The ferric aerobactin receptor IutA, a protein isolated on agarose column, is not essential for uropathogenic Escherichia coli infection

Abstract

<jats:p>Although many proteins have been described involved in Escherichia coli colonization and infection, only few reports have shown lectins as important components in these processes. Because the mechanisms underlying E. coli colonization process involving lectins are not fully understood, we sought to identify the presence of other non-described lectins in E. coli. Here, we isolated a 75-kDa protein from E. coli on Sepharose column and identified it as ferric aerobactin receptor (IutA). Since IutA is controversially associated with virulence of some E. coli strains, mainly in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), we evaluated the presence of iutA gene in UPEC isolated from patients with urinary infection. This gene was present in only 38% of the isolates, suggesting a weak association with virulence. Because there is a redundancy in the siderophore-mediated uptake systems, we suggest that IutA can be advantageous but not essential for UPEC.</jats:p>

Whole genome sequencing reveals high-resolution epidemiological links between clinical and environmental Klebsiella pneumoniae

“…These replicons were present in isolates from both the environment and clinical samples (Additional file 2: Figure S1). Of the 75 virulence factors considered, 10 were present in >95% of isolates, examples being the mrk genes encoding fimbrial biosynthesis proteins and iutA encoding ferric aerobactin receptor [32]. By contrast, more than 40% of virulence genes were exclusively present in the clinical isolate collection (Additional file 2: Figure S2), including genes involved in capsule synthesis ( rmpA ) [33], iron transport ( iro ), phospholipid transport ( mce ), regulation and transport (multiple clb genes), and transcription regulation ( kvgA ).…”

Escherichia Coli: Characteristics of Carbapenem Resistance and Virulence Factors

“…29 Landgraf et al reported that relation between iutA gene and uropathogenics was low. 32 Also, salmochelin (iroN) was found higher than ferric aerobactin (iutA) in several types' urinary tract infections. 11,28 In our study, presence of aer and iutA gene regions in many types of clinical strains and iroN gene in urine shows that this gene is a siderophore specific to urinary tract infection.…”

The avian pathogenic Escherichia coli O2 strain E058 carrying the defined aerobactin-defective iucD or iucDiutA mutation is less virulent in the chicken

“…Moreover, since iron acquisition systems are assumed to be functionally redundant (Garcia et al, 2011;Landgraf et al, 2012), the role of aerobaction in the virulence of APEC need further investigation. As is known to all, the aerobactin operon is consisted of four biosynthesis genes iucABCD and one receptor gene iutA, However, prior to our studies, aside from the whole iucABCDiutA operon or the single iutA aerobactin receptor, the individual roles of iuc-containing genes in the virulence of APEC have seldom been investigated.…”