One chromosomal virulence marker of Yersinia is the gene ail, which encodes Ail, an outer membrane protein that promotes attachment and invasion. A high correlation has been found between the ail gene and the virulence of Yersinia. Here, we report two Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1A strains that are usually nonpathogenic and carry the ail gene. The ail gene sequences of biotype 1A strains displayed similarity to the bioserotype 1B/O:8 strain 8081. The finding suggests that ail-based detection methods for Y. enterocolitica alone are insufficient to detect real pathogenic strains.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BliskaJB, FalkowS. Bacterial resistance to complement killing mediated by the Ail protein of Yersinia enterocolitica. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1992; 89:3561–3565.
2.
CheyneBM, Van DykeMI, AndersonWB, HuckPM. The detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in surface water by quantitative PCR amplification of the ail and yadA genes. J Water Health, 2010; 8:487–499.
3.
FalcaoJP, FalcaoDP, Pitondo-SilvaA, MalaspinaAC, BrocchiM. Molecular typing and virulence markers of Yersinia enterocolitica strains from human, animal and food origins isolated between 1968 and 2000 in Brazil. J Med Microbiol, 2006; 55:1539–1548.
4.
JalavaJ, KotilainenP, NikkariS, SkurnikM, VanttinenE, LehtonenOP, EerolaE, ToivanenP. Use of the polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing for detection of Bartonella quintana in the aortic valve of a patient with culture-negative infective endocarditis. Clin Infect Dis, 1995; 21:891–896.
5.
KotilainenP, JalavaJ, MeurmanO, LehtonenOP, RintalaE, SeppalaOP, EerolaE, NikkariS. Diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis by broad-range bacterial PCR with cerebrospinal fluid. J Clin Microbiol, 1998; 36:2205–2209.
6.
LambertzST, NilssonC, HallanvuoS, LindbladM. Real-time PCR method for detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in food. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2008; 74:6060–6067.
7.
MillerVL, FarmerJJ3rd, HillWE, FalkowS. The ail locus is found uniquely in Yersinia enterocolitica serotypes commonly associated with disease. Infect Immun, 1989; 57:121–131.
8.
SihvonenLM, HaukkaK, KuusiM, VirtanenMJ, SiitonenA. YE Study Group. Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. enterocolitica-like species in clinical stool specimens of humans: identification and prevalence of bio/serotypes in Finland. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2009; 28:757–765.
9.
Thisted LambertzS, Ballagi-PordanyA, NilssonA, NorbergP, Danielsson-ThamML. A comparison between a PCR method and a conventional culture method for detecting pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in food. J Appl Bacteriol, 1996; 81:303–308.
10.
ThoernerP, Bin KingombeCI, Bogli-StuberK, Bissig-ChoisatB, WassenaarTM, FreyJ, JemmiT. PCR detection of virulence genes in Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and investigation of virulence gene distribution. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003; 69:1810–1816.
11.
ViitanenAM, ArstilaTP, LahesmaaR, GranforsK, SkurnikM, ToivanenP. Application of the polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence techniques to the detection of bacteria in Yersinia-triggered reactive arthritis. Arthritis Rheum, 1991; 34:89–96.
12.
ZhengH, SunY, MaoZ, JiangB. Investigation of virulence genes in clinical isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, 2008; 53:368–374.
