Abstract
An environmental freshwater bacterial isolate, DM104, appearing as Shigella-like colonies on selective agar plates was found to show strong and specific serological cross-reactivity with Shigella dysenteriae type 4. Biochemical identification according to the analytical profile index, molecular serotyping by restriction of the amplified O-antigen gene cluster (rfb-RFLP), together with phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and multi-locus sequence analysis, identified the isolate as Escherichia albertii. rfb-RFLP of DM104, revealed a profile different from that of S. dysenteriae type 4. However, western blot analysis of extracted lipopolysaccharides demonstrated strong cross-reactivity with S. dysenteriae type 4 using specific monovalent antisera and a lipopolysaccharide gel banding profile similar to that of S. dysenteriae type 4. The observed O-antigen cross-reaction between an E. albertii isolate and S. dysenteriae extends our knowledge of the extent of O-antigen cross-reaction within the Escherichia/Shigella group of organisms, and offers the possibility of using DM104 and similar cross-reacting strains as shigellosis vaccine candidates.



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This study was supported by The Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Higher Education (NUFU) (Grant No. 2007/10063).
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Rahman, M.Z., Akter, S., Azmuda, N. et al. Serological Cross-Reaction Between O-Antigens of Shigella dysenteriae Type 4 and an Environmental Escherichia albertii Isolate. Curr Microbiol 67, 590–595 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0405-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0405-7


