|
1
|
Jang H, Eshwar A, Lehner A, Gangiredla J, Patel IR, Beaubrun JJG, Chase HR, Negrete F, Finkelstein S, Weinstein LM, Ko K, Addy N, Ewing L, Woo J, Lee Y, Seo K, Jaradat Z, Srikumar S, Fanning S, Stephan R, Tall BD, Gopinath GR. Characterization of Cronobacter sakazakii Strains Originating from Plant-Origin Foods Using Comparative Genomic Analyses and Zebrafish Infectivity Studies. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071396. [PMID: 35889115 PMCID: PMC9319161 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii continues to be isolated from ready-to-eat fresh and frozen produce, flours, dairy powders, cereals, nuts, and spices, in addition to the conventional sources of powdered infant formulae (PIF) and PIF production environments. To understand the sequence diversity, phylogenetic relationship, and virulence of C. sakazakii originating from plant-origin foods, comparative molecular and genomic analyses, and zebrafish infection (ZI) studies were applied to 88 strains. Whole genome sequences of the strains were generated for detailed bioinformatic analysis. PCR analysis showed that all strains possessed a pESA3-like virulence plasmid similar to reference C. sakazakii clinical strain BAA-894. Core genome analysis confirmed a shared genomic backbone with other C. sakazakii strains from food, clinical and environmental strains. Emerging nucleotide diversity in these plant-origin strains was highlighted using single nucleotide polymorphic alleles in 2000 core genes. DNA hybridization analyses using a pan-genomic microarray showed that these strains clustered according to sequence types (STs) identified by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). PHASTER analysis identified 185 intact prophage gene clusters encompassing 22 different prophages, including three intact Cronobacter prophages: ENT47670, ENT39118, and phiES15. AMRFinderPlus analysis identified the CSA family class C β-lactamase gene in all strains and a plasmid-borne mcr-9.1 gene was identified in three strains. ZI studies showed that some plant-origin C. sakazakii display virulence comparable to clinical strains. Finding virulent plant-origin C. sakazakii possessing significant genomic features of clinically relevant STs suggests that these foods can serve as potential transmission vehicles and supports widening the scope of continued surveillance for this important foodborne pathogen.
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.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Athmanya Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (A.E.); (A.L.); (R.S.)
| | - Angelika Lehner
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (A.E.); (A.L.); (R.S.)
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (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.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Junia Jean-Gilles Beaubrun
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hannah R. Chase
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (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.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Samantha Finkelstein
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Leah M. Weinstein
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Katie Ko
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Nicole Addy
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Laura Ewing
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (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.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (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.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Kunho Seo
- Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea;
| | - Ziad Jaradat
- Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan;
| | - Shabarinath Srikumar
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin & WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland; (S.S.); (S.F.)
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin & WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland; (S.S.); (S.F.)
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland; (A.E.); (A.L.); (R.S.)
| | - Ben D. Tall
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
- Correspondence: (B.D.T.); (G.R.G.)
| | - Gopal R. Gopinath
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA; (H.J.); (J.G.); (I.R.P.); (J.J.-G.B.); (H.R.C.); (F.N.); (S.F.); (L.M.W.); (K.K.); (N.A.); (L.E.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
- Correspondence: (B.D.T.); (G.R.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
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
|
|
3
|
Negrete F, Jang H, Gangiredla J, Woo J, Lee Y, Patel IR, Chase HR, Finkelstein S, Wang CZ, Srikumar S, Nguyen S, Eshwar A, Stephan R, Lehner A, Fanning S, Tall BD, Gopinath GR. Genome-wide survey of efflux pump-coding genes associated with Cronobacter survival, osmotic adaptation, and persistence. Curr Opin Food Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
|
4
|
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
|
|
5
|
|
|
6
|
