Biofilm formation by asymptomatic and virulent urinary tract infectious Escherichia coli strains

Escherichia coli is the most common organism associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in humans. In contrast to uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) that cause symptomatic urinary tract infection, very little is known about the mechanisms by which these strains colonize the urinary tract. Here, we have investigated the biofilm-forming capacity on abiotic surfaces of groups of ABU strains and UPEC strains in human urine. We found that there is a strong bias; ABU strains were significantly better biofilm formers than UPEC strains. Our data suggest that biofilm formation in urinary tract infectious E. coli seems to be associated with ABU strains and appears to be an important strategy used by these strains for persistence in this high-flow environment.     

Defining genomic islands and uropathogen-specific genes in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are responsible for the majority of uncomplicated urinary tract infections, which can present clinically as cystitis or pyelonephritis. UPEC strain CFT073, isolated from the blood of a patient with acute pyelonephritis, was most cytotoxic and most virulent in mice among our strain collection. Based on the genome sequence of CFT073, microarrays were utilized in comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis of a panel of uropathogenic and fecal/commensal E. coli isolates. Genomic DNA from seven UPEC (three pyelonephritis and four cystitis) isolates and three fecal/commensal strains, including K-12 MG1655, was hybridized to the CFT073 microarray. The CFT073 genome contains 5,379 genes; CGH analysis revealed that 2,820 (52.4%) of these genes were common to all 11 E. coli strains, yet only 173 UPEC-specific genes were found by CGH to be present in all UPEC strains but in none of the fecal/commensal strains. When the sequences of three additional sequenced UPEC strains (UTI89, 536, and F11) and a commensal strain (HS) were added to the analysis, 131 genes present in all UPEC strains but in no fecal/commensal strains were identified. Seven previously unrecognized genomic islands (>30 kb) were delineated by CGH in addition to the three known pathogenicity islands. These genomic islands comprise 672 kb of the 5,231-kb (12.8%) genome, demonstrating the importance of horizontal transfer for UPEC and the mosaic structure of the genome. UPEC strains contain a greater number of iron acquisition systems than do fecal/commensal strains, which is reflective of the adaptation to the iron-limiting urinary tract environment. Each strain displayed distinct differences in the number and type of known virulence factors. The large number of hypothetical genes in the CFT073 genome, especially those shown to be UPEC specific, strongly suggests that many urovirulence factors remain uncharacterized.     

Chemoreceptors of Escherichia coli CFT073 Play Redundant Roles in Chemotaxis toward Urine

Community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) are commonly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). We hypothesize that chemotaxis toward ligands present in urine could direct UPEC into and up the urinary tract. Wild-type E. coli CFT073 and chemoreceptor mutants with tsr, tar, or aer deletions were tested for chemotaxis toward human urine in the capillary tube assay. Wild-type CFT073 was attracted toward urine, and Tsr and Tar were the chemoreceptors mainly responsible for mediating this response. The individual components of urine including L-amino acids, D-amino acids and various organic compounds were also tested in the capillary assay with wild-type CFT073. Our results indicate that CFT073 is attracted toward some L- amino acids and possibly toward some D-amino acids but not other common compounds found in urine such as urea, creatinine and glucuronic acid. In the murine model of UTI, the loss of any two chemoreceptors did not affect the ability of the bacteria to compete with the wild-type strain. Our data suggest that the presence of any strong attractant and its associated chemoreceptor might be sufficient for colonization of the urinary tract and that amino acids are the main chemoattractants for E. coli strain CFT073 in this niche.     

