|
1
|
Chagneau CV, Payros D, Goman A, Goursat C, David L, Okuno M, Bordignon PJ, Séguy C, Massip C, Branchu P, Ogura Y, Nougayrède JP, Marenda M, Oswald E. HlyF, an underestimated virulence factor of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023:S1198-743X(23)00352-X. [PMID: 37532127 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are primarily caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). This study aims to elucidate the role of the virulence factor HlyF in the epidemiology and pathophysiology of UTIs and investigate the dissemination of plasmids carrying the hlyF gene. METHODS An epidemiological analysis was conducted on a representative collection of 225 UPEC strains isolated from community-acquired infections. Selected hlyF+ strains were fully sequenced using a combination of Illumina and Nanopore technologies. To investigate the impact of HlyF, a murine model of UTI was utilized to compare clinical signs, bacterial loads in the bladder, kidney, and spleen, onset of bacteraemia, and inflammation through cytokine quantification among wild-type hlyF+ strains, isogenic mutants, and complemented mutants. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate that 20% of UPEC encode the HlyF protein. These hlyF+ UPEC strains exhibited enhanced virulence, frequently leading to pyelonephritis accompanied by bloodstream infections. Unlike typical UPEC strains, hlyF+ UPEC strains demonstrate a broader phylogroup distribution and possess a unique array of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes, primarily carried by ColV-like plasmids. In the murine UTI model, expression of HlyF was linked to the UPECs' capacity to induce urosepsis and elicit an exacerbated inflammatory response, setting them apart from typical UPEC strains. DISCUSSION Overall, our results strongly support the notion that HlyF serves as a significant virulence factor for UPECs, and the dissemination of ColV-like plasmids encoding HlyF warrants further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille V Chagneau
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France; Service de Bactériologie-Hygiène, Univerity Hospital of Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Delphine Payros
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Audrey Goman
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Cécile Goursat
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Laure David
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Miki Okuno
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Pierre-Jean Bordignon
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Carine Séguy
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Clémence Massip
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France; Service de Bactériologie-Hygiène, Univerity Hospital of Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Priscilla Branchu
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Yoshitoshi Ogura
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Jean-Philippe Nougayrède
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France
| | - Marc Marenda
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eric Oswald
- Digestive Health Research Institute (IRSD), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT), Toulouse, France; Service de Bactériologie-Hygiène, Univerity Hospital of Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France.
| |
Collapse
|