title: Complete sequence of pEC14_114, a highly conserved IncFIB/FIIA plasmid associated with uropathogenic Escherichia coli cystitis strains.
abstract: Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are known to cause important diseases of humans and animals, and they have been shown to carry a variety of plasmids associated with increased virulence and decreased antimicrobial susceptibility. Here, the completed DNA sequence of a human uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC; O6:H31 isolate) plasmid, pEC14_114, was determined. The plasmid was 114,222bp in length and was highly similar to plasmid sequences or draft contiguous sequences from three other human cystitis-associated UPEC isolates. pEC14_114 contained 141 coding regions, including a number of genes associated with mobile genetic elements, F-type transfer, plasmid maintenance and stability, colicin immunity, and plasmid replication. This plasmid also possessed a "genetic load" region containing genes with predicted similarity to iron acquisition systems and virulence factors. The prevalence of pEC14-associated genes was determined for a collection of 1456 E. coli isolates, including those from food products, humans, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. pEC14_114-associated genes were found significantly more often (16-35%) among human UPEC and neonatal meningitis-associated isolates than among food- and animal-source isolates (0-8%). Overall, this plasmid represents a novel IncFIB/FIIA plasmid type associated with human ExPEC belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group. The overall role of this plasmid, if any, in human ExPEC infections remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Chitrita
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DebRoy
authors.forename: Mandeep S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sidhu
authors.forename: Upal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sarker
authors.forename: Bhushan M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jayarao
authors.forename: Adam L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Stell
authors.forename: Nathan P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003556:Cystitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D056689:Uropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*