Bacterial virulence phenotypes of Escherichia coli and host susceptibility determine risk for urinary tract infections.

ABSTRACT: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains. In contrast to many enteric E. coli pathogroups, no genetic signature has been identified for UPEC strains. We conducted a high-resolution comparative genomic study using E. coli isolates collected from the urine of women suffering from frequent recurrent UTIs. These isolates were genetically diverse and varied in their urovirulence, that is, their ability to infect the bladder in a mouse model of cystitis. We found no set of genes, including previously defined putative urovirulence factors (PUFs), that were predictive of urovirulence. In addition, in some patients, the E. coli strain causing a recurrent UTI had fewer PUFs than the supplanted strain. In competitive exper

SUBMITTER: Schreiber HL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5653229 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature