Stationary-phase acid resistance and injury of recent bovine Escherichia coli O157 and non-O157 biotype I Escherichia coli isolatest.

Stationary-phase acid resistance and the induction of acid resistance were assessed for recent bovine carcass isolates of Escherichia coli, including 39 serotype O157 strains and 20 non-O157 strains. When grown to stationary phase in the absence of glucose and without prior acid exposure, there was a range of responses to a pH challenge of 6 h at pH 2.5. However, populations of 53 of the 59 E. coli isolates examined were reduced by less than 2.00 log CFU/ml, and populations of 24 of these isolates were reduced by less than 1.00 log CFU/ml. In contrast, there was little variation in population reductions when the E. coli were grown with glucose and preadapted to acidic conditions. With few exceptions, acid adaptation improved survival to the acid challenge, with 57 of the 59 isolates exhibiting a log reduction of less than 0.50. Differences in acid resistance or the ability to adapt to acidic conditions between E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 commensal E. coli were not observed. However, we did find that the E. coli O157 were disposed to greater acid injury after the low pH challenge than the non-O157 E. coli, both for cells that were and were not adapted to acidic conditions before the challenge. The enhancement of low pH survival after acid adaptation that was seen among these recent natural isolates of E. coli O157 further supports the idea that the previous environment of this pathogen should be a consideration when designing microbial safety strategies for foods preserved by low pH and acid.

Screening bovine carcass sponge samples for Escherichia coli O157 using a short enrichment coupled with immunomagnetic separation and a polymerase chain reaction-based (BAX) detection stept.

A bovine carcass sponge sample screening protocol for detecting Escherichia coli O157:H7 was composed of a short selective enrichment followed by an immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and target detection using the BAX E. coli O157 polymerase chain reaction assay. This screening protocol was compared to a culture-based method for detection of the organism in carcass sponge samples. Enriched samples were subjected to IMS; the bead suspension was divided and plated on selected media or stored at -20 degrees C, then subjected to BAX analysis. The results showed a high degree of agreement between the plating method and the BAX system. Fifty-two of the 59 culture-positive samples were also positive using the BAX system (88.1% sensitivity). Of the 76 samples that appeared negative for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 by the culture method, 66 were determined as negative using the BAX system (86.8% specificity). Four of the 10 samples found negative by the initial culture method and positive by the BAX method were subsequently found to be culture positive upon reanalysis. Based on these data, the BAX system combined with a short, selective enrichment and IMS may be a rapid, reliable, and simple method to screen for E. coli O157:H7 in carcass sponge samples. Our data indicate that optimization and subsequent testing of this protocol for use as a carcass screening tool are warranted.

Genotypic analyses of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and O157 nonmotile isolates recovered from beef cattle and carcasses at processing plants in the Midwestern states of the United States.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and O157 nonmotile isolates (E. coli O157) previously were recovered from feces, hides, and carcasses at four large Midwestern beef processing plants (R. O. Elder, J. E. Keen, G. R. Siragusa, G. A. Barkocy-Gallagher, M. Koohmaraie, and W. W. Laegreid, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:2999-3003, 2000). The study implied relationships between cattle infection and carcass contamination within single-source lots as well as between preevisceration and postprocessing carcass contamination, based on prevalence. These relationships now have been verified based on identification of isolates by genomic fingerprinting. E. coli O157 isolates from all positive samples were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA after digestion with XbaI. Seventy-seven individual subtypes (fingerprint patterns) grouping into 47 types were discerned among 343 isolates. Comparison of the fingerprint patterns revealed three clusters of isolates, two of which were closely related to each other. Remarkably, isolates carrying both Shiga toxin genes and nonmotile isolates largely fell into specific clusters. Within lots analyzed, 68.2% of the postharvest (carcass) isolates matched preharvest (animal) isolates. For individual carcasses, 65.3 and 66.7% of the isolates recovered postevisceration and in the cooler, respectively, matched those recovered preevisceration. Multiple isolates were analyzed from some carcass samples and were found to include strains with different genotypes. This study suggests that most E. coli O157 carcass contamination originates from animals within the same lot and not from cross-contamination between lots. In addition, the data demonstrate that most carcass contamination occurs very early during processing.

Correlation of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 prevalence in feces, hides, and carcasses of beef cattle during processing.