complex interplay between type 1 fimbrial expression and flagellum-mediated motility of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Type 1 fimbriae and flagella have been previously shown to contribute to the virulence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) within the urinary tract. In this study, the relationship between motility and type 1 fimbrial expression was tested for UPEC strain CFT073 by examining the phenotypic effect of fimbrial expression on motility and the effect that induction of motility has on type 1 fimbrial expression. While constitutive expression of type 1 fimbriae resulted in a significant decrease in motility and flagellin expression (P < 0.0001), a loss of type 1 fimbrial expression did not result in increased motility. Additionally, hypermotility and flagellar gene over- and underexpression were not observed to affect the expression of type 1 fimbriae. Hence, it appeared that the relationship between type 1 fimbrial expression and motility is unidirectional, where the overexpression of type 1 fimbriae dramatically affects motility and flagellum expression but not vice versa. Moreover, the constitutive expression of type 1 fimbriae in UPEC cystitis isolate F11 and the laboratory strain E. coli K-12 MG1655 also resulted in decreased motility, suggesting that this phenomenon is not specific to CFT073 or UPEC in general. Lastly, by analyzing the repression of motility caused by constitutive type 1 fimbrial expression, it was concluded that the synthesis and presence of type 1 fimbriae at the bacterial surface is only partially responsible for the repression of motility, as evidenced by the partial restoration of motility in the CFT073 fim L-ON DeltafimAICDFGH mutant. Altogether, these data provide further insight into the complex interplay between type 1 fimbrial expression and flagellum-mediated motility.     

UpaG, a new member of the trimeric autotransporter family of adhesins in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

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.     

PicU, a second serine protease autotransporter of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli is the major aetiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTI). Like diarrhoeagenic strains of E. coli, uropathogenic isolates possess virulence determinants that distinguish them from commensal strains and allow them to produce the clinical manifestations associated with UTI. Several autotransporter proteins have been associated with the ability of E. coli, and other Gram-negative bacteria, to cause disease. Recently, we described the existence within uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains of Sat, a toxin of the serine protease autotransporter of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATE) subfamily. Using features common to proteins secreted via the autotransporter pathway we have identified nine additional autotransporter proteins from the genomic sequence data of UPEC CFT073. Surprisingly, two additional members of the SPATE subfamily were identified. One protein, designated PicU, was homologous to the Pic protein identified in Shigella flexneri and enteroaggregative E. coli. The PicU protein was expressed and investigated for functional activity.     

dsdA Does Not Affect Colonization of the Murine Urinary Tract by Escherichia coli CFT073

The urinary tract environment provides many conditions that deter colonization by microorganisms. D-serine is thought to be one of these stressors and is present at high concentrations in urine. D-serine interferes with L-serine and pantothenate metabolism and is bacteriostatic to many species. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli commonly possess the dsdCXA genetic locus, which allows them to use D-serine as a sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source. It was previously reported that in the model UPEC strain CFT073, a dsdA mutant outcompetes wild type in the murine model of urinary tract infection. This “hypercolonization” was used to propose a model whereby UPEC strains sense D-serine in the urinary tract and subsequently up-regulate genes necessary for pathogenesis. Here, we show that inactivation of dsdA does not lead to hypercolonization. We suggest that this previously observed effect is due to an unrecognized secondary mutation in rpoS and that some D-serine specific effects described in other studies may be affected by the rpoS status of the strains used. Inactivation of dsdA in the original clinical isolate of CFT073 gives CFT073 ΔdsdA a growth defect in human urine and renders it unable to grow on minimal medium containing D-serine as the sole carbon source. However, CFT073 ΔdsdA is able to colonize the urinary tracts of CBA/J mice indistinguishably from wild type. These findings indicate that D-serine catabolism, though it may play role(s) during urinary tract infection, does not affect the ability of uropathogenic E. coli to colonize the murine urinary tract.     

BarA-UvrY two-component system regulates virulence of uropathogenic E. coli CFT073

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), a member of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, cause ～80% of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTI) in humans. UPEC initiates its colonization in epithelial cells lining the urinary tract with a complicated life cycle, replicating and persisting in intracellular and extracellular niches. Consequently, UPEC causes cystitis and more severe form of pyelonephritis. To further understand the virulence characteristics of UPEC, we investigated the roles of BarA-UvrY two-component system (TCS) in regulating UPEC virulence. Our results showed that mutation of BarA-UvrY TCS significantly decreased the virulence of UPEC CFT073, as assessed by mouse urinary tract infection, chicken embryo killing assay, and cytotoxicity assay on human kidney and uroepithelial cell lines. Furthermore, mutation of either barA or uvrY gene reduced the production of hemolysin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and chemokine (IL-8). The virulence phenotype was restored similar to that of wild-type by complementation of either barA or uvrY gene in trans. In addition, we discussed a possible link between the BarA-UvrY TCS and CsrA in positively and negatively controlling virulence in UPEC. Overall, this study provides the evidences for BarA-UvrY TCS regulates the virulence of UPEC CFT073 and may point to mechanisms by which virulence regulations are observed in different ways may control the long-term survival of UPEC in the urinary tract.     

The CTX-M-15-Producing Escherichia coli Clone O25b: H4-ST131 Has High Intestine Colonization and Urinary Tract Infection Abilities

Increasing numbers of pyelonephritis-associated uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are exhibiting high resistance to antibiotic therapy. They include a particular clonal group, the CTX-M-15-producing O25b:H4-ST131 clone, which has been shown to have a high dissemination potential. Here we show that a representative isolate of this E. coli clone, referred to as TN03, has enhanced metabolic capacities, acts as a potent intestine- colonizing strain, and displays the typical features of UPEC strains. In a modified streptomycin-treated mouse model of intestinal colonization where streptomycin was stopped 5 days before inoculation, we show that TN03 outcompetes the commensal E. coli strains K-12 MG1655, IAI1, and ED1a at days 1 and 7. Using an experimental model of ascending UTI in C3H/HeN mice, we then show that TN03 colonized the urinary tract. One week after the transurethral inoculation of the TN03 isolates, the bacterial loads in the bladder and kidneys were significantly greater than those of two other UPEC strains (CFT073 and HT7) belonging to the same B2 phylogenetic group. The differences in bacterial loads did not seem to be directly linked to differences in the inflammatory response, since the intrarenal expression of chemokines and cytokines and the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils attracted to the site of inflammation was the same in kidneys colonized by TN03, CFT073, or HT7. Lastly, we show that in vitro TN03 has a high maximum growth rate in both complex (Luria-Bertani and human urine) and minimum media. In conclusion, our findings indicate that TN03 is a potent UPEC strain that colonizes the intestinal tract and may persist in the kidneys of infected hosts.     

Isogenic P-fimbrial deletion mutants of pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli: the role of α Gal(1–4)β Gal binding in virulence of a wild-type strain

Escherichia coli strains causing acute pyelonephritis often express multiple fimbrial types and haemolysin, which may contribute to their ability to adhere to, and interact with, kidney epithelial cells. Strain CFT073, a pap⁺, sfa⁺, pil⁺, hly⁺ pyelonephritis strain, previously established as virulent in the CBA mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection and cytotoxic for cultured human renal epithelial cells, was selected for construction of isogenic strains. From a gene bank of this strain, two distinct copies of the pap operon were isolated. The two P-fimbrial determinants were sub-cloned into pCVD442, a positive selection suicide vector containing the sacB gene of Bacillus subtilis. Deletion mutations were introduced into each of the two constructs, within papEFG of one operon and papDEFG of the other. Suicide vectors carrying pap deletions were mobilized from E. coli SM10 lambda pir into CFT073 (Nal^R) and cointegrates were passaged on non-selective medium. The first pap mutation was identified by screening a Southern blot of DNA from sucrose-resistant colonies using a papEFG probe. This mutant retained the MRHA⁺ phenotype since a second functional copy of pap was still present. A double pap-deletion mutant, UPEC76, confirmed by Southern blotting, was unable to agglutinate human type O erythrocytes or α Gal(1–4)β Gal-coated latex beads. CBA mice (N =100) were challenged transurethrally with 10⁵, 10⁶, 10⁷, or 10⁹ cfu of strains CFT073 or UPEC76. After one week, quantitative cultures of urine, bladder, and kidney were done and histologic changes were examined. No substantive differences in organism concentration or histological findings between parent and mutant were detected in urine, bladder, or kidney at any challenge concentration. We conclude that adherence by P fimbriae of uro-pathogenic E. coli strain CFT073 plays only a subtle role in the development of acute pyelonephritis in the CBA mouse model.     

