Acquisition of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli plasmids by a commensal E. coli isolate enhances its abilities to kill chicken embryos, grow in human urine, and colonize the murine kidney.

ABSTRACT: We have found an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) plasmid, pAPEC-O2-ColV, which contains many of the genes associated with APEC virulence and also shows similarity in content to a plasmid and pathogenicity island of human uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). To test the possible role of this plasmid in virulence, it was transferred by conjugation along with a large R plasmid, pAPEC-O2-R, into a commensal avian E. coli strain. The transconjugant was compared to recipient strain NC, UPEC strain HE300, and donor strain APEC O2 using various assays, including lethality for chicken embryos, growth in human urine, and ability to cause urinary tract infection in mice. The transconjugant killed significantly more chicken embryos than did the recipient. In human urine, APEC O2 grew at a rate equiv

SUBMITTER: Skyberg JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1695531 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature