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Romão FT, Santos ACM, Sperandio V, Hernandes RT, Gomes TAT. Expression of the locus of enterocyte effacement genes during the invasion process of the atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli 1711-4 strain of serotype O51:H40. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.01.578415. [PMID: 38352511 PMCID: PMC10862855 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.01.578415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) is a significant cause of diarrhea in developing countries. Some aEPEC strains, including the Brazilian representative strain of serotype O51:H40 called aEPEC 1711-4, can use flagella to attach to, invade, and persist in T84 and Caco-2 intestinal cells. They can even translocate from the gut to extraintestinal sites in a rat model. Although various aspects of the virulence of this strain were studied and the requirement of the T3SS for the efficiency of the invasion process was demonstrated, the expression of the LEE genes during the invasion and intracellular persistence remains unclear. To address this, the expression of flagella and the different LEE operons was evaluated during kinetic experiments of the interaction of aEPEC 1711-4 with enterocytes in vitro. The genome of the strain was also sequenced. The results showed that flagella expression remained unchanged, but the expression of eae and escJ increased during the early interaction and invasion of aEPEC 1711-4 into Caco-2 cells, and there was no change 24 hours post-infection during the persistence period. The number of pedestal-like structures formed on HeLa cells also increased during the 24-hour analysis. No known gene related to the invasion process was identified in the genome of aEPEC 1711-4, which was shown to belong to the global EPEC lineage 10. These findings suggest that LEE components and the intimate adherence promoted by intimin are necessary for the invasion and persistence of aEPEC 1711-4, but the detailed mechanism needs further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano T. Romão
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Microbiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ana C. M. Santos
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Sperandio
- Department of Microbiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Rodrigo T. Hernandes
- Departamento de Ciências Químicas e Biológicas, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tânia A. T. Gomes
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Muchaamba F, Barmettler K, Treier A, Houf K, Stephan R. Microbiology and Epidemiology of Escherichia albertii—An Emerging Elusive Foodborne Pathogen. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10050875. [PMID: 35630320 PMCID: PMC9145129 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia albertii, a close relative of E. coli, is an emerging zoonotic foodborne pathogen associated with watery diarrhea mainly in children and immunocompromised individuals. E. albertii was initially classified as eae-positive Hafnia alvei, however, as more genetic and biochemical information became available it was reassigned to its current novel taxonomy. Its infections are common under conditions of poor hygiene with confirmed transmission via contaminated water and food, mainly poultry-based products. This pathogen has been isolated from various domestic and wild animals, with most isolates being derived from birds, implying that birds among other wild animals might act as its reservoir. Due to the absence of standardized isolation and identification protocols, E. albertii can be misidentified as other Enterobacteriaceae. Exploiting phenotypes such as its inability to ferment rhamnose and xylose and PCR assays targeting E. albertii-specific genes such as the cytolethal distending toxin and the DNA-binding transcriptional activator of cysteine biosynthesis encoding genes can be used to accurately identify this pathogen. Several gaps exist in our knowledge of E. albertii and need to be bridged. A deeper understanding of E. albertii epidemiology and physiology is required to allow the development of effective measures to control its transmission and infections. Overall, current data suggest that E. albertii might play a more significant role in global infectious diarrhea cases than previously assumed and is often overlooked or misidentified. Therefore, simple, and efficient diagnostic tools that cover E. albertii biodiversity are required for effective isolation and identification of this elusive agent of diarrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Muchaamba
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (K.B.); (A.T.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Karen Barmettler
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (K.B.); (A.T.); (R.S.)
| | - Andrea Treier
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (K.B.); (A.T.); (R.S.)
| | - Kurt Houf
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (K.B.); (A.T.); (R.S.)
