Detection of Escherichia coli serogroups O26 and O113 by PCR amplification of the wzx and wzy genes

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 1830 - 1832
• Main Authors: DebRoy, C, Roberts, E, Kundrat, J, Davis, M.A, Briggs, C.E, Fratamico, P.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 01.03.2004
• Subjects: Animals; apple juice; Bacteria; bacterial antigens; bacterial contamination; Bacterial Proteins; Base Sequence; biosynthesis; Carrier Proteins - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli; enzymes; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli - pathogenicity; food contamination; Food Microbiology; food pathogens; Food science; Fruit juices; Genes; Genes, Bacterial; Hexosyltransferases - genetics; Humans; microbial detection; Microbiology; Multigene Family; O-antigen flippase; O-antigen polymersase; Polymerase Chain Reaction; serotypes; Serotyping; structural genes
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1830-1832.2004

PCR-based assays for detecting enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serogroups O26 and O113 were developed by targeting the wzx (O-antigen flippase) and the wzy (O-antigen polymerase) genes found in the O-antigen gene cluster of each organism. The PCR assays were specific for the respective serogroups, as there was no amplification of DNA from non-O26 and non-O113 E. coli serogroups or from other bacterial genera tested. Using the PCR assays, we were able to detect the organisms in seeded apple juice inoculated at concentration levels as low as less than or equal to 10 CFU/ml. The O26- and O113-specific PCR assays can potentially be used for typing E. coli O26 and O113 serogroups; these assays will offer an advantage to food and environmental microbiology laboratories in terms of identifying these non-O157 serogroups by replacing antigen-based serotyping.