Comparison of MiSeq, MinION, and hybrid genome sequencing for analysis of Campylobacter jejuni.

The sequencing, assembly, and analysis of bacterial genomes is central to tracking and characterizing foodborne pathogens. The bulk of bacterial genome sequencing at the US Food and Drug Administration is performed using short-read Illumina MiSeq technology, resulting in highly accurate but fragmented genomic sequences. The MinION sequencer from Oxford Nanopore is an evolving technology that produces long-read sequencing data with low equipment cost.

Whole Genome Sequencing and Multiplex qPCR Methods to Identify Encoding or Sialyltransferase.

causes more than 2 million cases of gastroenteritis annually in the United States, and is also linked to the autoimmune sequelae Guillan-Barre syndrome (GBS). GBS often results in flaccid paralysis, as the myelin sheaths of nerve cells are degraded by the adaptive immune response. Certain strains of modify their lipooligosaccharide (LOS) with the addition of neuraminic acid, resulting in LOS moieties that are structurally similar to gangliosides present on nerve cells.

Reducing Campylobacter jejuni colonization of poultry via vaccination.

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading bacterial cause of human gastrointestinal disease worldwide. While C. jejuni is a commensal organism in chickens, case-studies have demonstrated a link between infection with C.

Production of organic acids by probiotic lactobacilli can be used to reduce pathogen load in poultry.

Probiotic Lactobacillus can be used to reduce the colonization of pathogenic bacteria in food animals, and therefore reduce the risk of foodborne illness to consumers. As a model system, we examined the mechanism of protection conferred by Lactobacillus species to inhibit C. jejuni growth in vitro and reduce colonization in broiler chickens.

The Campylobacter jejuni CiaC virulence protein is secreted from the flagellum and delivered to the cytosol of host cells.

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Acute C. jejuni-mediated disease (campylobacteriosis) involves C.

Campylobacter jejuni survival within human epithelial cells is enhanced by the secreted protein CiaI.

Although it is known that Campylobacter jejuni invade the cells that line the human intestinal tract, the bacterial proteins that enable this pathogen to survive within Campylobacter-containing vacuoles (CCV) have not been identified. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a protein that we termed CiaI for Campylobacter invasion antigen involved in intracellular survival. We show that CiaI harbours an amino-terminal type III secretion sequence and is secreted from C.

Amino-terminal residues dictate the export efficiency of the Campylobacter jejuni filament proteins via the flagellum.

Bacterial flagella play an essential role in the pathogenesis of numerous enteric pathogens. The flagellum is required for motility, colonization, and in some instances, for the secretion of effector proteins. In contrast to the intensively studied flagella of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, the flagella of Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori and Vibrio cholerae are less well characterized and composed of multiple flagellin subunits.

Examination of Campylobacter jejuni putative adhesins leads to the identification of a new protein, designated FlpA, required for chicken colonization.

Campylobacter jejuni colonization of chickens is presumably dependent upon multiple surface-exposed proteins termed adhesins. Putative C. jejuni adhesins include CadF, CapA, JlpA, major outer membrane protein, PEB1, Cj1279c, and Cj1349c.