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3
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Romão FT, Martins FH, Hernandes RT, Ooka T, Santos FF, Yamamoto D, Bonfim-Melo A, Jones N, Hayashi T, Elias WP, Sperandio V, Gomes TAT. Genomic Properties and Temporal Analysis of the Interaction of an Invasive Escherichia albertii With Epithelial Cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:571088. [PMID: 33392102 PMCID: PMC7772469 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.571088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Diarrhea is one of the main causes of infant mortality worldwide, mainly in the developing world. Among the various etiologic agents, Escherichia albertii is emerging as an important human enteropathogen. E. albertii promote attaching and effacing (AE) lesions due to the presence of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) that encodes a type three secretion system (T3SS), the afimbrial adhesin intimin and its translocated receptor, Tir, and several effector proteins. We previously showed that E. albertii strain 1551-2 invades several epithelial cell lineages by a process that is dependent on the intimin-Tir interaction. To understand the contribution of T3SS-dependent effectors present in E. albertii 1551-2 during the invasion process, we performed a genetic analysis of the LEE and non-LEE genes and evaluated the expression of the LEE operons in various stages of bacterial interaction with differentiated intestinal Caco-2 cells. The kinetics of the ability of the 1551-2 strain to colonize and form AE lesions was also investigated in epithelial HeLa cells. We showed that the LEE expression was constant during the early stages of infection but increased at least 4-fold during bacterial persistence in the intracellular compartment. An in silico analysis indicated the presence of a new tccP/espFU subtype, named tccP3. We found that the encoded protein colocalizes with Tir and polymerized F-actin during the infection process in vitro. Moreover, assays performed with Nck null cells demonstrated that the 1551-2 strain can trigger F-actin polymerization in an Nck-independent pathway, despite the fact that TccP3 is not required for this phenotype. Our study highlights the importance of the T3SS during the invasion process and for the maintenance of E. albertii 1551-2 inside the cells. In addition, this work may help to elucidate the versatility of the T3SS for AE pathogens, which are usually considered extracellular and rarely reach the intracellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano T Romão
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Fernando H Martins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo T Hernandes
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Tadasuke Ooka
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Fernanda F Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denise Yamamoto
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Universidade Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexis Bonfim-Melo
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nina Jones
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Waldir P Elias
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Sperandio
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Tânia A T Gomes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Whelan R, McVicker G, Leo JC. Staying out or Going in? The Interplay between Type 3 and Type 5 Secretion Systems in Adhesion and Invasion of Enterobacterial Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4102. [PMID: 32521829 PMCID: PMC7312957 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric pathogens rely on a variety of toxins, adhesins and other virulence factors to cause infections. Some of the best studied pathogens belong to the Enterobacterales order; these include enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., and the enteropathogenic Yersiniae. The pathogenesis of these organisms involves two different secretion systems, a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and type 5 secretion systems (T5SSs). The T3SS forms a syringe-like structure spanning both bacterial membranes and the host cell plasma membrane that translocates toxic effector proteins into the cytoplasm of the host cell. T5SSs are also known as autotransporters, and they export part of their own polypeptide to the bacterial cell surface where it exerts its function, such as adhesion to host cell receptors. During infection with these enteropathogens, the T3SS and T5SS act in concert to bring about rearrangements of the host cell cytoskeleton, either to invade the cell, confer intracellular motility, evade phagocytosis or produce novel structures to shelter the bacteria. Thus, in these bacteria, not only the T3SS effectors but also T5SS proteins could be considered "cytoskeletoxins" that bring about profound alterations in host cell cytoskeletal dynamics and lead to pathogenic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jack C. Leo
- Antimicrobial Resistance, Omics and Microbiota Group, Department of Biosciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK; (R.W.); (G.M.)
