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Van Nederveen V, Melton-Celsa A. Extracellular components in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli biofilm and impact of treatment with proteinase K, DNase or sodium metaperiodate. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1379206. [PMID: 38938878 PMCID: PMC11209426 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1379206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) is a major cause of diarrhea worldwide. EAEC are highly adherent to cultured epithelial cells and make biofilms. Both adherence and biofilm formation rely on the presence of aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF). We compared biofilm formation from two EAEC strains of each of the five AAF types. We found that AAF type did not correlate with the level of biofilm produced. Because the composition of the EAEC biofilm has not been fully described, we stained EAEC biofilms to determine if they contained protein, carbohydrate glycoproteins, and/or eDNA and found that EAEC biofilms contained all three extracellular components. Next, we assessed the changes to the growing or mature EAEC biofilm mediated by treatment with proteinase K, DNase, or a carbohydrate cleavage agent to target the different components of the matrix. Growing biofilms treated with proteinase K had decreased biofilm staining for more than half of the strains tested. In contrast, although sodium metaperiodate only altered the biofilm in a quantitative way for two strains, images of biofilms treated with sodium metaperiodate showed that the EAEC were more spread out. Overall, we found variability in the response of the EAEC strains to the treatments, with no one treatment producing a biofilm change for all strains. Finally, once formed, mature EAEC biofilms were more resistant to treatment than biofilms grown in the presence of those same treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Van Nederveen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Angela Melton-Celsa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, United States
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2
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Izquierdo-Vega JA, Castillo-Juarez RJ, Sánchez-Gutiérrez M, Ares MA, De La Cruz MA. A Mini-Review of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli with a Specific Target on the Virulence Factors Controlled by the AggR Master Regulator. Pol J Microbiol 2023; 72:347-354. [PMID: 37875068 PMCID: PMC10725161 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2023-037] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) strains have been linked to several outbreaks of severe diarrhea around the world, and this bacterium is now commonly resistant to antibiotics. As part of the pathophysiology of EAEC, the characteristic pattern of adherence looks like stacked bricks on the intestinal epithelium. This phenotype depends on an aggregative adhesion plasmid (pAA), which codes for a regulatory protein named AggR. The AggR protein is a master regulator that transcriptionally actives the main virulence genes in this E. coli pathotype, such as those that encode the aggregative adhesion fimbriae, dispersin and its secretion apparatus, Aar regulatory protein, and type VI secretion system. Several reports have shown that AggR positively affects most EAEC virulence genes, functioning as a classic transcriptional activator in the promoter region of these genes, interacting with the RNA polymerase. This minireview article integrates the information about virulence determinants of EAEC controlled by the AggR regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Miguel A. Ares
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias, Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México City, México
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, México
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3
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Amemiya K, Rozak DA, Dankmeyer JL, Dorman WR, Marchand C, Fetterer DP, Worsham PL, Purcell BK. Shiga-Toxin-Producing Strains of Escherichia coli O104:H4 and a Strain of O157:H7, Which Can Cause Human Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Differ in Biofilm Formation in the Presence of CO 2 and in Their Ability to Grow in a Novel Cell Culture Medium. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1744. [PMID: 37512916 PMCID: PMC10384166 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071744] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
One pathogen that commonly causes gastrointestinal illnesses from the consumption of contaminated food is Escherichia coli O157:H7. In 2011 in Germany, however, there was a prominent outbreak of bloody diarrhea with a high incidence of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by an atypical, more virulent E. coli O104:H4 strain. To facilitate the identification of this lesser-known, atypical E. coli O104:H4 strain, we wanted to identify phenotypic differences between it and a strain of O157:H7 in different media and culture conditions. We found that E. coli O104:H4 strains produced considerably more biofilm than the strain of O157:H7 at 37 °C (p = 0.0470-0.0182) Biofilm production was significantly enhanced by the presence of 5% CO2 (p = 0.0348-0.0320). In our study on the innate immune response to the E. coli strains, we used HEK293 cells that express Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 or 4. We found that E. coli O104:H4 strains had the ability to grow in a novel HEK293 cell culture medium, while the E. coli O157:H7 strain could not. Thus, we uncovered previously unknown phenotypic properties of E. coli O104:H4 to further differentiate this pathogen from E. coli O157:H7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Amemiya
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - David A Rozak
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jennifer L Dankmeyer
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - William R Dorman
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Charles Marchand
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - David P Fetterer
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Patricia L Worsham
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Brett K Purcell
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
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4
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Ortiz Y, Heredia N, García S. Boundaries That Prevent or May Lead Animals to be Reservoirs of Escherichia coli O104:H4. J Food Prot 2023; 86:100053. [PMID: 36916560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2023.100053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli O104:H4, a hybrid serotype carrying virulence factors from enteroaggregative (EAEC) and Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) pathotypes, is the reported cause of a multicountry outbreak in 2011. Evaluation of potential routes of human contamination revealed that this strain is a foodborne pathogen. In contrast to STEC strains, whose main reservoir is cattle, serotype O104:H4 has not been commonly isolated from animals or related environments, suggesting an inability to naturally colonize the gut in hosts other than humans. However, contrary to this view, this strain has been shown to colonize the intestines of experimental animals in infectious studies. In this minireview, we provide a systematic summary of reports highlighting potential evolutionary changes that could facilitate the colonization of new reservoirs by these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaraymi Ortiz
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL 66455, Mexico
| | - Norma Heredia
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL 66455, Mexico
| | - Santos García
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL 66455, Mexico.
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Prieto A, Bernabeu M, Sánchez-Herrero JF, Pérez-Bosque A, Miró L, Bäuerl C, Collado C, Hüttener M, Juárez A. Modulation of AggR levels reveals features of virulence regulation in enteroaggregative E. coli. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1295. [PMID: 34785760 PMCID: PMC8595720 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02820-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) strains are one of the diarrheagenic pathotypes. EAEC strains harbor a virulence plasmid (pAA2) that encodes, among other virulence determinants, the aggR gene. The expression of the AggR protein leads to the expression of several virulence determinants in both plasmids and chromosomes. In this work, we describe a novel mechanism that influences AggR expression. Because of the absence of a Rho-independent terminator in the 3'UTR, aggR transcripts extend far beyond the aggR ORF. These transcripts are prone to PNPase-mediated degradation. Structural alterations in the 3'UTR result in increased aggR transcript stability, leading to increased AggR levels. We therefore investigated the effect of increased AggR levels on EAEC virulence. Upon finding the previously described AggR-dependent virulence factors, we detected novel AggR-regulated genes that may play relevant roles in EAEC virulence. Mutants exhibiting high AggR levels because of structural alterations in the aggR 3'UTR show increased mobility and increased pAA2 conjugation frequency. Furthermore, among the genes exhibiting increased fold change values, we could identify those of metabolic pathways that promote increased degradation of arginine, fatty acids and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), respectively. In this paper, we discuss how the AggR-dependent increase in specific metabolic pathways activity may contribute to EAEC virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Prieto
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Bernabeu
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anna Pérez-Bosque
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluïsa Miró
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christine Bäuerl
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Collado
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mário Hüttener
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Antonio Juárez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
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Pinto G, Sampaio M, Dias O, Almeida C, Azeredo J, Oliveira H. Insights into the genome architecture and evolution of Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophages of Escherichia coli. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:366. [PMID: 34011288 PMCID: PMC8136144 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07685-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A total of 179 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) complete genomes were analyzed in terms of serotypes, prophage coding regions, and stx gene variants and their distribution. We further examined the genetic diversity of Stx-converting phage genomes (Stx phages), focusing on the lysis-lysogeny decision and lytic cassettes. Results We show that most STEC isolates belong to non-O157 serotypes (73 %), regardless the sources and geographical regions. While the majority of STEC genomes contain a single stx gene (61 %), strains containing two (35 %), three (3 %) and four (1 %) stx genes were also found, being stx2 the most prevalent gene variant. Their location is exclusively found in intact prophage regions, indicating that they are phage-borne. We further demonstrate that Stx phages can be grouped into four clusters (A, B, C and D), three subclusters (A1, A2 and A3) and one singleton, based on their shared gene content. This cluster distribution is in good agreement with their predicted virion morphologies. Stx phage genomes are highly diverse with a vast number of 1,838 gene phamilies (phams) of related sequences (of which 677 are orphams i.e. unique genes) and, although having high mosaicism, they are generally organized into three major transcripts. While the mechanisms that guide lysis–lysogeny decision are complex, there is a strong selective pressure to maintain the stx genes location close to the lytic cassette composed of predicted SAR-endolysin and pin-holin lytic proteins. The evolution of STEC Stx phages seems to be strongly related to acquiring genetic material, probably from horizontal gene transfer events. Conclusions This work provides novel insights on the genetic structure of Stx phages, showing a high genetic diversity throughout the genomes, where the various lysis-lysogeny regulatory systems are in contrast with an uncommon, but conserved, lytic system always adjacent to stx genes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07685-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graça Pinto
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,INIAV, IP-National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Marta Sampaio
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Oscar Dias
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Carina Almeida
- INIAV, IP-National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Joana Azeredo
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Hugo Oliveira
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
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The Intriguing Interaction of Escherichia coli with the Host Environment and Innovative Strategies To Interfere with Colonization: a Summary of the 2019 E. coli and the Mucosal Immune System Meeting. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02085-20. [PMID: 33008822 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02085-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The third E. coli and the Mucosal Immune System (ECMIS) meeting was held at Ghent University in Belgium from 2 to 5 June 2019. It brought together an international group of scientists interested in mechanisms of colonization, host response, and vaccine development. ECMIS distinguishes itself from related meetings on these enteropathogens by providing a greater emphasis on animal health and disease and covering a broad range of pathotypes, including enterohemorrhagic, enteropathogenic, enterotoxigenic, enteroaggregative, and extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli As it is well established that the genus Shigella represents a subspecies of E. coli, these organisms along with related enteroinvasive E. coli are also included. In addition, Tannerella forsythia, a periodontal pathogen, was presented as an example of a pathogen which uses its surface glycans for mucosal interaction. This review summarizes several highlights from the 2019 meeting and major advances to our understanding of the biology of these pathogens and their impact on the host.
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8
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Global distribution of epidemic-related Shiga toxin 2 encoding phages among enteroaggregative Escherichia coli. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11738. [PMID: 32678145 PMCID: PMC7366661 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68462-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the Shiga toxin-producing enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (Stx-EAEC) O104:H4 strain caused a massive outbreak across Europe in 2011, the importance of Stx-EAEC has attracted attention from a public health perspective. Two Stx-EAEC O86 isolates were obtained from patients with severe symptoms in Japan in 1999 and 2015. To characterize the phylogeny and pathogenic potential of these Stx-EAEC O86 isolates, whole-genome sequence analyses were performed by short-and long-read sequencing. Among genetically diverse E. coli O86, the Stx-EAEC O86 isolates were clustered with the EAEC O86:H27 ST3570 subgroup. Strikingly, there were only two loci with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between the Stx2a phage of a Japanese O86:H27 isolate and that of the European epidemic-related Stx-EAEC O104:H4 isolate. These results provide evidence of global distribution of epidemic-related Stx2a phages among various lineages of E. coli with few mutations.
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Petro CD, Duncan JK, Seldina YI, Allué-Guardia A, Eppinger M, Riddle MS, Tribble DR, Johnson RC, Dalgard CL, Sukumar G, Connor P, Boisen N, Melton-Celsa AR. Genetic and Virulence Profiles of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) Isolated From Deployed Military Personnel (DMP) With Travelers' Diarrhea. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:200. [PMID: 32509590 PMCID: PMC7251025 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00200] [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: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
To discern if there was a particular genotype associated with clinical enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) strains isolated from deployed military personnel (DMP) with travelers' diarrhea (TD), we characterized a collection of EAEC from DMP deployed to Afghanistan, Djibouti, Kenya, or Honduras. Although we did not identify a specific EAEC genotype associated with TD in DMP, we found that EAEC isolated at the first clinic visit were more likely to encode the dispersin gene aap than EAEC collected at follow-up visits. A majority of the EAEC isolates were typical EAEC that adhered to HEp-2 cells, formed biofilms, and harbored genes for aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF), AggR, and serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs). A separate subset of the EAEC had aggR and genes for SPATEs but encoded a gene highly homologous to that for CS22, a fimbriae more commonly found in enterotoxigenic E. coli. None of these CS22-encoding EAEC formed biofilms in vitro or adhered to HEp-2 cells. Whole genome sequence and single nucleotide polymorphism analyses demonstrated that most of the strains were genetically diverse, but that a few were closely related. Isolation of these related strains occurred within days to more than a year apart, a finding that suggests a persistent source and genomic stability. In an ampicillin-treated mouse model we found that an agg4A+ aar- isolate formed a biofilm in the intestine and caused reduced weight gain in mice, whereas a strain that did not form an in vivo biofilm caused no morbidity. Our diverse strain collection from DMP displays the heterogeneity of EAEC strains isolated from human patients, and our mouse model of infection indicated the genotype agg4A+ aar– and/or capacity to form biofilm in vivo may correlate to disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney D Petro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunolgy, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jeffrey K Duncan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunolgy, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yuliya I Seldina
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anna Allué-Guardia
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Mark Eppinger
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Mark S Riddle
- Department of Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David R Tribble
- Department of Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ryan C Johnson
- Department of Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Clifton L Dalgard
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.,The American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Gauthaman Sukumar
- The American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program, Henry Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Patrick Connor
- Military Enteric Disease Group, Academic Department of Military Medicine, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nadia Boisen
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Angela R Melton-Celsa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunolgy, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
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