Variation in endogenous oxidative stress in Escherichia coli natural isolates during growth in urine

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli cause symptomatic infections whereas asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) strains are well adapted for growth in the human urinary tract, where they establish long-term bacteriuria. Human urine is a very complex growth medium that could be perceived by certain bacteria as a stressful environment. To investigate a possible imbalance between endogenous oxidative response and antioxidant mechanisms, lipid oxidative damage estimated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content was evaluated in twenty-one E. coli belonging to various pathovars and phylogenetic groups. Antioxidant defense mechanisms were also analysed. RESULTS: During exponential growth in urine, TBARS level differs between strains, without correlation with the ability to grow in urine which was similarly limited for commensal, ABU and uropathogenic strains. In addition, no correlation between TBARS level and the phylogroup or pathogenic group is apparent. The growth of ABU strain 83972 was associated with a high level of TBARS and more active antioxidant defenses that reduce the imbalance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that growth capacity in urine is not a property of ABU strains. However, E. coli isolates respond very differently to this stressful environment. In strain ABU 83972, on one hand, the increased level of endogenous reactive oxygen species may be responsible for adaptive mutations. On the other hand, a more active antioxidant defense system could increase the capacity to colonize the bladder.     

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli use d-serine deaminase to modulate infection of the murine urinary tract

Although once thought to be unique to bacteria, d-amino acids are also produced by mammals. For example, d-serine is excreted in human urine at concentrations ranging from 3.0 to 40 micro g ml-1. An epidemiological survey demonstrated that urine isolates of E. coli are more likely to catabolise d-serine via expression of d-serine deaminase, DsdA than enteric disease isolates. The urosepsis strain, CFT073, and an isogenic dsdA mutant have similar growth kinetics in minimal or complex media. However, relative to the wild type, the dsdA mutant has a pleiomorphic cell shape and a prolonged, 4-6 h lag phase when grown in human urine. This suggests that d-serine catabolism provides a growth advantage in the urinary tract. Unexpectedly, in a direct competition model of urinary tract infection, the dsdA mutant was recovered 300-times more frequently than the wild type in the bladders of mice 48 h after infection. A new model of E. coli uropathogenesis is proposed where growth and gene expression are modulated in response to environmental d-serine levels. In support of this, the CFT073 dsdA mutant is hyperflagellated and more motile than the wild type indicating that intracellular levels of d-serine may directly or indirectly influence the expression of regulons associated with E. coli uropathogenesis.     

Production of the Escherichia coli Common Pilus by Uropathogenic E. coli Is Associated with Adherence to HeLa and HTB-4 Cells and Invasion of Mouse Bladder Urothelium

