Molecular Analysis of fimA Operon Genes among UPEC local isolates in Baghdad city

Abstract

Specialized Escherichia coli isolates referred as uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) causes most urinary tract infections. Once bacteria reached urinary tract of the host, they have to adhere to host cell for colonization. For this purpose, bacteria have a different structure including fimbrial adhesins. Most of uropathogenic E. coli contains type 1 fimbriae encoded by (fimA operon) (fimB, E, A, I, C, D, F, G, H) which responsible for the adhesive ability for this type isolates. Ninety-four of UPEC isolates were obtained from UTI patients in Baghdad hospitals and their diagnosis were confirmed by PCR method using 16sr DNA as housekeeping gene. The UPEC isolates were tested for their ability of adherence to urothelial\xa0cells obtained from mid-stream urine from healthy women. Fifty isolates were subjected to detect type1 fimbriae genes (fimA operon) using specific primers followed by sequencing the amplified fragment and analyzed by Geneious software. The results confirm that all the isolates were definite as E. coli according to genetic analysis by PCR technique. The result showed positive ability of attachment for all isolates (100%). For type 1 fimbriae, the findings figured out that 100% of the isolates harbored fimA, fimI, fimC, fimD, fimG and fimH genes; while 96% of them were positive for fimB, fimF, and 82% of the isolates were positive for fimE. This result exhibited that the higher prevalence of \xa0fim genes, as the attachment ability was 100%. Approximately, all UPEC have type 1-fimbriale genes thus it could be used as a genetic marker in the investigation of E.coli adhesion ability.