Description: Cattle are a known reservoir of E. coli, of which certain types are (lethal) human pathogens, e.g. verotoxinogenic E. coli (VTEC) like O157:H7 that can cause hamburger disease . It has been observed that E. coli with certain genes are shed over longer periods of time, and become persistent. It is not known why particular types become persistent, and if particular combinations of virulence factors play a role in this.
Research objectives: The goal of this project was to develop assays that can generate data suitable for studying the dynamics of virulence factors.
Results and products: For this project the a quantitative real time PCR for several virulence factors was developed. When DNA of two different strains are mixed, this PCR is able to generate data with which the fraction added can be estimated. However, attempts to perform such a relative quantification in feces samples has not been successful. A validated protocol for sample storage and a more sensitive PCR are crucial before this ambition can be fulfilled. Furthermore, two assays based on visual detection of carbon nanoparticles were developed. These assays use similar amplicons, but detection is performed using antibodies directed against a tag on one primer, whereas the amplicons are labeled with carbon through biotin on the other primer. Amplicons are bound in a lateral flow assay or on an 'array', to the antibodies that are immobilized on a nitrocellulose matrix.
manuscript: D Döpfer, C Sekse, L Beutin, H Solheim, FJ van der Wal, A de Boer, JS Slettemeås, Y Wasteson, AM Urdahl, Pathogenic potential and horizontal gene transfer in ovine gastrointestinal Escherichia coli strains the usefulness of an extended characterization in outbreak source investigation, submitted to Journal of Applied Microbiology. poster: M van Tuil, FJ van der Wal, A de Boer, A Moers, A van Amerongen, Rapid methods to detect virulence factors of verotoxinogenic Escherichia coli in cattle, Rapid Methods Europe 2009, 26-28 januari 2009, Noordwijk, THe Netherlands. |