The Cpx stress response system potentiates the fitness and virulence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Strains of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infections, representing one of the most widespread and successful groups of pathogens on the planet. To colonize and persist within the urinary tract, UPEC must be able to sense and respond appropriately to environmental stresses, many of which can compromise the bacterial envelope. The Cpx two-component envelope stress response system is comprised of the inner membrane histidine kinase CpxA, the cytosolic response regulator CpxR, and the periplasmic auxiliary factor CpxP.

Origins and virulence mechanisms of uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Strains of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infections, including both cystitis and pyelonephritis. These bacteria have evolved a multitude of virulence factors and strategies that facilitate bacterial growth and persistence within the adverse settings of the host urinary tract.

Impact of the RNA chaperone Hfq on the fitness and virulence potential of uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Hfq is a bacterial RNA chaperone involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of many stress-inducible genes via small noncoding RNAs. Here, we show that Hfq is critical for the uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolate UTI89 to effectively colonize the bladder and kidneys in a murine urinary tract infection model system. The disruption of hfq did not affect bacterial adherence to or invasion of host cells but did limit the development of intracellular microcolonies by UTI89 within the terminally differentiated epithelial cells that line the lumen of the bladder.