Virulence Factors of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

The majority of urinary tract infections(UTI) are due to ascending infections of uropathogenic Escherichia coli(UPEC).Virulence factors of E.coli are of two main types;those produced on the surface of the cell and those produced within the cell and then exported to the site of action.Those on the surface include different sorts of fimbriae,flagella,adhesins and LPS that have a role in invasion of host cells.The secreted virulence factors such as α-haemolysin and cytotoxic necrotising factor 1 are cytotoxinic to host cells.The five major export pathways of UPEC virulence factors across outer membrane were also summarized in this review.In the end,the paper illuminated that expression of virulence factors would be mediated by global regulators simultaneously affecting the appearance of a set of bacterial properties involved in the pathogenetic process.