UpaG, a new member of the trimeric autotransporter family of adhesins in uropathogenic Escherichia coli
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Mabbett, Amanda N
Ulett, Glen C
Toledo-Arana, Alejandro
Wecker, Karine
Totsika, Makrina
Schembri, Mark A
Ghigo, Jean-Marc
Beloin, Christophe
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Abstract
The ability of Escherichia coli to colonize both intestinal and extraintestinal sites is driven by the presence of specific virulence factors, among which are the autotransporter (AT) proteins. Members of the trimeric AT adhesin family are important virulence factors for several gram-negative pathogens and mediate adherence to eukaryotic cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In this study, we characterized a new trimeric AT adhesin (UpaG) from uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). Molecular analysis of UpaG revealed that it is translocated to the cell surface and adopts a multimeric conformation. We demonstrated that UpaG is able to promote cell aggregation and biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces in CFT073 and various UPEC strains. In addition, UpaG expression resulted in the adhesion of CFT073 to human bladder epithelial cells, with specific affinity to fibronectin and laminin. Prevalence analysis revealed that upaG is strongly associated with E. coli strains from the B2 and D phylogenetic groups, while deletion of upaG had no significant effect on the ability of CFT073 to colonize the mouse urinary tract. Thus, UpaG is a novel trimeric AT adhesin from E. coli that mediates aggregation, biofilm formation, and adhesion to various ECM proteins.
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Journal of Bacteriology
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190
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12
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© 2008 American Society for Microbiology. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
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Biological sciences
Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Medical bacteriology