A convergent evolutionary pathway attenuating cellulose production drives enhanced virulence of some bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria adapt to selective pressure in their immediate environment in multiple ways. One mechanism involves the acquisition of independent mutations that disable or modify a key pathway, providing a signature of adaptation via convergent evolution. Extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) belonging to sequence type 95 (ST95) represent a global clone frequently associated with severe human infections including acute pyelonephritis, sepsis, and neonatal meningitis. Here, we analysed a publicly available dataset of 613 ST95 genomes and identified a series of loss-of-function mutations that disrupt cellulose production or its modification in 55.3% of strains. We show the inability to produce cellulose significantly enhances ST95 invasive infection in a rat model of neonatal mening

SUBMITTER: Nhu NTK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10881479 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature