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Herb-resistant UPEC strains have different biofilm formation abilities and different expression of certain biofilm related genes


YanQing Tong
LiLi Dou
Ye Sun
DongKai Zhao

Abstract

Background: The mechanisms and patterns of drug resistances of E. coli strains that cause uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) vary considerably. The emerging herbresistance of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) has been a serious health problem, yet with unknown underlying mechanisms.

Methods: To explore the potential herb-resistance mechanisms of E. coli strains that cause uncomplicated UTIs, three clinically isolated herb-resistant UPEC strains (1351, 4996, 5028) were analyzed for their abilities to form biofilms and the expressions of the pga ABCD and luxS genes.

Results: We found that the expression of pgaA and pgaB are very different between 1351 and 5028, and the loss-offunction of luxS in 4996 has impact on biofilm formation.

Conclusions: 1. Herb-resistance of the strains is related to their abilities of biofilm formation. 2. Biofilm formation capabilities of herb-resistant strains show different responses to the presence of glucose. 3. luxS encoded AI-2 is not essential for biofilm formation in this strain but may help with more biofilm formation.

Keywords: Herb-resistance; Biofilm formation; Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC); pga ABCD; luxS


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eISSN: 0189-6016