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In vivo transduction with shiga toxin 1-encoding phage
D W Acheson1, J Reidl, X Zhang
1Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases and Tupper Research Institute, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Infection and Immunity
|August 26, 1998
Summary
Researchers studied Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1)-converting phage H-19B intestinal transmission using Escherichia coli mutants. Mutants produced infectious phage but not active toxin, demonstrating phage replication in the gastrointestinal tract.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are significant human pathogens.
- Understanding the transmission dynamics of Shiga toxin-converting phages is crucial for controlling STEC infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the intestinal transmission of the Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1)-converting phage H-19B.
- To develop a model system for studying phage-host interactions in the gastrointestinal tract.
Main Methods:
- Tn10d-bla mutagenesis of an Escherichia coli H-19B lysogen.
- Isolation and characterization of Stx1 A subunit mutants.
- Assessment of phage production and toxin activity in vitro.
- Gastrointestinal tract transduction experiments in murine models.
Main Results:
- Two Stx1 A subunit mutants were successfully generated.
- These mutant lysogens produced infectious H-19B phage particles but lacked active Shiga toxin.
- The lysogens demonstrated the ability to transduce recipient E. coli strains within the murine gastrointestinal tract.
Conclusions:
- Lysogens of Shiga toxin-converting phages can generate infectious virions within the host gastrointestinal tract.
- This study provides a valuable tool for investigating the intestinal transmission of Shiga toxin-converting phages.