1
|
Cechin CDF, Carvalho GG, Kabuki DY. Occurrence, genetic characterization, and antibiotic susceptibility of Cronobacter spp. isolated from low water activity functional foods in Brazil. Food Microbiol 2024; 122:104570. [PMID: 38839229 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104570] [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] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are bacterial pathogens isolated from a wide variety of foods. This study aims at evaluating the occurrence of Cronobacter spp. in low water activity functional food samples, detect the presence of virulence genes, and determine the antibiotic susceptibility of strains. From 105 samples, 38 (36.2%) were contaminated with Cronobacter spp. The species identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing analyses (rpoB and fusA genes, respectively) were C. sakazakii (60.3%), C. dublinensis (25.4%), C. turincensis (9.5%), and C. malonaticus (4.8%). Nineteen fusA alleles were identified, including four new alleles. The virulence genes were identified by PCR and all isolates were positive for ompX and sodA genes, 60.3% to cpa gene, and 58.7% to hly gene. Using the disk diffusion method, antibiotic susceptibility to twelve antibiotics was assessed twice, separated by a 19-month period. In the first test, the isolates showed diverse antibiotic susceptibility profiles, with nineteen isolates (30.2%) being multi-drug resistant (resistant to three or more antibiotic classes), in the second, the isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics. Cronobacter spp. in functional foods demonstrates the need for continued investigation of this pathogen in foods, and further research is needed to clarify the loss of resistance of Cronobacter strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carine da Fonseca Cechin
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos, Departamento de Ciência de Alimentos e Nutrição, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Gabriela Guimarães Carvalho
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos, Departamento de Ciência de Alimentos e Nutrição, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Dirce Yorika Kabuki
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos, Departamento de Ciência de Alimentos e Nutrição, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kim HR, Joe C, Hwang ET, Gu MB, Kim BC. Group selective aptamers: Broad-spectrum recognition of target groups in Cronobacter species and implementation of electrochemical biosensors as receptors. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 246:115843. [PMID: 38006700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115843] [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] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers are a versatile class of receptors with a high affinity and selectivity for specific targets. Although their ability to recognize individual targets has been extensively studied, some scenarios require the development of receptors capable of identifying all target groups. This study investigated the use of aptamers to achieve the broad-spectrum recognition of groups instead of individual targets. Aptamers were screened for selectively distinct groups of Cronobacter species associated with foodborne diseases. Seven Cronobacter spp. were divided into Group A (C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis, and C. muytjensii) and Group B (C. dublinensis, C. condimenti, and C. universalis). Aptamers with exclusive selectivity for each group were identified, allowing binding to the species within their designated group while excluding those from the other group. The screened aptamers demonstrated reliable affinity and specificity with dissociation constants ranging from 1.3 to 399.7 nM for Group A and 4.0-24.5 nM for Group B. These aptamers have also been successfully employed as receptors in an electrochemical biosensor platform, enabling the selective detection of each group based on the corresponding aptamer (limit of detection was 7.8 and 3.2 CFU for Group A and Group B, respectively). The electrochemical sensor effectively detected the extent of infection in each group in powdered infant formula samples. This study highlights the successful screening and application of group-selective aptamers as sensing receptors, emphasizing their potential for diverse applications in different fields such as food safety, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics, where the selective biosensing of target groups is crucial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hye Ri Kim
- Center for Sustainable Environment Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheulmin Joe
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ee Taek Hwang
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Man Bock Gu
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Byoung Chan Kim
- Center for Sustainable Environment Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Energy and Environment Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jin T, Zhan X, Pang L, Peng B, Zhang X, Zhu W, Yang B, Xia X. CpxAR two-component system contributes to virulence properties of Cronobacter sakazakii. Food Microbiol 2024; 117:104393. [PMID: 37919015 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2023.104393] [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] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii) is a foodborne pathogen which threaten susceptible hosts including infants. CpxA/CpxR, a regulatory two-component system (TSC), contributes to stress response and virulence in various Gram-negative pathogens, but its role in C. sakazakii has not been thoroughly studied. In this study, we constructed CpxA, CpxR, CpxAR deletion and complementation strains. The mutants showed weakened bacterial adhesion to and invasion of HBMEC and Caco-2, reduced intracellular survival and replication of C. sakazakii within RAW264.7 macrophages, and decreased translocation of HBMEC and Caco-2 monolayers. Mutants demonstrated lower levels of tight junction proteins disruption and reduced apoptosis and cytotoxicity in Caco-2 monolayer compared to wild type strain. CpxAR TCS deletion mutants demonstrate attenuated virulence in newborn mice, which was evidenced by fewer bacterial cells loads in tissues and organs, lower levels of intestinal epithelial barrier dysfuction and milder damages in intestinal tissues. All these phenotypes were recovered in complemented strains. In addition, qRT-PCR results showed that CpxAR TCS of C. sakazakii played roles in regulating the expression of several genes associated with bacterial virulence and cellular invasion. These findings indicate that CpxAR TCS is an important regulatory mechanism for virulence of C. sakazakii, which enrich our understanding of genetic determinants of pathogenicity of the pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tong Jin
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiangjun Zhan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Liuxin Pang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Bo Peng
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Food Science and Technology Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Xinpeng Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Food Science and Technology Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Wenxiu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing and Safety Control, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116034, China
| | - Baowei Yang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Xiaodong Xia
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing and Safety Control, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116034, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Parra-Flores J, Flores-Soto F, Flores-Balboa C, Alarcón-Lavín MP, Cabal-Rosel A, Daza-Prieto B, Springer B, Cruz-Córdova A, Leiva-Caro J, Forsythe S, Ruppitsch W. Characterization of Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus Strains Isolated from Powdered Dairy Products Intended for Consumption by Adults and Older Adults. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2841. [PMID: 38137986 PMCID: PMC10745994 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to characterize Cronobacter spp. and related organisms isolated from powder dairy products intended for consumption by adults and older adults using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and to identify genes and traits that encode antibiotic resistance and virulence. Virulence (VGs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were detected with the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) platform, ResFinder, and MOB-suite tools. Susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion. Five presumptive strains of Cronobacter spp. were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and ribosomal MLST. Three C. sakazakii strains were of the clinical pathovar ST1, one was ST31, and the remaining isolate was C. malonaticus ST60. In addition, Franconibacter helveticus ST345 was identified. The C. sakazakii ST1 strains were further distinguished using core genome MLST based on 2831 loci. Moreover, 100% of the strains were resistant to cefalotin, 75% to ampicillin, and 50% to amikacin. The C. sakazakii ST1 strains were multiresistant (MDR) to four antibiotics. Additionally, all the strains adhered to the N1E-115 cell line, and two invaded it. Eighteen ARGs mainly involved in antibiotic target alteration and antibiotic efflux were detected. Thirty VGs were detected and clustered as flagellar proteins, outer membrane proteins, chemotaxis, hemolysins, and genes involved in metabolism and stress. The pESA3, pSP291-1, and pCMA1 plasmids were detected, and the prevalent mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were ISEsa1, ISEc52, and IS26. The isolates of C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus exhibited multiresistance to antibiotics, harbored genes encoding various antibiotic resistance proteins, and various virulence factors. Consequently, these contaminated powdered dairy products pose a risk to the health of hypersensitive adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Parra-Flores
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3800708, Chile;
| | - Fernanda Flores-Soto
- Nutrition and Dietetics School, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3800708, Chile; (F.F.-S.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Carolina Flores-Balboa
- Nutrition and Dietetics School, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3800708, Chile; (F.F.-S.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - María P. Alarcón-Lavín
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3800708, Chile;
| | - Adriana Cabal-Rosel
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 1220 Vienna, Austria; (A.C.-R.); (B.D.-P.); (B.S.); (W.R.)
| | - Beatriz Daza-Prieto
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 1220 Vienna, Austria; (A.C.-R.); (B.D.-P.); (B.S.); (W.R.)
| | - Burkhard Springer
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 1220 Vienna, Austria; (A.C.-R.); (B.D.-P.); (B.S.); (W.R.)
| | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico;
| | - José Leiva-Caro
- Department of Nursing, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3800708, Chile;
| | - Stephen Forsythe
- FoodMicrobe.com Ltd., Adams Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GY, UK
| | - Werner Ruppitsch
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 1220 Vienna, Austria; (A.C.-R.); (B.D.-P.); (B.S.); (W.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Garbowska M, Berthold-Pluta A, Stasiak-Różańska L, Pluta A, Forsythe S, Stefańska I. The Genotyping Diversity and Hemolytic Activity of Cronobacter spp. Isolated from Plant-Based Food Products in Poland. Foods 2023; 12:3873. [PMID: 37893766 PMCID: PMC10606190 DOI: 10.3390/foods12203873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to determine the genotyping diversity and hemolytic properties of 24 strains of Cronobacter spp. (15 Cronobacter sakazakii, 6 Cronobacter malonaticus, 2 Cronobacter turicensis, and 1 Cronobacter condimenti) isolated from commercial ready-to-eat leaf vegetables, sprouts, nuts, and dried fruits. The multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method was used to determine the sequence types (ST) and clonal complexes (CC) of these strains. The study demonstrated the high genotypic diversity of the Cronobacter genus bacteria isolated from plant-based foods. Five novel sequence types (804, 805, 806, 807, and 808) and the presence of novel alleles in the ppsA, gltB, gyrB, and infB loci were detected. In total, 16 of the 24 strains were assigned to the sequence types ST99, ST258, ST17, ST648, ST21, ST494, and ST98. One C. sakazakii strain (s12) isolated from alfalfa sprouts was assigned to the clonal complex CC4, which encompasses strains often associated with severe infections leading to meningitis in infants. In addition, 87.5% and 16.7% of the Cronobacter spp. strains showed β-hemolysis of equine and sheep red blood cells, respectively. The presence of the pathogenic species C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. turicensis in ready-to-eat plant-derived food products shows they are potential sources of infection, especially to those with compromised immunity, which substantiates their further multi-faceted characterization. The significance of this study may prove useful not only in epidemiological investigations, but also in assessing the risk of infections caused by the presence of Cronobacter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Garbowska
- Department of Technology and Food Assessment, Division of Milk Technology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-P.); (L.S.-R.); (A.P.)
