Defining genomic islands and uropathogen-specific genes in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Acid-stress-induced changes in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 : H7 virulence

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 : H7 is naturally exposed to a wide variety of stresses including gastric acid shock, and yet little is known about how this stress influences virulence. This study investigated the impact of acid stress on several critical virulence properties including survival, host adhesion, Shiga toxin production, motility and induction of host-cell apoptosis. Several acid-stress protocols with relevance for gastric passage as well as external environmental exposure were included. Acute acid stress at pH 3 preceded by acid adaptation at pH 5 significantly enhanced the adhesion of surviving organisms to epithelial cells and bacterial induction of host-cell apoptosis. Motility was also significantly increased after acute acid stress. Interestingly, neither secreted nor periplasmic levels of Shiga toxin were affected by acid shock. Pretreatment of bacteria with erythromycin eliminated the acid-induced adhesion enhancement, suggesting that de novo protein synthesis was required for the enhanced adhesion of acid-shocked organisms. DNA microarray was used to analyse the transcriptome of an EHEC O157 : H7 strain exposed to three different acid-stress treatments. Expression profiles of acid-stressed EHEC revealed significant changes in virulence factors associated with adhesion, motility and type III secretion. These results document profound changes in the virulence properties of EHEC O157 : H7 after acid stress, provide a comprehensive genetic analysis to substantiate these changes and suggest strategies that this pathogen may use during gastric passage and colonization in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Mucosal immunization with iron receptor antigens protects against urinary tract infection

Uncomplicated infections of the urinary tract, caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli, are among the most common diseases requiring medical intervention. A preventive vaccine to reduce the morbidity and fiscal burden these infections have upon the healthcare system would be beneficial. Here, we describe the results of a large-scale selection process that incorporates bioinformatic, genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic screens to identify six vaccine candidates from the 5379 predicted proteins encoded by uropathogenic E. coli strain CFT073. The vaccine candidates, ChuA, Hma, Iha, IreA, IroN, and IutA, all belong to a functional class of molecules that is involved in iron acquisition, a process critical for pathogenesis in all microbes. Intranasal immunization of CBA/J mice with these outer membrane iron receptors elicited a systemic and mucosal immune response that included the production of antigen-specific IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies. The cellular response to vaccination was characterized by the induction and secretion of IFN-gamma and IL-17. Of the six potential vaccine candidates, IreA, Hma, and IutA provided significant protection from experimental infection. In immunized animals, class-switching from IgM to IgG and production of antigen-specific IgA in the urine represent immunological correlates of protection from E. coli bladder colonization. These findings are an important first step toward the development of a subunit vaccine to prevent urinary tract infections and demonstrate how targeting an entire class of molecules that are collectively required for pathogenesis may represent a fundamental strategy to combat infections.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

The urinary tract is among the most common sites of bacterial infection, and Escherichia coli is by far the most common species infecting this site. Individuals at high risk for symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) include neonates, preschool girls, sexually active women, and elderly women and men. E. coli that cause the majority of UTIs are thought to represent only a subset of the strains that colonize the colon. E. coli strains that cause UTIs are termed uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). In general, UPEC strains differ from commensal E. coli strains in that the former possess extragenetic material, often on pathogenicity-associated islands (PAIs), which code for gene products that may contribute to bacterial pathogenesis. Some of these genes allow UPEC to express determinants that are proposed to play roles in disease. These factors include hemolysins, secreted proteins, specific lipopolysaccharide and capsule types, iron acquisition systems, and fimbrial adhesions. The current dogma of bacterial pathogenesis identifies adherence, colonization, avoidance of host defenses, and damage to host tissues as events vital for achieving bacterial virulence. These considerations, along with analysis of the E. coli CFT073, UTI89, and 536 genomes and efforts to identify novel virulence genes should advance the field significantly and allow for the development of a comprehensive model of pathogenesis for uropathogenic E. coli.Further study of the adaptive immune response to UTI will be especially critical to refine our understanding and treatment of recurrent infections and to develop vaccines.

