Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains may carry virulence properties of diarrhoeagenic E. coli.
To analyze whether Escherichia coli strains that cause urinary tract infections (UPEC) share virulence characteristics with the diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) pathotypes and to recognize their genetic diversity, 225 UPEC strains were examined for the presence of various properties of DEC and UPEC (type of interaction with HeLa cells, serogroups and presence of 30 virulence genes). No correlation between adherence patterns and serogroups was observed. Forty-five serogroups were found, but 64% of the strains belonged to one of the 12 serogroups (O1, O2, O4, O6, O7, O14, O15, O18, O21, O25, O75, and O175) and carried UPEC virulence genes (pap, hly, aer, sfa, cnf). The DEC genes found were: aap, aatA, aggC, agg3C, aggR, astA, eae, ehly, iha, irp2, lpfA(O113), pet, pic, pilS, and shf. Sixteen strains presented aggregative adherence and/or the aatA sequence, which are characteristics of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), one of the DEC pathotypes. In summary, certain UPEC strains may carry DEC virulence properties, mostly associated to the EAEC pathotype. This finding raises the possibility that at least some faecal EAEC strains might represent potential uropathogens. Alternatively, certain UPEC strains may have acquired EAEC properties, becoming a potential cause of diarrhoea.
Abe
Cecilia M
CM
Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Salvador
Fábia A
FA
Falsetti
Ivan N
IN
Vieira
Mônica A M
MA
Blanco
Jorge
J
Blanco
Jesús E
JE
Blanco
Miguel
M
Machado
Antônia M O
AM
Elias
Waldir P
WP
Hernandes
Rodrigo T
RT
Gomes
Tânia A T
TA
D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins