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E Carniel

Publications and source records attributed to E Carniel.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

The high-pathogenicity island of Yersinia enterocolitica Ye8081 undergoes low-frequency deletion but not precise excision, suggesting recent stabilization in the genome.

Highly pathogenic strains of Yersinia pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. enterocolitica are characterized by the possession of a pathogenicity island designated the high-pathogenicity island (HPI). This 35- to 45-kb island carries an iron uptake system named the yersiniabactin locus. While the HPIs of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis are subject to high-frequency spontaneous deletion from the chromosome, we were initially unable to obtain HPI-deleted Y. enterocolitica 1B isolates. In the present study, using a positive selection strategy, we identified three HPI-deleted mutants of Y. enterocolitica strain Ye8081. In these three independent clones, the chromosomal deletion was not limited to the HPI but encompassed a larger DNA fragment of approximately 140 kb. Loss of this fragment, which occurred at a frequency of approximately 5 x 10(-7), resulted in the disappearance of several phenotypic traits, such as growth in a minimal medium, hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside, Tween esterase activity, and motility, and in a decreased virulence for mice. However, no precise excision of the Ye8081 HPI was observed. To gain more insight into the molecular basis for this phenomenon, the putative machinery of HPI excision in Y. enterocolitica was analyzed and compared to that in Y. pseudotuberculosis. We show that the probable reasons for failure of precise excision of the HPI of Y. enterocolitica Ye8081 are (i) the interruption of the P4-like integrase gene located close to its right-hand boundary by a premature stop codon and (ii) lack of conservation of 17-bp att-like sequences at both extremities of the HPI. These mutations may represent a process of HPI stabilization in the species Y. enterocolitica.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The 102-kilobase pgm locus of Yersinia pestis: sequence analysis and comparison of selected regions among different Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains.

We report the complete 119,443-bp sequence of the pgm locus from Yersinia pestis and its flanking regions. Sequence analysis confirms that the 102-kb unstable pgm locus is composed of two distinct parts: the pigmentation segment and a high-pathogenicity island (HPI) which carries virulence genes involved in iron acquisition (yersiniabactin biosynthetic gene cluster). Within the HPI, three genes coding for proteins related to phage proteins were uncovered. They are located at both extremities indicating that the entire HPI was acquired en bloc by phage-mediated horizontal transfer. We identified, within the pigmentation segment, two novel loci that may be involved in virulence: a fimbriae gene cluster and a locus probably encoding a two component regulatory system similar to the BvgAS regulatory system of Bordetella pertussis. Three genes containing frameshift mutations and two genes interrupted by insertion element insertion were found within this region. To investigate diversity among different Y. pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains, the sequence of selected regions of the pgm locus and flanking regions were compared from 20 different Y. pestis and 10 Y. pseudotuberculosis strains. The results showed that the genes interrupted in Y. pestis are intact in Y. pseudotuberculosis. However, one of these mutations, in the bvgS homologue, is only present in Y. pestis strains of biovar Orientalis and not in those of the biovars Antiqua and Medievalis. The results obtained by analysis of variable positions in the sequence are in accordance with historical records, confirming that biovar Orientalis is the most recent lineage. Furthermore, sequence comparisons among 29 Yersinia strains suggest that Y. pestis is a recently emerged pathogen that is probably entering the initial phase of reductive evolution.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1999

The Yersinia high-pathogenicity island.

A pathogenicity island present only in highly pathogenic strains of Yersinia (Y. enterocolitica 1B, Y. pseudotuberculosis I and Y. pestis) has been identified on the chromosome of Yersinia spp. and has been designated High-Pathogenicity Island (HPI). The Yersinia HPI carries a cluster of genes involved in the biosynthesis, transport and regulation of the siderophore yersiniabactin. The major function of this island is thus to acquire iron molecules essential for in vivo bacterial growth and dissemination. The presence of an integrase gene and att sites homologous to those of phage P4, together with a G + C content much higher than the chromosomal background, suggests that the HPI is of foreign origin and has been acquired by chromosomal integration of a phage. The HPI can excise from the chromosome of Y. pseudotuberculosis and is found inserted into any of the three copies of the asn tRNA loci present in this species. A unique characteristic of the HPI is its wide distribution in various enterobacteria. Although first identified in Yersinia spp., it has subsequently been detected in other genera such as E. coli, Klebsiella and Citrobacter.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1999

[The plague reviewed by way of molecular biology].