High frequency of hotspot mutations in core genes of Escherichia coli due to short-term positive selection

Core genes comprising the ubiquitous backbone of bacterial genomes are not subject to frequent horizontal transfer and generally are not thought to contribute to the adaptive evolution of bacterial pathogens. We determined, however, that at least one-third and possibly more than one-half of the core genes in Escherichia coli genomes are targeted by repeated replacement substitutions in the same amino acid positions-hotspot mutations. Occurrence of hotspot mutations is driven by positive selection, as their rate is significantly higher than expected by random chance alone, and neither intragenic recombination nor increased mutability can explain the observed patterns. Also, commensal E. coli strains have a significantly lower frequency of mutated genes and mutations per genome than pathogenic strains. E. coli strains causing extra-intestinal infections accumulate hotspot mutations at the highest rate, whereas the highest total number of mutated genes has been found among Shigella isolates, suggesting the pathoadaptive nature of such mutations. The vast majority of hotspot mutations are of recent evolutionary origin, implying short-term positive selection, where adaptive mutations emerge repeatedly but are not sustained in natural circulation for long. Such pattern of dynamics is consistent with source-sink model of virulence evolution.

Identification of uropathogenic Escherichia coli surface proteins by shotgun proteomics

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause the majority of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in humans. In the process of identifying candidate antigens for a vaccine, two methods for the identification of the UPEC surface proteome during growth in human urine were investigated. The first approach utilized a protease to 'shave' surface-exposed peptides from the bacterial cell surface and identify them by mass spectrometry. Although this approach has been successfully applied to a Gram-positive pathogen, the adaptation to Gram-negative UPEC resulted in cytoplasmic protein contamination. In a more direct approach, whole-cell bacteria were labeled with a biotin tag to indicate surface-exposed peptides and two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (2-DLC-MS/MS) was used to identify proteins isolated from the outer membrane. This method discovered 25 predicted outer membrane proteins expressed by UPEC while growing in human urine. Nine of the 25 predicted outer membrane proteins were part of iron transport systems or putative iron-regulated virulence proteins, indicating the importance of iron acquisition during growth in urine. One of the iron transport proteins identified, Hma, appears to be a promising vaccine candidate is being further investigated. The method described here presents a system to rapidly identify the outer membrane proteome of bacteria, which may prove valuable in vaccine development.

Characterization of two homologous disulfide bond systems involved in virulence factor biogenesis in uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073

Disulfide bond (DSB) formation is catalyzed by disulfide bond proteins and is critical for the proper folding and functioning of secreted and membrane-associated bacterial proteins. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains possess two paralogous disulfide bond systems: the well-characterized DsbAB system and the recently described DsbLI system. In the DsbAB system, the highly oxidizing DsbA protein introduces disulfide bonds into unfolded polypeptides by donating its redox-active disulfide and is in turn reoxidized by DsbB. DsbA has broad substrate specificity and reacts readily with reduced unfolded proteins entering the periplasm. The DsbLI system also comprises a functional redox pair; however, DsbL catalyzes the specific oxidative folding of the large periplasmic enzyme arylsulfate sulfotransferase (ASST). In this study, we characterized the DsbLI system of the prototypic UPEC strain CFT073 and examined the contributions of the DsbAB and DsbLI systems to the production of functional flagella as well as type 1 and P fimbriae. The DsbLI system was able to catalyze disulfide bond formation in several well-defined DsbA targets when provided in trans on a multicopy plasmid. In a mouse urinary tract infection model, the isogenic dsbAB deletion mutant of CFT073 was severely attenuated, while deletion of dsbLI or assT did not affect colonization.

Genomic islands of uropathogenic Escherichia coli contribute to virulence

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strain CFT073 contains 13 large genomic islands ranging in size from 32 kb to 123 kb. Eleven of these genomic islands were individually deleted from the genome, and nine isogenic mutants were tested for their ability to colonize the CBA/J mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection. Three genomic island mutants (Delta PAI-aspV, Delta PAI-metV, and Delta PAI-asnT) were significantly outcompeted by wild-type CFT073 in the bladders and/or kidneys following transurethral cochallenge (P <or= 0.0139). The PAI-metV mutant also showed significant attenuation in the ability to independently colonize the kidneys (P = 0.0011). Specific genes within these islands contributed to the observed phenotype, including a previously uncharacterized iron acquisition cluster, fbpABCD (c0294 to c0297 [c0294-97]), autotransporter, picU (c0350), and RTX family exoprotein, tosA (c0363) in the PAI-aspV island. The double deletion mutant with deletions in both copies of the fbp iron acquisition operon (Deltac0294-97 Delta c2518-15) was significantly outcompeted by wild-type CFT073 in cochallenge. Strains with mutations in a type VI secretion system within the PAI-metV island did not show attenuation. The attenuation of the PAI-metV island was localized to genes c3405-10, encoding a putative phosphotransferase transport system, which is common to UPEC and avian pathogenic E. coli strains but absent from E. coli K-12. We have shown that, in addition to encoding virulence genes, genomic islands contribute to the overall fitness of UPEC strain CFT073 in vivo.