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains cause urinary tract infections and employ type 1 and P pili in colonization of the bladder and kidney, respectively. Most intestinal and extra-intestinal E. coli strains produce a pilus called E. coli common pilus (ECP) involved in cell adherence and biofilm formation. However, the contribution of ECP to the interaction of UPEC with uroepithelial cells remains to be elucidated. Here, we report that prototypic UPEC strains CFT073 and F11 mutated in the major pilin structural gene ecpA are significantly deficient in adherence to cultured HeLa (cervix) and HTB-4 (bladder) epithelial cells in vitro as compared to their parental strains. Complementation of the ecpA mutant restored adherence to wild-type levels. UPEC strains produce ECP upon growth in Luria-Bertani broth or DMEM tissue culture medium preferentially at 26°C, during incubation with cultured epithelial cells in vitro at 37°C, and upon colonization of mouse bladder urothelium ex vivo. ECP was demonstrated on and inside exfoliated bladder epithelial cells present in the urine of urinary tract infection patients. The ability of the CFT073 ecpA mutant to invade the mouse tissue was significantly reduced. The presence of ECP correlated with the architecture of the biofilms produced by UPEC strains on inert surfaces. These data suggest that ECP can potentially be produced in the bladder environment and contribute to the adhesive and invasive capabilities of UPEC during its interaction with the host bladder. We propose that along with other known adhesins, ECP plays a synergistic role in the multi-step infection of the urinary tract.     

DsdX is the second D-serine transporter in uropathogenic Escherichia coli clinical isolate CFT073

d-Serine is an amino acid present in mammalian urine that is inhibitory to Escherichia coli strains lacking a functional dsdA gene. Counterintuitively, a dsdA strain of E. coli clinical isolate CFT073 hypercolonizes the bladder and kidneys of mice relative to wild type during a coinfection in the murine model of urinary tract infection. We are interested in the mechanisms for uptake of d-serine in CFT073. d-Serine enters E. coli K-12 via CycA, the d-alanine transporter and d-cycloserine sensitivity locus. CFT073 cycA can grow on minimal medium with d-serine as a sole carbon source. The dsdX gene of the dsdCXA locus is a likely candidate for an additional d-serine transporter based on its predicted amino acid sequence similarity to gluconate transporters. In minimal medium, CFT073 dsdX can grow on d-serine as a sole carbon source; however, CFT073 dsdX cycA cannot. Additionally, CFT073 dsdXA cycA is not sensitive to inhibitory concentrations of d-serine during growth on glycerol and d-serine minimal medium. d-[(14)C]serine uptake experiments with CFT073 dsdX cycA harboring dsdX or cycA recombinant plasmids confirm that d-serine is able to enter E. coli cells via CycA or DsdX. In whole-cell d-[(14)C]serine uptake experiments, DsdX has an apparent K(m) of 58.75 microM and a V(max) of 75.96 nmol/min/mg, and CycA has an apparent K(m) of 82.40 microM and a V(max) of 58.90 nmol/min/mg. Only d-threonine marginally inhibits DsdX-mediated d-serine transport, whereas d-alanine, glycine, and d-cycloserine inhibit CycA-mediated d-serine transport. DsdX or CycA is sufficient to transport physiological quantities of d-serine, but DsdX is a d-serine-specific permease.     

Osmoregulatory systems of Escherichia coli: identification of betaine-carnitine-choline transporter family member BetU and distributions of betU and trkG among pathogenic and nonpathogenic isolates

Multiple transporters mediate osmoregulatory solute accumulation in Escherichia coli K-12. The larger genomes of naturally occurring strains such as pyelonephritis isolates CFT073 and HU734 may encode additional osmoregulatory systems. CFT073 is more osmotolerant than HU734 in the absence of organic osmoprotectants, yet both strains grew in high osmolality medium at low K(+) (micromolar concentrations) and retained locus trkH, which encodes an osmoregulatory K(+) transporter. Both lacked the trkH homologue trkG. Transporters ProP and ProU account for all glycine-betaine uptake activity in E. coli K-12 and CFT073, but not in HU734, yet elimination of ProP and ProU impairs the growth of HU734, but not CFT073, in high osmolality human urine. No known osmoprotectant stimulated the growth of CFT073 in high osmolality minimal medium, but putative transporters YhjE, YiaMNO, and YehWXYZ may mediate uptake of additional osmoprotectants. Gene betU was isolated from HU734 by functional complementation and shown to encode a betaine uptake system that belongs to the betaine-choline-carnitine transporter family. The incidence of trkG and betU within the ECOR collection, representatives of the E. coli pathotypes (PATH), and additional strains associated with urinary tract infection (UTI) were determined. Gene trkG was present in 66% of the ECOR collection but only in 16% of the PATH and UTI collections. Gene betU was more frequently detected in ECOR groups B2 and D (50% of isolates) than in groups A, B1, and E (20%), but it was similar in overall incidence in the ECOR collection and in the combined UTI and PATH collections (32 and 34%, respectively). Genes trkG and betU may have been acquired by lateral gene transfer, since trkG is part of the rac prophage and betU is flanked by putative insertion sequences. Thus, BetU and TrkG contribute, with other systems, to the osmoregulatory capacity of the species E. coli, but they are not characteristic of a particular phylogenetic group or pathotype.     

Type 1 fimbriae and extracellular polysaccharides are preeminent uropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence determinants in the murine urinary tract

Escherichia coli is the leading cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Despite the association of numerous bacterial factors with uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), few such factors have been proved to be required for UTI in animal models. Previous investigations of urovirulence factors have relied on prior identification of phenotypic characteristics. We used signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) in an unbiased effort to identify genes that are essential for UPEC survival within the murine urinary tract. A library of 2049 transposon mutants of the prototypic UPEC strain CFT073 was constructed using mini-Tn5km2 carrying 92 unique tags and screened in a murine model of ascending UTI. After initial screening followed by confirmation in co-infection experiments, 19 survival-defective mutants were identified. These mutants were recovered in numbers 101- to 106-fold less than the wild type in the bladder, kidneys or urine or at more than one site. The transposon junctions from each attenuated mutant were sequenced and analysed. Mutations were found in: (i) the type 1 fimbrial operon; (ii) genes involved in the biosyn-thesis of extracellular polysaccharides including group I capsule, group II capsule and enterobacterial common antigen; (iii) genes involved in metabolic pathways; and (iv) genes with unknown function. Five of the genes identified are absent from the genome of the E. coli K-12 strain. Mutations in type 1 fimbrial genes resulted in severely attenuated colonization, even in the case of a mutant with an insertion upstream of the fim operon that affected the rate of fimbrial switching from the 'off' to the 'on' phase. Three mutants had insertions in a new type II capsule biosynthesis locus on a pathogenicity island and were impaired in the production of capsule in vivo. An additional mutant with an insertion in wecE was unable to synthesize enterobacterial common antigen. These results confirm the pre-eminence of type 1 fimbriae, establish the importance of extracellular polysaccharides in the pathogenesis of UTI and identify new urovirulence determinants.     

Complete genome sequence of uropathogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> isolate UPEC 26-1

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in humans, predominantly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). The diverse genomes of UPEC strains mostly impede disease prevention and control measures. In this study, we comparatively analyzed the whole genome sequence of a highly virulent UPEC strain, namely UPEC 26-1, which was isolated from urine sample of a patient suffering from UTI in Korea. Whole genome analysis showed that the genome consists of one circular chromosome of 5,329,753 bp, comprising 5064 protein-coding genes, 122 RNA genes (94 tRNA, 22 rRNA and 6 ncRNA genes), and 100 pseudogenes, with an average G+C content of 50.56%. In addition, we identified 8 prophage regions comprising 5 intact, 2 incomplete and 1 questionable ones and 63 genomic islands, suggesting the possibility of horizontal gene transfer in this strain. Comparative genome analysis of UPEC 26-1 with the UPEC strain CFT073 revealed an average nucleotide identity of 99.7%. The genome comparison with CFT073 provides major differences in the genome of UPEC 26-1 that would explain its increased virulence and biofilm formation. Nineteen of the total GIs were unique to UPEC 26-1 compared to CFT073 and nine of them harbored unique genes that are involved in virulence, multidrug resistance, biofilm formation and bacterial pathogenesis. The data from this study will assist in future studies of UPEC strains to develop effective control measures.