The aetiology of plague was first discovered during the third pandemic of the disease occurring in Hong Kong in 1894. After Alexandre Yersin had identified the causal agent (Y. Pestis), Paul-Louis Simond proved the flea's role as vector. These discoveries were of prime importance for the subsequent development of efficient means for fighting plague as well as for preventive and curative treatments and vaccines. Vaccination brought about a sharp decrease in plague mortality and morbidity. However, the disease has never been eradicated. It is still prevalent in various Asian, African and American countries and is among the re-emerging diseases at the present time. The genetic basis of transmission mechanisms and pathogenicity of the bacillus are only beginning to be understood. We now know that the attenuation of the EV76 strain used by Girard and Robic as an anti-plague vaccine in Madagascar is due to the spontaneous excision of a large chromosomal DNA fragment of 102 kb, a part of which contains a group of genes implicated in the pathogenicity and appropriately called high pathogenicity island. These mechanisms of flea bacillus transmission are also beginning to be known. Two bacterial loci participating in the blocking of the ectoparasite's proventriculus have been identified. One is situated next to the high pathogenicity island on the unstable 102 kb chromosomal fragment, the other--on the large 95 kb plasmid specific to Y. pestis. The molecular basis of the bacillus' acquisition of multi-resistance to antibiotics have likewise recently been characterised. However, although Y. pestis is one of the most pathogenic micro-organisms of the bacterial world, the mechanisms responsible for this high level of pathogenecity have still not been identified. This is well worth noting, since a certain number of genes acting as pathogenicity factors in other species are present but altered in Y. pestis. Plague still withholds many secrets.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The high-pathogenicity island of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis can be inserted into any of the three chromosomal asn tRNA genes.

Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) have been identified in several bacterial species. A PAI called high-pathogenicity island (HPI) and carrying genes involved in iron acquisition (yersiniabactin system) has been previously identified in Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pestis. In this study, the HPI of the third species of Yersinia pathogenic for humans, Y. pseudotuberculosis, has been characterized. We demonstrate that the HPI of strain IP32637 has a physical and genetic map identical to that of Y. pestis. A gene homologous to the bacteriophage P4 integrase gene is located downstream of the asn tRNA locus that borders the HPI of strain IP32637. This int gene is at the same position on the HPI of all three pathogenic Yersinia species. However, in contrast to Y. pestis 6/69, the HPI of Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32637 is not invariably adjacent to the pigmentation segment and can be inserted at a distance > or = 190 kb from this segment. Also, in contrast to Y. pestis and Y. enterocolitica, the HPI of Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32637 can precisely excise from the chromosome, and, strikingly, it can be found inserted in any of the three asn tRNA loci present on the chromosome of this species, one of which is adjacent to the pigmentation segment. The pigmentation segment, which is present in Y. pestis but not in Y. enterocolitica, is also present and well conserved in all strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis studied. In contrast, the presence and size of the HPIs vary depending on the serotype of the strain: an entire HPI is found in strains of serotypes I only, a HPI with a 9 kb truncation in its left-hand part that carries the IS100 sequence and the psn and ybtE genes characterizes the strains of serotype III, and no HPI is found in strains of serotypes II, IV and V.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of the "high-pathogenicity island" of Yersinia species among Escherichia coli strains that are pathogenic to humans.

