Roles of OmpX, an Outer Membrane Protein, on Virulence and Flagellar Expression in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Uropathogenic (UPEC) is a major pathogen that causes urinary tract infection (UTI). This bacterium adheres to and internalizes within urinary tract cells, where it aggregates and subsequently forms biofilm-like multicellular colonies that protect UPEC from antimicrobial agents and the host's immune system. Here, we show that OmpX, an outer membrane protein, plays a role in the pathogenesis of UPEC in renal cells. Deletion of decreased bacterial internalization and aggregation within kidney epithelial cells and also impaired the colonization of mouse urinary tracts, but the mutant still adhered to the epithelial cells at a level similar to that of the parent strain. FlhD, the master regulator of flagellum-related genes, had a low expression level in the mutant compared to the parent strain, and the mutant exhibited defective motility due to lower flagellar production than the parent strain. The mutant, which lacks flagella, exhibited lower levels of bacterial internalization and aggregation than the parent strain. Additional deletion of in the mutant did not further decrease bacterial internalization. These combined results suggest that OmpX contributes to flagellar production in UPEC and then sustains UPEC virulence associated with bacterial internalization and aggregation within urinary tract cells and colonization in the urinary tract.