Metabolic Requirements of Escherichia coli in Intracellular Bacterial Communities during Urinary Tract Infection Pathogenesis

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections, impacting mostly women. Every year, millions of UTIs occur in the U.S. with most being caused by uropathogenic E. coli(UPEC). During a UTI, UPEC invade bladder cells and form an intracellular bacterial community (IBC) that allows for the bacteria to replicate protected from the host immune response. In this study, we investigated genes that are expressed by UPEC within the IBC and determined how they contribute to the formation of this specialized community. Our findings suggest that galactose is important for UPEC growth in the IBC. Additionally, we found that a gene involved in oxidative stress is also important in the regulation of a key factor needed for UPEC invasion of bladder cells. These results may open the door for the development of treatments to diminish UTI frequency and/or severity.