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Hernandes RT, Hazen TH, dos Santos LF, Richter TKS, Michalski JM, Rasko DA. Comparative genomic analysis provides insight into the phylogeny and virulence of atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains from Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008373. [PMID: 32479541 PMCID: PMC7289442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) are one of the most frequent intestinal E. coli pathotypes isolated from diarrheal patients in Brazil. Isolates of aEPEC contain the locus of enterocyte effacement, but lack the genes of the bundle-forming pilus of typical EPEC, and the Shiga toxin of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). The objective of this study was to evaluate the phylogeny and the gene content of Brazilian aEPEC genomes compared to a global aEPEC collection. Methodology Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based phylogenomic analysis was used to compare 106 sequenced Brazilian aEPEC with 221 aEPEC obtained from other geographic origins. Additionally, Large-Scale BLAST Score Ratio was used to determine the shared versus unique gene content of the aEPEC studied. Principal Findings Phylogenomic analysis demonstrated the 106 Brazilian aEPEC were present in phylogroups B1 (47.2%, 50/106), B2 (23.6%, 25/106), A (22.6%, 24/106), and E (6.6%, 7/106). Identification of EPEC and EHEC phylogenomic lineages demonstrated that 42.5% (45/106) of the Brazilian aEPEC were in four of the previously defined lineages: EPEC10 (17.9%, 19/106), EPEC9 (10.4%, 11/106), EHEC2 (7.5%, 8/106) and EPEC7 (6.6%, 7/106). Interestingly, an additional 28.3% (30/106) of the Brazilian aEPEC were identified in five novel lineages: EPEC11 (14.2%, 15/106), EPEC12 (4.7%, 5/106), EPEC13 (1.9%, 2/106), EPEC14 (5.7%, 6/106) and EPEC15 (1.9%, 2/106). We identified 246 genes that were more frequent among the aEPEC isolates from Brazil compared to the global aEPEC collection, including espG2, espT and espC (P<0.001). Moreover, the nleF gene was more frequently identified among Brazilian aEPEC isolates obtained from diarrheagenic patients when compared to healthy subjects (69.7% vs 41.2%, P<0.05). Conclusion The current study demonstrates significant genomic diversity among aEPEC from Brazil, with the identification of Brazilian aEPEC isolates to five novel EPEC lineages. The greater prevalence of some virulence genes among Brazilian aEPEC genomes could be important to the specific virulence strategies used by aEPEC in Brazil to cause diarrheal disease. Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) is one of the most frequent diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes isolated from patients in Brazil and is associated with diarrheal outbreaks. This study is the first to sequence the genomes of a collection of aEPEC isolates from a South American country, Brazil, and compare their phylogenetic relationships and gene content with a global collection of aEPEC. This approach identified Brazilian aEPEC genomes in previously characterized EPEC/EHEC phylogenomic lineages and resulted in the identification of five novel EPEC phylogenomic lineages, designated EPEC11 to EPEC15. We also observed that virulence genes, such as espG2, espT and espC were more frequently identified among the Brazilian aEPEC genomes, demonstrating potential differences in the virulence repertoire of this pathogen in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo T. Hernandes
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| | - Tracy H. Hazen
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Taylor K. S. Richter
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jane M. Michalski
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David A. Rasko
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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6
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Gomes TAT, Ooka T, Hernandes RT, Yamamoto D, Hayashi T. Escherichia albertii Pathogenesis. EcoSal Plus 2020; 9:10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0015-2019. [PMID: 32588811 PMCID: PMC11168576 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0015-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia albertii is an emerging enteropathogen of humans and many avian species. This bacterium is a close relative of Escherichia coli and has been frequently misidentified as enteropathogenic or enterohemorrhagic E. coli due to their similarity in phenotypic and genetic features, such as various biochemical properties and the possession of a type III secretion system encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement. This pathogen causes outbreaks of gastroenteritis, and some strains produce Shiga toxin. Although many genetic and phenotypic studies have been published and the genome sequences of more than 200 E. albertii strains are now available, the clinical significance of this species is not yet fully understood. The apparent zoonotic nature of the disease requires a deeper understanding of the transmission routes and mechanisms of E. albertii to develop effective measures to control its transmission and infection. Here, we review the current knowledge of the phylogenic relationship of E. albertii with other Escherichia species and the biochemical and genetic properties of E. albertii, with particular emphasis on the repertoire of virulence factors and the mechanisms of pathogenicity, and we hope this provides a basis for future studies of this important emerging enteropathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia A T Gomes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tadasuke Ooka
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Rodrigo T Hernandes
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Campus de Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denise Yamamoto
- Universidade Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Ikeda T, Shinagawa T, Ito T, Ohno Y, Kubo A, Nishi J, Gotoh Y, Ogura Y, Ooka T, Hayashi T. Hypoosmotic stress induces flagellar biosynthesis and swimming motility in Escherichia albertii. Commun Biol 2020; 3:87. [PMID: 32111956 PMCID: PMC7048735 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0816-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use flagella as propellers to move to favorable environments. Escherichia albertii, a growing cause of foodborne illness and diarrhea, is reportedly non-motile and lacks flagella on its surface. Here, we report that 27 out of 59 E. albertii strains, collected mainly from humans and birds, showed swimming motility when cultured at low osmotic pressure. The biosynthesis of flagella in E. albertii cells was induced under ambient temperature and hypoosmotic pressure: conditions which resemble aquatic environments. Flagellar induction increased E. albertii survival in the intestinal epithelial cell culture containing gentamicin. Although genes involved in chemotaxis are not present in the E. albertii genome, the addition of glutamic acid, an amino acid known to regulate the internal cell osmolarity, augmented the proportion of swimming cells by 35-fold. These results suggest that flagellar biosynthesis and motility in E. albertii cells are controlled by their internal and external osmolarity. Ikeda et al. report that enteropathogen E. albertii, thought to be a non-motile microorganism, may form flagella and acquire swimming motility in a hypoosmotic environment and ambient temperatures. Further addition of glutamic acid, an amino acid known to regulate the internal cell osmolarity, augments the proportion of swimming cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Ikeda
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, Kita-19, Nishi-12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan.