| | - Anna Berthold-Pluta
- Department of Technology and Food Assessment, Division of Milk Technology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-P.); (L.S.-R.); (A.P.)
| | - Lidia Stasiak-Różańska
- Department of Technology and Food Assessment, Division of Milk Technology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-P.); (L.S.-R.); (A.P.)
| | - Antoni Pluta
- Department of Technology and Food Assessment, Division of Milk Technology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (A.B.-P.); (L.S.-R.); (A.P.)
| | | | - Ilona Stefańska
- Department of Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jaradat ZW, Al-Mousa WA, Elbetieha AM, Ababneh QO, Al-Nabulsi AA, Jang H, Gangiredla J, Patel IR, Gopinath GR, Tall BD. Virulence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and phylogenetic analysis of Cronobacter sakazakii isolates of food origins from Jordan. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 133:2528-2546. [PMID: 35858752 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AIMS to characterize a collection of Cronobacter sakazakii isolates collected from various origins in Jordan. METHODS AND RESULTS the isolates were characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing, DNA microarray, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), O-serotyping, virulence gene identification, and antibiotic susceptibility testing. The identities and phylogenetic relatedness revealed that C. sakazakii sequence type 4 (ST4) and Csak O:1 serotype was the most prevalent STs and serovars among these C. sakazakii strains. PCR screening of putative virulence genes showed that the siderophore-interacting protein gene (sip) and iron acquisition gene clusters (eitCBAD and iucABCD/iutA) were the most detected genes with noticeable variability in the type 6 secretion system (T6SS) and filamentous hemagglutinin/adhesion (FHA) gene loci. The antibiotic resistance profiles revealed that the majority of the isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics used despite harboring a class C β-lactamase resistance gene. CONCLUSIONS the results described in this report provide additional insights about the considerable genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity within C. sakazakii. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY the information reported in this study might be of great value in understanding the origins of C. sakazakii isolates, in addition to their diversity and variability, which might be helpful in preventing future outbreaks of this pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziad W Jaradat
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, P. O Box 3030, 22110, Jordan
| | - Waseem A Al-Mousa
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, P. O Box 3030, 22110, Jordan
| | - Ahmed M Elbetieha
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, P. O Box 3030, 22110, Jordan
| | - Qutaiba O Ababneh
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, P. O Box 3030, 22110, Jordan
| | - Anas A Al-Nabulsi
- Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P. O Box 3030, 22110, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Hyein Jang
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 20708, Laurel, MD
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 20708, Laurel, MD
| | - Isha R Patel
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 20708, Laurel, MD
| | - Gopal R Gopinath
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 20708, Laurel, MD
| | - Ben D Tall
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 20708, Laurel, MD
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Parra-Flores J, Holý O, Acuña S, Lepuschitz S, Pietzka A, Contreras-Fernández A, Chavarría-Sepulveda P, Cruz-Córdova A, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Mancilla-Rojano J, Castillo A, Ruppitsch W, Forsythe S. Genomic Characterization of Cronobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. Strains Isolated From Powdered Infant Formula in Chile. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:884721. [PMID: 35722296 PMCID: PMC9201451 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.884721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This study characterized five Cronobacter spp. and six Salmonella spp. strains that had been isolated from 155 samples of powdered infant formula (PIF) sold in Chile and manufactured in Chile and Mexico in 2018–2020. Two strains of Cronobacter sakazakii sequence type (ST) ST1 and ST31 (serotypes O:1 and O:2) and one strain of Cronobacter malonaticus ST60 (O:1) were identified. All Salmonella strains were identified as Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 (serotype O:4) by average nucleotide identity, ribosomal multilocus sequence typing (rMLST), and core genome MLST (cgMLST). The C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus isolates were resistant to cephalothin, whereas the Salmonella isolates were resistant to oxacillin and ampicillin. Nineteen antibiotic resistance genes were detected in the C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus isolates; the most prevalent were mcr-9.1, blaCSA, and blaCMA. In Salmonella, 30 genes encoding for aminoglycoside and cephalosporin resistance were identified, including aac(6′)-Iaa, β-lactamases ampH, ampC1, and marA. In the Cronobacter isolates, 32 virulence-associated genes were detected by WGS and clustered as flagellar proteins, outer membrane proteins, chemotaxis, hemolysins, invasion, plasminogen activator, colonization, transcriptional regulator, survival in macrophages, use of sialic acid, and toxin-antitoxin genes. In the Salmonella strains, 120 virulence associated genes were detected, adherence, magnesium uptake, resistance to antimicrobial peptides, secretion system, stress protein, toxin, resistance to complement killing, and eight pathogenicity islands. The C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus strains harbored I-E and I-F CRISPR-Cas systems and carried Col(pHHAD28) and IncFIB(pCTU1) plasmids, respectively. The Salmonella strains harbored type I-E CRISPR-Cas systems and carried IncFII(S) plasmids. The presence of C. sakazakii and Salmonella in PIF is a health risk for infants aged less than 6 months. For this reason, sanitary practices should be reinforced for its production and retail surveillance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Parra-Flores
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Ondřej Holý
- Science and Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Sergio Acuña
- Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Sarah Lepuschitz
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ariane Pietzka
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jetsi Mancilla-Rojano
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico.,Faculty of Medicine, Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Castillo
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Werner Ruppitsch
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Parra-Flores J, Holý O, Riffo F, Lepuschitz S, Maury-Sintjago E, Rodríguez-Fernández A, Cruz-Córdova A, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Mancilla-Rojano J, Troncoso M, Figueroa G, Ruppitsch W, Forsythe S. Profiling the Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance Genes of Cronobacter sakazakii Strains Isolated From Powdered and Dairy Formulas by Whole-Genome Sequencing. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:694922. [PMID: 34276629 PMCID: PMC8278472 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.694922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii is an enteropathogen that causes neonatal meningitis, septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants and newborns with a mortality rate of 15 to 80%. Powdered and dairy formulas (P-DF) have been implicated as major transmission vehicles and subsequently the presence of this pathogen in P-DF led to product recalls in Chile in 2017. The objective of this study was to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) and laboratory studies to characterize Cronobacter strains from the contaminated products. Seven strains were identified as C. sakazakii, and the remaining strain was Franconibacter helveticus. All C. sakazakii strains adhered to a neuroblastoma cell line, and 31 virulence genes were predicted by WGS. The antibiograms varied between strains. and included mcr-9.1 and bla CSA genes, conferring resistance to colistin and cephalothin, respectively. The C. sakazakii strains encoded I-E and I-F CRISPR-Cas systems, and carried IncFII(pECLA), Col440I, and Col(pHHAD28) plasmids. In summary, WGS enabled the identification of C. sakazakii strains and revealed multiple antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. These findings support the decision to recall the contaminated powdered and dairy formulas from the Chilean market in 2017.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Parra-Flores
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Ondrej Holý
- Department of Public Health, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia
| | | | - Sarah Lepuschitz
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jetsi Mancilla-Rojano
- Intestinal Bacteriology Research Laboratory, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
- Faculty of Medicine, Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miriam Troncoso
- Microbiology and Probiotics Laboratory, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Guillermo Figueroa
- Microbiology and Probiotics Laboratory, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Werner Ruppitsch
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Isolation and Identification of Cronobacter spp. from Fish and Shellfish Sold in Retail Markets. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:1973-1980. [PMID: 33774683 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02447-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the incidence of Cronobacter spp. in seafood collected from retail fish markets of Mumbai, India. A total of 50 samples comprising fresh finfish (n = 32), shellfish (n = 6), dried fish (n = 9) and water (n = 3) were analyzed for Cronobacter spp. by selective enrichment, isolation and biochemical tests. Of 145 isolates presumptively identified as Cronobacter spp. by biochemical tests, 37 were confirmed as Cronobacter spp. by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) specific to the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Based on the partial ITS gene sequence analysis, 35 isolates were identified as Cronobacter malonaticus and two as Cronobacter sakazakii. The highest incidence of Cronobacter spp. was in dried fish (55.6%), followed by shellfish (33.3%). The virulence gene ompA was detected in two Cronobacter sakazakii isolates. This is the first report of the incidence of Cronobacter spp. in fresh and dried seafood from India, which highlights the need to focus on this emerging pathogen in tropical seafood.
Collapse
|
10
|
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.
Collapse
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.)
