Table 2

 Primers used

Primer sequencesTarget sequencesReferences
SPATE, serine protease autotransporter.
Autotransporters
    SPATE1 5′ GAGGTCAACAACCTGAACAAACGTATGGGThe genes encoding SPATEThis study
    SPATE2 5′ CCGGCACGGGCTGTCACTTTCCAG
E coli phylogenetic groups
    ChuAf 5′ CGGACGAACCAACGGTCAGGATThe chuA gene is required for haemtransport in E coli O157:H7Modified from Clermont et al15
    ChuAr 5′ TGCCGCCAGTACCAAAGACACG
    Yjaf 5′ CGTGAAGTGTCAGGAGACGCTGCThe yjaA gene coding for protein of unknown functionModified from Clermont et al15
    Yjar 5′ TGCGTTCCTCAACCTGTGACAAACC
    Tsp1 5′ GGGAGTAATGTCGGGGCATTCAG  Tsp2 5′ CATCGCGCCAACAAAGTATTACGCAGTsp encodes for a putative DNA fragment (TSPE4.C2) in E coliModified from Clermont et al15
E coli toxins
    Cnff 5′ AGTACTGACACTCACTCAAGCCGCCytotoxic necrotising factors (Cnf1 and Cnf2)This study
    Cnfr 5′ GCAGAACGACGTTCTTCATAAGTATCACC
    IpgDf 5′ CGACTTCTCTTCTGACGCCGAC  IpgDr 5′ CAACATTCCTCCAGCCTAAGCCCipgD gene modulates entry of bacteria into epithelial cellsThis study
    Vt1f 5′ CGCATAGTGGAACCTCACTGACGCVerocytotoxin 1This study
    Vt1r 5′ CATCCCCGTACGACTGATCCC
    Vt2f 5′ CGGAATGCAAATCAGTCGTCACTCACVerocytotoxin 2This study
    Vt2r 5′ TCCCCGATACTCCGGAAGCAC
    HlyAf 5′ TGCAGCCTCCAGTGCATCCCTCThe hlyA gene encoding α haemolysin
    HlyAr 5′ CTTACCACTCTGACTGCGATCAGC
    STaf 5′ GTGAAACAACATGACGGGAGGHeat-stable enterotoxin 1This study
    STar 5′ ATAACATCCAGCACAGGCAGG
    STbf 5′ GGGGTTAGAGATGGTACTGCTGGAGHeat-stable enterotoxin 2This study
    STbr 5′ GACAATGTCCGTCTTGCGTTAGGAC
    LTf 5′ CCGTGCTGACTCTAGACCCCCAHeat-labile enterotoxin LTThis study
    LTr 5′ CCTGCTAATCTGTAACCATCCTCTGC
    Eaef 5′ CCAGGCTTCGTCACAGTTGCAGGC  Eaer 5′ CGCCAGTATTCGCCACCAATACCThe eae gene coding for intimin present in AEEC strainsThis study
Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF)
    Bf1F 5′ GTTAGTGCCCAGATGCAGGATGCGGThe genes coding for Bacteroides fragilis enterotoxins (Bft1, Bft2 and Bft3)This study
    Bf2F 5′ GAACTCGGTTTATGCAGTTCATGGACTG
    Bf3R 5′ TGGGTTGTAGACATCCCACTGGCTT
    Bf4R 5′ GGATACATCAGCTGGGTTGTAGACATCCC
E coli adhesins
    PapF 5′ CCGGCGTTCAGGCTGTAGCTG  PapR 5′ GCTACAGTGGCAGTATGAGTAATGACCGTTAThe genes coding for pathogenicity islands (PAI I, PAI II)16 and sfp gene clusterThis study
    PAI1 5′ TAGCTCAGACGCCAGGATTTTCCCTG
    pai2 5′ CCTGGCGCCTGCGGGCTGACTATCAGGG
    BmaEf 5′ CTAACTTGCCATGCTGTGACAGTAThe bmaE gene for M-agglutinin subunit; Afa-8 gene clusterMartin et al17
    BmaEr 5′ TTATCCCCTGCGTAGTTGTGAATC
    Sfaf 5′ CGGAGGAGTAATTACAAACCTGGCAS-fimbrial adhesins encoded by sfaD to sfaEMartin et al17
    Sfar 5′ CTCCGGAGAACTGGGTGCATCTTAC
    Afaf 5′ TATGGTGAGTTGGCGGGGATGTACAGTTACAAfaE-3 gene clusterThis study
    Afar 5′ CCGGGAAAGTTGTCGGATCCAGTGT
    AIDA1 5′ TATGCCACCTGGTATGCCGATGAC  AIDA2 5′ ACGCCCACATTCCCCCAGACThe aidA gene coding E coli AIDA-I adhesin in DAEC strainsThis study
    AggRf 5′ GAGTTAGGTCACTCTAACGCAGAGTTGThe aggR gene for adhesin of aggregative adherence fimbria IThis study
    AggRr 5′ GACCAATTCGGACAACTGCAAGCATCTAC
    Ag43F 5′TGACACAGGCAATGGACTATGACCG  Ag43R 5′GGCATCATCCCGGACCGTGCThe agn43 gene coding for antigen involved in E coli autoaggregationThis study
Flagella and type 1 fimbrae typing
    Primer1 5′CAAGTCATTAATAC(A/C)AACAGCCThe fliC genes coding for flagellin proteinsMachado et al18
    Primer2 5′GACAT(A/G)TT(A/G)GA(G/A/C)ACTTC(G/C)GT
    FimHf 5′ CTGGTCATTCGCCTGTAAAACCGCCA  FimHr 5′ GTCACGCCAATAATCGATTGCACATTCCCTThe fimH gene encoding FimH subunit of type 1 piliThis study
Ribosomal DNA-based primers
    ITSF 5′ GTCGTAACAAGGTAGCCGTA16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacersCardinale et al13
    ITSReub 5′ GCCAAGGCATCCACC
    27f 5′ AGAGTTTGATCMTGGCTCAGConserved 16S rDNA used to amplify ribosomal genesLane19
    342r 5′ CTGCTGCSYCCCGTAG