Journal of Microbiology

Journal Article

NOTE] Mutations Upregulating the flhDC Operon of Escherichia coli K-12: Changhan Lee , Chankyu Park; J. Microbiol. 2013;51(1):140-144. Published online March 2, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-013-2212-z

Abstract: Bacterial motility is governed by the flhDC master operon that is under the control of factors like OmpR, LrhA, HdfR, and H-NS. Previously, derivatives of the wild-type MG1655 strain of E. coli K-12 with enhanced motility were found to contain insertion sequences (ISs) in the regulatory region of the flhDC operon. Here, we report that not only integrations of IS insertion sequences into the regulatory region of the flhDC operon, but also a missense mutation in the lrhA gene enhances motility by relieving transcriptional repression of the flhDC operon. Two novel IS insertions were found upstream of flhDC. So far, the relationships between the transacting factors and the cis-acting regulatory sequences associated with the flhDC operon have not been clearly established. In this study, it was found that effects of the cis- and trans-acting mutations were acting in parallel, suggesting their apparently independent regulation of flagellar expression.

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Phenotypic and Genotypic Differences of the Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Isolates from Humans and Poultry in Korea: Jae Young Oh , Seunghun An , Jong Sook Jin , You Chul Lee , Dong Teak Cho , Je Chul Lee; J. Microbiol. 2007;45(5):466-472.; DOI: https://doi.org/2588 [pii]

Abstract: A total of 98 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) isolates (58 isolates from patients and 40 isolates from poultry) were compared based on their antimicrobial susceptibility, Tn1546 element organization, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. This comparison aided in determining the relationships between the groups of isolates. All the VREF isolates harbored the vanA gene; however, 29 (29.6%) of the isolates exhibited the VanB phenotype-vanA genotype. Furthermore, the VREF isolates from humans and poultry exhibited distinct antimicrobial resistance patterns. The PCR mapping of the Tn1546 elements exhibited 12 different transposon types (A to L). The VREF isolates of poultry were classified into types A to D, whereas the human isolates were classified into types E to L. A PFGE analysis demonstrated a high degree of clonal heterogeneity in both groups of isolates; however, the distinct VREF clones appeared in each group of isolates. The deletion of the vanX-vanY genes or insertion of IS1216V in the intergenic region from the vanX-vanY genes is directly associated with the incongruence of the VanB phenotype-vanA genotype in human VREF isolates. These data suggest that the VREF isolates exhibit distinct phenotypic and genotypic traits according to their origins, which suggests that no evidence exists to substantiate the clonal spread or transfer of vancomycin resistance determinants between humans and poultry.

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