Genomics, biofilm formation and infection of bladder epithelial cells in potentially uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) from animal sources and human urinary tract infections (UTIs) further support food-borne transmission
Vanesa García,
Luz Lestón,
Ana Parga,
Isidro García-Meniño,
Javier Fernández,
Ana Otero,
John E. Olsen,
Ana Herrero-Fresno,
Azucena Mora
Affiliations
Vanesa García
Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago 15706, Spain
Luz Lestón
Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain
Ana Parga
Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Edificio CIBUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
Isidro García-Meniño
Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago 15706, Spain; Department for Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin 10589, Germany
Javier Fernández
Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo 33011, Spain; Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo 33011, Spain; Research & Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Statistical Department, Pragmatech AI Solutions, Oviedo 33011, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Ana Otero
Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Edificio CIBUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
John E. Olsen
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
Ana Herrero-Fresno
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
Azucena Mora
Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago 15706, Spain; Corresponding author at: Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain.
Escherichia coli is the main cause of urinary tract infections (UTI). While genomic comparison of specific clones recovered from animals, and human extraintestinal infections show high identity, studies demonstrating the uropathogenicity are lacking. In this study, comparative genomics combined with bladder-cell and biofilm formation assays, were performed for 31 E. coli of different origins: 7 from meat (poultry, beef, and pork); 2 from avian-farm environment; 12 from human uncomplicated UTI, uUTI; and 10 from human complicated UTI, cUTI. These isolates were selected based on their genetic uropathogenic (UPEC) status and phylogenetic background. In silico analysis revealed similar virulence-gene profiles, with flagella, type 1 and curli fimbriae, outer-membrane proteins (agn43, ompT, iha), and iron-uptake (iutA, entA, and fyuA) associated-traits as the most prevalent (>65%). In bladder-cell assays, moderate to strong values of association (83%, 60%, 77.8%) and invasion (0%, 70%, 55.5%) were exhibited by uUTI, cUTI, and animal-derived isolates, respectively. Of interest, uUTI isolates exhibited a significantly lower invasive capacity than cUTI isolates (p < 0.05). All isolates but one produced measurable biofilm. Notably, 1 turkey meat isolate O11:H6-F-ST457, and 2 cUTI isolates of the pandemic lineages O83:H42-F-ST1485-CC648 and O25b:H4-B2-ST131, showed strong association, invasion and biofilm formation. These isolates showed common carriage of type 1 fimbriae and csg operons, toxins (hlyF, tsh), iron uptake systems (iutA, entA, iroN), colicins, protectins (cvaC, iss, kpsM, traT), ompT, and malX. In summary, the similar in vitro behaviour found here for certain E. coli clones of animal origin would further reinforce the role of food-producing animals as a potential source of UPEC. Bladder-cell infection assays, combined with genomics, might be an alternative to in vivo virulence models to assess uropathogenicity.