| | - Toshie Shinagawa
- Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Nozaki Tokushukai Hospital Research Institute, 2-10-50 Tanigawa, Daito, 574-0074, Japan
| | - Takuya Ito
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, Kita-19, Nishi-12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan
| | - Yuta Ohno
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, Kita-19, Nishi-12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan
| | - Akiko Kubo
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, Kita-19, Nishi-12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan
| | - Junichiro Nishi
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Gotoh
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshitoshi Ogura
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tadasuke Ooka
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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Lima MP, Yamamoto D, Santos ACDM, Ooka T, Hernandes RT, Vieira MAM, Santos FF, Silva RM, Hayashi T, Gomes TAT. Phenotypic characterization and virulence-related properties of Escherichia albertii strains isolated from children with diarrhea in Brazil. Pathog Dis 2020; 77:5379300. [PMID: 30865776 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftz014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia albertii are emerging enteropathogens, whose identification is difficult, as they share biochemical characteristics and some virulence-related genes with diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC). Studies on phylogeny, phenotypic characteristics and potential virulence factors of human E. albertii strains are scarce. In this study, we identified by multiplex PCR five E. albertii among 106 strains isolated from diarrheic children in São Paulo, Brazil, which were previously classified as atypical enteropathogenic E. coli. All strains were investigated regarding their phylogeny, biochemical properties, virulence-related properties, antimicrobial resistance and presence of putative virulence-related genes. All strains belonged to different E. albertii lineages and adhered to and produced attaching and effacing lesions on HeLa cells. Three strains invaded Caco-2 cells, but did not persist intracellularly, and three formed biofilms on polystyrene surfaces. All strains were resistant to few antibiotics and only one carried a self-transmissible resistance plasmid. Finally, among 38 DEC and 18 extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) virulence-related genes searched, six and three were detected, respectively, with paa and cdtB being found in all strains. Despite the limited number of strains, this study provided additional knowledge on human E. albertii virulence potential, showing that they share important virulence factors with DEC and ExPEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio P Lima
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Denise Yamamoto
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Rua Prof. Enéas de Siqueira Neto, Universidade Santo Amaro (UNISA), 340 CEP 04829-300-São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina de Mello Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tadasuke Ooka
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Rodrigo T Hernandes
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Distrito de Rubião Jr. CEP 18618-691, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Mônica A M Vieira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Fernandes Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosa Maria Silva
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maedashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tânia A T Gomes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 862, 3° andar, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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9
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The Evasive Enemy: Insights into the Virulence and Epidemiology of the Emerging Attaching and Effacing Pathogen Escherichia albertii. Infect Immun 2018; 87:IAI.00254-18. [PMID: 30373891 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00254-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The diarrheic attaching and effacing (A/E) pathogen Escherichia albertii was first isolated from infants in Bangladesh in 1991, although the bacterium was initially classified as Hafnia alvei Subsequent genetic and biochemical interrogation of these isolates raised concerns about their initial taxonomic placement. It was not until 2003 that these isolates were reassigned to the novel taxon Escherichia albertii because they were genetically more closely related to E. coli, although they had diverged sufficiently to warrant a novel species name. Unfortunately, new isolates continue to be mistyped as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) owing to shared traits, most notably the ability to form A/E lesions. Consequently, E. albertii remains an underappreciated A/E pathogen, despite multiple reports demonstrating that many provisional EPEC and EHEC isolates incriminated in disease outbreaks are actually E. albertii Metagenomic studies on dozens of E. albertii isolates reveal a genetic architecture that boasts an arsenal of candidate virulence factors to rival that of its better-characterized cousins, EPEC and EHEC. Beyond these computational comparisons, studies addressing the regulation, structure, function, and mechanism of action of its repertoire of virulence factors are lacking. Thus, the paucity of knowledge about the epidemiology, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of E. albertii, coupled with its misclassification and its ability to develop multidrug resistance in a single step, highlights the challenges in combating this emerging pathogen. This review seeks to synthesize our current but incomplete understanding of the biology of E. albertii.