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Veronica EK, Sara A O, Everardo CQ, Héctor Q, Oscar MC, Elizabeth FR, Irma RP, José AG, Bulmaro C, Rigoberto HC, Juan XC, Ariadnna CC. Proteomics profiles of Cronobacter sakazakii and a fliF mutant: Adherence and invasion in mouse neuroblastoma cells. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104595. [PMID: 33157215 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen associated with necrotizing enterocolitis, bacteremia, and meningitis in infants. A comparative proteomic study of C. sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 (CS WT) and a fliF::Tn5 mutant was performed, including the ability of both strains to adhere to and invade N1E-115 cells. To achieve this goal, a nonmotile C. sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 fliF::Tn5 (CS fliF::Tn5) strain was generated using an EZ-Tn5 <KAN-2>Tnp Transposome kit. Analysis of differential protein expression showed that 81.49% (361/443) of the proteins were expressed in both strains, 8.35% (37/443) were exclusively expressed in the CS WT strain, and 10.16% (45/443) were exclusively expressed in the CS fliF::Tn5 strain. The main exclusively expressed proteins in the CS WT strain were classified into the "cell motility" and "signal transduction mechanisms" subcategories. The proteins exclusively expressed in the CS fliF::Tn5 strain were classified into the following subcategories: "intracellular trafficking, secretion, and vesicular transport", "replication, recombination, and repair", "nucleotide transport and metabolism", "carbohydrate transport and metabolism", "coenzyme transport and metabolism", and "lipid transport and metabolism". Expression of the Cpa protein was detected in both strains, but Cpa was more abundant in the CS WT strain than in the CS fliF::Tn5 strain. A significant increase (p = 0.0001) in adherence to N1E-115 cells was observed in the nonmotile CS fliF::Tn5 strain (31.3 × 106 CFU/mL) compared to the CS WT strain (14.5 × 106 CFU/mL). Additionally, the CS WT strain showed a 0.17% invasion frequency in N1E-115 cells, which was significantly higher (p = 0.01) than that of the nonmotile CS fliF::Tn5 strain. In conclusion, the proteins involved in the motility were mainly identified by proteomic analysis in the CS WT strain compared to the CS fliF::Tn5 strain. Our data indicate that flagella are required to promote the invasion of N1E-115 cells and that the absence of flagella significantly increases the adherence to N1E-115 cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esteban-Kenel Veronica
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico; Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ochoa Sara A
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Curiel-Quesada Everardo
- Laboratorio de Ingeniería Genética, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Quezada Héctor
- Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica en Endocrinología y Nutrición. Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Medina-Contreras Oscar
- Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica en Endocrinología y Nutrición. Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Fernández-Rendón Elizabeth
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Sanitaria, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Rosas-Pérez Irma
- Laboratorio de Aerobiología, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Arellano-Galindo José
- Área de Virología, Laboratorio de Infectología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Cisneros Bulmaro
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Hernandez-Castro Rigoberto
- Departamento de Ecología de Agentes Patógenos. Hospital General "Dr. Manuel Gea González", Delegación Tlalpan, México D., 14080, Mexico
| | - Xicohtencatl-Cortes Juan
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Cruz-Córdova Ariadnna
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Costa PV, de Siqueira RM, Rosa Guimarães AC, Vasconcellos L, Midlej V, Silva da Conceição GM, Forsythe SJ, Lima Brandão ML. Cytotoxicity profile of Cronobacter species isolated from food and clinical specimens in Brazil. J Appl Microbiol 2020; 130:1758-1769. [PMID: 33090617 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of Cronobacter strains isolated from foods (n = 50) and clinical samples (n = 6) in Brazil and genotype selected strains (n = 18) using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) METHODS AND RESULTS: The cytotoxic activity of C. sakazakii (n = 29), C. dublinensis (n = 13), C. malonaticus (n = 6), C. turicensis (n = 6) and C. muytjensii (n = 2) was screened using Vero, RK13, Hep2c, NCTC clone 929 and BHK-21 cell lines. Selected Cronobacter strains were assigned to C. sakazakii ST 21, C. turicensis ST 252, C. sakazakii ST 647, and three newly assigned STs: C. turicensis STs 738-740. The maximum death caused by non-heat-treated filtrates was 20·4, 86·2, 47·0 and 84·0%, in Vero, RK13, Hep2c and NCTC clone 929 cells, respectively. These were caused by C. sakazakii strains C291 and C292 (ST 494) which had been isolated during neonatal Cronobacter meningitis infection, and C110 (ST 395) isolated from flaxseed flour. Thermal treatment (100°C/20 min) significantly reduced the cytotoxicity activity in NCTC clone 929 and Vero cells (P ≤ 2 × 10-6 ), but not in RK13 (P = 0·12) and Hep2c (P = 0·85), indicating the cytotoxin(s) were probably proteinaceous. Electron microscopy revealed that cytotoxic compounds from C. sakazakii induced several cell death characteristics, including loss of cell-cell contact, microvilli reduction and cellular lysis. Autophagic vacuoles and mitochondrial damage were the most common ultrastructural features observed. CONCLUSIONS It was concluded that Cronobacter strains, especially C. sakazakii, could produce heat-labile cytotoxic compounds in cell filtrates. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This study providing insights into the pathogenesis of the Cronobacter genus. Cytotoxins were identified in excreted filtrates of C. sakazakii strains isolated from food and clinical specimens. The presence of Cronobacter strains that can produce cytotoxins in foods can be a potential threat to human health and highlight the need for high levels of hygiene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P V Costa
- Laboratory of Microbiology of Food and Sanitizes, INCQS/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - R M de Siqueira
- Laboratory of Viral Vaccines, Biopharmaceutics, and Cell Culture, INCQS/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - A C Rosa Guimarães
- Laboratory of Viral Vaccines, Biopharmaceutics, and Cell Culture, INCQS/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - L Vasconcellos
- Laboratory of Microbiology of Food and Sanitizes, INCQS/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - V Midlej
- Laboratory of Cellular Ultrastructure, IOC/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - S J Forsythe
- Foodmicrobe.com, Adams Hill, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - M L Lima Brandão
- Laboratory of Microbiology Control, Biomanguinhos/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jang H, Chase HR, Gangiredla J, Grim CJ, Patel IR, Kothary MH, Jackson SA, Mammel MK, Carter L, Negrete F, Finkelstein S, Weinstein L, Yan Q, Iversen C, Pagotto F, Stephan R, Lehner A, Eshwar AK, Fanning S, Farber J, Gopinath GR, Tall BD, Pava-Ripoll M. Analysis of the Molecular Diversity Among Cronobacter Species Isolated From Filth Flies Using Targeted PCR, Pan Genomic DNA Microarray, and Whole Genome Sequencing Analyses. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:561204. [PMID: 33101235 PMCID: PMC7545074 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.561204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter species are opportunistic pathogens capable of causing life-threatening infections in humans, with serious complications arising in neonates, infants, immuno-compromised individuals, and elderly adults. The genus is comprised of seven species: Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter malonaticus, Cronobacter turicensis, Cronobacter muytjensii, Cronobacter dublinensis, Cronobacter universalis, and Cronobacter condimenti. Despite a multiplicity of genomic data for the genus, little is known about likely transmission vectors. Using DNA microarray analysis, in parallel with whole genome sequencing, and targeted PCR analyses, the total gene content of two C. malonaticus, three C. turicensis, and 14 C. sakazaki isolated from various filth flies was assessed. Phylogenetic relatedness among these and other strains obtained during surveillance and outbreak investigations were comparatively assessed. Specifically, microarray analysis (MA) demonstrated its utility to cluster strains according to species-specific and sequence type (ST) phylogenetic relatedness, and that the fly strains clustered among strains obtained from clinical, food and environmental sources from United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. This combinatorial approach was useful in data mining for virulence factor genes, and phage genes and gene clusters. In addition, results of plasmidotyping were in agreement with the species identity for each strain as determined by species-specific PCR assays, MA, and whole genome sequencing. Microarray and BLAST analyses of Cronobacter fly sequence datasets were corroborative and showed that the presence and absence of virulence factors followed species and ST evolutionary lines even though such genes were orthologous. Additionally, zebrafish infectivity studies showed that these pathotypes were as virulent to zebrafish embryos as other clinical strains. In summary, these findings support a striking phylogeny amongst fly, clinical, and surveillance strains isolated during 2010–2015, suggesting that flies are capable vectors for transmission of virulent Cronobacter spp.; they continue to circulate among United States and European populations, environments, and that this “pattern of circulation” has continued over decades.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyein Jang
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Hannah R Chase
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Christopher J Grim
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Isha R Patel
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Mahendra H Kothary
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Scott A Jackson
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Mark K Mammel
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Laurenda Carter
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Flavia Negrete
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Samantha Finkelstein
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Leah Weinstein
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - QiongQiong Yan
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Carol Iversen
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Franco Pagotto
- Food Directorate, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angelika Lehner
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Athmanya K Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Seamus Fanning
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jeffery Farber
- Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Gopal R Gopinath
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Ben D Tall
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Monica Pava-Ripoll
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food & Drug Administration, College Park, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Amaretti A, Righini L, Candeliere F, Musmeci E, Bonvicini F, Gentilomi GA, Rossi M, Raimondi S. Antibiotic Resistance, Virulence Factors, Phenotyping, and Genotyping of Non- Escherichia coli Enterobacterales from the Gut Microbiota of Healthy Subjects. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051847. [PMID: 32156029 PMCID: PMC7084377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-Escherichia coli Enterobacterales (NECE) can colonize the human gut and may present virulence determinants and phenotypes that represent severe heath concerns. Most information is available for virulent NECE strains, isolated from patients with an ongoing infection, while the commensal NECE population of healthy subjects is understudied. In this study, 32 NECE strains were isolated from the feces of 20 healthy adults. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and mass spectrometry attributed the isolates to Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter kobei, Citrobacter freundii, Citrobacter amalonaticus, Cronobacter sp., and Hafnia alvei, Morganella morganii, and Serratia liquefaciens. Multiplex PCR revealed that K. pneumoniae harbored virulence genes for adhesins (mrkD, ycfM, and kpn) and enterobactin (entB) and, in one case, also for yersiniabactin (ybtS, irp1, irp2, and fyuA). Virulence genes were less numerous in the other NECE species. Biofilm formation was spread across all the species, while curli and cellulose were mainly produced by Citrobacter and Enterobacter. Among the most common antibiotics, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was the sole against which resistance was observed, only Klebsiella strains being susceptible. The NECE inhabiting the intestine of healthy subjects have traits that may pose a health threat, taking into account the possibility of horizontal gene transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Amaretti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.A.); (L.R.); (F.C.); (E.M.); (M.R.)
- Biogest-Siteia, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Viale Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Lucia Righini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.A.); (L.R.); (F.C.); (E.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Francesco Candeliere
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.A.); (L.R.); (F.C.); (E.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Eliana Musmeci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.A.); (L.R.); (F.C.); (E.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Francesca Bonvicini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (F.B.); (G.A.G.)
| | - Giovanna Angela Gentilomi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (F.B.); (G.A.G.)
- Unit of Microbiology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Maddalena Rossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.A.); (L.R.); (F.C.); (E.M.); (M.R.)
- Biogest-Siteia, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Viale Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Stefano Raimondi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.A.); (L.R.); (F.C.); (E.M.); (M.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-059-205-8595
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Parra-Flores J, Maury-Sintjago E, Rodriguez-Fernández A, Acuña S, Cerda F, Aguirre J, Holy O. Microbiological Quality of Powdered Infant Formula in Latin America. J Food Prot 2020; 83:534-541. [PMID: 32078682 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-19-399] [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: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Cronobacter is a bacterial genus that includes seven species, and the species Cronobacter sakazakii is most related to meningitis and septicemia in infants associated with powdered infant formula (PIF). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the presence of C. sakazakii and to determine the microbiological quality of PIF for infant consumption. To do this, a total of 128 PIF samples were analyzed in four brands and countries (Chile, Mexico, Holland, and Brazil), considering three types of PIF: premature (PIF1), infant (PIF2), and follow-up (PIF3). Aerobic plate counts (APC) and Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) were assessed in accordance with Chilean official standards. The outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene was amplified to detect Cronobacter spp. and the fusA gene was amplified to identify C. sakazakii by using the PubMLST Web site and BLAST (NCBI). The antibiotic resistance profile was performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards. The pathogen was quantified by the most probable number (MPN). The results showed that APC median values for PIF1, PIF2, and PIF3 were 3.2, 4.9, and 4.8 log CFU g-1, respectively. The APC were higher in PIF2 (P < 0.01) from Holland (P < 0.01) in the commercial brand 4 (P < 0.01). The ENT median values in PIF1, PIF2, and PIF3 were 1.8, 1.5, and 1.7 log CFU g-1, respectively. Five strains of C. sakazakii and one strain of Cronobacter malonaticus were identified as having values between 0.023 and 2.3 MPN/g. All strains (100%) harbored the ompA, plasminogen activator (cpa), and hemolysin (hly) virulence genes. To conclude, C. sakazakii was found in four PIF samples from four Chilean products and one from Mexico, which is distributed throughout America. C. sakazakii strains exhibit virulence factors and resistance to ampicillin, thus posing a risk when PIFs are consumed by infants. HIGHLIGHTS
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Parra-Flores
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Avenida Andrés Bello 720, 3800708, Chillán, Chile
| | - Eduard Maury-Sintjago
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Avenida Andrés Bello 720, 3800708, Chillán, Chile
| | - Alejandra Rodriguez-Fernández
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Avenida Andrés Bello 720, 3800708, Chillán, Chile
| | - Sergio Acuña
- Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Avenida Andrés Bello 720, 3800708, Chillán, Chile
| | - Fabiola Cerda
- Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Avenida Andrés Bello 720, 3800708, Chillán, Chile
| | - Juan Aguirre
- Department of Agricultural Industry and Enology, Universidad de Chile, Avenida Santa Rosa 11315, 8820000, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ondrej Holy
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, 77515, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wang M, Wang L, Wu P, Chen T, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Wei Y, Qian C, Wang Y, Liu B. Genomics and Experimental Analysis Reveal a Novel Factor Contributing to the Virulence of Cronobacter sakazakii Strains Associated With Neonate Infection. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:306-315. [PMID: 30835279 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cronobacter sakazakii causes meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants. However, its virulence determinants, especially those specific for strains associated with neonate infections, remain largely unknown. METHODS In this study, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of 209 C. sakazakii genomes, and 8 clonal groups (CGs) were revealed. RESULTS CG1 and CG2 were found to be significantly associated with neonate infections, and significantly prevalent genes in these 2 CGs were identified. Of these, a gene encoding the LysR-type regulator, CklR, was shown to contribute to bacterial pathogenicity based on animal experiments. We found that CklR directly binds and activates the suf Fe-S cluster biosynthesis operon, and high expression of the suf operon increases bacterial resistance to oxidative stress, which increases survival within the host. This leads to a high degree of bacteremia, which contributes to the development of meningitis. CONCLUSIONS Our work revealed a novel virulence factor specific to predominant pathogenic C. sakazakii strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Center for Microbial Functional Genomics and Detection Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengqian Qian
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuhui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Center for Microbial Functional Genomics and Detection Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Jang H, Gopinath GR, Eshwar A, Srikumar S, Nguyen S, Gangiredla J, Patel IR, Finkelstein SB, Negrete F, Woo J, Lee Y, Fanning S, Stephan R, Tall BD, Lehner A. The Secretion of Toxins and Other Exoproteins of Cronobacter: Role in Virulence, Adaption, and Persistence. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E229. [PMID: 32046365 PMCID: PMC7074816 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8020229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
: Cronobacter species are considered an opportunistic group of foodborne pathogenic bacteria capable of causing both intestinal and systemic human disease. This review describes common virulence themes shared among the seven Cronobacter species and describes multiple exoproteins secreted by Cronobacter, many of which are bacterial toxins that may play a role in human disease. The review will particularly concentrate on the virulence factors secreted by C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. turicensis, which are the primary human pathogens of interest. It has been discovered that various species-specific virulence factors adversely affect a wide range of eukaryotic cell processes including protein synthesis, cell division, and ion secretion. Many of these factors are toxins which have been shown to also modulate the host immune response. These factors are encoded on a variety of mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons; this genomic plasticity implies ongoing re-assortment of virulence factor genes which has complicated our efforts to categorize Cronobacter into sharply defined genomic pathotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyein Jang
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Gopal R. Gopinath
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Athmanya Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8006 Zürich, Switzerland; (A.E.); (R.S.); (A.L.)
| | - Shabarinath Srikumar
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland; (S.S.); (S.N.); (S.F.)
| | - Scott Nguyen
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland; (S.S.); (S.N.); (S.F.)
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Isha R. Patel
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Samantha B. Finkelstein
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Flavia Negrete
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - JungHa Woo
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - YouYoung Lee
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland; (S.S.); (S.N.); (S.F.)
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8006 Zürich, Switzerland; (A.E.); (R.S.); (A.L.)
| | - Ben D. Tall
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (F.N.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Angelika Lehner
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8006 Zürich, Switzerland; (A.E.); (R.S.); (A.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Liu J, Zhan Z, Liang T, Xie G, Aguilar ZP, Xu H. Dual-signal amplification strategy: Universal asymmetric tailing-PCR triggered rolling circle amplification assay for fluorescent detection of Cronobacter spp. in milk. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:3055-3065. [PMID: 32037161 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are important opportunistic foodborne pathogens in powdered infant formula that cause many serious diseases in neonates and infants. In this study, a novel assay based on dual signal amplification strategy was developed by coupling asymmetric tailing PCR (AT-PCR) with rolling circle amplification (RCA) for the detection of Cronobacter spp. in milk. The tailing single-stranded DNA was generated through AT-PCR and used to initiate RCA, generating tandem repetitive G-quadruplex sequences. In the presence of the fluorescence dye thioflavin T that could intercalate into the G-quadruplex structures, the fluorescence signal was detected with a microplate reader. The AT-PCR coupled with RCA assay was specific for Cronobacter spp. detection because of the highly specific primers chosen for the AT-PCR. The limits of detection were 4.3 × 101 cfu/mL in pure culture and 4.5 × 102 cfu/mL in spiked milk, respectively. The fixed sequences designed in the hairpin DNA allowed this AT-PCR coupled with RCA assay to serve as a universal platform for the detection of other pathogens by modifying the specificity of the PCR primers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China
| | - Zhongxu Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China; Jiangxi Institute for Food Control, Nanchang, 330001, PR China
| | - Taobo Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China
| | - Guoyang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China
| | | | - Hengyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Finkelstein S, Negrete F, Jang H, Gangiredla J, Mammel M, Patel IR, Chase HR, Woo J, Lee Y, Wang CZ, Weinstein L, Tall BD, Gopinath GR. Prevalence, Distribution, and Phylogeny of Type Two Toxin-Antitoxin Genes Possessed by Cronobacter Species where C. sakazakii Homologs Follow Sequence Type Lineages. Microorganisms 2019; 7:E554. [PMID: 31726673 PMCID: PMC6920972 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7110554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter species are a group of foodborne pathogenic bacteria that cause both intestinal and systemic human disease in individuals of all age groups. Little is known about the mechanisms that Cronobacter employ to survive and persist in foods and other environments. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) genes are thought to play a role in bacterial stress physiology, as well as in the stabilization of horizontally-acquired re-combinatorial elements such as plasmids, phage, and transposons. TA systems have been implicated in the formation of a persistence phenotype in some bacterial species including Escherichia coli and Salmonella. This project's goal was to understand the phylogenetic relatedness among TA genes present in Cronobacter. Preliminary studies showed that two typical toxin genes, fic and hipA followed species evolutionary lines. A local database of 22 TA homologs was created for Cronobacter sakazakii and a Python version 3 shell script was generated to extract TA FASTA sequences present in 234 C. sakazakii genomes previously sequenced as part of Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's (CFSAN) GenomeTrakr project. BLAST analysis showed that not every C. sakazakii strain possessed all twenty-two TA loci. Interestingly, some strains contained either a toxin or an antitoxin component, but not both. Five common toxin genes: ESA_00258 (parDE toxin-antitoxin family), ESA_00804 (relBE family), ESA_01887 (relBE family), ESA_03838 (relBE family), and ESA_04273 (YhfG-Fic family) were selected for PCR analysis and the primers were designed to detect these genes. PCR analysis showed that 55 of 63 strains possessed three of these genes Sequence analysis identified homologs of the target genes and some of the strains were PCR-negative for one or more of the genes, pointing to potential nucleotide polymorphisms in those loci or that these toxin genes were absent. Phylogenetic studies using a Cronobacter pan genomic microarray showed that for the most part TAs follow species evolutionary lines except for a few toxin genes possessed by some C. malonaticus and C. universalis strains; this demonstrates that some TA orthologues share a common phylogeny. Within the C. sakazakii strains, the prevalence and distribution of these TA homologs by C. sakazakii strain BAA-894 (a powdered infant formula isolate) followed sequence-type evolutionary lineages. Understanding the phylogeny of TAs among the Cronobacter species is essential to design future studies to realize the physiological mechanisms and roles for TAs in stress adaptation and persistence of Cronobacter within food matrices and food processing environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ben D. Tall
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 MuirKirk Rd, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (S.F.); (F.N.); (H.J.); (J.G.); (M.M.); (I.R.P.); (H.R.C.); (J.W.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.W.); (L.W.); (G.R.G.)
