Transmissible substrate-utilizing ability in enterobacteria

J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Mar;87(1):129-40. doi: 10.1099/00221287-87-1-129.

Abstract

Three of 152 strains of Escherichia coli transmitted their ability to utilize sucrose (Sac+) to other strains by conjugation. The transfer factor of one of them and of a Sac+ Salmonella thompson strain was thermosensitive. The raffinose-utilizing ability of 27 of 163 E. coli strains was also transmissible. Transmissible raffinose-utilizing ability was a feature of porcine enterpathogenic strains possessing the K88 antigen. The determinants controlling raffinose utilization (Raf) and K88 antigen production were commonly transmitted together from these strains; so also was the determinant controlling enterotoxin production, but to a lesser extent. It was not possible to transfer lactose-utilizing ability from 320 strains of E. coli, salicin-utilizing ability from 12 strains of E. coli or dulcitol-utilizing ability from 99 strains of E. coli and 88 strains of salmonellae. Sucrose- and raffinose-utilizing ability were transmitted separately to several Salmonella sp., including Salm. typhi, to Shigella flexneri and Sh. sonnei and to a variety of strains of E. coli. A strain of Salm. typhimurium in which Sac had been established and a strain of E. coli in which Raf had been established survived less well in the alimentary tract of chickens than their Sac minus or Raf minus parent strains.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbohydrate Metabolism*
  • Chickens
  • Conjugation, Genetic*
  • Digestive System / microbiology
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Enterobacteriaceae / metabolism*
  • Enterotoxins / biosynthesis
  • Escherichia coli / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Extrachromosomal Inheritance*
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Galactitol / metabolism
  • Glucosides / metabolism
  • Hemolysin Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Lactose / metabolism
  • Raffinose / metabolism
  • Salmonella / metabolism
  • Salmonella typhimurium / isolation & purification
  • Shigella / metabolism
  • Species Specificity
  • Sucrose / metabolism
  • Temperature
  • Tetracycline / pharmacology

Substances

  • Enterotoxins
  • Glucosides
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Galactitol
  • Sucrose
  • Tetracycline
  • Lactose
  • Raffinose