García-García J David, Contreras-Alvarado Laura M, Cruz-Córdova Ariadnna, Hernández-Castro Rigoberto, Flores-Encarnacion Marcos, Rivera-Gutiérrez Sandra, Arellano-Galindo José, A Ochoa Sara, Xicohtencatl-Cortes Juan
Posgrado en Ciencias en Biomedicina y Biotecnología Molecular, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico.
Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico.
Microorganisms. 2025 Mar 26;13(4):745. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13040745.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a leading cause of illness in children and adults of all ages, with uropathogenic (UPEC) being the primary agent responsible. During colonization and subsequent infection of the urinary tract (UT), UPEC requires the expression of genes associated with virulence, such as those that encode the fimbrial adhesins FimH, PapG, and CsgA, as well as the presence of the TosA protein and the flagellar appendages of the bacteria. However, for colonization and infection to be successful, UPEC must overcome the host's immunological barriers, such as physical barriers, expressed peptides and proteins, and immune cells found in the UT. In this context, the UT functions as an integral system where these factors act to prevent the colonization of uropathogens. Significant genetic diversity exists among UPEC strains, and the clonal complex ST131 represents one of the key lineages. This lineage has a high content of virulence genes, multiple mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, and a high frequency of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). New knowledge regarding protein structures known as adhesins and their role in the infection process can help identify therapeutic targets and aid in the design of vaccines. These vaccines could be based on the development of chimeric fusion proteins (FimH + CsgA + PapG), which may significantly reduce the incidence of UTIs in pediatric and adult patients.
尿路感染（UTIs）是各年龄段儿童和成人患病的主要原因，尿路致病性大肠杆菌（UPEC）是主要致病原。在尿路（UT）定植及随后的感染过程中，UPEC需要表达与毒力相关的基因，如编码菌毛黏附素FimH、PapG和CsgA的基因，以及细菌中TosA蛋白和鞭毛附属物的存在。然而，为了成功定植和感染，UPEC必须克服宿主的免疫屏障，如物理屏障、表达的肽和蛋白质以及在尿路中发现的免疫细胞。在这种情况下，尿路作为一个整体系统发挥作用，这些因素共同作用以防止尿路致病菌的定植。UPEC菌株之间存在显著的遗传多样性，克隆复合体ST131是关键谱系之一。该谱系具有高含量的毒力基因、多种抗生素耐药机制以及高频率的超广谱β-内酰胺酶（ESBLs）。关于被称为黏附素的蛋白质结构及其在感染过程中的作用的新知识，有助于确定治疗靶点并辅助疫苗设计。这些疫苗可以基于嵌合融合蛋白（FimH + CsgA + PapG）的开发，这可能会显著降低儿科和成年患者尿路感染的发生率。
