The Yersinia high-pathogenicity island is present in different members of the family Enterobacteriaceae

Abstract

A pathogenicity island termed high-pathogenicity island (HPI) is present in pathogenic Yersinia. This 35 to 45 kb island carries genes involved in synthesis, regulation and transport of the siderophore yersiniabactin. Recently, the HPI was also detected in various strains of Escherichia coli. In this study, the distribution of the HPI in the family Enterobacteriaceae was investigated. Among the 67 isolates pertaining to 18 genera and 52 species tested, nine (13.4%) harbored the island. These isolates were three E. coli, one Citrobacter diversus and five Klebsiella of various species (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis, Klebsiella ozaenae, Klebsiella planticola, and Klebsiella oxytoca). As in Yersinia sp., all nine isolates synthesized the HPI-encoded iron-repressible proteins HMWP1 and HMWP2. In the K. oxytoca strain, the right-end portion of the HPI was deleted, whereas the entire core region of the island was present in the eight other enterobacteria strains analyzed. In most of these isolates, the HPI was bordered by an asn tRNA locus, as in Yersinia sp. This report thus demonstrates the spread of the HPI among various members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. ß

Evaluation of pathogenicity islands in uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from patients with urinary catheters

“…In a study by Sabate et al, PAI IV536 was found most frequently in both commensal and UPEC isolates from patients with pyelonephritis and urinary sepsis [14]. In most studies worldwide, the presence of PAI IV536 in the Enterobacteriace family is documented, and this marker is known as broad-hostrange PAI or high-pathogenicity island (HPI) [11,18,19]. Our results also showed that one UPEC isolate from patients with an implanted catheter and four UPEC isolates from patients without urinary catheters suffering from sepsis carried only PAI IV536 as a single PAI marker.…”

Epidemic Spread of Symbiotic and Non-Symbiotic Bradyrhizobium Genotypes Across California

“…The acquisition of plasmids and genomic islands has been implicated in epidemic outbreaks, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Yersinia spp. [6][7][8]. But in natural settings, we understand little about how bacterial strains vary in their capacity to dominate local sites or host populations or to spread among sites across ecological barriers.…”

Ribotyping and virulence markers of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains isolated from animals in Brazil

“…The HPI of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis comprises a core consisting of 11 genes denominated psn; ybtE, T, U, A, P, Q, X, S; irp1 and irp2, which are involved in the biosynthesis, regulation, and transport of the siderophore yersiniabactin. The HPI also carries genes encoding the insertion element IS100 in Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis (Bach et al 2000). The island is inserted in the bacterial chromosome at an asn-tRNA locus which contains a bacteriophage P4-like attachment site at its 3'-end.…”

“…The island is inserted in the bacterial chromosome at an asn-tRNA locus which contains a bacteriophage P4-like attachment site at its 3'-end. Adjacent to this locus is a gene homologous to the integrase gene of bacteriophage P4 (Bach et al 2000). The HPI of Y. pseudotuberculosis is serotype dependent.…”