George C. Paoli

Capture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Using Immunomagnetic Beads of Different Size and Antibody Conjugating Chemistry.

Immunomagnetic beads (IMB) were synthesized using anti-Escherichia coli O157 antibodies and magnetic beads of two different sizes (1 μm and 2.6 to 2.8 μm) that contained a streptavidin coating, activated carboxyl groups or tosylated surfaces. The synthesized IMB, together with a commercially available IMB, were used to capture different strains of E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:NM. The E. coli capture was measured by the time resolved fluorescence (TRF) intensity using a sandwich assay which we have previously demonstrated of having a sensitivity of 1 CFU/g after 4.5 hour enrichment [1]. The analyses of measured TRF intensity and determined antibody surface concentration indicated that larger beads provided higher response signals than smaller beads and were more effective in capturing the target of interest in pure culture and ground beef. In addition, while each type of IMB showed different favorable capture of E. coli O157:H7, streptavidin-coated IMB elicited the highest response, on average. Streptavidin-coated IMB also provided an economic benefit, costing less than

The Use of a Novel NanoLuc -Based Reporter Phage for the Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7

0.50 per assay. The results could be used to guide the proper choice of IMB for applications in developing detection processes for E. coli O157:H7.

Antibody Microarray for E. coli O157:H7 and Shiga Toxin in Microtiter Plates

Rapid detection of the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 is of vital importance for public health worldwide. Among detection methods, reporter phages represent unique and sensitive tools for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 from food as they are host-specific and able to differentiate live cells from dead ones. Upon infection, target bacteria become identifiable since reporter genes are expressed from the engineered phage genome. The E. coli O157:H7 bacteriophage ΦV10 was modified to express NanoLuc luciferase (Nluc) derived from the deep-sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris. Once infected by the ΦV10 reporter phage, E. coli O157:H7 produces a strong bioluminescent signal upon addition of commercial luciferin (Nano-Glo®). Enrichment assays using E. coli O157:H7 grown in LB broth with a reporter phage concentration of 1.76 × 102 pfu ml−1 are capable of detecting approximately 5 CFU in 7 hours. Comparable detection was achieved within 9 hours using 9.23 × 103 pfu ml−1 of phage in selective culture enrichments of ground beef as a representative food matrix. Therefore we conclude that this NanoLuc reporter phage assay shows promise for detection of E. coli O157:H7 from food in a simple, fast and sensitive manner.

Genetically Marked Strains of Shiga Toxin-Producing O157:H7 and Non-O157 Escherichia coli: Tools for Detection and Modeling.

Antibody microarray is a powerful analytical technique because of its inherent ability to simultaneously discriminate and measure numerous analytes, therefore making the technique conducive to both the multiplexed detection and identification of bacterial analytes (i.e., whole cells, as well as associated metabolites and/or toxins). We developed a sandwich fluorescent immunoassay combined with a high-throughput, multiwell plate microarray detection format. Inexpensive polystyrene plates were employed containing passively adsorbed, array-printed capture antibodies. During sample reaction, centrifugation was the only strategy found to significantly improve capture, and hence detection, of bacteria (pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7) to planar capture surfaces containing printed antibodies. Whereas several other sample incubation techniques (e.g., static vs. agitation) had minimal effect. Immobilized bacteria were labeled with a red-orange-fluorescent dye (Alexa Fluor 555) conjugated antibody to allow for quantitative detection of the captured bacteria with a laser scanner. Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) could be simultaneously detected along with the cells, but none of the agitation techniques employed during incubation improved detection of the relatively small biomolecule. Under optimal conditions, the assay had demonstrated limits of detection of ~5.8 × 105 cells/mL and 110 ng/mL for E. coli O157:H7 and Stx1, respectively, in a ~75 min total assay time.

Whole-Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Serotype O157:H7 Strain PA20.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is an important group of foodborne pathogens in the United States and worldwide. Nearly half of STEC-induced diarrheal disease in the United States is caused by serotype O157:H7, while non-O157 STEC account for the remaining illnesses. Thus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service has instituted regulatory testing of beef products and has a zero-tolerance policy for regulatory samples that test positive for STEC O157:H7 and six other non-O157 STEC (serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). In this study, positive control (PC) strains for the detection of STEC O157:H7 and the six USDA-regulated non-O157 STEC were constructed. To ensure that the food testing samples are not cross-contaminated by the PC sample, it is important that the STEC-PC strains are distinguishable from STEC isolated from test samples. The PC strains were constructed by integrating a unique DNA target sequence and a gene for spectinomycin (Sp) resistance into the chromosomes of the seven STEC strains. End-point and real-time PCR assays were developed for the specific detection of the PC strains and were tested using 93 strains of E. coli (38 STEC O157:H7, at least 6 strains of each of the USDA-regulated non-O157 STEC, and 2 commensal E. coli) and 51 strains of other bacteria (30 species from 20 genera). The PCR assays demonstrated high specificity for the unique target sequence. The target sequence was detectable by PCR after 10 culture passages (∼100 generations), demonstrating the stability of the integrated target sequence. In addition, the strains were tested for their potential use in modeling the growth of STEC. Plating the PC strains mixed with ground beef flora on modified rainbow agar containing Sp eliminated the growth of the background flora that grew on modified rainbow agar without Sp. Thus, these strains could be used to enumerate and model the growth of STEC in the presence of foodborne background flora.

