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Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry analysis of Escherichia coli categories

Author(s): C.B. Dallagassa, L.F. Huergo, M.I. Stets, F.O. Pedrosa, E.M. Souza, L.M. Cruz, F.E.A. Assis, S. Wolf, W. Volanski, G. Picheth, C.P. Pigatto-Denardi, S.M.S.S. Farah and C.M.T. Fadel-Picheth

The mass profiles of cell-free extracts of 180 commensal and pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli were determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). While some peaks were highly conserved in all E. coli, several peaks occurred only in some strains, showing heterogeneity among them. We did not detect strain-specific peaks for any of the E. coli categories tested. However, review of the fully conserved and the variable peaks suggested that MALDI-TOF MS has the potential to distinguish commensal and uropathogenic E. coli strains. Additionally, eight Shigella sonnei isolates were tested and found to be indistinguishable from E. coli by MALDI-TOF MS under the test conditions.