Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-offlight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is widely

Horizontal gene transfer is a key step in the evolution of bacterial pathogens. Besides phages and plasmids, pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are subjected to horizontal transfer. The transfer mechanisms of PAIs within a certain bacterial species or between different species are still not well understood. This study is focused on the High-Pathogenicity Island (HPI), which is a PAI widely spread among extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli and serves as a model for horizontal transfer of PAIs in general. We applied a phylogenetic approach using multilocus sequence typing on HPI-positive and -negative natural E. coli isolates representative of the species diversity to infer the mechanism of horizontal HPI transfer within the E. coli species. In each strain, the partial nucleotide sequences of 6 HPI–encoded genes and 6 housekeeping genes of the genomic backbone, as well as DNA fragments immediately upstream and downstream of the HPI were compared. This revealed that the HPI is not solely vertically transmitted, but that recombination of large DNA fragments beyond the HPI plays a major role in the spread of the HPI within E. coli species. In support of the results of the phylogenetic analyses, we experimentally demonstrated that HPI can be transferred between different E. coli strains by F-plasmid mediated mobilization. Sequencing of the chromosomal DNA regions immediately upstream and downstream of the HPI in the recipient strain indicated that the HPI was transferred and integrated together with HPI–flanking DNA regions of the donor strain. The results of this study demonstrate for the first time that conjugative transfer and homologous DNA recombination play a major role in horizontal transfer of a pathogenicity island within the species E. coli.

Infections due to extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are common in humans and animals and include urinary tract infections (from uropathogenic E. coli [UPEC]), septicemia, and wound infections. These infections result in significant morbidity and mortality and in high health care costs. In view of the increasing number of ExPEC infections and the ever-growing antibiotic resistance capability of ExPEC isolates, preventive measures such as an effective vaccine against ExPEC are desirable. An ExPEC vaccine may be cost-effective for select patient groups. Previous vaccine candidates consisted of single target proteins or whole ExPEC cells. Here we describe a subunit vaccine against ExPEC which is based on immunodominant epitopes of the virulence-associated ExPEC proteins FyuA, IroN, ChuA, IreA, Iha, and Usp. Using a novel approach of computer-aided design, two completely artificial genes were created, both encoding eight peptide domains derived from these ExPEC proteins. The recombinant expression of these two genes resulted in a protein vaccine directed against ExPEC but not against commensal E. coli of the gut flora. In mice, the vaccine was highly immunogenic, eliciting both strong humoral and cellular immune responses. Nasal application resulted in high secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) production, which was detectable on the mucosal surface of the urogenital tract. Finally, it conveyed protection, as shown by a significant reduction of bacterial load in a mouse model of ExPEC peritonitis. This study provides evidence that a novel vaccine design encompassing distinct epitopes of virulenceassociated ExPEC proteins may represent a means for providing a protective and pathogen-specific vaccine.

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