Abstract
BackgroundRecently the Type VI secretion system (T6SS), which can play a significant role in bacterial survival and pathogenesis, was reported in Campylobacter spp., having the hcp gene as a key component.MethodsCampylobacteriosis is associated with the consumption of infected chicken meat. Our study aimed to explore the presence of T6SS in C. jejuni (n = 59) and C. coli (n = 57) isolates, from retail raw chicken and to investigate their pathogenic potential. The hcp gene was used as an indicator for the T6SS presence.ResultsUsing multiplex PCR we have identified a significantly higher prevalence of hcp in C. coli isolates (56.1%) than in C. jejuni (28.8%) and AFLP analysis of the isolates showed a high degree of genetic similarity between the isolates carrying the hcp gene. Genome sequencing data showed that 84.3% of the C. coli and 93.7% of the C. jejuni isolates had all 13 T6SS open reading frames. Moreover, the virulence characteristics of hcp + isolates, including motility and the ability to invade human intestinal epithelial cells in vitro, were significantly greater than in the control strain C. jejuni 12502; a human isolate which is hcp positive.ConclusionOverall, it was discovered that hcp+C. coli and C. jejuni isolated from retail chicken isolates posses genetic and phenotypic properties associated with enhanced virulence. However, since human infections with C. coli are significantly less frequent than those of C. jejuni, the relationship between virulence factors and pathogenesis requires further study.
Highlights
The Type VI secretion system (T6SS), which can play a significant role in bacterial survival and pathogenesis, was reported in Campylobacter spp., having the hcp gene as a key component
Prevalence of hcp and identification of T6SS open reading frames in C. coli and C. jejuni isolates Using PCR, the presence of the hcp gene in the C. jejuni and C. coli isolates obtained packed retail chicken produced in Northern Ireland was determined, Figure 1
The results showed that 84.3% of the C. coli and 93.7% of the C. jejuni isolates, detected positive for hcp, possess all 13 T6SS ORFs, Table 2
Summary
The Type VI secretion system (T6SS), which can play a significant role in bacterial survival and pathogenesis, was reported in Campylobacter spp., having the hcp gene as a key component. Campylobacters are Gram-negative, microaerophilic microorganisms possessing a corkscrew motility phenotype which has proven significance in achieving penetration of the human gut epithelium in order to establish infection in humans, and colonisation in poultry [1, 2]. Campylobacters can cause a range of illnesses; diarrhoea, reactive arthritis and in some cases infection can subsequently lead to serious neuromuscular disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome [7, 8]. One pathogenic property employed by bacteria and reported in Campylobacter spp., is the use of secretion systems to export toxins (proteins) into their environment, or directly through membranes into neighbouring eukaryotic [9] or prokaryotic [10] cells
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