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Aly MA, Domig KJ, Kneifel W, Reimhult E. Whole Genome Sequencing-Based Comparison of Food Isolates of Cronobacter sakazakii. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1464. [PMID: 31333604 PMCID: PMC6615433 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii is an emerging foodborne pathogen, which is linked to life-threatening infections causing septicemia, meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. These infections have been epidemiologically connected to ingestion of contaminated reconstituted powder infant formula. Even at low water activity C. sakazakii can survive for a long time; it is capable of protective biofilm formation and occasionally shows high virulence and pathogenicity even following stressful environmental conditions. Hence it is a challenging task for the food industry to control contamination of food ingredients and products through the entire production chain, since an increasing number of severe food-related outbreaks of C. sakazakii infections has been observed. The seemingly great capability of C. sakazakii to survive even strict countermeasures combined with its prevalence in many food ingredients requires a greater in depth understanding of its virulence factors to master the food safety issues related to this organism. In this context, we present the whole genome sequence (WGS) of two different C. sakazakii isolated from skimmed milk powder (C7) and ready-to-eat salad mix (C8), respectively. These are compared to other, already sequenced, C. sakazakii genomes. Sequencing of the fusA allele revealed that both isolates were C. sakazakii. We investigated the molecular characteristics of both isolates relevant for genes associated with pathogenesis and virulence factors, resistance to stressful environmental conditions (e.g., osmotic and heat), survival in desiccation as well as conducted a comparative genomic analysis. By using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), the genetic type of both isolates is assessed and the number of unique genes is determined. DNA of C. sakazakii C8 is shown to hold a novel and unique sequence type; the number of unique genes identified in the genomic sequence of C. sakazakii C7 and C8 were 109 and 188, respectively. Some of the determined unique genes such as the rhs and VgrG genes are linked to the Type VI Secretion System cluster, which is associated with pathogenicity and virulence factors. Moreover, seven genes encoding for multi-drug resistance were found in both isolates. The finding of a number of genes linked to producing capsules and biofilm are likely related to the observed resistance to desiccation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Aly
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute for Biologically Inspired Materials, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.,Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Konrad J Domig
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Science, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Kneifel
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Science, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Erik Reimhult
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute for Biologically Inspired Materials, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
|
23
|
Composition and Origin of the Fermentation Microbiota of Mahewu, a Zimbabwean Fermented Cereal Beverage. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.03130-18. [PMID: 30902861 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03130-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mahewu is a fermented cereal beverage produced in Zimbabwe. This study determined the composition and origin of mahewu microbiota. The microbiota of mahewu samples consisted of 3 to 7 dominant strains of lactobacilli and two strains of yeasts. Enterobacteriaceae were not detected. Candida glabrata was present in high cell counts from samples collected in summer but not from samples collected in winter. Millet malt is the only raw ingredient used in the production of mahewu and is a likely source of fermentation microbiota; therefore, malt microbiota was also analyzed by culture-dependent and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing methodologies. Millet malt contained 8 to 19 strains of Enterobacteriaceae, lactobacilli, bacilli, and very few yeasts. Strain-specific quantitative PCR assays were established on the basis of the genome sequences of Lactobacillus fermentum FUA3588 and FUA3589 and Lactobacillus plantarum FUA3590 to obtain a direct assessment of the identity of strains from malt and mahewu. L. fermentum FUA3588 and FUA3589 were detected in millet malt, demonstrating that millet malt is a main source of mahewu microbiota. Strains which were detected in summer were not detected in samples produced at the same site in winter. Model mahewu fermentations conducted with a 5-strain inoculum consisting of lactobacilli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Cronobacter sakazakii demonstrated that lactobacilli outcompete Enterobacteriaceae, which sharply decreased in the first 24 h. In conclusion, mahewu microbiota is mainly derived from millet malt microbiota, but minor components of malt microbiota rapidly outcompete Enterobacteriaceae and Bacillus species during fermentation.IMPORTANCE This study provides insight into the composition and origin of the microbiota of mahewu and the composition of millet malt microbiota. Fermentation microbiota are often hypothesized to be derived from the environment, but the evidence remains inconclusive. Our findings confirm that millet malt is the major source of mahewu microbiota. By complementing culture methods with high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons and strain-specific quantitative PCR, this study provides evidence about the source of mahewu microbiota, which can inform the development of starter cultures for mahewu production. The study also documents the fate of Enterobacteriaceae during the fermentation of mahewu. There are concerns regarding the safety of traditionally prepared mahewu, and this requires in-depth knowledge of the fermentation process. Therefore, this study elucidated millet malt microbiota and identified cultures that are able to control the high numbers of Enterobacteriaceae that are initially present in mahewu fermentations.
Collapse
|
24
|
Mancilla-Rojano J, Castro-Jaimes S, Ochoa SA, Bobadilla Del Valle M, Luna-Pineda VM, Bustos P, Laris-González A, Arellano-Galindo J, Parra-Ortega I, Hernández-Castro R, Cevallos MA, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Cruz-Córdova A. Whole-Genome Sequences of Five Acinetobacter baumannii Strains From a Child With Leukemia M2. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:132. [PMID: 30787915 PMCID: PMC6372515 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen and is one of the primary etiological agents of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). A. baumannii infections are difficult to treat due to the intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance of strains of this bacterium, which frequently limits therapeutic options. In this study, five A. baumannii strains (810CP, 433H, 434H, 483H, and A-2), all of which were isolated from a child with leukemia M2, were characterized through antibiotic susceptibility profiling, the detection of genes encoding carbapenem hydrolyzing oxacillinases, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), adherence and invasion assays toward the A549 cell line, and the whole-genome sequence (WGS). The five strains showed Multidrug resistant (MDR) profiles and amplification of the blaOXA-23 gene, belonging to ST758 and grouped into two PFGE clusters. WGS of 810CP revealed the presence of a circular chromosome and two small plasmids, pAba810CPa and pAba810CPb. Both plasmids carried genes encoding the Sp1TA system, although resistance genes were not identified. A gene-by-gene comparison analysis was performed among the A. baumannii strains isolated in this study and others A. baumannii ST758 strains (HIMFG and INCan), showing that 86% of genes were present in all analyzed strains. Interestingly, the 433H, 434H, and 483H strains varied by 8–10 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), while the A2 and 810CP strains varied by 46 SNVs. Subsequently, an analysis using BacWGSTdb showed that all of our strains had the same resistance genes and were ST758. However, some variations were observed in relation to virulence genes, mainly in the 810CP strain. The genes involved in the synthesis of hepta-acylated lipooligosaccharides, the pgaABCD locus encoding poly-β-1-6-N-acetylglucosamine, the ompA gene, Csu pili, bap, the two-component system bfms/bfmR, a member of the phospholipase D family, and two iron-uptake systems were identified in our A. baumannii strains genome. The five A. baumannii strains isolated from the child were genetically different and showed important characteristics that promote survival in a hospital environment. The elucidation of their genomic sequences provides important information for understanding their epidemiology, antibiotic resistance, and putative virulence factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jetsi Mancilla-Rojano
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico.,Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Semiramis Castro-Jaimes
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Sara A Ochoa
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miriam Bobadilla Del Valle
- Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y de Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Victor M Luna-Pineda
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Patricia Bustos
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Almudena Laris-González
- Departamento de Epidemiología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - José Arellano-Galindo
- Laboratorio de Infectología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Israel Parra-Ortega
- Laboratorio Central, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rigoberto Hernández-Castro
- Departamento de Ecología de Agentes Patógenos Hospital General "Dr. Manuel Gea González", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miguel A Cevallos
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Occurrence of virulence factors in Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus originated from clinical samples. Microb Pathog 2018; 127:250-256. [PMID: 30550840 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cronobacter spp. are Gram-negative, facultative-anaerobic, non-spore forming, enteric coliform bacteria, which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Cronobacter spp. are opportunistic pathogens that have brought rare but life-threatening infections such as meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis and bloodstream infections in neonates and infants. Information on the diversity, pathogenicity and virulence of Cronobacter species obtained from various sources is still relatively scarce and fragmentary. The aim of this study was to examine and analyse different pathogenicity and virulence factors among C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus strains isolated from clinical samples. METHODS The thirty-six clinical Cronobacter strains have been used in this study. This bacterial collection consists of 25 strains of C. sakazakii and 11 strains of C. malonaticus, isolated from different clinical materials. Seven genes (ompA, inv, sip, aut, hly, fliC, cpa) were amplified by PCR. Moreover, the motility and the ability of these strains to adhere and invade human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and mouse neuroblastoma (N1E-115) cell lines were investigated. RESULTS Our results showed that all tested strains were able to adhere to both used cell lines, HT-29 and N1E-115 cells. The invasion assay showed that 66.7% (24/36) of isolates were able to invade N1-E115 cells while 83% (30/36) of isolates were able to invade HT-29 cells. On the average, 68% of the C. sakazakii strains exhibited seven virulence factors and only 18% in C. malonaticus. All strains amplified ompA and fliC genes. The other genes were detected as follow: sip 97% (35/36), hlyA 92% (33/36), aut 94% (34/36), cpa 67% (24/36), and inv 69% (25/36). CONCLUSIONS C. sakazakii and C malonaticus strains demonstrate the diversity of the virulence factors present among these pathogens. It is necessary to permanently monitor the hospital environment to appropriately treat and resolve cases associated with disease. Furthermore, in-depth knowledge is needed about the source and transmission vehicles of pathogens in hospitals to adopt pertinent prevention measures.