A survey was performed to estimate the frequency of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 or O157:nonmotile (EHEC O157) in feces and on hides within groups of fed cattle from single sources (lots) presented for slaughter at meat processing plants in the Midwestern United States, as well as frequency of carcass contamination during processing from cattle within the same lots. Of 29 lots sampled, 72% had at least one EHEC O157-positive fecal sample and 38% had positive hide samples. Overall, EHEC O157 prevalence in feces and on hides was 28% (91 of 327) and 11% (38 of 355), respectively. Carcass samples were taken at three points during processing: preevisceration, postevisceration before antimicrobial intervention, and postprocessing after carcasses entered the cooler. Of 30 lots sampled, 87% had at least one EHEC O157-positive preevisceration sample, 57% of lots were positive postevisceration, and 17% had positive postprocessing samples. Prevalence of EHEC O157 in the three postprocessing samples was 43% (148 of 341), 18% (59 of 332) and 2% (6 of 330), respectively. Reduction in carcass prevalence from preevisceration to postprocessing suggests that sanitary procedures were effective within the processing plants. Fecal and hide prevalence were significantly correlated with carcass contamination (P = 0.001), indicating a role for control of EHEC O157 in live cattle.

Activities of the Porphyromonas gingivalis PrtP proteinase determined by construction of prtP-deficient mutants and expression of the gene in Bacteroides species.

PrtP is a major cysteine proteinase of Porphyromonas gingivalis. The gene encoding this proteinase, prtP, was cloned into the Escherichia coli-Bacteroides shuttle vectors pFD288 and pFD340 and was expressed in Bacteroides cells, apparently under the control of its own promoter, when in pFD288, or a Bacteroides promoter present on pFD340. Proteolytically active PrtP was detected by fibrinogen zymography in cells or spent growth medium of several Bacteroides species harboring the recombinant plasmids. The proteinase was recovered from Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285(pFD340-prtP) cells by 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethyl-ammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) extraction and characterized with regard to exopeptidase specificity and sensitivity to proteinase inhibitors. Lys-amidolytic activity, but not Arg-amidolytic activity, was detected. PrtP was activated by cysteine and, to a lesser extent, dithiothreitol, and it was stimulated by glycine-containing compounds. It also was inhibited by Nalpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) and, to a lesser extent, H-D-Tyr-L-Pro-L-arginyl chloromethyl ketone (YPRCK) and was relatively insensitive to EDTA and leupeptin. Neither B. fragilis ATCC 25285(pFD340-prtP) cells nor the CHAPS extract effected hemagglutination of sheep red blood cells or collagen cleavage, but the cells did cleave gelatin. Furthermore, P. gingivalis W12, ATCC 33277, KDP110, and HG66 with knockout mutations in prtP were constructed by allelic replacement. Unlike the parent strains, the mutant strains produced beige colonies on plates containing sheep blood. These strains also were affected in their ability to effect hemagglutination, cleave collagen, and cleave a Lys-specific peptide substrate. This report presents the results of the first characterization of the PrtP proteinase clearly in the absence of any influence by other P. gingivalis proteins and describes the properties of P. gingivalis cells defective in the production of PrtP.

Analysis of the prtP gene encoding porphypain, a cysteine proteinase of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The cloning and sequencing of the gene encoding porphypain, a cysteine proteinase previously isolated from detergent extracts of the Porphyromonas gingivalis W12 cell surface, are described. The prtP gene encoded a unique protein of 1,732 amino acids, including a putative signal sequence for protein secretion. The predicted molecular mass for the mature protein was 186 kDa, which was close to the observed molecular mass of 180 kDa. There was one copy of prtP in the genomes of seven P. gingivalis strains examined. The gene was located 5' to a region with a high degree of homology to the insertion element IS1126 in P. gingivalis W12. The PrtP protein had regions of high homology to HagA, a hemagglutinin of P. gingivalis, and to several purported proteinases of P. gingivalis that have Arg-X specificity. A detailed comparison of genes encoding the latter and cpgR suggested that rgp-1, prpR1, prtR, agp, cpgR, and possibly prtH were derived from identical genetic loci. Although an rgp-1-like locus was detected in seven P. gingivalis strains by Southern blot analyses, agp and cpgR were not detected, not even in the strains from which they were originally isolated. In addition, at least 20 copies of a repeat region common to PrtP, the Rgp-1-like proteins, and HagA were observed in each of the seven genomes examined. The repeat region hybridization patterns for strains W83 and W50 were very similar, and they were identical for strains 381 and ATCC 33277, providing further evidence that these strains are closely related genetically.