Daqu Fermentation Selects for Heat-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Bacilli. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.01483-18. [PMID: 30120119 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01483-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Daqu is a spontaneous solid-state cereal fermentation used as saccharification and starter culture in Chinese vinegar and liquor production. The evolution of microbiota in this spontaneous fermentation is controlled by the temperature profile, which reaches temperatures from 50 to 65°C for several days. Despite these high temperatures, mesophilic Enterobacteriaceae (including Cronobacter) and bacilli are present throughout Daqu fermentation. This study aimed to determine whether Daqu spontaneous solid-state fermentation selects for heat-resistant variants of these organisms. Heat resistance in Enterobacteriaceae is mediated by the locus of heat resistance (LHR). One LHR-positive strain of Kosakonia cowanii was identified in Daqu, and it exhibited higher heat resistance than the LHR-negative K. cowanii isolated from malted oats. Heat resistance in Bacillus endospores is mediated by the spoVA 2mob operon. Out of 10 Daqu isolates of the species Bacillus licheniformis, Brevibacillus parabrevis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus velezensis, 5 did not contain spoVA 2mob, 3 contained one copy, and 2 contained two copies. The presence and copy number of the spoVA 2mob operon increased the resistance of spores to treatment with 110°C. To confirm the selection of LHR- and spoVA 2mob-positive strains during Daqu fermentation, the copy numbers of these genetic elements in Daqu samples were quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR). The abundance of LHR and the spoVA 2mob operon in community DNA relative to that of total bacterial 16S rRNA genes increased 3-fold and 5-fold, respectively, during processing. In conclusion, culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses suggest that Daqu fermentation selects for heat-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and bacilli.IMPORTANCE Daqu fermentations select for mobile genetic elements conferring heat resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and bacilli. The locus of heat resistance (LHR), a genomic island conferring heat resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, and the spoVA 2mob operon, conferring heat resistance on bacterial endospores, were enriched 3- to 5-fold during Daqu fermentation and maturation. It is therefore remarkable that the LHR and the spoVA 2mob operon are accumulated in the same food fermentation. The presence of heat-resistant Kosakonia spp. and Bacillus spp. in Daqu is not of concern for food safety; however, both genomic islands are mobile and transferable to pathogenic bacteria or toxin-producing bacteria by horizontal gene transfer. The identification of the LHR and the spoVA 2mob operon as indicators of fitness of Enterobacteriaceae and bacilli in Daqu fermentation provides insights into environmental sources of heat-resistant organisms that may contaminate the food supply.
Collapse
|
|
7
|
Lehner A, Tall BD, Fanning S, Srikumar S. Cronobacter spp.—Opportunistic Foodborne Pathogens: an Update on Evolution, Osmotic Adaptation and Pathogenesis. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-018-0089-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
|
8
|
Gopinath GR, Chase HR, Gangiredla J, Eshwar A, Jang H, Patel I, Negrete F, Finkelstein S, Park E, Chung T, Yoo Y, Woo J, Lee Y, Park J, Choi H, Jeong S, Jun S, Kim M, Lee C, Jeong H, Fanning S, Stephan R, Iversen C, Reich F, Klein G, Lehner A, Tall BD. Genomic characterization of malonate positive Cronobacter sakazakii serotype O:2, sequence type 64 strains, isolated from clinical, food, and environment samples. Gut Pathog 2018; 10:11. [PMID: 29556252 PMCID: PMC5845375 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-018-0238-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malonate utilization, an important differential trait, well recognized as being possessed by six of the seven Cronobacter species is thought to be largely absent in Cronobacter sakazakii (Csak). The current study provides experimental evidence that confirms the presence of a malonate utilization operon in 24 strains of sequence type (ST) 64, obtained from Europe, Middle East, China, and USA; it offers explanations regarding the genomic diversity and phylogenetic relatedness among these strains, and that of other C. sakazakii strains. Results In this study, the presence of a malonate utilization operon in these strains was initially identified by DNA microarray analysis (MA) out of a pool of 347 strains obtained from various surveillance studies involving clinical, spices, milk powder sources and powdered infant formula production facilities in Ireland and Germany, and dried dairy powder manufacturing facilities in the USA. All ST64 C. sakazakii strains tested could utilize malonate. Zebrafish embryo infection studies showed that C. sakazakii ST64 strains are as virulent as other Cronobacter species. Parallel whole genome sequencing (WGS) and MA showed that the strains phylogenetically grouped as a separate clade among the Csak species cluster. Additionally, these strains possessed the Csak O:2 serotype. The nine-gene, ~ 7.7 kbp malonate utilization operon was located in these strains between two conserved flanking genes, gyrB and katG. Plasmidotyping results showed that these strains possessed the virulence plasmid pESA3, but in contrast to the USA ST64 Csak strains, ST64 Csak strains isolated from sources in Europe and the Middle East, did not possess the type six secretion system effector vgrG gene. Conclusions Until this investigation, the presence of malonate-positive Csak strains, which are associated with foods and clinical cases, was under appreciated. If this trait was used solely to identify Cronobacter strains, many strains would likely be misidentified. Parallel WGS and MA were useful in characterizing the total genome content of these Csak O:2, ST64, malonate-positive strains and further provides an understanding of their phylogenetic relatedness among other virulent C. sakazakii strains. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13099-018-0238-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gopal R Gopinath
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Hannah R Chase
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Athmanya Eshwar
- 2Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hyein Jang
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Isha Patel
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Flavia Negrete
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Samantha Finkelstein
