Serotypes, hemolysin production, and receptor recognition of Escherichia coli strains associated with neonatal sepsis and meningitis

Abstract

Sixty-three Escherichia coli strains isolated from neonatal sepsis or meningitis were studied and compared with previous data on fecal or urinary pyelonephritis-associated isolates from children. Characteristics significantly associated with neonatal infection were capsular type Kl (54%), 0 group 18 (27%), rough-type lipopolysaccharide together with Kl capsule (19%), and S fimbriae (29%). Within the neonatal infection group, the Kl capsule and rough lipopolysaccharide were most common among the youngest infants (O to 21 days old) and in meningitis. Hemolysin production, P fimbriae, and X adhesins (adhesins not identifiable as type 1, P, or S) were significantly more common in the two materials from infections as compared with the fecal isolates. One large clone of 11 strains (018:K1:H7, with both type 1 and S fimbriae) and three smaller ones

Adhesion and entry of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

“…Minor subunits, in addition to SfaS, may also modulate the binding properties of S pili (Schmoll et al, 1989;Morschhauser et al, 1993). S pili may facilitate bacterial dissemination within host tissues and are often associated with E. coli strains that cause sepsis, meningitis, and ascending UTIs, including pyelonephritis (Korhonen et al, 1985;Marre et al, 1986;Parkkinen et al, 1988;Hacker et al, 1993). Recent work showing that sialic acid residues are presented on UP3, one of four integral membrane uroplakin proteins abundantly expressed on the lumenal surface of the bladder, suggests that S pili may also have a role in cystitis (Malagolini et al, 2000).…”

Structure of FocB – a member of a family of transcription factors regulating fimbrial adhesin expression in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

“…The members of the PapB family identified so far exist in both the E. coli and Salmonella species and are all involved in the regulation of fimbrial expression. At the amino acid level, FocB is 81% identical to PapB and 100% identical to SfaB, the protein regulating the expression of S-fimbriae [17], both of which are associated with E. coli newborn meningitis strains [18]. FocB is also 47% identical to the PefB protein of Salmonella typhimurium [19], and 34% and 28% identical to the FaeB and FanB proteins, respectively.…”

The K1 capsule modulates trafficking of E. coli-containing vacuoles and enhances intracellular bacterial survival in human brain microvascular endothelial cells

“…Encapsulated E. coli strains possessing the K1 capsule are predominant ( ~ 80%) among cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) isolates from neonates with meningitis (Robbins et al ., 1974;Gross et al ., 1983;Korhonen et al ., 1985). We and others have shown that the K1 capsule, which enhances serum resistance and antiphagocytic properties of E. coli, is a critical determinant in the development of meningitis (Allen et al ., 1987;Kim et al ., 1992).…”