Thirty-three amino acids of the mature moiety of an unprocessed maltose-binding protein are sufficient for export in Escherichia coli.

Maltose-binding protein (MBP) is translocated across the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli; successful export depends on information in both the signal peptide and the mature moiety of the protein. To determine the shortest portion of the mature region that would maintain detectable entry of MBP into the export pathway, we took advantage of the properties of an MBP species with proline substituted in the +1 position relative to the cleavage site (MBP27-P). This protein efficiently crosses the cytoplasmic membrane but is not processed and acts as a competitive inhibitor of signal peptidase I (leader peptidase). Export of MBP27-P is measured by the inhibition of processing of other proteins, such as ribose-binding protein (RBP). A series of truncated derivatives of MBP27-P were tested for the ability to inhibit processing of RBP. An MBP27-P species with only 33 amino acids of the mature moiety inhibited processing of RBP, indicating that this truncated polypeptide was probably exported and interacted with signal peptidase I.

Beta-turn formation in the processing region is important for efficient maturation of Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein by signal peptidase I in vivo.

Signal peptidase I (also called leader peptidase) is the endopeptidase that removes the signal peptides of most secreted proteins during or after translocation in Escherichia coli. Precursor recognition is contingent in part on the presence of small, uncharged residues in the -3 and -1 positions relative to the cleavage site, and may also depend on the structure of the processing region. Most precursor processing regions include residues likely to form a beta-turn. Mutations were introduced into the processing region of maltose-binding protein (MBP) that altered the prediction of beta-turn formation in this region. MBP species with a decreased probability of beta-turn formation were processed slowly or not at all, whereas MBP species with an increased probability of beta-turn formation were processed efficiently. Mutations altering the prediction of beta-turn formation in the MBP processing region were also made in cis to a proline in the +1 position. Cleavage at the normal processing site is blocked by proline in the +1 position; this MBP species, MBP27-P, inhibits processing of other proteins by signal peptidase I. Decreasing the probability of beta-turn formation in the processing region of MBP27-P eliminated the inhibition of signal peptidase I, and these MBP27-P derivatives remained unprocessed, suggesting that the formation of a beta-turn in the MBP processing region was necessary for recognition by signal peptidase I. Increasing the probability of beta-turn formation in cis to proline at +1 in MBP did not alter recognition of the protein by the processing enzyme. The results presented here are consistent with the hypothesis that the efficiency of recognition and processing by signal peptidase I is increased by the formation of a beta-turn in the processing region of the MBP signal peptide.

Developmentally excised sequences in micronuclear DNA of Paramecium.

DNA processing occurs in ciliates at autogamy and conjugation when new macronuclei are formed from micronuclei and old macronuclei degrade. Processing of micronuclear DNA consists of removal of certain internal sequences, chromosomal fragmentation, addition of new telomeres, and amplification. Aside from a recent brief report, internal eliminated sequences have not been described in Paramecium. In this paper we characterize nine internal eliminated sequences found within and near the gene that codes for surface protein A in Paramecium tetraurelia. Of these nine, seven are located within the translated portion of the gene, and all include short, inverted terminal repeats. The characteristic sequence, TA, appears at the boundaries of all of the internal eliminated sequences.

In vitro processing by signal peptidase I of precursor maltose-binding protein species with alterations in and around the signal peptide.

Processing of 37 precursor maltose-binding protein (preMBP) species by purified signal peptidase I (SPase I) was assayed. The in vitro reaction was inefficient compared to processing in Escherichia coli cells. The extent of preMBP processing in vitro was higher when SPase I was present during translation as compared to processing after translation was arrested by chloramphenicol. Complete conversion of wild-type (wt) preMBP (greater than 90%) to mature protein required 4300-fold more enzyme than substrate during a 15 min reaction. Most preMBP species with alterations in the signal peptide processing region that were efficiently processed (greater than 85%) in vivo were also processed in vitro, although the efficiency of processing was usually lower than the corresponding in vivo value. Increasing the level of SPase I in the in vitro reaction often increased the extent of preMBP processing. A number of amino acid substitutions in the processing region that drastically reduced or eliminated processing in vivo also eliminated processing in vitro. Processing occurred at an alternate site in some mutant preMBP species in vivo, but this event occurred very inefficiently in vitro. Amino acid substitutions in the hydrophobic core or in the charged regions at the N-terminus of the signal peptide and early mature region of preMBP slightly reduced in vitro processing as compared to processing of wt preMBP, regardless of their effect on secretion in vivo.