The fyuA-irp gene cluster contributes to the virulence of highly pathogenic Yersinia (Yersinia pestis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and Yersinia enterocolitica 1B). The cluster encodes an iron uptake system mediated by the siderophore yersiniabactin and reveals features of a pathogenicity island. Two evolutionary lineages of this "high pathogenicity island" (HPI) can be distinguished on the basis of DNA sequence comparison: a Y. pestis group and a Y. enterocolitica group. In this study we demonstrate that the HPI of the Y. pestis evolutionary group is disseminated among species of the family Enterobacteriaceae which are pathogenic to humans. It prevails in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli and in E. coli blood culture isolates (93 and 80%, respectively), but is rarely found in enteropathogenic E. coli, enteroinvasive E. coli, and enterotoxigenic E. coli isolates. In contrast, the HPI was absent from enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Shigella, and Salmonella enterica strains investigated. Polypeptides encoded by the fyuA, irp1, and irp2 genes located on the HPI could be detected in E. coli strains pathogenic to humans. However, these E. coli strains showed a reduced sensitivity to the bacteriocin pesticin, whose uptake is mediated by the FyuA receptor. Escherichia strains do not possess the hms gene locus thought to be a part of the HPI of Y. pestis. Deletions of the juA-irp gene cluster affecting solely the fyuA part of the HPI were identified in 3% of the E. coli strains tested. These results suggest horizontal transfer of the HPI between Y. pestis and some pathogenic E. coli strains.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1998

The 102-kilobase unstable region of Yersinia pestis comprises a high-pathogenicity island linked to a pigmentation segment which undergoes internal rearrangement.

Several pathogenicity islands have recently been identified in different bacterial species, including a high-pathogenicity island (HPI) in Yersinia enterocolitica 1B. In Y. pestis, a 102-kb chromosomal fragment (pgm locus) that carries genes involved in iron acquisition and colony pigmentation can be deleted en bloc. In this study, characterization and mapping of the 102-kb region of Y. pestis 6/69 were performed to determine if this unstable region is a pathogenicity island. We found that the 102-kb region of Y. pestis is composed of two clearly distinct regions: an approximately 35-kb iron acquisition segment, which is an HPI per se, linked to an approximately 68-kb pigmentation segment. This linkage was preserved in all of the Y. pestis strains studied. However, several nonpigmented Y. pestis strains harboring an irp2 gene have been previously identified, suggesting that the pigmentation segment is independently mobile. Comparison of the physical map of the 102-kb region of these strains with that of strain 6/69 and complementation experiments were carried out to determine the genetic basis of this phenomenon. We demonstrate that several different mechanisms involving mutations and various-size deletions are responsible for the nonpigmented phenotype in the nine strains studied. However, no deletion corresponded exactly to the pigmentation segment. The 102-kb region of Y. pestis is an evolutionarily stable linkage of an HPI with a pigmentation segment in a region of the chromosome prone to rearrangement in vitro.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1998

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of virulent yersinia enterocolitica strains unable to ferment sucrose.

Several atypical sucrose-negative Yersinia strains, isolated from clinical samples and sometimes associated with symptoms, proved to have full virulence potential in in vitro and in vivo testings. DNA-relatedness studies revealed that they were authentic Yersinia enterocolitica strains. Therefore, atypical sucrose-negative Yersinia isolates should be analyzed for their virulence potential.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The novel heat-stable enterotoxin subtype gene (ystB) of Yersinia enterocolitica: nucleotide sequence and distribution of the yst genes.

The gene (ystB) encoding the novel subtype of the heat-stable enterotoxin (Y-STb) was cloned from the chromosome of a clinical isolate of Yersinia enterocolitica 84-50 (serotype O:5, biotype 1A) and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The ystB contained 216 base pairs that encoded a protein of 71 amino acid residues. The C-terminal 30 residues of the precursor protein exactly corresponded to the amino acid sequence of the Y-STb toxin, purified from the culture supernatant of the wild strain. Homology search revealed that there are 76.9% nucleotide sequence similarity between ystB and the Yersinia kristensenii ST gene, and 73.5% with the Y. enterocolitica prototype sequence of yst (ystA). When tested with the PCR generated ystB specific probe, 36 of 304 Y. enterocolitica strains from 18 countries hybridized with the probe. All the ystB probe positive strains belonged to biotype 1A and mostly to the so-called non-pathogenic serotype O:5, O:6, O:7,8 O:7,13 and O:10, while ystA was predominantly found among the pathogenic serotypes (78.5%). Out of 36 ystB gene positive strains, 18 were clinical origin from six countries, which were also positive in the suckling mice assay suggesting that ystB may play an important role in the pathogenesis, and the so-called non-pathogenic serotypes could be virulent for human.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Field evaluation of an immunoglobulin G anti-F1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human plague in Madagascar.

