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Cited by 15Escherichia coli research studiesUrinary Tract Infections ManagementBiochemical and Structural Characterization

Identification of antigen Ag43 in uropathogenic Escherichia coli Dr+ strains and defining its role in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections

Zalewska-Pia˛tek, Beata, Pia˛tek, Rafał, Olszewski, Marcin, Kur, Józef·2015·Microbiology
DOI 10.1099/mic.0.000072
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Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are amongst the most common bacterial infectious diseases in the developed world. The urovirulence of UPEC is mainly associated with the surface-exposed fimbrial adhesins and adhesins of the autotransporter (AT) family. The best studied of these proteins is antigen Ag43 mediating cell aggregation, adhesion and biofilm development as the causes of chronic UTIs. The E. coli IH11128 Dr(+) (dra (+)) strain of the Dr/Afa(+) family of adhesins possesses two major surface-exposed virulence factors: Dr fimbrial polyadhesin and DraD protein (fimbrial tip subunit or protein component of the adhesive sheath). Here, we identified for the first time, to our knowledge, the agn43 gene encoding Ag43 in the WT clinical isolate of UPEC Dr(+) as a new virulence factor not yet tested. We also found that Dr fimbrial expression, which like Ag43 is under the control of a phase-variable mechanism, did not exclude Ag43 surface presentation. However, the presence of Dr fimbriae supported by other structures on the cell surface caused a physical neutralization of Ag43-mediated autoaggregation during in vitro growth. The fimbrial bundling further increased the distance between the adjacent Ag43(+) cells, thus preventing head-to-tail association between surface-exposed Ag43 subunits and their interactions with the host cells. The investigations showed that Ag43 did not act as a specific adhesin and invasin, conversely to the major virulence factors of E. coli Dr(+), but played significant roles in the viability and metabolic activity of bacterial cells forming biofilm, and in the survival of bacteria within invaded epithelial cells.

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  • Ag43 enhances intracellular survival and virulence due to formation of intracellular aggregates.

    “Thus, Ag43 is believed to enhance intracellular survival and virulence due to the formation of intracellular aggregates [117].”

    From Bacterial autoaggregation (2018) · cites this paper as [117]

  • Internalized UPEC IH11128 Dr+ Ag43+ cells were viable after 72 h post infection, whereas only 7% of Ag43− survived first 24 h and none after 48 h.

    “Nonetheless, internalized UPEC IH11128 Dr+ Ag43+ cells were viable after 72 h post infection, whereas only 7% of UPEC IH11128 Dr+ Ag43− survived the first 24 hours post infection, and no viable cells could be detected after 48 hours post infection.”

    From Bacterial autoaggregation (2018) · cites this paper as [117]

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Authors
Zalewska-Pia˛tek, B., Pia˛tek, R., Olszewski, M., & Kur, J.
Affiliations
  • Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Gdansk University of Technology, ul. G. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233Gdansk, Poland
  • Gdańsk University of Technology (PL)
ORCID
Venue
Microbiology
Publisher
Microbiology Society
Published
2015-05-01
Volume
161
Issue
5
Pages
1034-1049
ISSN
  • 1350-0872 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-2080
DOI
10.1099/mic.0.000072
OpenAlex
W2071510802
Cited by
15
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2018: 4
FWCI
1.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Escherichia coli research studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Urinary Tract Infections Management
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Biochemical and Structural Characterization
Keywords
uropathogenic Escherichia coli, urinary tract infection, biofilm formation, phase variation, bacterial adhesion, host cell invasion, virulence factors, chronic urinary tract infection
MeSH terms
Antigens, Bacterial, Bacterial Adhesion, Cell Line, Humans, Phenotype, Fimbriae, Bacterial, Urinary Tract Infections, Gene Expression, Biofilms, Adhesins, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli Proteins, Virulence Factors, Microbial Viability, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, Gene Knockout Techniques, Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

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