Journal article
Molecular characterization of the vacuolating autotransporter toxin in uropathogenic Escherichia coli
KB Nichols, M Totsika, DG Moriel, AW Lo, J Yang, DJ Wurpel, AE Rossiter, RA Strugnell, IR Henderson, GC Ulett, SA Beatson, MA Schembri
Journal of Bacteriology | Published : 2016
DOI: 10.1128/JB.00791-15
Abstract
The vacuolating autotransporter toxin (Vat) contributes to uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) fitness during systemic infection. Here, we characterized Vat and investigated its regulation in UPEC. We assessed the prevalence of vat in a collection of 45 UPEC urosepsis strains and showed that it was present in 31 (68%) of the isolates. The isolates containing the vat gene corresponded to three major E. coli sequence types (ST12, ST73, and ST95), and these strains secreted the Vat protein. Further analysis of the vat genomic locus identified a conserved gene located directly downstream of vat that encodes a putative MarR-like transcriptional regulator; we termed this gene vatX. The vat-vatX ..
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Awarded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
This work, including the efforts of Glen C. Ulett, was funded by Australian Research Council (FT110101048). This work, including the efforts of Makrina Totsika, was funded by Australian Research Council (DE130101169). This work, including the efforts of Mark A. Schembri, was funded by Department of Health vertical bar National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (APP1042651). This work, including the efforts of Scott A. Beatson, was funded by Department of Health vertical bar National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (APP1090456). This work, including the efforts of Mark A. Schembri, was funded by Department of Health vertical bar National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (APP1106930). This work was supported by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (grant APP1042651). M.A.S. is supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (grant APP1106930), S.A.B. is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (grant APP1090456), G.C.U. is supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship (grant FT110101048), and M.T. is supported by an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (grant DE130101169).