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Tong W, Yang D, Qiu S, Tian S, Ye Z, Yang S, Yan L, Li W, Li N, Pei X, Sun Z, Liu C, Peng S, Li Y, Wang Q, Peng Z. Relevance of genetic causes and environmental adaptation of Cronobacter spp. isolated from infant and follow-up formula production factories and retailed products in China: A 7-year period of continuous surveillance based on genome-wide analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174368. [PMID: 38955273 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The possible contamination routes, environmental adaptation, and genetic basis of Cronobacter spp. in infant and follow-up formula production factories and retailed products in mainland China have been determined by laboratory studies and whole-genome comparative analysis in a 7-year nationwide continuous surveillance spanning from 2012 to 2018. The 2-year continuous multicenter surveillance of the production process (conducted in 2013 and 2014) revealed that the source of Cronobacter spp. in the dry-blending process was the raw dry ingredients and manufacturing environment (particularly in the vibro sieve and vacuum cleaner), while in the combined process, the main contamination source was identified as the packing room. It is important to note that, according to the contamination control knowledge obtained from the production process surveillance, the contamination rate of retail powdered infant formula (PIF) and follow-up formula (FUF) products in China decreased significantly from 2016 onward, after improving the hygiene management practices in factories. The prevalence of Cronobacter spp. in retailed PIF and FUF in China in 2018 was dramatically reduced from 1.55 % (61/3925, in 2012) to an average as low as 0.17 % (13/7655 in 2018). Phenotype determination and genomic analysis were performed on a total of 90 Cronobacter spp. isolates obtained from the surveillance. Of the 90 isolates, only two showed resistance to either cefazolin or cefoxitin. The multilocus sequence typing results revealed that C. sakazakii sequence type 1 (ST1), ST37, and C. malonaticus ST7 were the dominant sequence types (STs) collected from the production factories, while C. sakazakii ST1, ST4, ST64, and ST8 were the main STs detected in the retailed PIF and FUF nationwide. One C. sakazakii ST4 isolate (1.1 %, 1/90) had strong biofilm-forming ability and 13 isolates (14.4 %, 13/90) had weak biofilm-forming ability. Genomic analysis revealed that Cronobacter spp. have a relatively stable core-genome and an increasing pan-genome size. Plasmid IncFIB (pCTU3) was prevalent in this genus and some contained 14 antibacterial biocide- and metal-resistance genes (BMRGs) including copper, silver, and arsenic resistant genes. Plasmid IncN_1 was predicted to contain 6 ARGs. This is the first time that a multi-drug resistance IncN_1 type plasmid has been reported in Cronobacter spp. Genomic variations with respect to BMRGs, virulence genes, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), and genes involved in biofilm formation were observed among strains of this genus. There were apparent differences in copies of bcsG and flgJ between the biofilm-forming group and non-biofilm-forming group, indicating that these two genes play key roles in biofilm formation. The findings of this study have improved our understanding of the contamination characteristics and genetic basis of Cronobacter spp. in PIF and FUF and their production environment in China and provide important guidance to reduce contamination with this pathogen during the production of PIF and FUF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tong
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Traceability of Foodborne Diseases, Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Dajin Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Shaofu Qiu
- Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Sai Tian
- Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Zehong Ye
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China; School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang City, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Shuran Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Lin Yan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Weiwei Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Ning Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Pei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Zhongqing Sun
- Qingdao Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Chengwei Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Traceability of Foodborne Diseases, Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Silu Peng
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Traceability of Foodborne Diseases, Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Ying Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing City, PR China.
| | - Zixin Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China; Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Peking Union Medical College; Research Unit of Food Safety, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PR China.
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Zeng H, Li C, Zhang J, Liang B, Mei H, Wu Q. Fatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Neonate Caused by Cronobacter sakazakii Sequence Type 64 Strain of CRISPR Sublineage b. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:1917-1920. [PMID: 37610257 PMCID: PMC10461654 DOI: 10.3201/eid2909.230537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We report fatal neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis in China caused by Cronobacter sakazakii capsular profile K1:CA1, sequence type 64, and CRISPR type 197. Phylodynamic analyses indicated that the strain originated from the ancient, widespread, and antimicrobial drug-sensitive CRISPR sublineage b. Enhanced surveillance and pathogenesis research on this organism are required.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jumei Zhang
- Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China (H. Zeng)
- Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou (H. Zeng, C. Li, J. Zhang, Q. Wu)
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou (B. Liang)
| | - Bingshao Liang
- Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China (H. Zeng)
- Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou (H. Zeng, C. Li, J. Zhang, Q. Wu)
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou (B. Liang)
| | - Hanjie Mei
- Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China (H. Zeng)
- Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou (H. Zeng, C. Li, J. Zhang, Q. Wu)
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou (B. Liang)
| | - Qingping Wu
- Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China (H. Zeng)
- Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou (H. Zeng, C. Li, J. Zhang, Q. Wu)
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou (B. Liang)
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Kushwaha SK, Narasimhan LP, Chithananthan C, Marathe SA. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas system: diversity and regulation in Enterobacteriaceae. Future Microbiol 2022; 17:1249-1267. [PMID: 36006039 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2022-0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Insights into the arms race between bacteria and invading mobile genetic elements have revealed the intricacies of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system and the counter-defenses of bacteriophages. Incredible spacer diversity but significant spacer conservation among species/subspecies dictates the specificity of the CRISPR-Cas system. Researchers have exploited this feature to type/subtype the bacterial strains, devise targeted antimicrobials and regulate gene expression. This review focuses on the nuances of the CRISPR-Cas systems in Enterobacteriaceae that predominantly harbor type I-E and I-F CRISPR systems. We discuss the systems' regulation by the global regulators, H-NS, LeuO, LRP, cAMP receptor protein and other regulators in response to environmental stress. We further discuss the regulation of noncanonical functions like DNA repair pathways, biofilm formation, quorum sensing and virulence by the CRISPR-Cas system. The review comprehends multiple facets of the CRISPR-Cas system in Enterobacteriaceae including its diverse attributes, association with genetic features, regulation and gene regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran K Kushwaha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, 333031, India
| | - Lakshmi P Narasimhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, 333031, India
| | - Chandrananthi Chithananthan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, 333031, India
| | - Sandhya A Marathe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, 333031, India
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Insights into the mechanisms of Cronobacter sakazakii virulence. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105643. [PMID: 35716925 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter species have adapted to survive harsh conditions, particularly in the food manufacture environment, and can cause life-threatening infections in susceptible hosts. These opportunistic pathogens employ a multitude of mechanisms to aid their virulence throughout three key stages: environmental persistence, infection strategy, and systemic persistence in the human host. Environmental persistence is aided by the formation of biofilms, development of subpopulations, and high tolerance to environmental stressors. Successful infection in the human host involves several mechanisms such as protein secretion, motility, quorum sensing, colonisation, and translocation. Survival inside the host is achieved via competitive acquisition and utilization of minerals and metabolites respectively, coupled with host immune system evasion and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms. Across the globe, Cronobacter sakazakii is associated with often fatal systemic infections in populations including neonates, infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. By providing insight into the mechanisms of virulence utilised by this pathogen across these three stages, this review identifies current gaps in the literature. Further research into these virulence mechanisms is required to inform novel mitigation measures to improve global food safety with regards to this food-borne pathogen.
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Luo D, Li C, Wu Q, Ding Y, Yang M, Hu Y, Zeng H, Zhang J. Isolation and characterization of new phage vB_CtuP_A24 and application to control Cronobacter spp. in infant milk formula and lettuce. Food Res Int 2021; 141:110109. [PMID: 33641976 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are opportunistic pathogenic bacteria that cause severe diseases in neonates and infants. Bacteriophages are novel antibacterial agents with a potential to control this pathogen. In the current study, a novel lytic Cronobacter phage, vB_CtuP_A24, was isolated from a river in Guangzhou, China. The phage was characterized by a short, non-contractile tail and a long head and identified as a new member of the family Podoviridae. Complete genome sequence analysis of this phage indicated that its genome contained 75,106 bp of DNA, an average GC content of 44.05%, and 108 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). The annotated ORFs were associated with phage structure, packaging, host lysis, DNA manipulation, transcription, and additional functions. Genes responsible for antibiotic resistance, virulence, and toxic effects were not present. Cronobacter phage vB_CtuP_A24 is a novel lytic phage that can lyse five Cronobacter spp. It was stable over a wide range of temperatures (25-60 °C) and pH values (pH 4-11) and displayed a short latent period (approximately 10 min) and a large burst size (500 plaque-forming units (PFUs)/cell). In Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, phage A24 effectively inhibited the growth of C. dublinensis cro280B, C. sakazakii 465G, and C. malonaticus cro695W up to 9, 10, and 12 h, respectively, while in infant milk formulas, it inhibited two strains, C. sakazakii 465G and C. malonaticus cro695W, up to 24 h at 37 °C, with maximum reduction levels of approximately 5.12 ± 3.95 and 7.38 ± 3.03 log10 colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL, respectively. In lettuce, the reduction of all three strains was highly significant at 25 °C. However, the growth of C. dublinensis cro280B and C. sakazakii 465G were not significantly inhibited at 4 °C. In conclusion, Cronobacter spp. phage vB_CtuP_A24, which has lytic ability against five Cronobacter species, stability under different environments, and shows potential as a promising biocontrol agent against Cronobacter spp. in food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Luo
- Faculty of Agriculture and Food, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, Yunnan Province, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chengsi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science &Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meiyan Yang
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongdan Hu
- Faculty of Agriculture and Food, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, Yunnan Province, China.
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Jumei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong Province, China.
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Ling N, Jiang Y, Zeng H, Ding Y, Forsythe S. Advances in our understanding and distribution of the Cronobacter genus in China. J Food Sci 2021; 86:276-283. [PMID: 33438222 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review considers how research in China has progressed our understanding and subsequent improved control of Cronobacter. This emergent bacterial pathogen is associated with neonatal infections through the ingestion of contaminated prepared feed. The review includes large-scale surveys of various sources of the organism, including infant formula production facilities. The analysis of over 20,000 samples is presented. Over 10,000 being from powdered infant formula and other infant foods as well as environmental sampling of production facilities, the remaining being from food, food ingredients, and human carriage. A major advance in China was adopting DNA-sequence-based methods (that is, multilocus sequence typing, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-cas array profiling, and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis) for the identification and genotyping of the organism. These methods have considerably advanced our understanding of the taxonomy, ecology, and virulence of this organism. In turn, this has improved source tracking of the organism both in infant formula production facilities and epidemiological investigations. Furthermore, whole-genome sequencing has revealed a range of virulence and persistence mechanisms as well as plasmid-borne multidrug resistance traits. China now has reliable and robust methods for accurate microbial source tracking of Cronobacter for use both in the food production environment and epidemiological analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Ling
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China.,Guangdong Institute of Microbiology & Guangdong Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application & Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Yujun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology & Guangdong Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application & Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, College of Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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Holý O, Parra-Flores J, Lepuschitz S, Alarcón-Lavín MP, Cruz-Córdova A, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Mancilla-Rojano J, Ruppitsch W, Forsythe S. Molecular Characterization of Cronobacter sakazakii Strains Isolated from Powdered Milk. Foods 2020; 10:E20. [PMID: 33374633 PMCID: PMC7822459 DOI: 10.3390/foods10010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are opportunistic pathogens of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The organism causes infections in all age groups, but the most serious cases occur in outbreaks related to neonates with meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis. The objective was to determine the in silico and in vitro putative virulence factors of six Cronobacter sakazakii strains isolated from powdered milk (PM) in the Czech Republic. Strains were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Virulence and resistance genes were detected with the Ridom SeqSphere+ software task template and the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) platform. Adherence and invasion ability were performed using the mouse neuroblastoma (N1E-115 ATCCCRL-2263) cell line. The CRISPR-Cas system was searched with CRISPRCasFinder. Core genome MLST identified four different sequence types (ST1, ST145, ST245, and ST297) in six isolates. Strains 13755-1B and 1847 were able to adhere in 2.2 and 3.2 × 106 CFU/mL, while 0.00073% invasion frequency was detected only in strain 1847. Both strains 13755-1B and 1847 were positive for three (50.0%) and four virulence genes, respectively. The cpa gene was not detected. Twenty-eight genes were detected by WGS and grouped as flagellar or outer membrane proteins, chemotaxis, hemolysins, and invasion, plasminogen activator, colonization, transcriptional regulator, and survival in macrophages. The colistin-resistance-encoding mcr-9.1 and cephalothin-resis-encoding blaCSA genes and IncFII(pECLA) and IncFIB(pCTU3) plasmids were detected. All strains exhibited CRISPR matrices and four of them two type I-E and I-F matrices. Combined molecular methodologies improve Cronobacter spp. decision-making for health authorities to protect the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Holý
- Department of Public Health, Palacký University Olomouc, 77515 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Julio Parra-Flores
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3800708, Chile;
| | - Sarah Lepuschitz
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 1220 Vienna, Austria; (S.L.); (W.R.)
| | | | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico; (A.C.-C.); (J.X.-C.); (J.M.-R.)
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico; (A.C.-C.); (J.X.-C.); (J.M.-R.)
| | - Jetsi Mancilla-Rojano
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico; (A.C.-C.); (J.X.-C.); (J.M.-R.)
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Facultad de Medicina, Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Werner Ruppitsch
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 1220 Vienna, Austria; (S.L.); (W.R.)
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Li C, Zeng H, Zhang J, Luo D, Chen M, Lei T, Yang X, Wu H, Cai S, Ye Y, Ding Y, Wang J, Wu Q. Cronobacter spp. isolated from aquatic products in China: Incidence, antibiotic resistance, molecular characteristic and CRISPR diversity. Int J Food Microbiol 2020; 335:108857. [PMID: 32947144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter species (Cronobacter spp.) are important foodborne pathogens that can infect and cause serious life-threatening diseases in infants and immunocompromised elderly. This study aimed to acquire data on Cronobacter spp. contamination of aquatic products in China from 2011 to 2016. In total, 800 aquatic products were tested, and the overall contamination rate for Cronobacter spp. was 3.9% (31/800). The average contamination level of the positive samples was 2.05 MPN/g. Four species and nine serotypes were identified among 33 isolates, of which the C. sakazakii serogroup O1 (n = 9) was the primary serotype. The majority of Cronobacter spp. strains harbored highest resistance against cephalothin (84.8%), followed by tetracycline (6.1%), trimethoprim/sulfameth-oxazole (3.0%) and chloramphenicol (3.0%). Two isolates were resistant to three antibiotics. In total, 26 sequence types and 33 CRISPR types (including 6 new STs and 26 new CTs) were identified, which indicates the extremely high diversity of Cronobacter spp. in aquatic products. Pathogenic C. sakazakii ST4, ST1, and C. malonaticus ST7 were also observed. Overall, this large-scale study revealed the relatively low prevalence and high genetic diversity of Cronobacter spp. in aquatic products in China, and the findings provide valuable information that can guide the establishment of effective measures for the control and precaution of Cronobacter spp. in aquatic products during production processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengsi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Dandan Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Moutong Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Tao Lei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Xiaojuan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Haoming Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Shuzhen Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Yingwang Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science &Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong, Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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Cui J, Hu J, Du X, Yan C, Xue G, Li S, Cui Z, Huang H, Yuan J. Genomic Analysis of Putative Virulence Factors Affecting Cytotoxicity of Cronobacter. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3104. [PMID: 32117082 PMCID: PMC7019382 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. can cause systemic infections, such as meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis, in immunocompromised patients, especially neonates. Although some virulence factors have been reported previously, the pathogenesis of Cronobacter remains unclear. In this study, we compared genome sequences from different Cronobacter species, sequence types, and sources, with the virulence genes in the virulence factor database. The results showed that Cronobacter has species specificity for these virulence genes. Additionally, two gene clusters, including sfp encoding fimbriae and hly encoding hemolysin, were discovered. Through cell adhesion, cytotoxicity, and hemolysis assays, we found that the isolates possessing the two gene clusters had higher cytotoxicity and stronger hemolysis capacity than those of other isolates in this study. Moreover, analysis of type VI secretion system (T6SS) cluster and putative fimbria gene clusters of Cronobacter revealed that T6SS have species specificity and isolates with high cytotoxicity possessed more complete T6SS cluster construction than that of the rest. In conclusion, the two novel gene clusters and T6SS cluster were involved in the mechanism underlying the cytotoxicity of Cronobacter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghua Cui
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jinrui Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoli Du
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Yan
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Guanhua Xue
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoli Li
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Zhigang Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Huang
