Insights into the Emergent Bacterial Pathogen Cronobacter spp., Generated by Multilocus Sequence Typing and Analysis.

Susan Joseph,Stephen J Forsythe

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00397

Abstract

Cronobacter spp. (previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a bacterial pathogen affecting all age groups, with particularly severe clinical complications in neonates and infants. One recognized route of infection being the consumption of contaminated infant formula. As a recently recognized bacterial pathogen of considerable importance and regulatory control, appropriate detection, and identification schemes are required. The application of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and analysis (MLSA) of the seven alleles atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, and ppsA (concatenated length 3036 base pairs) has led to considerable advances in our understanding of the genus. This approach is supported by both the reliability of DNA sequencing over subjective phenotyping and the establishment of a MLST database which has open access and is also curated; http://www.pubMLST.org/cronobacter. MLST has been used to describe the diversity of the newly recognized genus, instrumental in the formal recognition of new Cronobacter species (C. universalis and C. condimenti) and revealed the high clonality of strains and the association of clonal complex 4 with neonatal meningitis cases. Clearly the MLST approach has considerable benefits over the use of non-DNA sequence based methods of analysis for newly emergent bacterial pathogens. The application of MLST and MLSA has dramatically enabled us to better understand this opportunistic bacterium which can cause irreparable damage to a newborn baby’s brain, and has contributed to improved control measures to protect neonatal health.

Highlights

INTRODUCTIONCronobacter spp. (formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a genus consisting of Gram negative, motile, facultatively anaerobic opportunistic bacterial pathogens belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family (Kucerova et al, 2011)
Cronobacter spp. is a genus consisting of Gram negative, motile, facultatively anaerobic opportunistic bacterial pathogens belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family (Kucerova et al, 2011)
SUMMARY The Cronobacter genus has come to the attention of the food industry, especially infant formula manufacturers, and regulators www.frontiersin.org due to its association with life-threatening infections of neonates. of the diversity of the genus is warranted

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Cronobacter spp. (formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a genus consisting of Gram negative, motile, facultatively anaerobic opportunistic bacterial pathogens belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family (Kucerova et al, 2011). The sequenced strain, C. sakazakii BAA-894, had been isolated from formula powder This was later followed by the announcement of two further genomes, C. sakazakii E899 and C. turicensis z3032, though without detailed descriptions (Stephan et al, 2010; Chen et al, 2011). Kucerova et al (2010, 2011) in two detailed publications used whole genome sequence analysis of C. sakazakii strain BAA-894 and microarray based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to explore the genomes of strains across the Cronobacter genus. These strains had been chosen using MLST to ensure they represented the diverse genus. Due to the understandable sensitivity toward neonatal infections, such cases have attracted www.frontiersin.org

Joseph and Forsythe

Milk powder factory