Sulfamethoxazole – Trimethoprim represses csgD but maintains virulence genes at 30°C in a clinical Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolate

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 strain PA20 is a Pennsylvania Department of Health clinical isolate. It has been used to study biofilm formation in O157:H7 clinical isolates, where the high incidence of prophage insertions in the mlrA transcription factor disrupts traditional csgD biofilm regulation. Here, we report the complete PA20 genome sequence.

Advantages of Virulotyping Pathogens Over Traditional Identification and Characterization Methods

The high frequency of prophage insertions in the mlrA gene of clinical serotype O157:H7 isolates renders such strains deficient in csgD-dependent biofilm formation but prophage induction may restore certain mlrA properties. In this study we used transcriptomics to study the effect of high and low sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim (SMX-TM) concentrations on prophage induction, biofilm regulation, and virulence gene expression in strain PA20 under environmental conditions following 5-hour and 12-hour exposures in broth or on agar. SMX-TM at a sub-lethal concentration induced strong RecA expression resulting in concentration- and time-dependent major transcriptional shifts with emphasis on up-regulation of genes within horizontally-transferred chromosomal regions (HTR). Neither high or low levels of SMX-TM stimulated csgD expression at either time point, but both levels resulted in slight repression. Full expression of Ler-dependent genes paralleled expression of group 1 pch homologues in the presence of high glrA. Finally, stx2 expression, which is strongly dependent on prophage induction, was enhanced at 12 hours but repressed at five hours, in spite of early SOS initiation by the high SMX-TM concentration. Our findings indicate that, similar to host conditions, exposure to environmental conditions increased the expression of virulence genes in a clinical isolate but genes involved in the protective biofilm response were repressed.

Applications of immunomagnetic capture and time-resolved fluorescence detection for Salmonella enteriditis in liquid eggs

This chapter provides an overview regarding the advantages of virulotyping over historic serology-based, PCR, based on genes that identify an organism, or enzymatic and biochemical-based analyses of foodborne pathogens in clinical diagnostics and food industry microbiology testing. Traditional identification and characterization methods are designed to detect a given genus, species, serovar or genetic variant of bacteria via enzymatic, genetic or biochemical characterization. Virulotyping is a technique that identifies specific virulence genes within the pathogen’s genome; thus having the discriminatory power to differentiate between a virulent and an avirulent (nonpathogenic) strain of bacterium within a species. As an example, the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) methods for detection, isolation and identification of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) use the presence of the eae and stx genes as an initial screen after selective culture enrichment to determine if an adulterant STEC may be present in a raw beef verification sample and as a confirmatory screen of STEC isolates. While virulence testing for STEC is just one example of potential advantages of virulotyping, further benefits may also be realized from virulotyping other common foodborne pathogens (e.g., Campylobacter spp., Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes), should avirulent subgroups one day be identified. While PCR and microarray analyses are currently used to perform virulotyping, genome sequencing-based methods may be a more robust and discriminatory technique, when they become practicable for food safety testing and clinical diagnostics. A potential future virulotyping-based medical diagnostics and food testing system might be envisioned in the United States, which could prevent illnesses.

SPR biosensor for the detection of L. monocytogenes using phage-displayed antibody.

An immuno sandwich method was evaluated for the detection of Salmonella in liquid eggs. Liquid eggs spiked with different out-break strains of Salmonella were mixed with proper enrichment media and incubated at 37 C for 4 to 20 h. After enrichment, immunomagnetic beads (IMB) coated with anti Salmonella antibodies were used to capture the bacteria. Samarium (Sm) labeled anti Salmonella antibodies were then used to form sandwiched complexes with IMB captured bacteria. Sandwiched Salmonella were then treated with Sm-chelator to allow the measurement of the released Sm by time-resolved fluorescence (TRF). The processes ranging from IMB capture to Sm chelation were performed using an automated KingFisher apparatus. With this approach, the presence of ~ 1 CFU of outbreak strains of Salmonella Enteritidis per egg (~50 g of liquid eggs) could be detected after enrichment for 20 h at 37 C. For higher levels of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination, e.g., 10 CFU per 50 g of liquid eggs, the enrichment time could be reduced to 5 h at 37 C. The results demonstrated that a combination of IMB capture and TRF measurement could be a rapid and sensitive method for Salmonella Enteritidis detection in liquid eggs.