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Peirano V, Bianco MN, Navarro A, Schelotto F, Varela G. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Associated with Acute Gastroenteritis in Children from Soriano, Uruguay. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2018; 2018:8387218. [PMID: 30515254 PMCID: PMC6234443 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8387218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute diarrheal disease still deserves worldwide attention due to its high morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. While etiologic determination is not mandatory for management of all individual cases, it is needed for generating useful epidemiologic knowledge. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) are relevant enteropathogens, and their investigation requires specific procedures to which resources and training should be dedicated in reference laboratories. METHODOLOGY Following the hypothesis that enteric pathogens affecting children in towns located in the interior of Uruguay may be different from those found in Montevideo, we conducted a diagnostic survey on acute diarrheal disease in 83 children under 5 years of age from populations in the south of the country. RESULTS DEC pathotypes were the only bacterial pathogens found in diarrheal feces (20.48%), followed by rotavirus (14.45%) and enteric adenovirus (4.81%). Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) was the most frequent DEC pathotype identified, and unexpectedly, it was associated with bloody diarrheal cases. These patients were of concern and provided with early consultation, as were children who presented with vomiting, which occurred most frequently in rotavirus infections. aEPEC serotypes were diverse and different from those previously reported in Montevideo children within the same age group and different from serotypes identified in regional and international studies. Enteroinvasive (EIEC) O96 : H19, associated with large outbreaks in Europe, was also isolated from two patients. Antibiotic susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria identified in this study was higher than that observed in previous national studies, which had been mainly carried out in children from Montevideo. CONCLUSION The reduced number of detected species, the marked prevalence of aEPEC, the scarce resistance traits, and the diverse range of serotypes in the virulent DEC identified in this study confirm that differences exist between enteropathogens affecting children from interior towns of Uruguay and those circulating among children in Montevideo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Peirano
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
- Mercedes Hospital Laboratory, State Health Services Administration (ASSE), Uruguay
| | - María Noel Bianco
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Armando Navarro
- Public Health Department, Medicine Faculty, UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Felipe Schelotto
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Gustavo Varela
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Hygiene Institute, Medicine Faculty, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
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Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia albertii Strain 1551-2, a Potential Extracellular and Intracellular Pathogen. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2018; 6:6/9/e00075-18. [PMID: 29496827 PMCID: PMC5834326 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00075-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia albertii has recently been recognized as an emerging human and bird enteric pathogen. Here, we report the complete chromosome sequence of a clinical isolate of E. albertii strain 1551-2, which may provide information about the pathogenic potential of this new species and the mechanisms of evolution of Escherichia species.
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Escherichia albertii, a novel human enteropathogen, colonizes rat enterocytes and translocates to extra-intestinal sites. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0171385. [PMID: 28178312 PMCID: PMC5298312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death of children up to five years old in the developing countries. Among the etiological diarrheal agents are atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC), one of the diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes that affects children and adults, even in developed countries. Currently, genotypic and biochemical approaches have helped to demonstrate that some strains classified as aEPEC are actually E. albertii, a recently recognized human enteropathogen. Studies on particular strains are necessary to explore their virulence potential in order to further understand the underlying mechanisms of E. albertii infections. Here we demonstrated for the first time that infection of fragments of rat intestinal mucosa is a useful tool to study the initial steps of E. albertii colonization. We also observed that an E. albertii strain can translocate from the intestinal lumen to Mesenteric Lymph Nodes and liver in a rat model. Based on our finding of bacterial translocation, we investigated how E. albertii might cross the intestinal epithelium by performing infections of M-like cells in vitro to identify the potential in vivo translocation route. Altogether, our approaches allowed us to draft a general E. albertii infection route from the colonization till the bacterial spreading in vivo.
