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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
The Citrobacter rodentium Mouse Model: Studying Pathogen and Host Contributions to Infectious Colitis
Published on: February 19, 2013
Comparison of bacteriological, genetic and pathological characters between Escherichia coli O115a,c:K(B) and
A Okutani1, T Tobe, C Sasakawa
1Laboratory of Veterinary, Public Health, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657.
Abstract:
Murine pathogenic Escherichia coli O115a,c:K(B) (MPEC) is the causative agent of mouse megaenteron, the pathology of which resembles that of transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia caused by Citrobacter rodentium. We compared their genetic and pathological features to reveal the relationship between these two bacteria. To evaluate the genetic distances, 16S rDNA genes were sequenced and biochemical reactions were tested. Mouse strain susceptibility tests, using CF1 MPEC-susceptible germfree mice and BALB/cA(Jic) resistant mice were performed. MPEC strains and C. rodentium showed more than 99.6% identity by comparison of 16S rDNA gene sequences. All results from biochemical reactions and the mouse strain susceptibility tests were identical. It is proposed that MPEC should be reclassified as C. rodentium.