- Beijing Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
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10
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Prevalence, genetic analysis and CRISPR typing of Cronobacter spp. isolated from meat and meat products in China. Int J Food Microbiol 2020; 321:108549. [PMID: 32062304 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are important foodborne pathogens that infections occur in all age groups, especially cause serious life-threatening diseases in infants. This study aimed to acquire data on Cronobacter spp. contamination of meat and meat products (n = 588) in China during 2011 to 2016, and investigated the use of CRISPR typing technology as an approach for characterizing the genetics of Cronobacter spp. The overall contamination rate for Cronobacter spp. was determined to be 9.18% (54/588). Of the positive samples, 90.74% (49/54) had <10 MPN/g, with duck samples had a relatively high contamination rate (15.69%, 8/51) and highest contamination level (28.90 MPN/g). Four species and nine serotypes were identified among 69 isolates, of which C. sakazakii was the major species (n = 50) and C. sakazakii serogroup O1 and O2 (n = 17) were the primary serotypes. The majority of Cronobacter spp. strains were found to be susceptible to most antibiotics except exhibited high resistance to cephalothin (76.81%, 53/69), and total two multi-drug resistant C. sakazakii strains were isolated from duck. The genetic diversity of Cronobacter spp. was remarkably high, as evidenced by the identification of 40 sequence types (STs) and 60 CRISPR types (CTs). C. sakazakii ST64 (n = 7) was the predominant genotype and was further divided into two sub-lineages based on CRISPR diversity, showing different antibiotic resistance profile. These results demonstrate that CRISPR typing results have a good correspondence with bacterial phenotypes, and it will be a tremendously useful approach for elucidating inter-subtyping during molecular epidemiological investigations while interpreting the divergent evolution of Cronobacter. The presence of Cronobacter spp. in meat and meat product is a potential threat to human public health.
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11
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Zeng H, Li C, He W, Zhang J, Chen M, Lei T, Wu H, Ling N, Cai S, Wang J, Ding Y, Wu Q. Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter malonaticus, and Cronobacter dublinensis Genotyping Based on CRISPR Locus Diversity. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1989. [PMID: 31555228 PMCID: PMC6722223 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter strains harboring CRISPR-Cas systems are important foodborne pathogens that cause serious neonatal infections. CRISPR typing is a new molecular subtyping method to track the sources of pathogenic bacterial outbreaks and shows a promise in typing Cronobacter, however, this molecular typing procedure using routine PCR method has not been established. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish such methodology, 257 isolates of Cronobacter sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. dublinensis were used to verify the feasibility of the method. Results showed that 161 C. sakazakii strains could be divided into 129 CRISPR types (CTs), among which CT15 (n = 7) was the most prevalent CT followed by CT6 (n = 4). Further, 65 C. malonaticus strains were divided into 42 CTs and CT23 (n = 8) was the most prevalent followed by CT2, CT3, and CT13 (n = 4). Finally, 31 C. dublinensis strains belonged to 31 CTs. There was also a relationship among CT, sequence type (ST), food types, and serotype. Compared to multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), this new molecular method has greater power to distinguish similar strains and had better accordance with whole genome sequence typing (WGST). More importantly, some lineages were found to harbor conserved ancestral spacers ahead of their divergent specific spacer sequences; this can be exploited to infer the divergent evolution of Cronobacter and provide phylogenetic information reflecting common origins. Compared to WGST, CRISPR typing method is simpler and more affordable, it could be used to identify sources of Cronobacter food-borne outbreaks, from clinical cases to food sources and the production sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengsi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing He
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Moutong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuzhen Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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12
