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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #98299
Title: IDENTIFICATION AND DETECTION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI O26 AND O111 USING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Author
item RIVERA BETANCOURT, MILDRED
item KEEN, JAMES

Submitted to: American Society of Microbiologists Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: E. coli O26 and O111 are classic enteropathogenic (EPEC) and emergent non-O157 enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) serotypes which can infect both humans and animals. Their clinical importance and prevalence is currently underestimated. To permit detection and identification of EHEC/EPEC O26 and O111, we generated two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs 12F5 and 15C4) from mice eimmunized with E. coli O26:H11 and O111:NM cells. The MAbs' sensitivity an specificity were evaluated by ELISA reactivity with 371 bacterial isolates. These included 285 E. coli (including 28 O26 and 25 O111) and 86 non-E. coli (57 Salmonella spp and 29 other Gram-negative bacteria). MAb 12F5 reacted with all 28 E. coli O26 strain and cross-reacted with two E. coli O-:NM strains. MAb 15C4 reacted with all 25 E. coli O111 and did not cross-react with any other bacteria tested. The anti-E. coli O111 MAb reacted with Salmonella O35 which was expected since this Salmonella O antigen is identical to E. coli O111. Specificity of both MAbs for their relevant LPS O-antigen was confirmed by SDS-PAGE followed by Western blots. The high diagnostic accuracy of these two MAbs may permit their use as immunoreagents for detection of EPEC and EHEC O26 and O111 in clinical specimens or food products and as serotyping reagents. We have used these two MAbs in combination with PCR for Shiga-toxin genes to identify Stx-positive E. coli O26 and O111 infected cattle herds.