Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin

To investigate the adaptation of hybrid Escherichia coli to the intestinal and extraintestinal milieu, we compared our model hybrid Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and uropathogenic (UPEC) E. coli O2:H6 strains with non-pathogenic E. coli and canonical UPEC and STEC strains in a carbon source utilizati...

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Main Authors: Imke Johanna Temme, Petya Berger, Ulrich Dobrindt, Alexander Mellmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:International Journal of Medical Microbiology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438422125000098
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author Imke Johanna Temme
Petya Berger
Ulrich Dobrindt
Alexander Mellmann
author_facet Imke Johanna Temme
Petya Berger
Ulrich Dobrindt
Alexander Mellmann
author_sort Imke Johanna Temme
collection DOAJ
description To investigate the adaptation of hybrid Escherichia coli to the intestinal and extraintestinal milieu, we compared our model hybrid Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and uropathogenic (UPEC) E. coli O2:H6 strains with non-pathogenic E. coli and canonical UPEC and STEC strains in a carbon source utilization assay testing 95 common carbon sources under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Comparison of anaerobic to aerobic growth showed a 2-fold decrease and 2.5-fold increase in the growth capacity and lag phase, respectively. While the UPEC and STEC/UPEC hybrids retained the utilization of several organic acids, amino acids, and peptides, the STEC and non-pathogenic strains relied almost exclusively on the utilization of sugar compounds under anaerobic conditions. Cluster analysis indicated a higher degree of difference and separation between all strains under aerobic conditions. The UPEC, hybrids, and STEC strain B2F1 showed high similarities in aerobic carbon utilization following growth patterns observed in previous phenotype assays. Additionally, we observed known UPEC virulence traits, such as the aerobic utilization of D-serine in our model STEC/UPEC hybrids. Combined, these findings suggest that the intestinal STEC/UPEC O2:H6 isolates originated from a UPEC background and acquired the ability to cause intestinal disease with the addition of Shiga toxin as a virulence factor.
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spelling doaj-art-88bb6af1fe5f4e33bf3efe8b989ef37e2025-08-20T02:06:20ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Medical Microbiology1438-42212025-06-0131915165310.1016/j.ijmm.2025.151653Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic originImke Johanna Temme0Petya Berger1Ulrich Dobrindt2Alexander Mellmann3University Hospital Münster, Institute of Hygiene, Münster, GermanyUniversity Hospital Münster, Institute of Hygiene, Münster, GermanyUniversity Hospital Münster, Institute of Hygiene, Münster, GermanyCorrespondence to: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Münster, Robert-Koch-Straße 41, Münster 48149, Germany.; University Hospital Münster, Institute of Hygiene, Münster, GermanyTo investigate the adaptation of hybrid Escherichia coli to the intestinal and extraintestinal milieu, we compared our model hybrid Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and uropathogenic (UPEC) E. coli O2:H6 strains with non-pathogenic E. coli and canonical UPEC and STEC strains in a carbon source utilization assay testing 95 common carbon sources under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Comparison of anaerobic to aerobic growth showed a 2-fold decrease and 2.5-fold increase in the growth capacity and lag phase, respectively. While the UPEC and STEC/UPEC hybrids retained the utilization of several organic acids, amino acids, and peptides, the STEC and non-pathogenic strains relied almost exclusively on the utilization of sugar compounds under anaerobic conditions. Cluster analysis indicated a higher degree of difference and separation between all strains under aerobic conditions. The UPEC, hybrids, and STEC strain B2F1 showed high similarities in aerobic carbon utilization following growth patterns observed in previous phenotype assays. Additionally, we observed known UPEC virulence traits, such as the aerobic utilization of D-serine in our model STEC/UPEC hybrids. Combined, these findings suggest that the intestinal STEC/UPEC O2:H6 isolates originated from a UPEC background and acquired the ability to cause intestinal disease with the addition of Shiga toxin as a virulence factor.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438422125000098Carbon source utilizationAerobicAnaerobicUropathogenic Escherichia coliShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coliHybrid Escherichia coli
spellingShingle Imke Johanna Temme
Petya Berger
Ulrich Dobrindt
Alexander Mellmann
Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
International Journal of Medical Microbiology
Carbon source utilization
Aerobic
Anaerobic
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
Hybrid Escherichia coli
title Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
title_full Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
title_fullStr Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
title_full_unstemmed Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
title_short Carbon source utilization in hybrid Shiga toxin-producing and uropathogenic Escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
title_sort carbon source utilization in hybrid shiga toxin producing and uropathogenic escherichia coli indicates uropathogenic origin
topic Carbon source utilization
Aerobic
Anaerobic
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
Hybrid Escherichia coli
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438422125000098
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AT ulrichdobrindt carbonsourceutilizationinhybridshigatoxinproducinganduropathogenicescherichiacoliindicatesuropathogenicorigin
AT alexandermellmann carbonsourceutilizationinhybridshigatoxinproducinganduropathogenicescherichiacoliindicatesuropathogenicorigin