Genomic Analysis of a Hybrid Enteroaggregative Hemorrhagic <i>Escherichia coli</i> O181:H4 Strain Causing Colitis with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome
Angelina A. Kislichkina,
Nikolay N. Kartsev,
Yury P. Skryabin,
Angelika A. Sizova,
Maria E. Kanashenko,
Marat G. Teymurazov,
Ekaterina S. Kuzina,
Alexander G. Bogun,
Nadezhda K. Fursova,
Edward A. Svetoch,
Ivan A. Dyatlov
Affiliations
Angelina A. Kislichkina
Department of Culture Collection, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Nikolay N. Kartsev
Department of Molecular Microbiology, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Yury P. Skryabin
Department of Molecular Microbiology, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Angelika A. Sizova
Department of Culture Collection, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Maria E. Kanashenko
Department of Molecular Microbiology, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Marat G. Teymurazov
Department of Molecular Microbiology, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Ekaterina S. Kuzina
Department of Training and Improvement of Specialists, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Alexander G. Bogun
Department of Culture Collection, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Nadezhda K. Fursova
Department of Molecular Microbiology, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Edward A. Svetoch
Department of Molecular Microbiology, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Ivan A. Dyatlov
Department of Culture Collection, State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Territory “Kvartal A”, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
Hybrid diarrheagenic E. coli strains combining genetic markers belonging to different pathotypes have emerged worldwide and have been reported as a public health concern. The most well-known hybrid strain of enteroaggregative hemorrhagic E. coli is E. coli O104:H4 strain, which was an agent of a serious outbreak of acute gastroenteritis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in Germany in 2011. A case of intestinal infection with HUS in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation) occurred in July 2018. E. coli strain SCPM-O-B-9427 was obtained from the rectal swab of the patient with HUS. It was determined as O181:H4-, stx2-, and aggR-positive and belonged to the phylogenetic group B2. The complete genome assembly of the strain SCPM-O-B-9427 contained one chromosome and five plasmids, including the plasmid coding an aggregative adherence fimbriae I. MLST analysis showed that the strain SCPM-O-B-9427 belonged to ST678, and like E. coli O104:H4 strains, 2011C-3493 caused the German outbreak in 2011, and 2009EL-2050 was isolated in the Republic of Georgia in 2009. Comparison of three strains showed almost the same structure of their chromosomes: the plasmids pAA and the stx2a phages are very similar, but they have distinct sets of the plasmids and some unique regions in the chromosomes.
