Breeding of High Daptomycin-Producing Strain by Streptomycin Resistance Superposition

Daptomycin is a cyclolipopeptide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces roseosporus. It is widely used to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections; however, daptomycin yield in wild strains is very low. To improve the daptomycin production by the strain BNCC 342432, a modified method of ribosome engineering with superposition of streptomycin resistance was adopted in this study. The highest-yield mutant strain SR-2620 was obtained by increasing streptomycin resistance of BNCC 342432, and achieved daptomycin production of 38.5 mg/l in shake-flask fermentation, 1.79-fold higher than the parent strain and its heredity stability was stable. The morphological characteristics of the two strains were significantly different, and the 440^th base G of the rpsL gene in the mutant strain was deleted, which resulted in a frameshift mutation. Our results demonstrate that gradually increasing strain resistance to streptomycin was an effective breeding method to improve daptomycin yield in S. roseosporus. Open in a separate window     

Screening of mcr-1 Among Gram-Negative Bacteria from Different Clinical Samples from ICU Patients in Alexandria,Egypt: One-Year Study

Antimicrobial resistance represents a global dilemma. Our present study aimed to investigate the presence of mcr-1 among different Gram-negative bacteria including Enterobacteriaceae (except intrinsically resistant to colistin) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gram-negative bacterial isolates were collected from different ICUs in several Alexandria hospitals from June 2019 to June 2020. The identification of these Gram-negative isolates was made using the VITEK-2^® system (BioMérieux, France). SYBR Green-based PCR was used to screen for the presence of mcr-1 using a positive control that we amplified and sequenced earlier in our pilot study. All isolates were screened for the presence of mcr-1 regardless of their colistin susceptibility. Isolates that harbored mcr-1 were tested for colistin susceptibility and for the presence of some beta-lactamase genes. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates harboring mcr-1 were capsule typed using the wzi sequence analysis. Four hundred eighty isolates were included in this study. Only six isolates harbored mcr-1.1. Of these, four were resistant to colistin, while two (K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa) were susceptible to colistin. Five of the six isolates were resistant to carbapenems. They harbored bla_OXA-48, and three of them co-harbored bla_NDM-1. K-58 was the most often found among our K. pneumoniae harboring mcr-1.1. To our knowledge, this is the first time to report colistin susceptible P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae harboring the mcr-1.1 gene in Egypt. Further studies are needed to investigate the presence of the mcr genes among colistin susceptible isolates to shed more light on its significance as a potential threat. Open in a separate window     

Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Eggerthella Lenta in Bloodstream Infections

The identification and antibiotic susceptibility of two clinical isolates of Eggerthella lenta from bloodstream infections were determined. This microorganism is rarely pathogenic, and the findings are presented here to promote the detection and awareness of this infection. The bacteria were obtained from one patient with pressure sores and another with a malignant gastric tumor. Smears were prepared, stained, and examined by microscopy. Single colonies were analyzed by Gram staining, MALDI-TOF MS, and the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Antibiotic sensitivity was assessed by the agar dilution method. The bacilli were found to be Gram-positive, and the MS results showed 99.8% homology with E. lenta. It was confirmed by gene sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility tests demonstrated that E. lenta was sensitive to piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin-sulbactam, imipenem, meropenem, metronidazole, clindamycin, and vancomycin. This study could increase awareness of this rare infection. Open in a separate window     

Genetic Polymorphisms of Pneumocystis Jirovecii in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic fungus that can cause severe and potentially fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunodeficient patients. In this study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii at eight different loci, including six nuclear genes (ITS, 26S rRNA, sod, dhps, dhfr and β-Tub) and two mitochondrial genes (mtLSU-rRNA and cyb) in three PCP cases, including two patients with HIV infection and one without HIV infection in Shanxi Province, P.R. China. The gene targets were amplified by PCR followed by sequencing of plasmid clones. The HIV-negative patient showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at six of the eight loci sequenced. Of the two HIV-positive patients, one showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at the same two of the six loci as in the HIV-negative patient, while the other showed a single infection at all eight loci sequenced. None of the three drug target genes (dhfr, dhps and cyb) showed mutations known to be potentially associated with drug resistance. This is the first report of genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii in PCP patients in Shanxi Province, China. Our findings expand our understanding of the genetic diversity of P. jirovecii in China. Open in a separate window     

Susceptibility of Clostridium Sporogenes Spores to Selected Reference Substances and Disinfectants

Research on the susceptibility of the spores of anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium sporogenes or Clostridioides difficile is vital for assessing the sporicidal activity of disinfectants. The diverse susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria spores may lead to different disinfection parameters being determined by laboratories that prepare spore suspensions to test sporicidal effectiveness. The tests were performed using the suspension method according to PN-EN 13704:2018-09. In order to assess the susceptibility of the C. sporogenes spores, the criterion established for the C. difficile ribotype 027 spores was used in accordance with PN‑EN 17126:2019-01. The susceptibility of the C. sporogenes spores to glutardialdehyde corresponded to the susceptibility ranges established for the C. difficile ribotype 027 spores. The C. sporogenes spore suspension was susceptible to low concentrations of peracetic acid (0.01%). A disinfectant containing peracetic acid as the active substance showed high sporicidal activity at a low concentration (1%), a short contact time (15 minutes), and a high organic load (3.0 g/l bovine albumin + 3.0 ml/l sheep erythrocytes), as compared to a disinfectant with glutardialdehyde, which was sporicidal at a higher concentration (2.5%), at a longer contact time(60 minutes) and lower organic conditions (3.0 g/l bovine albumin). There is a need to define the minimum susceptibility criteria for the C. sporogenes spores to the reference substances most often found in disinfectants with sporicidal activity. Excessive susceptibility of the C. sporogenes spores to reference substances may result in low-performance parameters of disinfection products with sporicidal activity and lead to ineffective disinfection in practice. Open in a separate window     

Structural and Dynamic Analysis of Leaf-Associated Fungal Community of Walnut Leaves Infected by Leaf Spot Disease Based Illumina High-Throughput Sequencing Technology

Leaf-associated microbiota is vital in plant-environment interactions and is the basis for micro-ecological regulation. However, there are no studies on the direct differences in microbial community composition between disease-susceptible and healthy walnut leaves. This study collected five samples of healthy and infected leaves (all leaves with abnormal spots were considered diseased leaves) from May to October 2018. Differences in fungal diversity (Chao1 index, Shannon index, and Simpson index) and community structure were observed by sequencing and analyzing diseased and healthy leaf microbial communities by Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology. The main fungal phyla of walnut leaf-associated were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Glomeromycota. Diversity indices (Shannon and Chao1 index values) of healthy leaves differed significantly in the late stages of disease onset. The results showed that the fungal species that differed considerably between the healthy and infected groups differed, and the fungal species that differed significantly between the healthy and infected groups changed with the development of the leaf disease. Critical control time points were determined by analyzing the population dynamics of pathogenic fungi. Leaf-associated microorganisms are abundant and diverse, and fungal identification and diversity studies are helpful for developing more appropriate walnut management strategies Open in a separate window     

A Novel Bioflocculant Produced by Cobetia Marina MCCC1113: Optimization of Fermentation Conditions by Response Surface Methodology and Evaluation of Flocculation Performance When Harvesting Microalgae

A preliminary study was carried out to optimize the culture medium conditions for producing a novel microbial flocculant from the marine bacterial species Cobetia marina. The optimal glucose, yeast extract, and glutamate contents were 30, 10, and 2 g/l, respectively, while the optimal initial pH of the culture medium was determined to be 8. Following response surface optimization, the maximum bioflocculant production level of 1.36 g/l was achieved, which was 43.40% higher than the original culture medium. Within 5 min, a 20.0% (v/v) dosage of the yielded bioflocculant applied to algal cultures resulted in the highest flocculating efficiency of 93.9% with Spirulina platensis. The bioflocculant from C. marina MCCC1113 may have promising application potential for highly productive microalgae collection, according to the findings of this study. Open in a separate window     

Prevalence and Drug Resistance Pattern of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Isolated from Tuberculosis Patients in Basra,Iraq

Drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (DR-MTB) is a major health threat to human beings. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and drug resistance profile of MTB. Data were collected from 2,296 newly diagnosed, and 246 retreated tuberculosis (TB) patients who attended the Advisory Clinic for Chest Diseases and Respiratory in Basra province from January 2016 to December 2020. Both new diagnostic and retreated TB cases showed that DR-MTB cases were significantly higher at age 15–34 years, pulmonary TB, and urban residents but with no significant difference regarding gender. The drugs resistance was significantly higher among the retreated cases compared with the new diagnostic patients (20.3% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.0001), with the percentage of the resistance to first-line drugs in primary and secondary cases including isoniazid (1% and 17.1%), rifampicin (0.78% and 15.8%), ethambutol (0.56% and 8.5%), streptomycin (1.3% and 9.75%). Notice that the most common drug resistance was against streptomycin with 1.3% in new patients and against isoniazid (17.1%) in retreated patients. The rate of total drug-resistant TB, multi-drug resistant TB, mono-drug resistant TB, and rifampicin-resistant TB among new tuberculosis cases increased in this period from 2.2 to 6.7%, 0.17 to 1.6%, 0.85 to 4%, and 0.17 to 4%, with a percentage change of 204.54, 841.17, 370.58, 22.5%, respectively. The rates of poly drug-resistant TB and ethambutol-resistant-TB dropped in this period by 15.96%, and 0.7%, with a decrease from 1.19 to 1% and from 1 to 0.3%, respectively. Similarly, the increase of drug-resistant TB among secondary cases has also occurred. In conclusion, the temporal trend showed an increase in the rate of drug resistance of M. tuberculosis since 2016, with a predominant multi-drug-resistant TB and isoniazid-resistant TB. Open in a separate window     

Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of pathogenic Escherichia coli virulence genes recovered from Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

The current study was carried out to evaluate the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli recovered from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. During the period of 10th February–30th May 2015, 70 E. coli strains were isolated from chicken farms located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All strains were tested phenotypically by standard microbiological techniques, serotyped and the virulence genes of such strains were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Most of the recovered strains from chickens belonged to serotype O111:K58 25 strains (35.7%), followed by serotype O157:H7 13 strains (18.57%), followed by serotype O114:K90 10 strains (14.29%), then serotype O126:K71 9 strains (12.9%), serotype O78:K80 8 strains (11.43%) and in lower percentage serotype O114:K90 and O119:K69 5 strains (7.14%). The virulence genotyping of E. coli isolates recovered from broilers revealed the presence of the uidA gene in all the field isolates (6 serovars) examined in an incidence of 100%, as well as the cvaC gene was also present in all field isolates (6 serovars), while the iutA gene and the iss gene were detected in 5 out of 6 field serovars in an incidence of 81.43% and 64.29%, respectively. Phenotypical examination of the other virulence factors revealed that 65 isolates were hemolytic (92.9%), as well as 15 isolates (21.42%) were positive for enterotoxin production. Meanwhile, 21 isolates (30%) were positive for verotoxin production, 58 isolates (82.86%) for the invasiveness and 31 isolates (44.29%) for Congo red binding activities of the examined serotypes.     

Prevalence and molecular characteristics of sequence type 131 clone among clinical uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

BackgroundThe antimicrobial resistance of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) has progressively been reported worldwide. This resistance has been ascribed to global dissemination of a single E. coli clone, namely E. coli sequence type 131 (E. coli ST131). The main goal of this study is to determine the prevalence and molecular traits of ST131 and its subclones among E. coli clinical urine isolates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodsSixty E. coli urine isolates, of different extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) carriage, were involved in this study. Molecular characterization was carried out to determine the ST131 status, phylogenetic groups and virulence carriage of these isolates. ST131 isolates were further tested to evaluate the prevalence of different phylogenetic groups, subclones and virulence carriage.ResultsGroup B2 was the most common phylogroup from which E. coli isolates derived. Overall, 37 of 60 (61.7%) isolates belonged to ST131 clones. Of these, 19 (31.7%) isolates were from the H30 subclone, including 10 (16.7%) H30 non-Rx and 9 (15%) H30Rx. The remaining 18 (30%) ST131 isolates belonged to other non H30 subclones. H30 subclone was significantly higher in the virulence carriage in comparison to non H30 ST131 subclones.ConclusionThis study reported the prevalence and traits of clinical E. coli ST131 main subclones in Saudi Arabia. It also demonstrated the high prevalence of E. coli ST131 locally, and found different virulence genotypes and antimicrobial resistance phenotypes among ST131 subclones. In the future, preforming whole genome sequence-based studies on ST131 and its subclones is crucial to elucidate factors that drive the success of these organisms.     

