The cyclic AMP-cyclic AMP receptor protein complex regulates activity of the traJ promoter of the Escherichia coli conjugative plasmid pRK100.

The TraJ protein is a central activator of F-like plasmid conjugal transfer. In a search for regulators of traJ expression, we studied the possible regulatory role of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complex in traJ transcription using a traJ-lacZ reporter system. A comparison of the enzyme activities in the wild-type Escherichia coli strain MC4100 with those in cya and crp mutants indicated that disruption of the formation of the cAMP-CRP complex negatively influenced the activity of the traJ promoter of the F-like plasmid pRK100.

F-like plasmid sequences in enteric bacteria of diverse origin, with implication of horizontal transfer and plasmid host range.

Seventy-eight bacterial isolates from human, animal, and plant hosts, representing eight species of the family Enterobacteriaceae, were screened for F-like plasmid sequences. Of the examined human Escherichia coli strains, 28% harbored one or two of the three F-like, RepFI replication regions, while 35% of the examined animal and all phytopathogenic strains harbored RepFIA-specific sequences. Comparative analysis of Salmonella, Shigella, Erwinia, and E.

Haemolytic Escherichia coli isolated from dogs with diarrhea have characteristics of both uropathogenic and necrotoxigenic strains.

Twenty-four haemolytic Escherichia coli strains were isolated from dogs with diarrhea. The strains were serotyped and analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genes encoding virulence factors associated with E. coli that cause diarrhea in animals.