Dissecting the bacterial type VI secretion system by a genome wide in silico analysis: what can be learned from available microbial genomic resources?

BACKGROUND

The availability of hundreds of bacterial genomes allowed a comparative genomic study of the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), recently discovered as being involved in pathogenesis. By combining comparative and phylogenetic approaches using more than 500 prokaryotic genomes, we characterized the global T6SS genetic structure in terms of conservation, evolution and genomic organization.

RESULTS

This genome wide analysis allowed the identification of a set of 13 proteins constituting the T6SS protein core and a set of conserved accessory proteins. 176 T6SS loci (encompassing 92 different bacteria) were identified and their comparison revealed that T6SS-encoded genes have a specific conserved genetic organization. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on the core genes showed that lateral transfer of the T6SS is probably its major way of dissemination among pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, the sequence analysis of the VgrG proteins, proposed to be exported in a T6SS-dependent way, confirmed that some C-terminal regions possess domains showing similarities with adhesins or proteins with enzymatic functions.

CONCLUSION

The core of T6SS is composed of 13 proteins, conserved in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Subclasses of T6SS differ in regulatory and accessory protein content suggesting that T6SS has evolved to adapt to various microenvironments and specialized functions. Based on these results, new functional hypotheses concerning the assembly and function of T6SS proteins are proposed.

Dissecting the bacterial type VI secretion system by a genome wide in silico analysis: what can be learned from available microbial genomic resources?

BACKGROUND

The availability of hundreds of bacterial genomes allowed a comparative genomic study of the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), recently discovered as being involved in pathogenesis. By combining comparative and phylogenetic approaches using more than 500 prokaryotic genomes, we characterized the global T6SS genetic structure in terms of conservation, evolution and genomic organization.

RESULTS

This genome wide analysis allowed the identification of a set of 13 proteins constituting the T6SS protein core and a set of conserved accessory proteins. 176 T6SS loci (encompassing 92 different bacteria) were identified and their comparison revealed that T6SS-encoded genes have a specific conserved genetic organization. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on the core genes showed that lateral transfer of the T6SS is probably its major way of dissemination among pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, the sequence analysis of the VgrG proteins, proposed to be exported in a T6SS-dependent way, confirmed that some C-terminal regions possess domains showing similarities with adhesins or proteins with enzymatic functions.

CONCLUSION

The core of T6SS is composed of 13 proteins, conserved in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Subclasses of T6SS differ in regulatory and accessory protein content suggesting that T6SS has evolved to adapt to various microenvironments and specialized functions. Based on these results, new functional hypotheses concerning the assembly and function of T6SS proteins are proposed.

n-Gram characterization of genomic islands in bacterial genomes

The paper presents a novel, n-gram-based method for analysis of bacterial genome segments known as genomic islands (GIs). Identification of GIs in bacterial genomes is an important task since many of them represent inserts that may contribute to bacterial evolution and pathogenesis. In order to characterize and distinguish GIs from rest of the genome, binary classification of islands based on n-gram frequency distribution have been performed. It consists of testing the agreement of islands n-gram frequency distributions with the complete genome and backbone sequence. In addition, a statistic based on the maximal order Markov model is used to identify significantly overrepresented and underrepresented n-grams in islands. The results may be used as a basis for Zipf-like analysis suggesting that some of the n-grams are overrepresented in a subset of islands and underrepresented in the backbone, or vice versa, thus complementing the binary classification. The method is applied to strain-specific regions in the Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933 genome (O-islands), resulting in two groups of O-islands with different n-gram characteristics. It refines a characterization based on other compositional features such as G+C content and codon usage, and may help in identification of GIs, and also in research and development of adequate drugs targeting virulence genes in them.

A structural and biochemical basis for PAPS-independent sulfuryl transfer by aryl sulfotransferase from uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Sulfotransferases are a versatile class of enzymes involved in numerous physiological processes. In mammals, adenosine 3'-phosphate-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) is the universal sulfuryl donor, and PAPS-dependent sulfurylation of small molecules, including hormones, sugars, and antibiotics, is a critical step in hepatic detoxification and extracellular signaling. In contrast, little is known about sulfotransferases in bacteria, which make use of sulfurylated molecules as mediators of cell-cell interactions and host-pathogen interactions. Bacterial arylsulfate sulfotransferases (also termed aryl sulfotransferases), in contrast to PAPS-dependent sulfotransferases, transfer sulfuryl groups exclusively among phenolic compounds in a PAPS-independent manner. Here, we report the crystal structure of the virulence factor arylsulfate sulfotransferase (ASST) from the prototypic, pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli strain CFT073 at 2.0-A resolution, and 2 catalytic intermediates, at 2.1-A and 2.4-A resolution, with substrates bound in the active site. ASST is one of the largest periplasmic enzymes and its 3D structure differs fundamentally from all other structurally characterized sulfotransferases. Each 63.8-kDa subunit of the ASST homodimer comprises a 6-bladed beta-propeller domain and a C-terminal beta-sandwich domain. The active sites of the dimer are situated at the center of the channel formed by each beta-propeller and are defined by the side chains of His-252, His-356, Arg-374, and His-436. We show that ASST follows a ping-pong bi-bi reaction mechanism, in which the catalytic residue His-436 undergoes transient sulfurylation, a previously unreported covalent protein modification. The data provide a framework for understanding PAPS-independent sulfotransfer and a basis for drug design targeting this bacterial virulence factor.

Phylogenetic and genomic diversity of human bacteremic Escherichia coli strains

Background

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains represent a huge public health burden. Knowledge of their clonal diversity and of the association of clones with genomic content and clinical features is a prerequisite to recognize strains with a high invasive potential. In order to provide an unbiased view of the diversity of E. coli strains responsible for bacteremia, we studied 161 consecutive isolates from patients with positive blood culture obtained during one year in two French university hospitals. We collected precise clinical information, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data and virulence gene content for all isolates. A subset representative of the clonal diversity was subjected to comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) using 2,324 amplicons from the flexible gene pool of E. coli.

Results

Recombination-insensitive phylogenetic analysis of MLST data in combination with the ECOR collection revealed that bacteremic E. coli isolates were highly diverse and distributed into five major lineages, corresponding to the classical E. coli phylogroups (A+B1, B2, D and E) and group F, which comprises strains previously assigned to D. Compared to other strains of phylogenetic group B2, strains belonging to MLST-derived clonal complexes (CCs) CC1 and CC4 were associated (P < 0.05) with a urinary origin. In contrast, no CC appeared associated with severe sepsis or unfavorable outcome of the bacteremia. CGH analysis revealed genomic characteristics of the distinct CCs and identified genomic regions associated with CC1 and/or CC4.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that human bacteremia strains distribute over the entire span of E. coli phylogenetic diversity and that CCs represent important phylogenetic units for pathogenesis and comparative genomics.

Genome-scale analyses of health-promoting bacteria: probiogenomics

The human body is colonized by an enormous population of bacteria (microbiota) that provides the host with coding capacity and metabolic activities. Among the human gut microbiota are health-promoting indigenous species (probiotic bacteria) that are commonly consumed as live dietary supplements. Recent genomics-based studies (probiogenomics) are starting to provide insights into how probiotic bacteria sense and adapt to the gastrointestinal tract environment. In this Review, we discuss the application of probiogenomics in the elucidation of the molecular basis of probiosis using the well-recognized model probiotic bacteria genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus as examples.

Haem acquisition is facilitated by a novel receptor Hma and required by uropathogenic Escherichia coli for kidney infection

Iron acquisition, mediated by specific outer membrane receptors, is critical for colonization of the urinary tract by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). The role of specific iron sources in vivo, however, remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified a 79 kDa haem receptor, haemacquisition protein Hma, and established that it functions independently of ChuA to mediate haemin uptake by UPEC strain CFT073. We demonstrated that expression of hma promotes TonB-dependent haemin utilization and the Hma protein binds haemin with high affinity (K(d) = 8 microM). Hma, however, lacks conserved His residues shown to mediate haem uptake by other bacterial receptors. In contrast, we identified Tyr-126 as a residue necessary for Hma-mediated haemin utilization. In a murine co-infection model of UTI, an isogenic hma mutant was out-competed by wild-type CFT073 in the kidneys (P < 0.001) and spleens (P < 0.0001) of infected mice, indicating its expression provided a competitive advantage in these organs. Furthermore, a hma chuA double mutant, which is unable to utilize haemin, was unable to colonize the kidneys to wild-type levels during independent infection (P = 0.02). Thus, we demonstrate that UPEC requires haem for kidney colonization and that uptake of this iron source is mediated, in part, by the novel receptor, Hma.

Transcriptomics and adaptive genomics of the asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli strain 83972

Escherichia coli strains are the major cause of urinary tract infections in humans. Such strains can be divided into virulent, UPEC strains causing symptomatic infections, and asymptomatic, commensal-like strains causing asymptomatic bacteriuria, ABU. The best-characterized ABU strain is strain 83972. Global gene expression profiling of strain 83972 has been carried out under seven different sets of environmental conditions ranging from laboratory minimal medium to human bladders. The data reveal highly specific gene expression responses to different conditions. A number of potential fitness factors for the human urinary tract could be identified. Also, presence/absence data of the gene expression was used as an adaptive genomics tool to model the gene pool of 83972 using primarily UPEC strain CFT073 as a scaffold. In our analysis, 96% of the transcripts filtered present in strain 83972 can be found in CFT073, and genes on six of the seven pathogenicity islands were expressed in 83972. Despite the very different patient symptom profiles, the two strains seem to be very similar. Genes expressed in CFT073 but not in 83972 were identified and can be considered as virulence factor candidates. Strain 83972 is a deconstructed pathogen rather than a commensal strain that has acquired fitness properties.

The pangenome structure of Escherichia coli: comparative genomic analysis of E. coli commensal and pathogenic isolates

Whole-genome sequencing has been skewed toward bacterial pathogens as a consequence of the prioritization of medical and veterinary diseases. However, it is becoming clear that in order to accurately measure genetic variation within and between pathogenic groups, multiple isolates, as well as commensal species, must be sequenced. This study examined the pangenomic content of Escherichia coli. Six distinct E. coli pathovars can be distinguished using molecular or phenotypic markers, but only two of the six pathovars have been subjected to any genome sequencing previously. Thus, this report provides a seminal description of the genomic contents and unique features of three unsequenced pathovars, enterotoxigenic E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, and enteroaggregative E. coli. We also determined the first genome sequence of a human commensal E. coli isolate, E. coli HS, which will undoubtedly provide a new baseline from which workers can examine the evolution of pathogenic E. coli. Comparison of 17 E. coli genomes, 8 of which are new, resulted in identification of approximately 2,200 genes conserved in all isolates. We were also able to identify genes that were isolate and pathovar specific. Fewer pathovar-specific genes were identified than anticipated, suggesting that each isolate may have independently developed virulence capabilities. Pangenome calculations indicate that E. coli genomic diversity represents an open pangenome model containing a reservoir of more than 13,000 genes, many of which may be uncharacterized but important virulence factors. This comparative study of the species E. coli, while descriptive, should provide the basis for future functional work on this important group of pathogens.

Microbial diversity and the genetic nature of microbial species

The earth contains a huge number of largely uncharacterized Bacteria and Archaea. Microbiologists are struggling to summarize their genetic diversity and classify them, which has resulted in heated debates on methods for defining species, mechanisms that lead to speciation and whether microbial species even exist. This Review proposes that decisions on the existence of species and methods to define them should be guided by a method-free species concept that is based on cohesive evolutionary forces. It summarizes current approaches to defining species and the problems of these approaches, and presents selected examples of the population genetic patterns at and below the species level.

Origins and virulence mechanisms of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Strains of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infections, including both cystitis and pyelonephritis. These bacteria have evolved a multitude of virulence factors and strategies that facilitate bacterial growth and persistence within the adverse settings of the host urinary tract. Expression of adhesive organelles like type 1 and P pili allow UPEC to bind and invade host cells and tissues within the urinary tract while expression of iron-chelating factors (siderophores) enable UPEC to pilfer host iron stores. Deployment of an array of toxins, including hemolysin and cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1, provide UPEC with the means to inflict extensive tissue damage, facilitating bacterial dissemination as well as releasing host nutrients and disabling immune effector cells. These toxins also have the capacity to modulate, in more subtle ways, host signaling pathways affecting myriad processes, including inflammatory responses, host cell survival, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which these and other virulence factors promote UPEC survival and growth within the urinary tract. Comparisons are also made between UPEC and other strains of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli that, although closely related to UPEC, are distinct in their abilities to colonize the host and cause disease.

A subset of mucosa-associated Escherichia coli isolates from patients with colon cancer, but not Crohn's disease, share pathogenicity islands with urinary pathogenic E. coli

Adherent and invasive mucosa-associated Escherichia coli have been implicated in the pathogenesis of colon cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases. It has been reported that such isolates share features of extraintestinal E. coli (ExPEC) and particularly uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). We used suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) to subtract the genome of E. coli K-12 from that of a colon cancer mucosal E. coli isolate. Of the subtracted sequences, 53 % were present in the genomes of one or more of three sequenced UPEC strains but absent from the genome of an enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strain. Of the subtracted sequences, 80 % matched at least one UPEC genome, whereas only 4 % were absent from the UPEC genomes but present in the genome of the EHEC strain. A further genomic subtraction against the UPEC strain 536 enriched for sequences matching mobile genetic elements, other ExPEC strains, and other UPEC strains or commensals, rather than strains associated with gastrointestinal disease. We analysed the distribution of selected subtracted sequences and UPEC-associated pathogenicity islands (PAIs) amongst a panel of mucosa-associated E. coli isolated from colonoscopic biopsies of patients with colon cancer, patients with Crohn's disease and controls. This enabled us to identify a group of isolates from colon cancer (30-40 %) carrying multiple genes previously categorized as UPEC-specific and implicated in virulence.

The multiple functions of the thiol-based electron flow pathways of Escherichia coli: Eternal concepts revisited

Electron flow via thiols is a theme with many variations in all kingdoms of life. The favourable physichochemical properties of the redox active couple of two cysteines placed in the optimised environment of the thioredoxin fold allow for two electron transfers in between top biological reductants and ultimate oxidants. The reduction of ribonucleotide reductases by thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was one of the first pathways to be elucidated. Diverse functions such as protein folding in the periplasm, maturation of respiratory enzymes, detoxification of hydrogen peroxide and prevention of oxidative damage may be based on two electron transfers via thiols. A growing field is the relation of thiol reducing pathways and the interaction of E. coli with different organisms. This concept combined with the sequencing of the genomes of different bacteria may allow for the identification of fine differences in the systems employing thiols for electron flow between pathogens and their corresponding mammalian hosts. The emerging possibility is the development of novel antibiotics.

Complete genome sequence of uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis, a master of both adherence and motility

The gram-negative enteric bacterium Proteus mirabilis is a frequent cause of urinary tract infections in individuals with long-term indwelling catheters or with complicated urinary tracts (e.g., due to spinal cord injury or anatomic abnormality). P. mirabilis bacteriuria may lead to acute pyelonephritis, fever, and bacteremia. Most notoriously, this pathogen uses urease to catalyze the formation of kidney and bladder stones or to encrust or obstruct indwelling urinary catheters. Here we report the complete genome sequence of P. mirabilis HI4320, a representative strain cultured in our laboratory from the urine of a nursing home patient with a long-term (> or =30 days) indwelling urinary catheter. The genome is 4.063 Mb long and has a G+C content of 38.88%. There is a single plasmid consisting of 36,289 nucleotides. Annotation of the genome identified 3,685 coding sequences and seven rRNA loci. Analysis of the sequence confirmed the presence of previously identified virulence determinants, as well as a contiguous 54-kb flagellar regulon and 17 types of fimbriae. Genes encoding a potential type III secretion system were identified on a low-G+C-content genomic island containing 24 intact genes that appear to encode all components necessary to assemble a type III secretion system needle complex. In addition, the P. mirabilis HI4320 genome possesses four tandem copies of the zapE metalloprotease gene, genes encoding six putative autotransporters, an extension of the atf fimbrial operon to six genes, including an mrpJ homolog, and genes encoding at least five iron uptake mechanisms, two potential type IV secretion systems, and 16 two-component regulators.

