Canine uropathogenic and avian pathogenic Escherichia coli harboring conjugative plasmids exhibit augmented growth and exopolysaccharide production in response to Enterococcus faecalis.

ABSTRACT: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) that infect dogs and poultry. These agents occur both as single-species infections and, commonly, in co-infection with Enterococcus faecalis (EF); however, it is unclear how EF co-infections modulate ExPEC virulence. Genetic drivers of interspecies interactions affecting virulence were identified using macrocolony co-culture, chicken embryo co-infection experiments, and whole-genome sequence analysis of ExPEC and EF clinical isolates. Ten of 11 UPEC strains originally co-isolated with EF exhibited a growth advantage when co-cultured with EF on iron-limited, semi-solid media in contrast to growing alone (P < 0.01). Phylogenetic analyses of these UPEC and

SUBMITTER: Walker GK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11602052 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature