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Colicin production and serum resistance in pathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from humans in north east Brazil

Glauce Brennand^I; Marcelo Magalhães^I; Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira^II

^ILaboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami and Departamento de Medicina Tropical, CCS, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50739 Recife, PE, Brasil
^IILaboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami and Departamento de Biofísica e Radiobiologia, CCB, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50739 Recife, PE, Brasil. Send correspondence to L.C.S.F.

ABSTRACT

Six pathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated in Recife (Brazil) were analyzed for the presence of virulence-associated factors. All strains were resistant to the human serum complement lytic effect, carried antibiotic-resistant markers and harbored plasmids of diverse molecular weights. One isolate, E. coli 3116 strain, was proficient in the synthesis of colicin V and hemolysin. The E. coli 3116 strain contained a 128 MD plasmid which coded for colicin V, haemolysin production, and resistance to antibiotics, as could be demonstrated by conjugation and plasmid curing experiments. Eletrophoretic analysis of transconjugants and plasmid-cured derivatives of the 3116 strain showed that serum resistance was not a plasmid coded trait. The distinct genetic basis of colicin V production and serum resistance is discussed.

Keywords: Colicin; Serum resistance; Escherichia coli.

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