Identification of transporter-dependent capsular loci associated with the invasive potential of Escherichia coli

Gladstone, RA; Pesonen, M; P&#246;ntinen, AK; M&#228;klin, T; MacAlasdair, N; Thorpe, H; Shao, Y; Mallawaarachchi, S; Arredondo-Alonso, S; Parcell, BJ; Turnbull, JD; Tonkin-Hill, G; Johnsen, PJ; Samuelsen, &#216;; Thomson, NR; Lawley, T; Corander, J

Author(s): Gladstone, RA; Pesonen, M; Pöntinen, AK; Mäklin, T; MacAlasdair, N; Thorpe, H; Shao, Y; Mallawaarachchi, S; Arredondo-Alonso, S; Parcell, BJ; Turnbull, JD; Tonkin-Hill, G; Johnsen, PJ; Samuelsen, Ø; Thomson, NR; Lawley, T; Corander, J;
Details: Publication Year 2026-05,Volume 11,Issue #5,Page 1205-1216
Journal Title: Nature Microbiology
Publication Type: Research article
Abstract: Bacterial polysaccharide capsules contribute to antigenic diversity and immune evasion. Escherichia coli infections, including those caused by extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), cause substantial antimicrobial resistance-associated morbidity and mortality. However, much-needed genotypic methods for E. coli capsule typing to aid epidemiological analysis and therapeutic design are lacking. Here we describe the curation of an in silico typing database for group 2 and 3 ATP-binding cassette transporter-dependent capsule (K) loci from 18,185 kps-positive E. coli genomes from all continents and its application to carriage and ExPEC disease cohorts. Capsules K1, K5 and K2 were the most common types in European BSIs, and together with K100 and K52 they were responsible for 58% of multidrug resistance, with differing associations with invasiveness. Homologous recombination, insertion sequences and plasmids were associated with capsular gene exchange. These findings improve understanding of capsule epidemiology and evolution to inform future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to combat ExPEC infections.
Publisher: Springer Nature
Keywords: *Bacterial Capsules/genetics/metabolism; *Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology/epidemiology; Humans; *Escherichia coli/genetics/pathogenicity/classification; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics; Genome, Bacterial; *ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/genetics/metabolism; Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics/metabolism; Plasmids/genetics
Department(s): Laboratory Research
Publisher's Version: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-026-02283-w
Open Access at Publisher's Site: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-026-02283-w
Terms of Use/Rights Notice: Refer to copyright notice on published article.

Creation Date: 2026-04-02 06:01:40

Last Modified: 2026-05-28 04:25:05