Britta Janke

Publications (4)4.16 Total impact

• Article: The pathogenicity island-associated K15 capsule determinant exhibits a novel genetic structure and correlates with virulence in uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain 536.

  György Schneider, Ulrich Dobrindt, Holger Brüggemann, Gábor Nagy, Britta Janke, Gabriele Blum-Oehler, Carmen Buchrieser, Gerhard Gottschalk, Levente Emödy, Jörg Hacker
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  ABSTRACT: The K15 capsule determinant of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain 536 (O6:K15:H31) is part of a novel 79.6-kb pathogenicity island (PAI) designated PAI V536 that is absent from the genome of nonpathogenic E. coli K-12 strain MG1655. PAI V536 shows typical characteristics of a composite PAI that is associated with the pheV tRNA gene and contains the pix fimbriae determinant as well as genes coding for a putative phosphoglycerate transport system, an autotransporter protein, and hypothetical open reading frames. A gene cluster coding for a putative general secretion pathway system, together with a kps(K15) determinant, is localized downstream of a truncated pheV gene ('pheV) also present in this chromosomal region. The distribution of genes present on PAI V536 was studied by PCR in different pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli isolates of various sources. Analysis of the 20-kb kps locus revealed a so far unknown genetic organization. Generally, the kps(K15) gene cluster resembles that of group 2 and 3 capsules, where two conserved regions (regions 1 and 3) are located up- or downstream of a highly variable serotype-specific region (region 2). Interestingly, recombination of a group 2 and 3 determinant may have been involved in the evolution of the K15 capsule-encoding gene cluster. Expression of the K15 capsule is important for virulence in a murine model of ascending urinary tract infection but not for serum resistance of E. coli strain 536.
  Infection and Immunity 11/2004; 72(10):5993-6001. · 4.16 Impact Factor
• Article: Analysis of pathogenicity islands of STEC.

  Tobias A Oelschlaeger, Ulrich Dobrindt, Britta Janke, Barbara Middendorf, Helge Karch, Jörg Hacker
  Methods in molecular medicine 02/2003; 73:99-112.
• Chapter: Genetic Characterization of the Uropathogenic E. coli Strain 536 — A Subtractive Hybridization Analysis

  Britta Janke, Jörg Hacker, Gabriele Blum-Oehler
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  ABSTRACT: The species E. coli comprises non pathogenic variants and other strains which are able to cause infectious diseases. In order to identify DNA fragments which are present in the pathogenic E. coli strain 536 but absent from the non-pathogenic E. coli strain MG1655 we have performed a subtractive hybridization analysis. We obtained diverse DNA fragments specific for the E. coli strain 536. Sequence data of several cloned subtractive hybridization fragments showed a homology to known virulence genes. Other E. coli strain 536 specific DNA fragments showed no homology to already known DNA or protein sequences and may represent new virulence genes on PAIs. In conclusion subtractive hybridization is a successful method for the identification of strain specific DNA sequences. It is a useful approach to complement other genomic approaches such as proteome analysis or differential RNA display analysis.
  12/2001: pages 53-56;
• Chapter: Pathogenicity Islands of Uropathogence E. Coli and Evolution of Virulence

  Gabriele Blum-Oehler, Ulrich Dobrindt, Britta Janke, Gábor Nagy, Katharine Piechaczek, Jörg Hacker
  12/2001: pages 25-32;