Association of rns homologs with colonization factor antigens in clinical Escherichia coli isolates

Abstract

rns is a trans-acting positive regulatory factor required for expression of the colonization factor antigen II (CFA/II) antigens CS1 and CS2 (J. Caron, L.M. Coffield, and J.R. Scott, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:963-967, 1989). All 35 CFA/II-positive strains hybridized with a rns gene probe, as did all 10 CFA/I strains and all 4 CS4 strains. Hybridization with rns was detected in 25% of non-enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains and was not detected in enteric pathogens with low G+C content.