Effect of normal intestinal flora of chickens on colonization by virulent colicin V-producing, avirulent, and mutant colicin V-producing avian Escherichia coli.

Colonization of the intestinal tracts of newly hatched chicks with Escherichia coli was attempted by swabbing test organisms onto the air-shell of 19-day-old embryos. Test organisms consisted of two virulent E. coli isolates, one avirulent isolate, and one laboratory-derived mutant of the avirulent isolate carrying a recombinant plasmid coding for Colicin V production. Chicks were cultured weekly for 3 weeks for total E. coli and for the test organisms using selective media. Control chicks were sampled on weeks 1 and 5, and the normal E. coli intestinal microflora were examined for the production of colicins. The two virulent E. coli isolates maintained colonization of the chicks for the 3-week test period, with titers decreasing from 10' to 10'- colony-forming units (CFU)/g of intestine. The avirulent isolate and laboratory mutant did not consistently colonize the intestinal tracts. The majority of intestinal samples taken from the control chicks at 1 and 5 weeks had colicin-producing E. coli that were inhibitory to the test organisms.