Collapse
|
26
|
Jang H, Woo J, Lee Y, Negrete F, Finkelstein S, Chase HR, Addy N, Ewing L, Beaubrun JJG, Patel I, Gangiredla J, Eshwar A, Jaradat ZW, Seo K, Shabarinath S, Fanning S, Stephan R, Lehner A, Tall BD, Gopinath GR. Draft genomes of Cronobacter sakazakii strains isolated from dried spices bring unique insights into the diversity of plant-associated strains. Stand Genomic Sci 2018; 13:35. [PMID: 30519380 PMCID: PMC6267090 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-018-0339-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes life- threatening infantile infections, such as meningitis, septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis, as well as pneumonia, septicemia, and urinary tract and wound infections in adults. Here, we report 26 draft genome sequences of C. sakazakii, which were obtained from dried spices from the USA, the Middle East, China, and the Republic of Korea. The average genome size of the C. sakazakii genomes was 4393 kb, with an average of 4055 protein coding genes, and an average genome G + C content of 56.9%. The genomes contained genes related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, and cell wall/membrane biogenesis. In addition, we identified genes encoding proteins involved in osmotic responses such as DnaJ, Aquaproin Z, ProQ, and TreF, as well as virulence-related and heat shock-related proteins. Interestingly, a metabolic island comprised of a variably-sized xylose utilization operon was found within the spice-associated C. sakazakii genomes, which supports the hypothesis that plants may serve as transmission vectors or alternative hosts for Cronobacter species. The presence of the genes identified in this study can support the remarkable phenotypic traits of C. sakazakii such as the organism's capabilities of adaptation and survival in response to adverse growth environmental conditions (e.g. osmotic and desiccative stresses). Accordingly, the genome analyses provided insights into many aspects of physiology and evolutionary history of this important foodborne pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyein Jang
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Jungha Woo
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Youyoung Lee
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Flavia Negrete
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Samantha Finkelstein
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Hannah R. Chase
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Nicole Addy
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Laura Ewing
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Junia Jean Gilles Beaubrun
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Isha Patel
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Athmanya Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ziad W. Jaradat
- Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110 Jordan
| | - Kunho Seo
- Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 South Korea
| | - Srikumar Shabarinath
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College, Dublin, Ireland
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College, Dublin, Ireland
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angelika Lehner
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ben D. Tall
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Gopal R. Gopinath
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Parra-Flores J, Aguirre J, Juneja V, Jackson EE, Cruz-Córdova A, Silva-Sanchez J, Forsythe S. Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Cronobacter sakazakii and Enterobacter spp. Involved in the Diarrheic Hemorrhagic Outbreak in Mexico. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2206. [PMID: 30319560 PMCID: PMC6171480 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are bacterial pathogens that cause neonatal meningitis, septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis in infants with a lethality rate of 40–80%. Powdered infant formulas (PIF) have been implicated as the main vehicles of transmission. This pathogen can also cause infection through contaminated expressed breast milk, and it has been recovered from neonatal feeding tubes of neonates not fed reconstituted PIF and milk kitchen areas. This study analyzed antibiotic resistance profiles and the tissue virulence tests of Cronobacter sakazakii and Enterobacter spp. recovered from PIF, infant fecal matter‘s, and milk kitchen environment involved in a diarrheic hemorrhagic outbreak in 2011 in Mexico. The strains isolated from the outbreak had similar antibiotic resistance profiles and pathogenicity irrespective of isolation site, however, C. sakazakii strains isolated from PIF showed significantly higher invasive profiles than Enterobacter spp. (p = 0.001) and 83% were resistant to more than one antibiotic. The findings of this study can be used to complement existing information to better control Cronobacter and Enterobacter spp. contamination in PIF production, prevent its transmission, and improve infant food safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Parra-Flores
- Departamento de Nutrición y Salud Pública, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud y de los Alimentos, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Juan Aguirre
- Departamento Agroindustria y Enología, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vijay Juneja
- Residue Chemistry and Predictive Microbiology Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wyndmoor, PA, United States
| | - Emily E Jackson
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States
| | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México, Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jesus Silva-Sanchez
- Grupo de Resistencia Bacteriana, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Li Y, Yu H, Jiang H, Jiao Y, Zhang Y, Shao J. Genetic Diversity, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, and Biofilm Formation of Cronobacter spp. Recovered from Spices and Cereals. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2567. [PMID: 29312246 PMCID: PMC5742210 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter species are important food-borne opportunistic pathogens which have been implicated in the cause of necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and meningitis in neonates and infants. However, these bacteria are routinely found in foodstuffs, clinical specimens, and environmental samples. This study investigated the genetic diversity, antimicrobial susceptibility, and biofilm formation of Cronobacter isolates (n = 40) recovered from spices and cereals in China during 2014–2015. Based on the fusA sequencing analysis, we found that the majority (23/40, 57.5%) of Cronobacter isolates in spices and cereals were C. sakazakii, while the remaining strains were C. dublinensis (6/40, 15.0%), C. malonaticus (5/40, 12.5%), C. turicensis (4/40, 10.0%), and C. universalis (2/40, 5.0%). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis produced 30 sequence types (STs) among the 40 Cronobacter isolates, with 5 STs (ST4, ST13, ST50, ST129, and ST158) related to neonatal meningitis. The pattern of the overall ST distribution was diverse; in particular, it was revealed that ST148 was the predominant ST, presenting 12.5% within the whole population. MLST assigned 12 isolates to 7 different clonal complexes (CCs), 4, 13, 16, 17, 72, 129, and 143, respectively. The results of O-antigen serotyping indicated that C. sakazakii serotype O1 and O2 were the most two prevalent serotypes. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that the 40 Cronobacter isolates were susceptible to most of the antibiotics tested except for ceftriaxone, meropenem, and aztreona. Of the 40 Cronobacter strains tested, 13 (32.5%) were assessed as weak bioflim producers, one (2.5%) was a moderate biofilm producer, one (2.5%) was strong biofilm producer, and the others (62.5%) were non-biofilm producers. MLST and O-antigen serotyping have indicated that Cronobacter strains recovered from spices and cereals were genetically diverse. Isolates of clinical origin, particularly the C. sakazakii ST4 neonatal meningitic pathovar, have been identified from spices and cereals. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance of Cronobacter strains was observed, which may imply a potential public health risk. Therefore, the surveillance of Cronobacter spp. in spices and cereals should be strengthened to improve epidemiological understandings of Cronobacter infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhong Li
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Huan Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Hua Jiang
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yaodong Zhang
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jihong Shao
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tall BD, Gangiredla J, Grim CJ, Patel IR, Jackson SA, Mammel MK, Kothary MH, Sathyamoorthy V, Carter L, Fanning S, Iversen C, Pagotto F, Stephan R, Lehner A, Farber J, Yan QQ, Gopinath GR. Use of a Pan-Genomic DNA Microarray in Determination of the Phylogenetic Relatedness among Cronobacter spp. and Its Use as a Data Mining Tool to Understand Cronobacter Biology. MICROARRAYS 2017; 6:microarrays6010006. [PMID: 28273858 PMCID: PMC5374366 DOI: 10.3390/microarrays6010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter (previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a genus of Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive, rod-shaped bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. These organisms cause a variety of illnesses such as meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and septicemia in neonates and infants, and urinary tract, wound, abscesses or surgical site infections, septicemia, and pneumonia in adults. The total gene content of 379 strains of Cronobacter spp. and taxonomically-related isolates was determined using a recently reported DNA microarray. The Cronobacter microarray as a genotyping tool gives the global food safety community a rapid method to identify and capture the total genomic content of outbreak isolates for food safety, environmental, and clinical surveillance purposes. It was able to differentiate the seven Cronobacter species from one another and from non-Cronobacter species. The microarray was also able to cluster strains within each species into well-defined subgroups. These results also support previous studies on the phylogenic separation of species members of the genus and clearly highlight the evolutionary sequence divergence among each species of the genus compared to phylogenetically-related species. This review extends these studies and illustrates how the microarray can also be used as an investigational tool to mine genomic data sets from strains. Three case studies describing the use of the microarray are shown and include: (1) the determination of allelic differences among Cronobacter sakazakii strains possessing the virulence plasmid pESA3; (2) mining of malonate and myo-inositol alleles among subspecies of Cronobacter dublinensis strains to determine subspecies identity; and (3) lastly using the microarray to demonstrate sequence divergence and phylogenetic relatedness trends for 13 outer-membrane protein alleles among 240 Cronobacter and phylogenetically-related strains. The goal of this review is to describe microarrays as a robust tool for genomics research of this assorted and important genus, a criterion toward the development of future preventative measures to eliminate this foodborne pathogen from the global food supply.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben D Tall
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Christopher J Grim
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Isha R Patel
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Scott A Jackson
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
- Complex Microbial Systems Group Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
| | - Mark K Mammel
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Mahendra H Kothary
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Venugopal Sathyamoorthy
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Laurenda Carter
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College, Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D04 N2E5, Ireland.
| | - Carol Iversen
- College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH Scotland, UK.
| | - Franco Pagotto
- Food Directorate, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 272, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Angelika Lehner
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 272, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jeffery Farber
- Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Qiong Q Yan
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College, Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D04 N2E5, Ireland.
| | - Gopal R Gopinath
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Profiling of Virulence Determinants in Cronobacter sakazakii Isolates from Different Plant and Environmental Commodities. Curr Microbiol 2017; 74:560-565. [DOI: 10.1007/s00284-017-1219-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
31
|
Transcriptome analysis of Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 after interaction with human intestinal epithelial cell line HCT-8. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:311-22. [PMID: 26481623 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-7053-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 09/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are opportunistic pathogens that are responsible for infections including severe meningitis, septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and infants. To date, questions still remain regarding the mechanisms of pathogenicity and virulence determinants for each bacterial strain. In this study, we established an in vitro model for Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 infection of HCT-8 human colorectal epithelial cells. The transcriptome profile of C. sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 after interaction with HCT-8 cells was determined using high-throughput whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)). Gene expression profiles indicated that 139 genes were upregulated and 72 genes were downregulated in the adherent C. sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 strain on HCT-8 cells compared to the cultured bacteria in the cell-free medium. Expressions of some flagella genes and virulence factors involved in adherence were upregulated. High osmolarity and osmotic stress-associated genes were highly upregulated, as well as genes responsible for the synthesis of lipopolysaccharides and outer membrane proteins, iron acquisition systems, and glycerol and glycerophospholipid metabolism. In sum, our study provides further insight into the mechanisms underlying C. sakazakii pathogenesis in the human gastrointestinal tract.
Collapse
|
32
|
Li Z, Ge W, Li K, Gan J, Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Luo R, Chen L, Liang Y, Wang Q, Xi M, Xia X, Wang X, Yang B. Prevalence and Characterization of Cronobacter sakazakii in Retail Milk-Based Infant and Baby Foods in Shaanxi, China. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2016; 13:221-7. [PMID: 26886843 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2015.2074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and infants through consumption of contaminated milk-based foods. In this study, the prevalence of C. sakazakii in 705 retail milk-based infant and baby food samples was investigated in 12 cities in Shaanxi, China, in 2010 and 2012. One hundred and nineteen samples (16.9%) were C. sakazakii positive. The isolates were further characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility to 14 antibiotics, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles, and presence of the virulence genes. Samples of brand W, Y, A, and G in 2010 and 2012 were C. sakazakii positive. All isolates recovered in 2010 and 2012 were susceptible to levofloxacin and cefoperazone. In 2012, no isolate was resistant to gentamicin, cefoxitin, chloramphenicol, gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone. Antibiotic resistance of the isolates was most commonly found to rifampicin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, streptomycin, tetracycline, and ampicillin in both 2010 and 2012, except to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in 2012. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles indicated that C. sakazakii isolates were genotypically diverse, although these isolates were prevalent in infant and baby foods with the same brand. A total of 34 virulence gene profiles of the C. sakazakii isolates in 2010 and 2012 were detected. Isolates that co-carried hly-ompX-eitCBAD-iucABCD/iutA genes in 2012 were significantly (p < 0.05) more prevalent than those in 2010. The results added new epidemiological evidence for the widespread occurrence of C. sakazakii in retail milk-based infant and baby foods and this should be an indicator of potential health risk for consumers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Li
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Wupeng Ge
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Keting Li
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Jing Gan
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- 2 Hanzhong Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute , Hanzhong, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Rong Luo
- 3 National Institutes for Food and Drug Control , Beijing, China
| | - Limin Chen
- 4 Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Liang
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Qianning Wang
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Meili Xi
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Xiaodong Xia
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Xin Wang
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| | - Baowei Yang
- 1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Parra-Flores J, Rodriguez A, Riffo F, Arvizu-Medrano SM, Arias-Rios EV, Aguirre J. Investigation on the Factors Affecting Cronobacter sakazakii Contamination Levels in Reconstituted Powdered Infant Formula. Front Pediatr 2015; 3:72. [PMID: 26380247 PMCID: PMC4547015 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2015.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Certain strains of Cronobacter sakazakii can cause serious invasive infections in children, mainly those <2 months old and fed with powdered infant formula (PIF). The infectious dose of C. sakazakii is unknown but evidence suggests that it is approximately 1000 colony forming units (CFU). PIF is currently considered safe if its end-product C. sakazakii level is <1 CFU/g. In this study, we determined the lag time, generation time (GT), and growth rate of five pooled C. sakazakii isolates to evaluate the factors affecting contamination levels in reconstituted PIF. METHODS 1.71 log CFU/ml of C. sakazakii were inoculated into 100 and 3000 ml of reconstituted PIF and incubated at 22 and 35°C. Growth was evaluated over a 24-h period. ComBase was used for modeling. RESULTS In 3000 ml, the growth rate was 0.45 ± 0.02 log CFU/h with a lag phase of 3 ± 0.05 h and GT of 0.67 h at 22°C, while the growth rate was 0.73 ± 0.01 log CFU/h with a lag phase of 0.45 ± 0.03 h and GT of 0.41 h at 35° C. CONCLUSION Cronobacter sakazakii grows rapidly in reconstituted PIF, especially at 35° C.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Parra-Flores
- Departamento de Nutrición y Salud Pública, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Alejandra Rodriguez
- Departamento de Nutrición y Salud Pública, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Francisca Riffo
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Sofía M. Arvizu-Medrano
- Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - E. Verónica Arias-Rios
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Juan Aguirre
- Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Probióticos, Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos (INTA), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Singh N, Goel G, Raghav M. Insights into virulence factors determining the pathogenicity of Cronobacter sakazakii. Virulence 2015; 6:433-40. [PMID: 25950947 PMCID: PMC4601314 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1036217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen associated with outbreaks of life-threatening necrotizing enterocolitis, meningitis and sepsis in neonates and infants. The pathogen possesses an array of virulence factors which aid in tissue adhesion, invasion and host cell injury. Although the identification and validation of C. sakazakii virulence factors has been hindered by availability of suitable neonatal animal model, various studies has reported outer membrane protein A (ompA) as a potential virulence marker. Various other plasmid associated genes such as filamentous hemagglutinin (fhaBC), Cronobacter plasminogen activator (cpa) and genes responsible for iron acquisition (eitCBAD and iucABD/iutA) have been reported in different strains of C. sakazakii. Besides these proposed virulence factors, several biophysical growth factors such as formation of biofilms and resistance to various environmental stresses also contributes to the pathogenic potential of this pathogen. This review provides an update on virulence determinants associated with the pathogenesis of C. sakazakii. The potential reservoirs of the pathogen, mode of transmission and epidemiology are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niharika Singh
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; Jaypee University of Information Technology; Waknaghat, Solan, India
| | - Gunjan Goel
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; Jaypee University of Information Technology; Waknaghat, Solan, India
| | - Mamta Raghav
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; Jaypee University of Information Technology; Waknaghat, Solan, India
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Jackson EE, Sonbol H, Masood N, Forsythe SJ. Genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of Cronobacter species, with particular attention to the newly reclassified species Cronobacter helveticus, Cronobacter pulveris, and Cronobacter zurichensis. Food Microbiol 2014; 44:226-35. [PMID: 25084667 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2014.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In 2013, Enterobacter helveticus, Enterobacter pulveris and Enterobacter turicensis, were reclassified as Cronobacter helveticus, Cronobacter pulveris and Cronobacter zurichensis, respectively. Previously these species had been used as negative controls for some Cronobacter detection assays. This study examined cultural, biochemical and molecular Cronobacter detection and identification assays, with emphasis on the new species. Additionally, 32 Cronobacter genomes were examined for the presence of PCR target genes using the BLAST function of the online Cronobacter PubMLST facility. The results of the cultural methods varied and no single medium was able to correctly detect all Cronobacter spp. Since the supporting databases have not been updated to include the Cronobacter genus, Enterobacter sakazakii was returned for four strains of the newly reclassified species with ID32E and none with API 20E. PCR probes targeting rpoB and ompA could not correctly identify the new Cronobacter spp., due to primer specificity or absent target genes. As neonates have been identified as a high-risk group for infection, international standards require the absence of all Cronobacter species in powdered infant formula. However, many conventional detection methods cannot correctly identify the newly recognized species. Conversely, DNA sequence-based methods can adapt to taxonomic revisions and will likely become more common.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E E Jackson
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - H Sonbol
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - N Masood
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - S J Forsythe
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Jaradat ZW, Al Mousa W, Elbetieha A, Al Nabulsi A, Tall BD. Cronobacter spp.--opportunistic food-borne pathogens. A review of their virulence and environmental-adaptive traits. J Med Microbiol 2014; 63:1023-1037. [PMID: 24878566 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.073742-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Cronobacter consists of a diverse group of Gram-negative bacilli and comprises seven species: Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter malonaticus, Cronobacter muytjensii, Cronobacter turicensis, Cronobacter dublinensis, Cronobacter universalis and Cronobacter condimenti. Cronobacter are regarded as opportunistic pathogens, and have been implicated in newborn and infant infections, causing meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis and bacteraemia or sepsis. Cronobacter virulence is believed to be due to multiple factors. Some strains were found to produce diarrhoea or cause significant fluid accumulation in suckling mice. Two iron acquisition systems (eitCBAD and iucABCD/iutA), Cronobacter plasminogen activator gene (cpa), a 17 kb type VI secretion system (T6SS), and a 27 kb filamentous haemagglutinin gene (fhaBC) and associated putative adhesins locus are harboured on a family of RepFIB-related plasmids (pESA3 and pCTU1), suggesting that these are common virulence plasmids; 98% of 229 tested Cronobacter strains possessed these plasmids. Even though pESA3 and pCTU1 share a common backbone composed of the repA gene and eitCBAD and iucABCD/iutA gene clusters, the presence of cpa, T6SS and FHA loci depended on species, demonstrating a strong correlation with the presence of virulence traits, plasmid type and species. Other factors were observed, in that Cronobacter form biofilms, and show unusual resistance to heat, dry and acid stress growth conditions. The outer-membrane protein A is probably one of the best-characterized virulence markers of Cronobacter. Furthermore, it was reported that Cronobacter employ phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase/Akt signalling, which activates protein kinase C-α and impairs the host cell's mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, in order to invade cells. Cronobacter can also use immature dendritic cells and macrophages to escape the immune response. This review addresses the various virulence and environmental-adaptive characteristics possessed by members of the genus Cronobacter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziad W Jaradat
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Waseem Al Mousa
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Ahmed Elbetieha
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Anas Al Nabulsi
- Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Ben D Tall
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Division of Virulence Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Holý O, Forsythe S. Cronobacter spp. as emerging causes of healthcare-associated infection. J Hosp Infect 2014; 86:169-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2013.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
38
|
Tall BD, Chen Y, Yan Q, Gopinath GR, Grim CJ, Jarvis KG, Fanning S, Lampel KA. Cronobacter: an emergent pathogen causing meningitis to neonates through their feeds. Sci Prog 2014; 97:154-72. [PMID: 25108996 PMCID: PMC10365370 DOI: 10.3184/003685014x13994743930498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The recognition of Cronobacter as a public health concern was raised when powdered infant formula (PIF) was linked to several neonatal meningitis outbreaks. It is an opportunistic pathogen that causes necrotising enterocolitis, infantile septicaemia, and meningitis which carries a high mortality rate among neonates. It has been also linked with cases of infection in adults and elderly. Over the past decade, much focus has been made on developing sensitive and specific characterisation, detection, and isolation methods to ascertain the quality of foods, notably contamination of PIF with Cronobacter and to understand its ability to cause disease. Whole genome sequencing has unveiled several putative virulence factors, yet the full capacity of the pathogenesis of Cronobacter has not yet been elucidated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben D. Tall
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration in Laurel, Maryland
| | - Yi Chen
- FDA in College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Gopal R. Gopinath
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, in Laurel, Maryland
| | | | - Karen G. Jarvis
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, in Laurel, Maryland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
The siderophore-interacting protein is involved in iron acquisition and virulence of Riemerella anatipestifer strain CH3. Vet Microbiol 2013; 168:395-402. [PMID: 24345412 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Revised: 11/09/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Riemerella anatipestifer causes epizootic infectious disease in poultry and serious economic losses especially to the duck industry. However, little is known regarding the molecular basis of its pathogenesis. The ability to acquire iron under low-iron conditions is related to the virulence of a variety of bacterial pathogens. In this study, a sip (Riean_1281) deletion mutant CH3Δsip was constructed and characterized for iron-limited growth, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity to ducklings. Results showed that siderophore-interacting protein (SIP) was involved in iron utilization and the sip deletion significantly reduced biofilm formation and adherence to and invasion of Vero cells. In addition, the sip gene was absent in 1 of 24 (4.17%) virulent strains and 2 of 3 (66.7%) avirulent strains of R. anatipestifer, and the sip gene from six R. anatipestifer strains, which belong to serotypes 1, 2, and 10, respectively, shared 100% amino acid identities to those of R. anatipestifer strains DSM15868 and RA-GD. These results suggested that siderophore-mediated iron acquisition may be an important iron-uptake pathway in R. anatipestifer. Animal experiments indicated that the median lethal dose of the CH3Δsip mutant in ducklings was about 35-fold higher than that of the wild-type CH3 strain. Thus, our results demonstrated that R. anatipestifer SIP was involved in iron acquisition and necessary for its optimal virulence.