Oral Microbiota,a Potential Determinant for the Treatment Efficacy of Gastric Helicobacter Pylori Eradication in Humans

The oral cavity serves as another reservoir for gastric Helicobacter pylori and may contribute to the failure of gastric H. pylori eradication therapy. However, changes to the oral microbial composition after gastric H. pylori eradication therapy has not yet been identified. This study aims to dissect whether the oral microbiota is involved and which bacterium mediates the clinic failure in H. pylori eradication. In the present study, the oral microorganisms from patients who had received the gastric H. pylori eradication treatment were analyzed by a high-throughput 16S rRNA deep sequencing. We found that the β diversity and composition of oral microbiota were remarkably changed in the patients who had experienced successful gastric H. pylori eradication treatment (SE group) compared to the failure group (FE group). Significantly enriched families, including Prevotellaceae, Streptococcaceae, Caulobacteraceae, and Lactobacillaceae, were detected in the SE group. In contrast, the bacterial families, such as Weeksellaceae, Neisseriaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Spirochaetaceae, and Veillonellaceae, were abundantly expressed in the FE group. Five operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were positively correlated with DOB values, while two OTUs exhibited negative trends. These different enriched OTUs were extensively involved in the 20 metabolic pathways. These results suggest that a balanced environment in the oral microbiota contributes to H. pylori eradication and metabolic homeostasis in humans. Our data demonstrated that the changes in oral microbiota might contribute to the therapeutic effects of antibiotic therapy. Therefore, a different therapy on the detrimental oral microbiota will increase the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics on H. pylori infection. Open in a separate window     

Colonisation dynamics and virulence of two clonal groups of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from dogs

The study established the virulence potential of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (MDREC) isolates from nosocomial infections in hospitalised dogs. The isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones, belonged to two distinct clonal groups (CG1 and CG2) and contained a plasmid-mediated AmpC (CMY-7) β-lactamase. CG1 isolates (n = 14) possessed two of 36 assayed extraintestinal virulence genes (iutA and traT) and belonged to phylogenetic group A, whereas CG2 isolates (n = 19) contained four such genes (iutA, ibeA, fimH and kpsMT K5) and belonged to group D. In a mouse gastrointestinal tract colonisation model, colonisation by index CG1 strain C1 was transient, in contrast to the index CG2 strain C2b, which persisted up to 40 days post-inoculation. In a mouse subcutaneous challenge model, both strains were less virulent than archetypal group B2 extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strain CFT073; strain C1 caused no systemic signs and strain C2b was lethal to only one of six mice. In a mouse urinary tract infection model, strain C2b colonised the mouse bladder over 2 logs higher compared to strain C1. Whilst both groups of canine MDREC appear less virulent than a reference human ExPEC strain, CG2 strains have greater capacity for colonisation and virulence.     