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Li C, Zeng H, Zhang J, He W, Ling N, Chen M, Wu S, Lei T, Wu H, Ye Y, Ding Y, Wang J, Wei X, Zhang Y, Wu Q. Prevalence, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Molecular Characterization of Cronobacter spp. Isolated From Edible Mushrooms in China. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:283. [PMID: 30863374 PMCID: PMC6399401 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are foodborne pathogens that can infect and cause life-threatening diseases in all age groups, particularly in infants and immunocompromised elderly. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility, and molecular characteristics of Cronobacter spp. isolates in edible mushrooms collected from 44 cities in China. In total, 668 edible mushrooms were collected from traditional retail markets and supermarkets and were analyzed by quantitative methods, PCR-based serotyping, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Among the 668 samples tested, 89 (13.32%) were positive for Cronobacter spp., and the contamination levels exceeded the 110 most probable number (MPN)/g in 13.48% (12/89) of the samples. Flammulina velutipes samples had the highest contamination rate of 17.54% (37/211), whereas Hypsizygus marmoreus samples had the lowest contamination rate of 3.28% (2/61). Ten serotypes were identified among 115 isolates, of which the C. sakazakii serogroup O1 (n = 32) was the primary serotype. MLST indicated that there was quite high genetic diversity in Cronobacter spp. and 72 sequence types were identified, 17 of which were new. Notably, C. sakazakii ST148 (n = 10) was the most prevalent, followed by C. malonaticus ST7 (n = 5). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that the majority of Cronobacter spp. strains were susceptible to the 16 antibiotics tested. However, a portion of isolates exhibited relatively high resistance to cephalothin, with resistance and intermediate rates of 93.91 and 6.09%, respectively. One isolate (cro300A) was multidrug-resistant, with resistance to five antibiotics. Overall, this large-scale study revealed the relatively high prevalence and high genetic diversity of Cronobacter spp. on edible mushrooms in China, indicating a potential public health concern. To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale and systematic study on the prevalence of Cronobacter spp. on edible mushrooms in China, and the findings can provide valuable information that can guide the establishment of effective measures for the control and precaution of Cronobacter spp on edible mushrooms during production processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengsi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing He
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Moutong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingwang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianhu Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youxiong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology South China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
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Abstract
Rathayibacter toxicus is a toxin-producing species found in Australia and is often fatal to grazing animals. The threat of introduction of the species into the United States led to its inclusion in the Federal Select Agent Program, which makes R. toxicus a highly regulated species. This work provides novel insights into the evolution of R. toxicus. R. toxicus is the only species in the genus to have acquired a CRISPR adaptive immune system to protect against bacteriophages. Results suggest that coexistence with the bacteriophage NCPPB3778 led to the massive shrinkage of the R. toxicus genome, species divergence, and the maintenance of low genetic diversity in extant bacterial groups. This work contributes to an understanding of the evolution and ecology of an agriculturally important species of bacteria. Rathayibacter toxicus is a species of Gram-positive, corynetoxin-producing bacteria that causes annual ryegrass toxicity, a disease often fatal to grazing animals. A phylogenomic approach was employed to model the evolution of R. toxicus to explain the low genetic diversity observed among isolates collected during a 30-year period of sampling in three regions of Australia, gain insight into the taxonomy of Rathayibacter, and provide a framework for studying these bacteria. Analyses of a data set of more than 100 sequenced Rathayibacter genomes indicated that Rathayibacter forms nine species-level groups. R. toxicus is the most genetically distant, and evidence suggested that this species experienced a dramatic event in its evolution. Its genome is significantly reduced in size but is colinear to those of sister species. Moreover, R. toxicus has low intergroup genomic diversity and almost no intragroup genomic diversity between ecologically separated isolates. R. toxicus is the only species of the genus that encodes a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) locus and that is known to host a bacteriophage parasite. The spacers, which represent a chronological history of infections, were characterized for information on past events. We propose a three-stage process that emphasizes the importance of the bacteriophage and CRISPR in the genome reduction and low genetic diversity of the R. toxicus species.
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