THE LEUX-ENCODED TRNA(5)(LEU) BUT NOT THE PATHOGENICITY ISLAND-I AND ISLAND-II INFLUENCE THE SURVIVAL OF THE UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLISTRAIN-536 IN CD-1 MOUSE BLADDER MUCUS IN THE STATIONARY-PHASE

The uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain 536 carries two pathogenicit y islands, each of which is associated with either of the tRNA genes s e/C or leuX, respectively. Growth competition in CD-1 mouse mucus betw een the wild-type strain E. coli 536, its leuX mutant 536 Delta 102 an d its mutant 536R3, lacking both pathogenicity islands but expressing a functional tRNA(5)(Leu), revealed a major impact of leuX on E. coli survival in bladder mucus. The impaired survival in CD-1 mouse mucus o bserved upon deletion of the leuX gene was abolished after complementa tion with the leuX gene. The survival of bacteria in bladder mucus was not influenced by the presence of pathogenicity islands I and II. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by E lsevier Science B.V.