Cross-species convergence of surface polysaccharides shapes the virulence of an atypical carbapenem resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli clone
- 1Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland
Abstract
Carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC) is an emerging global health threat associated with limited treatment options and increased mortality. Here, analysis of 20,331 E. coli genomes from urinary tract infection (UTI) and urine samples identifies phylogroup A sequence type 361 (ST361) as an emerging CREC clone associated with UTI. Phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses reveal two dominant ST361 clades that emerged in Asia around 2006 and subsequently disseminated intercontinentally. ST361 exhibits near pan-drug resistance, with blaNDM-5 conferring carbapenem resistance. In silico capsule and O-antigen typing reveals a highly conserved Klebsiella-like surface polysaccharide serotype in 95.9% of ST361 genomes, which we show contributes to virulence in UTI and catheter-associated UTI mouse models. Analysis of the mobile genetic elements harbouring blaNDM-5 in ST361 and other CREC further reveals a dynamic interplay between plasmid transfer and insertion elements that contributes to blaNDM-5 dissemination. Together, these findings identify ST361 as an emerging UTI-associated CREC clone and reveal the convergence of clonal expansion, virulence-associated surface architecture and mobile genetic elements in its spread.
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BibTeX
@misc{walker2026crossspecies,
title = {{Cross-species convergence of surface polysaccharides shapes the virulence of an atypical carbapenem resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli clone}},
author = {L. L. Walker and Z. J. Lian and M.-D. Phan and N. T. K. Nhu and Y. Y. T. Ong and V. Brix and A. N. Marin and B. S. Learman and B. Permana and I. Martinez-Roman and S. A. S. Morris and K. M. Peters and C. Stewart and K. A. Ramsay and D. M. P. De Oliveira and N. Pfennigwerth and P. N. A. Harris and D. L. Paterson and M. J. Sweet and L. A. Featherstone and C. E. Armbruster and B. M. Forde and M. A. Schembri},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.05.755231},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.755231v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Cross-species convergence of surface polysaccharides shapes the virulence of an atypical carbapenem resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli clone
AU - L. L. Walker
AU - Z. J. Lian
AU - M.-D. Phan
AU - N. T. K. Nhu
AU - Y. Y. T. Ong
AU - V. Brix
AU - A. N. Marin
AU - B. S. Learman
AU - B. Permana
AU - I. Martinez-Roman
AU - S. A. S. Morris
AU - K. M. Peters
AU - C. Stewart
AU - K. A. Ramsay
AU - D. M. P. De Oliveira
AU - N. Pfennigwerth
AU - P. N. A. Harris
AU - D. L. Paterson
AU - M. J. Sweet
AU - L. A. Featherstone
AU - C. E. Armbruster
AU - B. M. Forde
AU - M. A. Schembri
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.05.755231
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.755231v1
AB - Carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC) is an emerging global health threat associated with limited treatment options and increased mortality. Here, analysis of 20,331 E. coli genomes from urinary tract infection (UTI) and urine samples identifies phylogroup A sequence type 361 (ST361) as an emerging CREC clone associated with UTI. Phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses reveal two dominant ST361 clades that emerged in Asia around 2006 and subsequently disseminated intercontinentally. ST361 exhibits near pan-drug resistance, with blaNDM-5 conferring carbapenem resistance. In silico capsule and O-antigen typing reveals a highly conserved Klebsiella-like surface polysaccharide serotype in 95.9% of ST361 genomes, which we show contributes to virulence in UTI and catheter-associated UTI mouse models. Analysis of the mobile genetic elements harbouring blaNDM-5 in ST361 and other CREC further reveals a dynamic interplay between plasmid transfer and insertion elements that contributes to blaNDM-5 dissemination. Together, these findings identify ST361 as an emerging UTI-associated CREC clone and reveal the convergence of clonal expansion, virulence-associated surface architecture and mobile genetic elements in its spread.
ER -