Epidemiological typing of enterhemorragic Escherichia coli strains by characterizing their plasmids and studying their bacteriophages.

Project Details

Description

The genes encoding the Shiga-like toxins are carried by temperate
bacteriophages. We will purify and characterize the temperate
bacteriophages present in human and bovine enterohemorragic Escherichia
coli (EHEC) strains. The bacteriophage regions flanking the sltII genes
will be amplified by IPCR and subsequently the nucleotide sequence of these
flanking regions will be determined. These sequences, determined for
different bacteriophages, will be compared with know bacteriophage
sequences and with each other. This analysis will allow to detect if there
is a link between bacteriophages isolated from bovine strains and from
human clinical isolates. If there is a link, this information would allow
in future to trace the origins of human EHEC strains and to prevent new
human infections.
AcronymOZR441
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/01/00 → 31/12/04

Keywords

  • toxins
  • bacteriophages
  • Plasmids

Flemish discipline codes

  • Basic sciences
  • Health sciences
  • Biological sciences