ENTEROBACTER-CLOACAE PRODUCING A SHIGA-LIKE TOXIN II-RELATED CYTOTOXIN ASSOCIATED WITH A CASE OF HEMOLYTIC-UREMIC SYNDROME

Two Shiga-like toxin-producing organisms were isolated from the feces of an infant with hemolytic-uremic syndrome by PCR followed by colony blot hybridization. One strain was identified as Escherichia coli OR:H 9, while the other was identified as Enterobacter cloacae. Both isolat es were highly cytotoxic for Vero cells, and Southern hybridization an alysis of chromosomal DNA indicated that both contained a single sit-I I-related gene and that these genes were located on similarly sized re striction fragments. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that the t oxin encoded by the E. cloacae slt-II-related gene was very similar to Shiga-like toxin II variants from E. coli, differing from the most cl osely related toxin by 3 residues in the A subunit.