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Eunbi Park
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - TaeJung Chung
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - YeonJoo Yoo
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - JungHa Woo
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - YouYoung Lee
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Jihyeon Park
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Hyerim Choi
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Seungeun Jeong
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Soyoung Jun
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Mijeong Kim
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Chaeyoon Lee
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - HyeJin Jeong
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| | - Séamus Fanning
- 3UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College, Dublin & WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Roger Stephan
- 2Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carol Iversen
- 2Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,3UCD Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College, Dublin & WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Felix Reich
- 4Institute for Food Quality and Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Günter Klein
- 4Institute for Food Quality and Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Angelika Lehner
- 2Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ben D Tall
- 1Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708 USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
9
|
Abstract
Being able to track bacterial pathogens is essential for epidemiological purposes as well as monitoring in-house production facilities. Common bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella serovars, are already been well defined, and their detection methods are very advanced. However, this will not be the case for emergent bacterial pathogens, as was the case for Cronobacter. The clinical significance of the organism is due to its association with rare sporadic infections in adults, and severe life-threatening outbreaks of necrotizing enterocolitis and meningitis in newborn babies. The main recognized route of infection being through the consumption of contaminated reconstituted powdered infant formula. Key to the advances in being able to track this organism during formula production and outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units has been the use of DNA sequence-based methods, and most recently those which profile whole-genome sequences. This chapter considers how the latest DNA sequence-based methods in genotyping Cronobacter serve as a model for analyzing emergent bacterial pathogens in the future. The methods considered will initially highlight the limitations of phenotyping, then advance from the DNA probe-based methods for serotyping through to DNA sequence-based methods, especially multilocus sequence typing which is supported by an open access database. Finally the development of typing methods based on whole-genomes sequences, CRISPR-cas array profiling and SNP analysis, will be covered. The overall perspective is that emergent pathogens need to be investigated with the most advanced methods in order for robust and reliable control measures to be adopted.
Collapse
|
|
10
|
Chase HR, Gopinath GR, Eshwar AK, Stoller A, Fricker-Feer C, Gangiredla J, Patel IR, Cinar HN, Jeong H, Lee C, Negrete F, Finkelstein S, Stephan R, Tall BD, Lehner A. Comparative Genomic Characterization of the Highly Persistent and Potentially Virulent Cronobacter sakazakii ST83, CC65 Strain H322 and Other ST83 Strains. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1136. [PMID: 28694793 PMCID: PMC5483470 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter (C.) sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen and has been associated with serious infections with high mortality rates predominantly in pre-term, low-birth weight and/or immune compromised neonates and infants. Infections have been epidemiologically linked to consumption of intrinsically and extrinsically contaminated lots of reconstituted powdered infant formula (PIF), thus contamination of such products is a challenging task for the PIF producing industry. We present the draft genome of C. sakazakii H322, a highly persistent sequence type (ST) 83, clonal complex (CC) 65, serotype O:7 strain obtained from a batch of non-released contaminated PIF product. The presence of this strain in the production environment was traced back more than 4 years. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of this strain together with four more ST83 strains (PIF production environment-associated) confirmed a high degree of sequence homology among four of the five strains. Phylogenetic analysis using microarray (MA) and WGS data showed that the ST83 strains were highly phylogenetically related and MA showed that between 5 and 38 genes differed from one another in these strains. All strains possessed the pESA3-like virulence plasmid and one strain possessed a pESA2-like plasmid. In addition, a pCS1-like plasmid was also found. In order to assess the potential in vivo pathogenicity of the ST83 strains, each strain was subjected to infection studies using the recently developed zebrafish embryo model. Our results showed a high (90-100%) zebrafish mortality rate for all of these strains, suggesting a high risk for infections and illness in neonates potentially exposed to PIF contaminated with ST83 C. sakazakii strains. In summary, virulent ST83, CC65, serotype CsakO:7 strains, though rarely found intrinsically in PIF, can persist within a PIF manufacturing facility for years and potentially pose significant quality assurance challenges to the PIF manufacturing industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R Chase
