Article
Food Science & Technology
Michelle Qiu Carter, Antares Pham, Wen-Xian Du, Xiaohua He
Summary: Research revealed diverse Stx-prophages in STEC O145:H28 strains, which were genotypically indistinguishable. Although all strains belonged to Sequence Type 78 and shared similar characteristics, they exhibited differential responses to various inducers, suggesting a role of host bacteria in regulating Stxs production.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xinxia Sui, Xi Yang, Ming Luo, Hua Wang, Qian Liu, Hui Sun, Yujuan Jin, Yannong Wu, Xiangning Bai, Yanwen Xiong
Summary: This study found that Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) circulating in asymptomatic food handlers is genetically distinct from the strains causing disease, suggesting a low potential for disease-causing.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Scott T. Henderson, Pallavi Singh, David Knupp, David W. Lacher, Galeb S. Abu-Ali, James T. Rudrik, Shannon D. Manning
Summary: In this study, PCR assays were used to examine the occupancy of Shiga toxin prophages in different loci among 346 E. coli O157 strains, revealing variations in occupancy profiles among different clades. Strains belonging to clade 8 were found to have unique prophage occupancy profiles that could impact toxin expression, providing insights into the complexity of prophage integration and its implications on virulence.
Article
Microbiology
Xi Yang, Qian Liu, Xiangning Bai, Bin Hu, Deshui Jiang, Hongbo Jiao, Liangmei Lu, Ruyue Fan, Peibin Hou, Andreas Matussek, Yanwen Xiong
Summary: Stx2k-STEC strains have been circulating in different sources in China. We found a high prevalence of Stx2k-STEC in goat herds. More than half of the strains were of the hybrid STEC/ETEC pathotype. Stx2k-STEC strains of specific serotypes have been widespread in goat herds for several years. Stx2k-converting prophages show a high level of similarity across geographical regions and time. The high prevalence of Stx2k-STEC in goats suggests a risk of cross-species spread and potential pathogenicity to humans. Further monitoring of human Stx2k-STEC infections is warranted.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Silje N. Ramstad, Yngvild Wasteson, Bjorn-Arne Lindstedt, Arne M. Taxt, Jorgen Bjornholt, Lin T. Brandal, Jon Bohlin
Summary: This study characterized the Stx2a phages associated with Norwegian O145:H25 STEC strains, revealing high similarity with phages from STEC related to HUS cases in the USA and Japan, highlighting their potential impact on pathogenicity.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jaycee Cushman, Emma Freeman, Sarah McCallister, Anna Schumann, Keith W. Hutchison, Sally D. Molloy
Summary: This study provides evidence that prophages alter the expression of important mycobacterial intrinsic antibiotic resistance genes and may play a role in mycobacterial adaptation to stress. Strains carrying the prophage McProf demonstrated increased resistance to amikacin, which was further enhanced by exposure to acivicin or the presence of a second prophage, BPs. Increased expression of the virulence gene whiB7 was observed in strains carrying both prophages compared to strains carrying a single prophage or no prophages.
Article
Immunology
Silje N. Ramstad, Arne M. Taxt, Umaer Naseer, Yngvild Wasteson, Jorgen V. Bjornholt, Lin T. Brandal
Summary: The study found that some antibiotics can increase the production of Shiga toxin, while others do not. STEC O104:H4 was the serotype that exhibited the strongest response to antimicrobial exposure with an increase in stx2a transcription and Stx production.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Rebecca L. Lindsey, Arjun Prasad, Michael Feldgarden, Narjol Gonzalez-Escalona, Curtis Kapsak, William Klimke, Angela Melton-Celsa, Peyton Smith, Alexandre Souvorov, Jenny Truong, Flemming Scheutz
Summary: Sharing genome sequences allows for the detection of novel gene subtypes and the development of improved detection methods. In this study, publicly available WGS data was used to identify a new Stx subtype in E. coli strains isolated in the USA, as well as other Stx2 subtypes. Analysis of the genome sequences and phage insertion sites revealed variability among different subtypes and their toxicity to cells.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Momna Rubab, Deog-Hwan Oh
Summary: The study investigated the antibiotic resistance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates, finding that most strains exhibited phenotypic resistance, with common resistant genes including ere(A), aadA1, and aac(3)-I. These results underscore the importance of monitoring multidrug resistance globally.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anil K. Persad, Gireesh Rajashekara, Jeffrey T. LeJeune
Summary: This study investigated the potential presence of Shiga toxin genes in the feces of healthy sheep and goats in Trinidad. The results showed that goats had a higher potential presence than sheep, and young animals had a higher potential presence than older animals. The study also found that non-O157 stx-positive isolates carried by these animals do not pose a significant threat to human health.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Kosuke Takada, Kotone Hama, Takaomi Sasaki, Yuichi Otsuka
Summary: The TA genetic modules play important roles in controlling bacterial events, while hokW-sokW in Sp5 phage serves as a novel function in facilitating the release of phage progeny through E. coli lysis.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Da-Som Park, Jong-Hyun Park
Summary: This study conducted a risk analysis on Stx-encoding bacteriophages by confirming their ability to transduce non-Stx-producing Escherichia coli and express the Shiga toxin genes. The results showed that non-STEC strains could be transduced by Stx-encoding phages, leading to an increased risk of harmful gene transfer. Additionally, the study found that the stability of these phages to various environmental factors was high, highlighting the potential risks associated with inadequate sterilization practices.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Anouschka Den Ouden, David R. Greig, Ella V. Rodwell, Francesco Tripodo, Israel Olonade, Craig Swift, Claire Jenkins
Summary: This study analyzed clinical outcomes and genome-sequencing data of STEC encoding-stx2f infections in England to assess the risk to public health. The results showed that STEC harboring stx2f can cause severe clinical outcomes, including STEC-HUS. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen the collection and sharing of microbiological and epidemiological data and further study the animal and environmental reservoirs and transmission routes.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Graca Pinto, Marta Sampaio, Oscar Dias, Carina Almeida, Joana Azeredo, Hugo Oliveira
Summary: This study analyzed 179 complete genomes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in terms of serotypes, prophage coding regions, and stx gene variants, revealing a high genetic diversity and the prevalence of non-O157 serotypes. Most STEC genomes contain a single stx gene, with some strains harboring two, three, or four stx genes, and stx2 being the most common variant. The study also identified four clusters, three subclusters, and one singleton of Stx phages, showing a diverse genetic structure with a strong selective pressure to maintain the location of stx genes close to lytic cassettes.
Review
Immunology
Izabella de Macedo Henrique, Flavia Sacerdoti, Raissa Lozzardo Ferreira, Camila Henrique, Maria Marta Amaral, Roxane Maria Fontes Piazza, Daniela Luz
Summary: This article introduces the structure of Shiga toxins (Stx) and the bacteria that produce them, as well as different types of antibody molecules for Stx neutralization and their potential applications.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
G. S. Holt, J. K. Lodge, A. J. McCarthy, A. K. Graham, G. Young, S. H. Bridge, A. K. Brown, M. Veses-Garcia, C. V. Lanyon, A. Sails, H. E. Allison, D. L. Smith
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2017)
Article
Microbiology
Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Kata Farkas, Christian Harrison, David L. Jones, Heather E. Allison, Alan J. McCarthy
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James E. McDonald, Niels Larsen, Andrea Pennington, John Connolly, Corrin Wallis, David J. Rooks, Neil Hall, Alan J. McCarthy, Heather E. Allison
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jessica A. Smith, Ross Mulhall, Sean Goodman, George Fleming, Heather Allison, Rasmita Raval, Tom Hasell
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara Franke, Marta Veses-Garcia, Kay Diederichs, Heather Allison, Daniel J. Rigden, Olga Mayans
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Mohammed Radhi Mohaisen, Alan John McCarthy, Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Heather Elizabeth Allison
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Kata Farkas, James E. McDonald, David L. Jones, Heather E. Allison, Alan J. McCarthy
Summary: The study used viromic analysis to track the transmission pathway and impact of wastewater-derived viruses in aquatic environments, revealing diverse virus communities associated with different wastewater treatment plants and geographical locations. Viruses were traced throughout freshwater and marine environments, showing the influence of local geography and tidal effects on their circulation.
Article
Microbiology
Haojie Ge, Ling Ye, Yueyi Cai, Huimin Guo, Dan Gu, Zhengzhong Xu, Maozhi Hu, Heather E. Allison, Xin'an Jiao, Xiang Chen
Summary: In this study, the adsorption mechanism of phage LP31 was investigated, which not only improves the precision and efficiency of phage therapy but also opens up possibilities for other potential applications and modifications of phages. By constructing a knockout strain C50041 Delta rfaL(58-358), researchers discovered that the knockout strain exhibited a rough phenotype due to the deficiency of O-antigen. The results showed that the receptor for phage LP31 was the O-9 antigen of S. Enteritidis, and the tail fiber protein Lp35 of phage LP31 participated in the adsorption process as a receptor-binding protein.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Stephnie M. Kennedy, Pallavi Deshpande, Andrew G. Gallagher, Malcolm J. Horsburgh, Heather E. Allison, Stephen B. Kaye, Donald A. Wellings, Rachel L. Williams
Summary: Functionalized poly-epsilon-lysine hydrogels (pεK+) have demonstrated significant amoebicidal and cysticidal activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii, suggesting their potential as contact lenses to reduce the risk of CL-associated Acanthamoeba keratitis.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ophthalmology
Stephnie M. Kennedy, Pallavi Deshpande, Andrew G. Gallagher, Malcolm J. Horsburgh, Heather E. Allison, Stephen B. Kaye, Donald A. Wellings, Rachel L. Williams
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2020)
Meeting Abstract
Ophthalmology
Stephnie Kennedy, Pallavi Deshpande, Andrew Gallagher, Mal Horsburgh, Heather Allison, Stephen Kaye, Don Wellings, Rachel Williams
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Ophthalmology
Andrew G. Gallagher, Keri McLean, Rosalind M. K. Stewart, Don A. Wellings, Heather E. Allison, Rachel L. Williams
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2017)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Borbala Kiss, Troy D. Manning, David Hesp, Christophe Didier, Arthur Taylor, David M. Pickup, Alan V. Chadwick, Heather E. Allison, Vinod R. Dhanak, John B. Claridge, James R. Darwent, Matthew J. Rosseinsky
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2017)
Meeting Abstract
Ophthalmology
Keri McLean, Andrew G. Gallagher, Rosalind M. K. Stewart, Don A. Wellings, Heather E. Allison, Rachel Williams
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2017)