Network analysis reveals sex-and antibiotic resistance-associated antivirulence targets in clinical uropathogens

KS Parker, JD Wilson, J Marschall… - ACS infectious …, 2015 - ACS Publications
KS Parker, JD Wilson, J Marschall, PJ Mucha, JP Henderson
ACS infectious diseases, 2015ACS Publications
Increasing antibiotic resistance among uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is driving
interest in therapeutic targeting of nonconserved virulence factor (VF) genes. The ability to
formulate efficacious combinations of antivirulence agents requires an improved
understanding of how UPEC deploy these genes. To identify clinically relevant VF
combinations, we applied contemporary network analysis and biclustering algorithms to VF
profiles from a large, previously characterized inpatient clinical cohort. These mathematical …
Increasing antibiotic resistance among uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is driving interest in therapeutic targeting of nonconserved virulence factor (VF) genes. The ability to formulate efficacious combinations of antivirulence agents requires an improved understanding of how UPEC deploy these genes. To identify clinically relevant VF combinations, we applied contemporary network analysis and biclustering algorithms to VF profiles from a large, previously characterized inpatient clinical cohort. These mathematical approaches identified four stereotypical VF combinations with distinctive relationships to antibiotic resistance and patient sex that are independent of traditional phylogenetic grouping. Targeting resistance- or sex-associated VFs based upon these contemporary mathematical approaches may facilitate individualized anti-infective therapies and identify synergistic VF combinations in bacterial pathogens.
ACS Publications