Genomic Analysis of an Excellent Wine-Making Strain Oenococcus Oeni SD-2a

Oenococcus oeni is an important microorganism in wine-making-related engineering, and it improves wine quality and stability through malolactic fermentation. Although the genomes of more than 200 O. oeni strains have been sequenced, only a few include completed genome maps. Here, the genome sequence of O. oeni SD-2a, isolated from Shandong, China, has been determined. It is a fully assembled genome sequence of this strain. The complete genome is 1,989,703 bp with a G+C content of 37.8% without a plasmid. The genome includes almost all the essential genes involved in central metabolic pathways and the stress genes reported in other O. oeni strains. Some natural competence-related genes, like comEA, comEC, comFA, comG operon, and comFC, suggest that O. oeni SD-2a may have natural transformation potential. A comparative genomics analysis revealed 730 gene clusters in O. oeni SD-2a homologous to those in four other lactic acid bacteria species (O. oeni PSU-1, O. oeni CRBO-11381, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UNQLp11, and Pediococcus pentosaceus KCCM40703). A collinearity analysis showed poor collinearity between O. oeni SD-2a andO. oeni PSU-1, indicating great differences in their evolutionary histories. The results provide general knowledge of O. oeni SD-2a and lay the foundation for specific gene function analyses. Open in a separate window     

Analysis of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Breast Cancer and Benign Breast Lesions

Breast cancer (BC) and benign breast lesions (BBLs) are common diseases in women worldwide. The gut microbiota plays a vital role in regulating breast diseases’ formation, progression, and therapy response. Hence, we explored the structure and function of gut microflora in patients with BC and BBLs. A cohort of 66 subjects was enrolled in the study. Twenty-six subjects had BC, 20 subjects had BBLs, and 20 matched healthy controls. High throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing technology was used to determine the microbial community structure. Compared with healthy individuals, BC patients had significantly lower alpha diversity indices (Sobs index, p = 0.019; Chao1 index, p = 0.033). Sobs and Chao1 indices were also lower in patients with BBLs than healthy individuals, without statistical significance (p = 0.279, p = 0.314, respectively). Both unweighted and weighted UniFrac analysis showed that beta diversity differed significantly among the three groups (p = 3.376e–14, p < 0.001, respectively). Compared with healthy individuals, the levels of Porphyromonas and Peptoniphilus were higher in BC patients (p = 0.004, p = 0.007, respectively), whereas Escherichia and Lactobacillus were more enriched in the benign breast lesion group (p < 0.001, p = 0.011, respectively). Our study indicates that patients with BC and BBLs may undergo significant changes in intestinal microbiota. These findings can help elucidate the role of intestinal flora in BC and BBLs patients. Open in a separate window     

Virulence properties of uropathogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> isolated from children with urinary tract infection in Korea

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common types of bacterial infection in humans in various parts of the world and are caused mainly by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). A total of 58 UPEC isolates from urine were characterized by serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The majority of the UPEC strains belonged to serogroups O2 and O6. The UPEC strains were grouped under different pulsotypes and majority of them belonged to serogroups O2 and O6. Among the 14 virulence factors considered, 13 were present in various serogroups. The virulence genes fimH and sfa were present in all the isolates while none of the isolates carried lt-1. The strains exhibited 36 different virulence patterns, of which 11, referred to as UP (UPEC pattern) 1 to UP 11 were most common. Antibiotic resistance profiling of the UPEC isolates revealed that the serogroups O2 and O6 contain the highest number of resistant strains. The data from the current study depicting the distribution of UPEC strains among various serogroups and pulsotypes, and the occurrence of virulence genes and antibiotics resistance offer useful information on the epidemiological features of UPEC in Korea for the enhanced surveillance of potential emergence of UPEC.     

An evaluation of multidrug-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> isolates in urinary tract infections from Aguascalientes,Mexico: cross-sectional study

Background

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are one of the main bacteria causing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The rates of UPEC with high resistance towards antibiotics and multidrug-resistant bacteria have increased dramatically in recent years and could difficult the treatment.

Methods

The aim of the study was to determine multidrug-resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance profile, virulence traits, and genetic background of 110 E. coli isolated from community (79 isolates) and hospital-acquired (31 isolates) urinary tract infections. The plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes presence was also investigated. A subset of 18 isolates with a quinolone-resistance phenotype was examined for common virulence genes encoded in diarrheagenic and extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli by a specific E. coli microarray.

Results

Female children were the group most affected by UTIs, which were mainly community-acquired. Resistance to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, and ampicillin–sulbactam was most prevalent. A frequent occurrence of resistance toward ciprofloxacin (47.3%), levofloxacin (43.6%) and cephalosporins (27.6%) was observed. In addition, 63% of the strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Almost all the fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant strains showed MDR-phenotype. Isolates from male patients were associated to FQ-resistant and MDR-phenotype. Moreover, hospital-acquired infections were correlated to third generation cephalosporin and nitrofurantoin resistance and the presence of kpsMTII gene. Overall, fimH (71.8%) and fyuA (68.2%), had the highest prevalence as virulence genes among isolates. However, the profile of virulence genes displayed a great diversity, which included the presence of genes related to diarrheagenic E. coli. Out of 110 isolates, 25 isolates (22.7%) were positive to qnrA, 23 (20.9%) to qnrB, 7 (6.4%) to qnrS1, 7 (6.4%) to aac(6′)lb-cr, 5 (4.5%) to qnrD, and 1 (0.9%) to qnrC genes. A total of 12.7% of the isolates harbored bla_CTX-M genes, with bla_CTX-M-15 being the most prevalent.

Conclusions

Urinary tract infection due to E. coli may be difficult to treat empirically due to high resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Continuous surveillance of multidrug resistant organisms and patterns of drug resistance are needed in order to prevent treatment failure and reduce selective pressure. These findings may help choosing more suitable treatments of UTI patients in this region of Mexico.

     

Escherichia coli from retail meats carry genes associated with uropathogenic Escherichia coli, but are weakly invasive in human bladder cell culture

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the uropathogenic potential of Escherichia coli isolated from retail meats. Methods and Results: Two hundred E. coli isolates recovered from retail meats, which were previously identified molecularly as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, were investigated for the presence of 21 uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) virulence‐associated genes. Twenty‐three E. coli isolates were selected based on their serogroups and the number of virulence genes they contained, and further characterized using multilocus sequence typing, and by tissue culture assays for adherence to and invasion of T‐24 human bladder cells and for their induction of interleukin (IL)‐6 secretion. All virulence genes tested, except afa/dra and hlyD, were detected among the E. coli isolates. Multilocus sequence typing analysis of 23 selected isolates revealed that 17 isolates belonged to STs associated with human UPEC. Nearly all 23 isolates exhibited lower level of adherence and invasion compared to a clinical strain, UPEC CFT073. Conclusions: These observations suggested that a small proportion of E. coli isolates from retail meats carry uropathogenic associated virulence genes and thus may serve as a reservoir of these genes to UPEC in the human intestine. Their virulence potential seemed limited as they were only weakly invasive in human bladder cell culture. Significance and Impact of the Study: These findings support the hypothesis that retail meat E. coli may play a role in relation to urinary tract infection (UTI) and may be considered in development of a UTI prevention strategy.     

Multilocus Sequence Typing and Virulence Profiles in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Cats in the United States

The population structure, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) from cats are rarely characterized. The aim of this study was to compare and characterize the UPEC isolated from cats in four geographic regions of USA in terms of their multilocus sequence typing (MLST), virulence profiles, clinical signs, antimicrobial resistance and phylogenetic grouping. The results showed that a total of 74 E. coli isolates were typed to 40 sequence types with 10 being novel. The most frequent phylogenetic group was B2 (n = 57). The most frequent sequence types were ST73 (n = 12) and ST83 (n = 6), ST73 was represented by four multidrug resistant (MDR) and eight non-multidrug resistant (SDR) isolates, and ST83 were significantly more likely to exhibit no drug resistant (NDR) isolates carrying the highest number of virulence genes. Additionally, MDR isolates were more diverse, and followed by SDR and NDR isolates in regards to the distribution of the STs. afa/draBC was the most prevalent among the 29 virulence-associated genes. Linking virulence profile and antimicrobial resistance, the majority of virulence-associated genes tested were more prevalent in NDR isolates, and followed by SDR and MDR isolates. Twenty (50%) MLST types in this study have previously been associated with human isolates, suggesting that these STs are potentially zoonotic. Our data enhanced the understanding of E. coli population structure and virulence association from cats. The diverse and various combinations of virulence-associated genes implied that the infection control may be challenging.