Synthesis of precursor maltose-binding protein with proline in the +1 position of the cleavage site interferes with the activity of Escherichia coli signal peptidase I in vivo.

The residues occupying the -3 and -1 positions relative to the cleavage site of secretory precursor proteins are usually amino acids with small, neutral side chains that are thought to constitute the recognition site for the processing enzyme, signal peptidase. No restrictions have been established for residues positioned +1 to the cleavage site, although there have been several indications that mutant precursor proteins with a proline at +1 cannot be processed by Escherichia coli signal peptidase I (also called leader peptidase). A maltose-binding protein (MBP) species with proline at +1, designated MBP27-P, was translocated efficiently but not processed when expressed in E. coli cells. Unexpectedly, induced expression of MBP27-P was found to have an adverse effect on the processing kinetics of five different nonlipoprotein precursors analyzed, but not precursor Lpp (the major outer membrane lipoprotein) processed by a different enzyme, signal peptidase II. Cell growth also was inhibited following induction of MBP27-P synthesis. Substitutions in the MBP27-P signal peptide that blocked MBP translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane and, hence, access to the processing enzyme or that altered the signal peptidase I recognition site at position -1 restored both normal growth and processing of other precursors. Since overproduction of signal peptidase I also restored normal growth and processing to cells expressing unaltered MBP27-P, it was concluded that precursor MBP27-P interferes with the activity of the processing enzyme, probably by competing as a noncleavable substrate for the enzyme's active site. Thus, although signal peptidase I, like many other proteases, is unable to cleave an X-Pro bond, a proline at +1 does not prevent the enzyme from recognizing the normal processing site. When the RBP signal peptide was substituted for the MBP signal peptide of MBP27-P, the resultant hybrid protein was processed somewhat inefficiently at an alternate cleavage site and elicited a much reduced effect on cell growth and signal peptidase I activity. Although the MBP signal peptide also has an alternate cleavage site, the different properties of the RBP and MBP signal peptides with regard to the substitution of proline at +1 may be related to their respective secondary structures in the processing site region.

Maturation of Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein by signal peptidase I in vivo. Sequence requirements for efficient processing and demonstration of an alternate cleavage site.

Comparative analyses of a number of secretory proteins processed by eukaryotic and prokaryotic signal peptidases have identified a strongly conserved feature regarding the residues positioned -3 and -1 relative to the cleavage site. These 2 residues of the signal peptide are thought to constitute a recognition site for the processing enzyme and are usually amino acids with small, neutral side chains. It was shown previously that the substitution of aspartic acid for alanine at -3 of the Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) signal peptide blocked maturation by signal peptidase I but had no noticeable effect or MBP translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane of its biological activity. This identified an excellent system in which to undertake a detailed investigation of the structural requirements and limitations for the cleavage site. In vitro mutagenesis was used to generate 14 different amino acid substitutions at -3 and 13 different amino acid substitutions at -1 of the MBP signal peptide. The maturation of the mutant precursor species expressed in vivo was examined. Overall, the results obtained agreed fairly well with statistically derived models of signal peptidase I specificity, except that cysteine was found to permit efficient processing when present at either -3 and -1, and threonine at -1 resulted in inefficient processing. Interestingly, it was found that substitutions at -1 which blocked processing at the normal cleavage site redirected processing, with varying efficiencies, to an alternate site in the signal peptide represented by the Ala-X-Ala sequence at positions -5 to -3. The substitution of aspartic acid for alanine at -5 blocked processing at this alternate site but not the normal site. The amino acids occupying the -5 and -3 positions in many other prokaryotic signal peptides also have the potential for constituting alternate processing sites. This appears to represent another example of redundant information contained within the signal peptide.