Abstract

BackgroundBacteriocin production is an important characteristic of E. coli strains of human origin. To date, 26 colicin and 9 microcin types have been analyzed on a molecular level allowing molecular detection of the corresponding genes. The production incidence of 29 bacteriocin types and E. coli phylogroups were tested in a set of 361 E. coli strains isolated from human urinary tract infections (UTI) and in 411 control strains isolated from feces of patients without bacterial gut infection.ResultsProduction of 17 and 20 individual bacteriocin types was found in the UTI and control strains, respectively. Microcin H47 encoding determinants were found more often among UTI strains compared to controls (37.9% and 27.0% respectively, p = 0.02) and strains producing microcin H47 belonged predominantly to phylogroup B2 when compared to other bacteriocin producers (67.4% and 36.7%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Producers of 3 or more identified bacteriocin types were more common in the UTI group (20.0% compared to 12.4% in controls, p = 0.03). In the UTI strains, there was a markedly higher number of those producing colicin E1 compared to controls (22.1% to 10.2%, respectively, p = 0.0008). Moreover, colicin E1 production was more common in the UTI bacteriocinogenic strains with multi-producer capabilities. As shown by Southern blotting, pColE1 DNA was not recognized by the ColIa probe and vice versa suggesting that pColE1 was independently associated with pColIa in UTI strains.ConclusionE. coli strains isolated from human urinary tract infections showed increased incidence of microcin H47 and colicin E1 production, respectively. Moreover, colicin E1 itself appears to be a potentially important virulence factor of certain uropathogenic E. coli strains.

Highlights

  • Bacteriocin production is an important characteristic of E. coli strains of human origin

  • Microcin H47 encoding determinants were found more often among urinary tract infections (UTI) strains compared to controls (37.9% and 27.0% respectively, p = 0.02)

  • E. coli strains isolated from human urinary tract infections showed increased incidence of microcin H47 and colicin E1 production, respectively, and belonged more often to phylogroup B2 when compared to control E. coli strains

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Summary

Introduction

Bacteriocin production is an important characteristic of E. coli strains of human origin. While there is indirect evidence of presence of corpuscular bacteriocins in the genus Escherichia [1], they have not been unequivocally identified in this genus where only production of proteinaceous colicins and low molecular weight microcins has been directly demonstrated. Both colicins and microcins have a relatively narrow spectrum of activity, Uropathogenic strains of E. coli (UPEC) form a subgroup of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains and cause human urinary tract infections (UTI). There are contradictory results regarding the role of microcin V in bacterial virulence [11,12]

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