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Gomes TAT, Elias WP, Scaletsky ICA, Guth BEC, Rodrigues JF, Piazza RMF, Ferreira LCS, Martinez MB. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Braz J Microbiol 2016; 47 Suppl 1:3-30. [PMID: 27866935 PMCID: PMC5156508 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most Escherichia coli strains live harmlessly in the intestines and rarely cause disease in healthy individuals. Nonetheless, a number of pathogenic strains can cause diarrhea or extraintestinal diseases both in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. Diarrheal illnesses are a severe public health problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and young children, especially in developing countries. E. coli strains that cause diarrhea have evolved by acquiring, through horizontal gene transfer, a particular set of characteristics that have successfully persisted in the host. According to the group of virulence determinants acquired, specific combinations were formed determining the currently known E. coli pathotypes, which are collectively known as diarrheagenic E. coli. In this review, we have gathered information on current definitions, serotypes, lineages, virulence mechanisms, epidemiology, and diagnosis of the major diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia A T Gomes
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Waldir P Elias
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Bacterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel C A Scaletsky
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz E C Guth
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana F Rodrigues
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roxane M F Piazza
- Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Bacterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luís C S Ferreira
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marina B Martinez
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Xu Y, Bai X, Zhao A, Zhang W, Ba P, Liu K, Jin Y, Wang H, Guo Q, Sun H, Xu J, Xiong Y. Genetic Diversity of Intimin Gene of Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Human, Animals and Raw Meats in China. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152571. [PMID: 27031337 PMCID: PMC4816571 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) is considered to be an emerging enteropathogen that is more prevalent than typical EPEC in developing and developed countries. The major adherence factor, intimin, an outer membrane protein encoded by eae, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of aEPEC. This study investigated the distribution and polymorphisms of intimin subtypes of 143 aEPEC strains from diarrheal patients, healthy carriers, animals, and raw meats in China. These aEPEC strains belonged to more than 71 different serotypes, which comprised 52 O serogroups and 24 H types. Sixty-eight different eae genotypes and 19 intimin subtypes were detected. Eighteen, eight, seven, and five intimin subtypes were identified from 86 diarrheal patients, 14 healthy carriers, 19 animals, and 24 raw meats strains, respectively. Intimin β1 was the most prevalent subtype in strains from diarrheal patients (34.88%) and animals (47.37%). There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of eae-β1 between diarrheal patients and healthy carriers (P = 0.004). Intimin-θ was more predominant among raw meat strains (50%) than among diarrheal patients strains (12.79%, P = 0.0003), healthy carrier strains (7.14%, P = 0.007), or animal strains (15.79%, P = 0.020). The two predominant subtypes (eae-β1 and eae-θ) had considerable polymorphisms with no significant differences among the four sources. PFGE analysis revealed 119 distinct patterns and the strains were clustered into 11 groups with similarity indices ranging from 63% to 100%. These results suggest that in China, aEPEC strains from different sources are highly heterogeneous. Animals and raw meats are important sources of genetically diverse intimin-harboring aEPEC, which might serve as important transmission vehicles of these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangning Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ailan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Pengbin Ba
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yujuan Jin
- Longgang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Zigong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Qiusheng Guo
- Suixian Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shangqiu, Henan Province, China
| | - Hui Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jianguo Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yanwen Xiong
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Pitondo-Silva A, Nakazato G, Falcão JP, Irino K, Martinez R, Darini ALC, Hernandes RT. Phenotypic and genetic features of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from diarrheal children in the Ribeirão Preto metropolitan area, São Paulo State, Brazil. APMIS 2014; 123:128-35. [PMID: 25257819 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to characterize a collection of 60 enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) isolates from diarrheic feces of patients in the Ribeirão Preto metropolitan area regarding different phenotypic and molecular features. We examined antibiotic resistance profiles, occurrence of virulence factors-encoding genes, intimin subtypes and the correlation of serotypes among typical (tEPEC) and atypical (aEPEC) EPEC isolates. The results demonstrated that atypical EPEC was more heterogeneous than typical EPEC concerning the characteristics investigated and 45.2% do not belong to classical EPEC serogroups. Intimin subtype β was the most frequent among the EPEC isolates (46.7%), being detected in both tEPEC and aEPEC. The majority of aEPEC isolates presented localized adherence-like (LAL) pattern to HEp-2 cells, although aEPEC isolates displaying diffuse adherence (DA) or non-adherent were also detected. High prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was found for ampicillin, cephalothin, sulfonamide and tetracycline. In general, tEPEC isolates were more resistant to the antimicrobials tested than aEPEC isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Pitondo-Silva
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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