Collapse
|
40
|
Surveillance and characterisation of Cronobacter spp. in Czech retail food and environmental samples. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2013; 59:63-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-013-0266-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
41
|
Joseph S, Hariri S, Forsythe SJ. Lack of continuity between Cronobacter biotypes and species as determined using multilocus sequence typing. Mol Cell Probes 2013; 27:137-9. [PMID: 23474194 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Revised: 02/09/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The accuracy of the Cronobacter biotyping scheme was compared with the 7-loci multilocus sequence typing scheme. Biotyping did not reliably assign species level identification, as only half (17/31) of the biotype variants were unique to any of the seven Cronobacter species and the remaining biotypes were shared across the genus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Joseph
- Pathogen Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ivy RA, Farber JM, Pagotto F, Wiedmann M. International Life Science Institute North America Cronobacter (Formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) isolate set. J Food Prot 2013; 76:40-51. [PMID: 23317855 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-11-546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Foodborne pathogen isolate collections are important for the development of detection methods, for validation of intervention strategies, and to develop an understanding of pathogenesis and virulence. We have assembled a publicly available Cronobacter (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) isolate set that consists of (i) 25 Cronobacter sakazakii isolates, (ii) two Cronobacter malonaticus isolates, (iii) one Cronobacter muytjensii isolate, which displays some atypical phenotypic characteristics, biochemical profiles, and colony color on selected differential media, and (iv) two nonclinical Enterobacter asburiae isolates, which show some phenotypic characteristics similar to those of Cronobacter spp. The set consists of human (n = 10), food (n = 11), and environmental (n = 9) isolates. Analysis of partial 16S rDNA sequence and seven-gene multilocus sequence typing data allowed for reliable identification of these isolates to species and identification of 14 isolates as sequence type 4, which had previously been shown to be the most common C. sakazakii sequence type associated with neonatal meningitis. Phenotypic characterization was carried out with API 20E and API 32E test strips and streaking on two selective chromogenic agars; isolates were also assessed for sorbitol fermentation and growth at 45°C. Although these strategies typically produced the same classification as sequence-based strategies, based on a panel of four biochemical tests, one C. sakazakii isolate yielded inconclusive data and one was classified as C. malonaticus. EcoRI automated ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with XbaI separated the set into 23 unique ribotypes and 30 unique PFGE types, respectively, indicating subtype diversity within the set. Subtype and source data for the collection are publicly available in the PathogenTracker database (www. pathogentracker. net), which allows for continuous updating of information on the set, including links to publications that include information on isolates from this collection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reid A Ivy
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Cruz-Córdova A, Rocha-Ramírez LM, Ochoa SA, González-Pedrajo B, Gónzalez-Pedrajo B, Espinosa N, Eslava C, Hernández-Chiñas U, Mendoza-Hernández G, Rodríguez-Leviz A, Valencia-Mayoral P, Sadowinski-Pine S, Hernández-Castro R, Estrada-García I, Muñoz-Hernández O, Rosas I, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J. Flagella from five Cronobacter species induce pro-inflammatory cytokines in macrophage derivatives from human monocytes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52091. [PMID: 23284883 PMCID: PMC3528739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are opportunistic pathogens linked to lie-threatening infections in neonates and contaminated powdered infant formula that has been epidemiologically associated with these cases. Clinical symptoms of Cronobacter include necrotizing enterocolitis, bacteremia, and meningitis. Flagella from C. sakazakii are involved in biofilm formation and its adhesion to epithelial cells. We investigated the role of flagella from C. sakazakii ST1 and ST4, C. malonaticus, C. muytjensii, C. turicensis and C. dublinensis during the activation of cytokines (IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-10) in macrophage derivatives from human monocytes, which has not been extensively studied. The production and identity of flagella from the five Cronobacter species were visualized and recognized with anti-flagella antibodies by immunogold labeling through transmission electron microscopy. Purified flagella were dissociated into monomers in 12% SDS-PAGE Coomassie blue-stained gels showing a band of ∼28 kDa and, in addition, mass spectrometry revealed the presence of several peptides that correspond to flagellin. Flagella (100 ng) induced the release of IL-8 (3314–6025 pg/ml), TNF-α (39–359 pg/ml), and IL-10 (2–96 pg/ml), in macrophage isolates from human monocytes and similar results were obtained when flagella were dissociated into monomers. Inhibition assays using three dilutions of anti-flagella antibodies (1∶10, 1∶100, and 1∶200) suppressed the secretion of IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-10 between 95–100% using 100 ng of protein. A transfection assay using 293-hTLR5 cells showed IL-8 release of 197 pg/ml and suppression in the secretion of IL-8 when anti-hTLR5-IgA antibodies were used at different concentrations. These observations suggest that flagella and flagellin are involved in an inflammatory response dependent on TLR5 recognition, which could contribute to the pathogenesis of the bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Intestinal, Departamento de Infectología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México D.F., México
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Joseph S, Forsythe SJ. Insights into the Emergent Bacterial Pathogen Cronobacter spp., Generated by Multilocus Sequence Typing and Analysis. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:397. [PMID: 23189075 PMCID: PMC3504363 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. (previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a bacterial pathogen affecting all age groups, with particularly severe clinical complications in neonates and infants. One recognized route of infection being the consumption of contaminated infant formula. As a recently recognized bacterial pathogen of considerable importance and regulatory control, appropriate detection, and identification schemes are required. The application of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and analysis (MLSA) of the seven alleles atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, and ppsA (concatenated length 3036 base pairs) has led to considerable advances in our understanding of the genus. This approach is supported by both the reliability of DNA sequencing over subjective phenotyping and the establishment of a MLST database which has open access and is also curated; http://www.pubMLST.org/cronobacter. MLST has been used to describe the diversity of the newly recognized genus, instrumental in the formal recognition of new Cronobacter species (C. universalis and C. condimenti) and revealed the high clonality of strains and the association of clonal complex 4 with neonatal meningitis cases. Clearly the MLST approach has considerable benefits over the use of non-DNA sequence based methods of analysis for newly emergent bacterial pathogens. The application of MLST and MLSA has dramatically enabled us to better understand this opportunistic bacterium which can cause irreparable damage to a newborn baby's brain, and has contributed to improved control measures to protect neonatal health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Joseph
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham, UK
| | - Stephen J. Forsythe
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Joseph S, Desai P, Ji Y, Cummings CA, Shih R, Degoricija L, Rico A, Brzoska P, Hamby SE, Masood N, Hariri S, Sonbol H, Chuzhanova N, McClelland M, Furtado MR, Forsythe SJ. Comparative analysis of genome sequences covering the seven cronobacter species. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49455. [PMID: 23166675 PMCID: PMC3500316 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Species of Cronobacter are widespread in the environment and are occasional food-borne pathogens associated with serious neonatal diseases, including bacteraemia, meningitis, and necrotising enterocolitis. The genus is composed of seven species: C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis, C. dublinensis, C. muytjensii, C. universalis, and C. condimenti. Clinical cases are associated with three species, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis and, in particular, with C. sakazakii multilocus sequence type 4. Thus, it is plausible that virulence determinants have evolved in certain lineages. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We generated high quality sequence drafts for eleven Cronobacter genomes representing the seven Cronobacter species, including an ST4 strain of C. sakazakii. Comparative analysis of these genomes together with the two publicly available genomes revealed Cronobacter has over 6,000 genes in one or more strains and over 2,000 genes shared by all Cronobacter. Considerable variation in the presence of traits such as type six secretion systems, metal resistance (tellurite, copper and silver), and adhesins were found. C. sakazakii is unique in the Cronobacter genus in encoding genes enabling the utilization of exogenous sialic acid which may have clinical significance. The C. sakazakii ST4 strain 701 contained additional genes as compared to other C. sakazakii but none of them were known specific virulence-related genes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Genome comparison revealed that pair-wise DNA sequence identity varies between 89 and 97% in the seven Cronobacter species, and also suggested various degrees of divergence. Sets of universal core genes and accessory genes unique to each strain were identified. These gene sequences can be used for designing genus/species specific detection assays. Genes encoding adhesins, T6SS, and metal resistance genes as well as prophages are found in only subsets of genomes and have contributed considerably to the variation of genomic content. Differences in gene content likely contribute to differences in the clinical and environmental distribution of species and sequence types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Joseph
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Prerak Desai
- Vaccine Research Institute San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Yongmei Ji
- Life Technologies Corporation, Foster City, California, United States of America
| | - Craig A. Cummings
- Life Technologies Corporation, Foster City, California, United States of America
| | - Rita Shih
- Life Technologies Corporation, Foster City, California, United States of America
| | - Lovorka Degoricija
- Life Technologies Corporation, Foster City, California, United States of America
| | - Alain Rico
- Life Technologies Corporation, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Pius Brzoska
- Life Technologies Corporation, Foster City, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen E. Hamby
- Bioinformatics and Biomathematics Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Naqash Masood
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sumyya Hariri
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hana Sonbol
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nadia Chuzhanova
- Bioinformatics and Biomathematics Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Michael McClelland
- Vaccine Research Institute San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Manohar R. Furtado
- Life Technologies Corporation, Foster City, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Forsythe
- Pathogen Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|