Indentification of Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) genes important for the colonization of the chicken lung and characterization of the novel ExPEC adhesin I [Elektronische Ressource] / von Esther-Maria Antão geb. Bragança

Identification of Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) genes important for the colonization of the chicken lung and characterization of the novel ExPEC adhesin I DISSERTATION zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades doctor rerum naturalium (Dr. rer. nat.) im Fach Biologie eingereicht an der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät I der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin von Esther-Maria Antão geb. Bragança (M. Sc. Microbiology) geboren am 27.04.1982 in Berlin Präsident der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies Dekan der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät I Prof. Dr. Lutz-Helmut Schön Gutachter: 1. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Richard Lucius 2. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Lothar H. Wieler 3. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Ulf B. Göbel Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 08.02.2010 Summary Summary The extraintestinal pathogen, avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), known to cause systemic infections in chickens, is responsible for large economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. In order to identify genes, involved in the early essential stages of pathogenesis, namely adhesion and colonization, a lung colonization model of infection was established in 5-week old White leghorn specific-pathogen free (SPF) chickens, and Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) was applied to this model by generating and screening a total of 1,800 mutants of an APEC strain IMT5155 (O2:K1:H5; Sequence type complex 95).