Molecular evolution of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and pathogenic Escherichia coli: from pathogenesis to therapeutics

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and certain Escherichia coli are human pathogens that have evolved through the acquisition of multiple virulence determinants by horizontal gene transfer. Similar genetic elements, as pathogenicity islands and virulence plasmids, have driven molecular evolution of virulence in both species. In addition, the contribution of prophages has been recently highlighted as a reservoir for pathogenic diversity. Characterization of horizontally acquired virulence genes has several clinical implications. First, identification of virulence determinants that have a sporadic distribution and are specifically associated with a pathotype and/or a pathology can be useful markers for risk assessment and diagnosis. Secondly, virulence factors widely distributed in pathogenic strains, but absent from non-pathogenic bacteria, are interesting targets for the development of novel antimicrobial chemotherapies and vaccines. Here, we summarize the horizontally acquired virulence factors of S. Typhimurium, enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 and uropathogenic E. coli, and we describe their use in novel therapeutic approaches.

LeuX tRNA-dependent and -independent mechanisms of Escherichia coli pathogenesis in acute cystitis

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) contain multiple horizontally acquired pathogenicity-associated islands (PAI) implicated in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection. In a murine model of cystitis, type 1 pili-mediated bladder epithelial invasion and intracellular proliferation are key events associated with UPEC virulence. In this study, we examined the mechanisms by which a conserved PAI contributes to UPEC pathogenesis in acute cystitis. In the human UPEC strain UTI89, spontaneous excision of PAI II(UTI89) disrupts the adjacent leuX tRNA locus. Loss of wild-type leuX-encoded tRNA(5)(Leu) significantly delayed, but did not eliminate, FimB recombinase-mediated phase variation of type 1 pili. FimX, an additional FimB-like, leuX-independent recombinase, was also found to mediate type 1 pili phase variation. However, whereas FimX activity is relatively slow in vitro, it is rapid in vivo as a non-piliated strain lacking the other fim recombinases rapidly expressed type 1 pili upon experimental infection. Finally, we found that disruption of leuX, but not loss of PAI II(UTI89) genes, reduced bladder epithelial invasion and intracellular proliferation, independent of type 1 piliation. These findings indicate that the predominant mechanism for preservation of PAI II(UTI89) during the establishment of acute cystitis is maintenance of wild-type leuX, and not PAI II(UTI89) gene content.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli dominantly suppress the innate immune response of bladder epithelial cells by a lipopolysaccharide- and Toll-like receptor 4-independent pathway

Urinary tract infections are a major source of morbidity among women, with the majority caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Our objective was to test if uropathogenic E. coli suppress the innate immune response of bladder epithelial cells. We found that bladder epithelial cells secrete interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in response to non-pathogenic E. coli, whereas they failed to do so in response to uropathogenic E. coli. Uropathogenic E. coli prevented interleukin-6 secretion in response to non-pathogenic E. coli and a panel of Toll-like receptor agonists, as well as to interleukin-1beta, but not to tumor necrosis factor alpha. These results indicate that receptors with a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain are specifically targeted, and that suppression is not a consequence of toxicity. One candidate for mediating immune suppression is bacterial lipopolysaccharide. However, lipopolysaccharide isolated from either uropathogenic or non-pathogenic E. coli stimulated interleukin-6 secretion to similar levels. In addition, uropathogenic E. coli did not stimulate interleukin-6 secretion from cells expressing a dominant negative Toll-like receptor 4, and prevented cells lacking Toll-like receptor 4 from secreting interleukin-6 in response to synthetic lipoprotein. We conclude that uropathogenic E. coli suppress the innate immune response through a pathway partially independent of lipopolysaccharide and Toll-like receptor 4.