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Gopal R Gopinath
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Athmanya K Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Stoller
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Fricker-Feer
- Quality Assurance and Food Safety Department, Hochdorf Swiss Nutrition LtdHochdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Isha R Patel
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Hediye N Cinar
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - HyeJin Jeong
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - ChaeYoon Lee
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Flavia Negrete
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Samantha Finkelstein
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Ben D Tall
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, LaurelMD, United States
| | - Angelika Lehner
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
|
11
|
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
|
|
12
|
Kothary MH, Gopinath GR, Gangiredla J, Rallabhandi PV, Harrison LM, Yan QQ, Chase HR, Lee B, Park E, Yoo Y, Chung T, Finkelstein SB, Negrete FJ, Patel IR, Carter L, Sathyamoorthy V, Fanning S, Tall BD. Analysis and Characterization of Proteins Associated with Outer Membrane Vesicles Secreted by Cronobacter spp. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:134. [PMID: 28232819 PMCID: PMC5299011 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about secretion of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) by Cronobacter. In this study, OMVs isolated from Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter turicensis, and Cronobacter malonaticus were examined by electron microscopy (EM) and their associated outer membrane proteins (OMP) and genes were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, protein sequencing, BLAST, PCR, and DNA microarray. EM of stained cells revealed that the OMVs are secreted as pleomorphic micro-vesicles which cascade from the cell's surface. SDS-PAGE analysis identified protein bands with molecular weights of 18 kDa to >100 kDa which had homologies to OMPs such as GroEL; OmpA, C, E, F, and X; MipA proteins; conjugative plasmid transfer protein; and an outer membrane auto-transporter protein (OMATP). PCR analyses showed that most of the OMP genes were present in all seven Cronobacter species while a few genes (OMATP gene, groEL, ompC, mipA, ctp, and ompX) were absent in some phylogenetically-related species. Microarray analysis demonstrated sequence divergence among the OMP genes that was not captured by PCR. These results support previous findings that OmpA and OmpX may be involved in virulence of Cronobacter, and are packaged within secreted OMVs. These results also suggest that other OMV-packaged OMPs may be involved in roles such as stress response, cell wall and plasmid maintenance, and extracellular transport.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Qiong Q Yan
- Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, University College, Dublin Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Boram Lee
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Eunbi Park
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration Laurel, MD, USA
| | - YeonJoo Yoo
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration Laurel, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Isha R Patel
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration Laurel, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Séamus Fanning
- Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, WHO Collaborating Centre for Cronobacter, University College, Dublin Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ben D Tall
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration Laurel, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
13
|
Lozinak KA, Jani N, Gangiredla J, Patel I, Elkins CA, Hu Z, Kassim PA, Myers RA, Laksanalamai P. Investigation of potential Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) associated with a local foodborne outbreak using multidisciplinary approaches. FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN WELLNESS 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fshw.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
|
14
|
Jason J. The Roles of Epidemiologists, Laboratorians, and Public Health Agencies in Preventing Invasive Cronobacter Infection. Front Pediatr 2015; 3:110. [PMID: 26734593 PMCID: PMC4689785 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2015.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cronobacter can cause severe, invasive infection in very young infants. These bacteria can also colonize or cause insignificant infections in immunocompromised, elderly, and/or hospitalized adults. METHODS This editorial review highlights key points addressed in the Frontiers Research Topic on Cronobacter, discusses the clinical presentation and epidemiology of Cronobacter infections, and examines the responses of public health agencies to this problem. RESULTS Cronobacter is rarely isolated from hospitalized, immunocompromised and/or elderly adults and does not cause significant disease in those patients. Certain species and strains, especially of Cronobacter sakazakii, can cause invasive illness in previously healthy infants <2 months of age. Multilocus sequence type 4 and clonal complex 4 (ST4/MLST 4) C. sakazakii are the predominant cause of Cronobacter meningitis, which occurs only in infants. These infections and this strain type are strongly linked to powdered infant formulas (PIF), which can also be contaminated with other Cronobacter strains. End-product testing is not intended to guarantee the absence of these organisms. WHO has made recommendations that can help decrease but will not eliminate the risk of this infection. CONCLUSION To further define the spectrum of Cronobacter-associated disease, all isolates should be genetically typed using every currently available method, typing results should be linked to the associated epidemiologic and clinical data, and these data should be analyzed in a scientifically sound manner. Based on currently available information, more can be done now to prevent cause invasive infection in young infants. This includes encouragement of exclusive breastfeeding and/or use of commercially sterile ready-to-feed formulas in the first 2 months of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janine Jason
