Genesis of a novel Shigella flexneri serotype by sequential infection of serotype-converting bacteriophages SfX and SfI

Details

• Alternative Title:
  BMC Microbiol
• Personal Author:
  Sun, Qiangzheng ; Lan, Ruiting ; Wang, Yiting ; Wang, Jianping ; Luo, Xia ; Zhang, Shaomin ; Li, Peijing ; Wang, Yan ; Ye, Changyun ; Jing, Huaiqi ; Xu, Jianguo
• Description:
  Background
  
  Shigella flexneri is the major pathogen causing bacillary dysentery. Fifteen serotypes have been recognized up to now. The genesis of new S. flexneri serotypes is commonly mediated by serotype-converting bacteriophages. Untypeable or novel serotypes from natural infections had been reported worldwide but have not been generated in laboratory.
  
  Results
  
  A new S. flexneri serotype-serotype 1 d was generated when a S. flexneri serotype Y strain (native LPS) was sequentially infected with 2 serotype-converting bacteriophages, SfX first and then SfI. The new serotype 1 d strain agglutinated with both serotype X-specific anti-7;8 grouping serum and serotype 1a-specific anti- I typing serum, and differed from subserotypes 1a, 1b and 1c. Twenty four S. flexneri clinical isolates of serotype X were all converted to serotype 1 d by infection with phage SfI. PCR and sequencing revealed that SfI and SfX were integrated in tandem into the proA-yaiC region of the host chromosome.
  
  Conclusions
  
  These findings suggest a new S. flexneri serotype could be created in nature. Such a conversion may be constrained by susceptibility of a strain to infection by a given serotype-converting bacteriophage. This finding has significant implications in the emergence of new S. flexneri serotypes in nature.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Bacterial Typing Techniques Bacteriophages Chromosomes, Bacterial DNA, Bacterial Serotyping Shigella Flexneri Virus Integration
• Source:
  BMC Microbiol. 2011; 11:269.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  11
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:657b23814788721d1960dd568fdc2aff92bcb39741d8602261e5756bcf76fee8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/7985/cdc_7985_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 316.30 KB ]