Adhesins of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli (UPEC)

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the main pathogen associated with urinary tract infections namely cystitis, pyleonephritis and infectious complications. As a commensal, E.coli is mostly harmless in the gut. Some strains diverge and become more pathogenic. They express multiple virulence factors and invade the Urinary tract (UT). The important ones are the adhesins or specialized proteins with sticky ends, which help to break the inertia of urinary bladder mucosa and help to attach to them.