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Article

A Comparative Study of the Clonal Diversity and Virulence Characteristics of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated from Australian and Turkish (Turkey) Children and Adults with Urinary Tract Infections

by
Dylan John Astley
1,
Labolina Spang
1,
Fatemeh Parnian
1,
Tara Vollmerhausen
1,
Huseyin Kilic
2,
Mehmet Hora
3,
Aycan Gundogdu
4 and
Mohammad Katouli
5,*
1
School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
2
Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38039, Turkey
3
Genome and Stem Cell Center (GenKok), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
4
Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Turkey and Genome and Stem Cell Center (GenKok), Erciyes University, Kayseri 38039, Turkey
5
School of Science, Technology and Engineering and Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
GERMS 2022, 12(2), 214-230; https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2022.1324
Submission received: 21 October 2022 / Revised: 30 March 2022 / Accepted: 20 May 2022 / Published: 30 June 2022

Abstract

Introduction: The virulence-associated gene (VAG) repertoire and clonal organization of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains is influenced by host demographic, geographic locale, and the setting of urinary tract infection (UTI). Nevertheless, a direct comparison of these features among Australian and Turkish UPEC remains unexplored. Accordingly, this study investigated the clonal composition and virulence characteristics of a collection of UPEC isolated from Australian and Turkish UTI patients. Methods: A total of 715 UPEC strains isolated from Australian (n = 361) and Turkish (n = 354) children and adults with hospital (HA)- and community-acquired (CA)-UTIs were included in this study. Typing of the strains using RAPD-PCR and PhPlate fingerprinting grouped all strains into 25 clonal groups (CGs). CG representatives were phylogrouped and screened for the presence of 18 VAGs associated with extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. Results: Turkish UPEC strains were characterized by high clonal diversity and predominance of the phylogroup D, while few distinct clonal groups with phylogenetic group B2 backgrounds dominated among the Australian strains. Twelve identical CGs were shared between ≥1 patient group from either country. Australian strains, particularly those isolated from children with HA-UTI, showed higher virulence potential than their Turkish counterparts, carrying significantly more genes associated with adhesion, iron acquisition and capsule biosynthesis. Conclusions: This study identified identical CGs of UPEC causing HA- and CA-UTIs among Australian and Turkish UTI patients. These CGs frequently carried VAGs associated with adhesion, iron acquisition, immune evasion, and toxin production, which may contribute to their ability to disseminate internationally and to cause UTI.
Keywords: uropathogenic Escherichia coli; urinary tract infection; Turkey; Australia uropathogenic Escherichia coli; urinary tract infection; Turkey; Australia

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MDPI and ACS Style

Astley, D.J.; Spang, L.; Parnian, F.; Vollmerhausen, T.; Kilic, H.; Hora, M.; Gundogdu, A.; Katouli, M. A Comparative Study of the Clonal Diversity and Virulence Characteristics of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated from Australian and Turkish (Turkey) Children and Adults with Urinary Tract Infections. GERMS 2022, 12, 214-230. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2022.1324

AMA Style

Astley DJ, Spang L, Parnian F, Vollmerhausen T, Kilic H, Hora M, Gundogdu A, Katouli M. A Comparative Study of the Clonal Diversity and Virulence Characteristics of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated from Australian and Turkish (Turkey) Children and Adults with Urinary Tract Infections. GERMS. 2022; 12(2):214-230. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2022.1324

Chicago/Turabian Style

Astley, Dylan John, Labolina Spang, Fatemeh Parnian, Tara Vollmerhausen, Huseyin Kilic, Mehmet Hora, Aycan Gundogdu, and Mohammad Katouli. 2022. "A Comparative Study of the Clonal Diversity and Virulence Characteristics of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated from Australian and Turkish (Turkey) Children and Adults with Urinary Tract Infections" GERMS 12, no. 2: 214-230. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2022.1324

APA Style

Astley, D. J., Spang, L., Parnian, F., Vollmerhausen, T., Kilic, H., Hora, M., Gundogdu, A., & Katouli, M. (2022). A Comparative Study of the Clonal Diversity and Virulence Characteristics of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated from Australian and Turkish (Turkey) Children and Adults with Urinary Tract Infections. GERMS, 12(2), 214-230. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2022.1324

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