Bacteriological isolation of Yersinia pestis is the reference test for confirming plague infection, but recovery of the pathogen from human samples is usually very poor. When the etiology of the disease cannot be bacteriologically confirmed, it may be useful to possess alternative tests such as detection of specific circulating antibodies to help guide the diagnosis. In the present study, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-F1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been applied to various human sera to evaluate its large-scale applicability in the high-endemicity plague foci of Madagascar. The sensitivity of the test was found to be 91.4%, and its specificity was 98.5%. The positive and negative predictive values were 96 and 96.6%, respectively. Seroconversion was observed on day 7 after onset of the disease. Patients with a positive ELISA result could be separated into high (82%) and low (18%) IgG anti-F1 responders. Cross-reactions with eight other infectious diseases prevalent in Madagascar were scarce and were found in 1 of 27 Mycobacterium tuberculosis-, 3 of 34 Schistosoma haematobium-, and 1 of 41 Salmonella-infected patients. Finally, the efficiency of the IgG anti-F1 ELISA was evaluated during the Mahajanga, Madagascar, plague outbreak of 1995. When the number of ELISA-positive patients was added to the number of bacteriologically confirmed and probable cases, the number of positive patients was increased by 35%. In conclusion, although it does not replace bacteriology, IgG anti-F1 ELISA is a useful and powerful tool for retrospective diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance of plague outbreaks.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1997

Recent emergence of new variants of Yersinia pestis in Madagascar.

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has been responsible for at least three pandemics. During the last pandemic, which started in Hong Kong in 1894, the microorganism colonized new, previously unscathed geographical areas where it has become well established. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the genetic stability of Y. pestis strains introduced into a new environment just under a century ago and to follow the epidemiology of any new genetic variant detected. In the present study, 187 strains of Y. pestis isolated between 1939 and 1996 from different regions of Madagascar and responsible mainly for human cases of bubonic and pneumonic plague were studied. Our principal genotyping method was rRNA gene profiling (ribotyping), which has previously been shown to be an effective scheme for typing Y. pestis strains of different geographical origins. We report that all studied Y. pestis strains isolated in Madagascar before 1982 were of classical ribotype B, the ribotype attributed to the Y. pestis clone that spread around the world during the third pandemic. In 1982, 1983, and 1994, strains with new ribotypes, designated R, Q, and T, respectively, were isolated on the high-plateau region of the island. Analysis of other genotypic traits such as the NotI genomic restriction profiles and the EcoRV plasmid restriction profiles revealed that the new variants could also be distinguished by specific genomic and/or plasmid profiles. A follow-up of these new variants indicated that strains of ribotypes Q and R have become well established in their ecosystem and have a tendency to spread to new geographical areas and supplant the original classical strain.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Serodiagnosis of human pathogenic Yersinia infections].

OBJECTIVES: The test classically used for the serological diagnosis of yersiniosis is based on the technique of agglutination of killed bacteria. The sensitivity of this technique is low and numerous cross reactions are observed. The aim of this work was to develop a new serological test based on the ELISA method and to compare the results obtained by this method and by agglutination. METHODS: The antigens used for the ELISA test were the virulence plasmid-encoded proteins present in all pathogenic Yersinia and specific for this bacterial genera. The background of this technique was determined using 30 normal human sera. Validation of the ELISA method was performed with human sera negative (23) or positive (72) by the agglutination technique. The sensitivity of the ELISA test was compared with that of agglutination using 10 patients' sera which remained negative by the agglutination test despite the isolation of a pathogenic Yersinia. Finally, the ELISA specificity was determined with the sera of patients suffering from tuberculosis (20), typhoid fever (6), suspected or confirmed brucellosis (5) and suspected yersiniosis but having a positive Wright reaction (13). RESULTS: We show here that, in addition to the advantages inherent in the ELISA technique, this test is more sensitive and specific than the agglutination test. Furthermore, the ELISA test can be used for all pathogenic Yersinia, whatever their serotype and biotype. CONCLUSION: The use of the ELISA test should significantly improve the serodiagnosis of yersiniosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Characterisation of atypical biotype 3, serotype O:3 Yersinia and development of a simple identification scheme.

