Urinary tract infectivity or R strains of Escherichia coli carrying various virulence factors.
The virulence factors of Escherichia coli supposed to act in urinary tract infections were studied on R strains in a suckling mouse model. The production of alpha-(diffusible-) haemolysin or the possession of antigen K1 enhanced the virulence significantly, while the type 1 (common) fimbriae failed to do so. An isogenic motile and non-motile pair of E. coli did not show any difference in infectivity in the model. The adhesins, the diffusible haemolysin, and the acidic polysaccharide K antigens (K1) are definitely additive virulence factors in the model. This is in good agreement with the experience of clinical bacteriology.
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009068:Movement; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
D000941:Antigens; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C030659:K antigens