in two EHEC strains, DNA microarrays were first performed and phenotypic assays were followed. In the comparison of the EDL933 strain versus 86-24 strain, genes (csgBAC and csgDEFG) involved in curli biosynthesis were significantly induced while genes (trpLEDCB and mtr) involved in indole signaling were repressed. Additionally, a dozen of phage genes were differentially present between two strains. Curli assays using a Congo red plate and scanning electron microscopy corroborate the microarray data as the EDL 933 strain produces a large amount of curli, while 86-24 forms much less curli. Also, the indole production in the EDL933 was 2-times lower than that of 86-24. It was known that curli formation positively regulates and indole negatively regulates biofilm formation of EHEC. Hence, it appears that less curli formation and high indole production in the 86-24 strain are majorly responsible for no biofilm formation.
Project description:Pathogenic biofilms have been associated with persistent infections due to their high resistance to antimicrobial agents. To identify non-toxic biofilm inhibitors for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, indole-3-acetaldehyde was used and reduced E. coli O157:H7 biofilm formation. Global transcriptome analyses revealed that indole-3-acetaldehyde most repressed two curli operons, csgBAC and csgDEFG, and induced tryptophanase (tnaAB) in E. coli O157:H7 biofilm cells. Electron microscopy showed that indole-3-acetaldehyde reduced curli production in E. coli O157:H7. Together, this study shows that Actinomycetales are an important resource of biofilm inhibitors as well as antibiotics.
Project description:Cinnamaldehyde is a natural antimicrobial and has been found to be effective against many foodborne pathogens including Escherichia coli O157:H7. Although its antimicrobial effects have been well investigated, limited information is available on its effects at the molecular level. Sublethal treatment at 200 mg/l cinnamaldehyde inhibited growth of E. coli O157:H7 at 37oC and for ≤ 2 h caused cell elongation, but from 2 to 4 h growth resumed and cells reverted to normal length. To understand this transient behaviour, genome-wide transcriptional analysis of E. coli O157:H7 was performed at 2 and 4 h exposure to cinnamaldehyde. Drastically different gene expression profiles were obtained at 2 and 4 h. At 2 h exposure, cinnamaldehyde induced overexpression of many oxidative stress-related genes, reduced DNA replication, and synthesis of protein, O-antigen and fimbriae. At 4 h, many cinnamaldehyde-induced repressive effects on E. coli O157:H7 gene expressions were reversed and oxidatve stress genes were nolonger differentially expressed.