Altered Utilization of N-Acetyl-d-Galactosamine by Escherichia coli O157:H7 from the 2006 Spinach Outbreak

摘要

In silico analyses of previously sequenced strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7, EDL933 and Sakai, localized the gene cluster for the utilization of N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (Aga) and d-galactosamine (Gam). This gene cluster encodes the Aga phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) and other catabolic enzymes responsible for transport and catabolism of Aga. As the complete coding sequences for enzyme IIA (EIIA)^Aga/Gam, EIIB^Aga, EIIC^Aga, and EIID^Aga of the Aga PTS are present, E. coli O157:H7 strains normally are able to utilize Aga as a sole carbon source. The Gam PTS complex, in contrast, lacks EIIC^Gam, and consequently, E. coli O157:H7 strains cannot utilize Gam. Phenotypic analyses of 120 independent isolates of E. coli O157:H7 from our culture collection revealed that the overwhelming majority (118/120) displayed the expected Aga⁺ Gam⁻ phenotype. Yet, when 194 individual isolates, derived from a 2006 spinach-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, were analyzed, all (194/194) displayed an Aga⁻ Gam⁻ phenotype. Comparison of aga/gam sequences from two spinach isolates with those of EDL933 and Sakai revealed a single nucleotide change (G:C→A:T) in the agaF gene in the spinach-associated isolates. The base substitution in agaF, which encodes EIIA^Aga/Gam of the PTS, changes a conserved glycine residue to serine (Gly91Ser). Pyrosequencing of this region showed that all spinach-associated E. coli O157:H7 isolates harbored this same G:C→A:T substitution. Notably, when agaF⁺ was cloned into an expression vector and transformed into six spinach isolates, all (6/6) were able to grow on Aga, thus demonstrating that the Gly91Ser substitution underlies the Aga⁻ phenotype in these isolates.