Project description:Using comparative genomic hybridization we examined the genome content of 30 isolates of E. coli and Shigella to determine the relative location of E. coli isolates from the human neobladder
Project description:Identification and expression analysis of microRNAs in infected larvae of the insect model Galleria mellonella with uropathogenic (UPEC) and commensal E. coli strains that are known to cause symptomatic and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in humans, respectively.
Project description:The expression levels of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) UTI89 cells in YESCA broth with and without 4% dimehtyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2% ethanol (EtOH) were studied.
Project description:We compared the transcriptional profiles of 12 E. coli O157:H7 isolates grown to stationary phase in LB broth. These isolates possess the same two enzyme PFGE profile and are related temporally or geographically to the above outbreak. These E. coli O157:H7 isolates included three clinical isolates, five isolates from separate bags of spinach, and single isolates from pasture soil, river water, cow feces, and a feral pig.
Project description:E. coli isolates from different CF patients demonstrate increased growth rate when grown with glycerol, a major component of fecal fat, as the sole carbon source compared to E. coli from healthy controls. CF and control E. coli isolates have differential gene expression when grown in minimal media with glycerol as the sole carbon source. While CF isolates display a growth promoting transcriptional profile, control isolates engage stress and stationary phase programs, which likely results in slower growth rates.
Project description:The primary goals of this study are to: determine how intracellular infection of urothelial cells with uropathogenic Escherichia coli influences urothelial cell metabolism, and determine the influence of cytochrome bd on the urothelial cell response to infection
Project description:Intercalated cells are known to be involved in acid-base homeostasis via vacuolar ATPase (H+-ATPase or V-ATPase) expression. Increasing evidence supports an innate immune role for ICs along with their traditional function of pH regulation. In this study, human kidney tissue was enriched for viable intercalated cells then exposed to uropathogenic E. coli versus saline control. Single cell transcriptomics was performed. Six intercalated cell subtypes were identified including hybrid principal-intercalated cells. Cell specific cluster marker gene list generated from this sequencing data was put through ingenuity pathway analysis pipeline which predicted “phagosome maturation” as a key biological pathway that increased in rank following exposure to uropathogenic E. coli in two of the intercalated cell subtypes. Uptake of E. coli and pHrodo coated E. coli BioParticlesTM during live animal intravital microscopy demonstrated that intercalated cell phagocytosis of bacteria was an active process that involved acidification. Taken together, our finding indicate that intercalated cells represent an epithelial cell with characteristics of professional phagocytes like macrophages or neutrophils, which includes the ability to phagocytose E. coli and acidify phagolysosomes.
Project description:Escherichia coli bloodstream infections are common and associated with high mortality. A key feature of E. coli is the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen, which contributes to immune evasion during invasive infection. We analyzed serial E. coli isolates from patients with relapsed bacteremia and identified frequent disruption of O-antigen synthesis due to mutations in wbbL, resulting in a rough LPS (R-LPS) phenotype. E. coli with rough LPS isolates were more serum sensitive and less pathogenic in mice. Despite this apparent attenuation, 11 of 66 (18%) E. coli sequence type 131 bloodstream isolates in our cohort lacked O-antigen and were associated with significantly worse clinical outcomes, including septic shock and mortality. Using a recurrent bacteremia model, we show that R-LPS isolates partially evade protective immunity generated against smooth-LPS E. coli, highlighting the importance of host immune context in invasive disease.
