Prevalence of ColE1-Like Plasmids and Colicin K Production among Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains and Quantification of Inhibitory Activity of Colicin K

Abstract

Colicin K exhibited pronounced inhibitory activity against uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains. Low prevalence of colicin K production and a relatively high prevalence of ColE1-like plasmids were determined among 215 UPEC strains from Slovenia. Sequencing of the colicin K-encoding pColK-K235 revealed a mosaic structure and the presence of the insertion sequence IS2.