- Jason and Jarvis Associates, LLC, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
15
|
Yan Q, Wang J, Gangiredla J, Cao Y, Martins M, Gopinath GR, Stephan R, Lampel K, Tall BD, Fanning S. Comparative Genotypic and Phenotypic Analysis of Cronobacter Species Cultured from Four Powdered Infant Formula Production Facilities: Indication of Pathoadaptation along the Food Chain. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:4388-402. [PMID: 25911470 PMCID: PMC4475896 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00359-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter species are opportunistic pathogens commonly found in the environment. Among the seven Cronobacter species, Cronobacter sakazakii sequence type 4 (ST-4) is predominantly associated with recorded cases of infantile meningitis. This study reports on a 26-month powdered infant formula (PIF) surveillance program in four production facilities located in distinct geographic regions. The objective was to identify the ST(s) in PIF production environments and to investigate the phenotypic features that support their survival. Of all 168 Cronobacter isolates, 133 were recovered from a PIF production environment, 31 were of clinical origin, and 4 were laboratory type strains. Sequence type 1 (n = 84 isolates; 63.9%) was the dominant type in PIF production environments. The majority of these isolates clustered with an indistinguishable pulsotype and persisted for at least an 18-month period. Moreover, DNA microarray results identified two phylogenetic lineages among ST-4 strains tested. Thereafter, the ST-1 and -4 isolates were phenotypically compared. Differences were noted based on the phenotypes expressed by these isolates. The ST-1 PIF isolates produced stronger biofilms at both 28°C and 37°C, while the ST-4 clinical isolates exhibited greater swimming activity and increased binding to Congo red dye. Given the fact that PIF is a low-moisture environment and that the clinical environment provides for an interaction between the pathogen and its host, these differences may be consistent with a form of pathoadaptation. These findings help to extend our current understanding of the epidemiology and ecology of Cronobacter species in PIF production environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiongqiong Yan
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference & Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Juan Wang
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference & Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, OARSA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Yu Cao
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference & Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marta Martins
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference & Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gopal R Gopinath
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, OARSA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Keith Lampel
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, OARSA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Ben D Tall
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, OARSA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference & Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
|
16
|
Yan Q, Fanning S. Strategies for the identification and tracking of cronobacter species: an opportunistic pathogen of concern to neonatal health. Front Pediatr 2015; 3:38. [PMID: 26000266 PMCID: PMC4419663 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2015.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter species are emerging opportunistic food-borne pathogens, which consists of seven species, including C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. muytjensii, C. turicensis, C. dublinensis, C. universalis, and C. condimenti. The organism can cause severe clinical infections, including necrotizing enterocolitis, septicemia, and meningitis, predominately among neonates <4 weeks of age. Cronobacter species can be isolated from various foods and their surrounding environments; however, powdered infant formula (PIF) is the most frequently implicated food source linked with Cronobacter infection. This review aims to provide a summary of laboratory-based strategies that can be used to identify and trace Cronobacter species. The identification of Cronobacter species using conventional culture method and immuno-based detection protocols were first presented. The molecular detection and identification at genus-, and species-level along with molecular-based serogroup approaches are also described, followed by the molecular sub-typing methods, in particular pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multi-locus sequence typing. Next generation sequence approaches, including whole genome sequencing, DNA microarray, and high-throughput whole-transcriptome sequencing, are also highlighted. Appropriate application of these strategies would contribute to reduce the risk of Cronobacter contamination in PIF and production environments, thereby improving food safety and protecting public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiongqiong Yan
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference and Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Reference and Training on Cronobacter, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| |
Collapse
|