Role of the vpe carbohydrate permease in Escherichia coli urovirulence and fitness in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are a leading cause of infections in humans, but the mechanisms governing host colonization by this bacterium remain poorly understood. Previous studies have identified numerous gene clusters encoding proteins involved in sugar transport, in pathogen-specific islands. We investigated the role in fitness and virulence of the vpe operon encoding an EII complex of the phosphotransferase (PTS) system, which is found more frequently in human strains from infected urine and blood (45%) than in E. coli isolated from healthy humans (15%). We studied the role of this locus in vivo, using the UPEC E. coli strain AL511, mutants, and complemented derivatives in two experimental mouse models of infection. Mutant strains displayed attenuated virulence in a m

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Jehanne V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3434581 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature