Frontiers in Microbiology (Sep 2020)

Genomic Survey of E. coli From the Bladders of Women With and Without Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

  • Andrea Garretto,
  • Taylor Miller-Ensminger,
  • Adriana Ene,
  • Zubia Merchant,
  • Aashaka Shah,
  • Athina Gerodias,
  • Anthony Biancofiori,
  • Stacey Canchola,
  • Stephanie Canchola,
  • Emanuel Castillo,
  • Tasnim Chowdhury,
  • Nikita Gandhi,
  • Sarah Hamilton,
  • Kyla Hatton,
  • Syed Hyder,
  • Koty Krull,
  • Demetrios Lagios,
  • Thinh Lam,
  • Kennedy Mitchell,
  • Christine Mortensen,
  • Amber Murphy,
  • Joseph Richburg,
  • Meghan Rokas,
  • Suzanne Ryclik,
  • Pauline Sulit,
  • Thomas Szwajnos,
  • Manuel Widuch,
  • Jessica Willis,
  • Mary Woloszyn,
  • Bridget Brassil,
  • Genevieve Johnson,
  • Rita Mormando,
  • Laura Maskeri,
  • Mary Batrich,
  • Nicole Stark,
  • Jason W. Shapiro,
  • Cesar Montelongo Hernandez,
  • Swarnali Banerjee,
  • Alan J. Wolfe,
  • Catherine Putonti,
  • Catherine Putonti,
  • Catherine Putonti,
  • Catherine Putonti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.02094
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common human bacterial infections. While UTIs are commonly associated with colonization by Escherichia coli, members of this species also have been found within the bladder of individuals with no lower urinary tract symptoms (no LUTS), also known as asymptomatic bacteriuria. Prior studies have found that both uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains and E. coli isolates that are not associated with UTIs encode for virulence factors. Thus, the reason(s) why E. coli sometimes causes UTI-like symptoms remain(s) elusive. In this study, the genomes of 66 E. coli isolates from adult female bladders were sequenced. These isolates were collected from four cohorts, including women: (1) without lower urinary tract symptoms, (2) overactive bladder symptoms, (3) urgency urinary incontinence, and (4) a clinical diagnosis of UTI. Comparative genomic analyses were conducted, including core and accessory genome analyses, virulence and motility gene analyses, and antibiotic resistance prediction and testing. We found that the genomic content of these 66 E. coli isolates does not correspond with the participant’s symptom status. We thus looked beyond the E. coli genomes to the composition of the entire urobiome and found that the presence of E. coli alone was not sufficient to distinguish between the urobiomes of individuals with UTI and those with no LUTS. Because E. coli presence, abundance, and genomic content appear to be weak predictors of UTI status, we hypothesize that UTI symptoms associated with detection of E. coli are more likely the result of urobiome composition.

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