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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #380238
Research Project: Molecular Characterization of Foodborne Pathogen Responses to Stress

Location: Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens

Title: Complete genome sequence of Escherichia coli strain FEX669, a ColV plasmid-containing isolate from retail chicken meat

Author
item ELDERS, JACOB - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Liu, Yanhong
item Kanrar, Siddhartha
item Gehring, Andrew
item Sommers, Christopher
item JOHNSTON, BRIAN - University Of Minnesota
item JOHNSON, JAMES - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Microbiology Resource Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/2021
Publication Date: 2/25/2021
Citation: Elders, J., Liu, Y., Kanrar, S., Gehring, A.G., Sommers, C.H., Johnston, B.D., Johnson, J.R. 2021. Complete genome sequence of Escherichia coli strain FEX669, a ColV plasmid-containing isolate from retail chicken meat. Microbiology Resource Announcements. 10(8):e01340. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01340-20.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01340-20

Interpretive Summary: Harmful bacteria known as extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are important causes of diseases, including urinary tract infections, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Food may be a source of ExPEC strains that cause human infections; therefore, a better understanding of the similarities between human ExPEC and strains found in animals is needed. In this research, the DNA sequence representing the genome (complete set of genes/genetic material in a bacterium) of an ExPEC strain known as FEX669, recovered from retail ground chicken, was determined. The genomic information from this strain provides useful information to understand if poultry is an important source for human ExPEC infections since the DNA sequence of strains from humans and food can be compared. This research helps in identifying hazards in the food supply and in preventing human illness caused by ExPEC.

Technical Abstract: Escherichia coli strain FEX669 was isolated from retail ground chicken and shown by PCR to contain the extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) virulence genes sfaD/focC and iutA. Because this presumptive ExPEC strain was isolated from a retail food item, it was characterized to determine its virulence potential using whole genome sequencing with the PacBio RSII platform (Pacific Biosciences, Menlo Park, CA, US). Genomic analysis shows that the FEX669 chromosome is 4,973,943 bp in length, with 50.47% GC, and is accompanied by a ColV plasmid 237,102 bp in length, with 50.49% GC. This strain shows high genomic similarity (99% sequence identity, 93% coverage) to strain NRG857C, a sequenced intestinal isolate from a human patient with Crohn’s disease.