Five clinical strains of Yersinia isolated in Japan and identified as atypical biotype 3 or biotype 3B, serotype O:3, phage type II (3*/O:3/II) Yersinia enterocolitica were characterised since the biochemical reactions of these strains indicate they might also belong to the species Yersinia bercovieri. Biochemical tests, characterisation of the beta-lactamases and DNA-DNA hybridization studies provided strong evidence indicating that these strains should be classified as Yersinia enterocolitica. A simple scheme combining a disc diffusion test and four biochemical tests was devised for identification of these atypical strains.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1996

Comparison of three molecular methods for typing and subtyping pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains.

The efficiency of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), ribotyping and restriction enzyme analysis of the virulence plasmid (REAP) for typing and subtyping strains of Yersinia enterocolitica was compared. All three techniques gave concordant results, and the strains studied could be separated into three distinct clusters: (1) heterogeneous strains of biotype 1A and serotype O5 (1A/O5); (2) one 3/O3 strain and all 2/O9 strains; and (3) all 4/O3, 2/O5 and two 3/O3 strains. Within cluster 3, the 2/O5 and 3/O3 strains were related more closely to each other than to the 4/O3 isolates. With ribotyping, PFGE and phage-typing, the 4/O3 isolates were subdivided into two homogeneous groups, corresponding to strains of phage type IXb and strains of other phage types, respectively. Similarly, ribotyping and PFGE subdivided the 2/O9 strains into two conserved groups (I and II), but REAP gave a different subdivision and identified a new REAP pattern (P3). The three techniques confirmed the clear distinction between the heterogeneous group of non-pathogenic 1A/O5 strains and the well conserved group of pathogenic 2/O5 strains. Additional plasmids were identified in some 3/O3 strains. Combined, the results indicated that REAP (with EcoRI) and ribotyping (with EcoRV) are valuable alternatives to bioserotype determination, and PFGE is the most suitable technique for epidemiological tracing.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Characterization of a large chromosomal "high-pathogenicity island" in biotype 1B Yersinia enterocolitica.

Pathogenic Yersinia spp. can be subdivided into highly pathogenic (high-pathogenicity) and low-pathogenicity strains. Several genes specific for the high-pathogenicity strains are clustered on a chromosomal fragment designated a "high-pathogenicity island" (HPI). In the present work, the HPI of biotype 1B strain Ye 8081 of Y. enterocolitica was characterized. We demonstrate important differences from the HPI of Y. pestis. The HPI of Y. enterocolitica is smaller (45 kb) and is not flanked by insertion sequences. A copy of the gene coding for the tRNA-Asn is present at one extremity of the HPI and may, as in uropathogenic Escherichia coli, participate in the excision of the island. In addition to the genes encoding the yersiniabactin-pesticin receptor and the high-molecular-weight protein 2, four repeated sequences are present on the HPI of Y. enterocolitica. At least two of them are insertion elements: previously described IS1328 and newly characterized IS1400. Comparison of the HPI of strain Ye 8081 with that of other Y. enterocolitica strains of biotype 1B indicates that most of the island is conserved, apart from 15 kb at the left-hand end which is variable, especially in the region where three repeated sequences are clustered.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Susceptibility to beta-lactam agents of Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 4, serotype O3 isolated in various parts of the world.

Forty-eight human isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica of biotype 4, serotype O3 from various parts of the world were examined for susceptibility to 13 beta-lactam agents. The intracellular beta-lactamases of each of the 48 strains were examined. Isolates from Europe, Asia and Brazil (phage type VIII) or South Africa and Hungary (phage type IXa) produced both enzyme A and enzyme B, whereas isolates from New Zealand and Australia (phage type IXb) lacked the cephalosporinase enzyme B. Among the seven strains isolated in Canada belonging to phage type IXb, three strains expressed only enzyme A (group I) whereas the other four strains produced both enzymes A and B (group II). The high susceptibility to the combination of amoxycillin and clavulanate observed in one subtype was explained by the absence of the cephalosporinase enzyme B. A simple disk diffusion test with this antibiotic combination was shown to be effective in the detection of enzyme B in Y. enterocolitica 4/O3.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