This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schneider, G. Articles by Hacker, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schneider, G. Articles by Hacker, J.

The Pathogenicity Island-Associated K15 Capsule Determinant Exhibits a Novel Genetic Structure and Correlates with Virulence in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain 536

Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg,¹ Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik, Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Göttingen, Germany,² Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,³ Institut Pasteur, Laboratoire de Génomique des Microorganismes Pathogènes, Paris, France⁴

Received 1 April 2004/ Returned for modification 11 May 2004/ Accepted 8 July 2004

The K15 capsule determinant of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain 536 (O6:K15:H31) is part of a novel 79.6-kb pathogenicity island (PAI) designated PAI V₅₃₆ that is absent from the genome of nonpathogenic E. coli K-12 strain MG1655. PAI V₅₃₆ shows typical characteristics of a composite PAI that is associated with the pheV tRNA gene and contains the pix fimbriae determinant as well as genes coding for a putative phosphoglycerate transport system, an autotransporter protein, and hypothetical open reading frames. A gene cluster coding for a putative general secretion pathway system, together with a kps_K15 determinant, is localized downstream of a truncated pheV gene ('pheV) also present in this chromosomal region. The distribution of genes present on PAI V₅₃₆ was studied by PCR in different pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli isolates of various sources. Analysis of the 20-kb kps locus revealed a so far unknown genetic organization. Generally, the kps_K15 gene cluster resembles that of group 2 and 3 capsules, where two conserved regions (regions 1 and 3) are located up- or downstream of a highly variable serotype-specific region (region 2). Interestingly, recombination of a group 2 and 3 determinant may have been involved in the evolution of the K15 capsule-encoding gene cluster. Expression of the K15 capsule is important for virulence in a murine model of ascending urinary tract infection but not for serum resistance of E. coli strain 536.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Restieri, C., Garriss, G., Locas, M.-C., Dozois, C. M. (2007). Autotransporter-Encoding Sequences Are Phylogenetically Distributed among Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates and Reference Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1553-1562 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Willenbrock, H., Petersen, A., Sekse, C., Kiil, K., Wasteson, Y., Ussery, D. W. (2006). Design of a Seven-Genome Escherichia coli Microarray for Comparative Genomic Profiling. J. Bacteriol. 188: 7713-7721 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brzuszkiewicz, E., Bruggemann, H., Liesegang, H., Emmerth, M., Olschlager, T., Nagy, G., Albermann, K., Wagner, C., Buchrieser, C., Emody, L., Gottschalk, G., Hacker, J., Dobrindt, U. (2006). How to become a uropathogen: Comparative genomic analysis of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 12879-12884 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Beloin, C., Michaelis, K., Lindner, K., Landini, P., Hacker, J., Ghigo, J.-M., Dobrindt, U. (2006). The Transcriptional Antiterminator RfaH Represses Biofilm Formation in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 188: 1316-1331 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kariyawasam, S., Johnson, T. J., Nolan, L. K. (2006). The pap Operon of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain O1:K1 Is Located on a Novel Pathogenicity Island. Infect. Immun. 74: 744-749 [Abstract] [Full Text]