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Asymtomatic Bacteriuria as a Model to Study the Coevolution of Hosts and Bacteria.

Dobrindt, Ulrich ; Wullt, Björn LU and Svanborg, Catharina LU (2016) In Pathogens 5(1). p.1-8
Abstract
During asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU), bacteria colonize the urinary tract for extended periods of time without causing symptoms of urinary tract infection. Previous studies indicate that many Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains that cause ABU have evolved from uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) by reductive evolution and loss of the ability to express functional virulence factors. For instance, the prototype ABU strain 83972 has a smaller genome than UPEC strains with deletions or point mutations in several virulence genes. To understand the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation and to find out whether the bacteria adapt in a host-specific manner, we compared the complete genome sequences of consecutive reisolates of ABU strain 83972 from different... (More)
During asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU), bacteria colonize the urinary tract for extended periods of time without causing symptoms of urinary tract infection. Previous studies indicate that many Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains that cause ABU have evolved from uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) by reductive evolution and loss of the ability to express functional virulence factors. For instance, the prototype ABU strain 83972 has a smaller genome than UPEC strains with deletions or point mutations in several virulence genes. To understand the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation and to find out whether the bacteria adapt in a host-specific manner, we compared the complete genome sequences of consecutive reisolates of ABU strain 83972 from different inoculated individuals and compared them with the genome of the parent strain. Reisolates from different hosts exhibited individual patterns of genomic alterations. Non-synonymous SNPs predominantly occurred in coding regions and often affected the amino acid sequence of proteins with global or pleiotropic regulatory function. These gene products are involved in different bacterial stress protection strategies, and metabolic and signaling pathways. Our data indicate that adaptation of E. coli 83972 to prolonged growth in the urinary tract involves responses to specific growth conditions and stresses present in the individual hosts. Accordingly, modulation of gene expression required for survival and growth under stress conditions seems to be most critical for long-term growth of E. coli 83972 in the urinary tract. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Pathogens
volume
5
issue
1
pages
1 - 8
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • pmid:26891332
  • wos:000373680700025
  • pmid:26891332
  • scopus:85020711567
ISSN
2076-0817
DOI
10.3390/pathogens5010021
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
06b3c6f3-d84f-4803-a628-51f3d974862a (old id 8825093)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26891332?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:21:58
date last changed
2022-04-15 22:54:28
@article{06b3c6f3-d84f-4803-a628-51f3d974862a,
  abstract     = {{During asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU), bacteria colonize the urinary tract for extended periods of time without causing symptoms of urinary tract infection. Previous studies indicate that many Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains that cause ABU have evolved from uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) by reductive evolution and loss of the ability to express functional virulence factors. For instance, the prototype ABU strain 83972 has a smaller genome than UPEC strains with deletions or point mutations in several virulence genes. To understand the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation and to find out whether the bacteria adapt in a host-specific manner, we compared the complete genome sequences of consecutive reisolates of ABU strain 83972 from different inoculated individuals and compared them with the genome of the parent strain. Reisolates from different hosts exhibited individual patterns of genomic alterations. Non-synonymous SNPs predominantly occurred in coding regions and often affected the amino acid sequence of proteins with global or pleiotropic regulatory function. These gene products are involved in different bacterial stress protection strategies, and metabolic and signaling pathways. Our data indicate that adaptation of E. coli 83972 to prolonged growth in the urinary tract involves responses to specific growth conditions and stresses present in the individual hosts. Accordingly, modulation of gene expression required for survival and growth under stress conditions seems to be most critical for long-term growth of E. coli 83972 in the urinary tract.}},
  author       = {{Dobrindt, Ulrich and Wullt, Björn and Svanborg, Catharina}},
  issn         = {{2076-0817}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--8}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Pathogens}},
  title        = {{Asymtomatic Bacteriuria as a Model to Study the Coevolution of Hosts and Bacteria.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens5010021}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/pathogens5010021}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}