Highly prevalent cargo genes of F plasmids harbored in pathogenic Escherichia coli

Two previously uncharacterized cargo gene groups are highly prevalent in F plasmids from extraintestinal Escherichia coli ST131 isolates, including transport-linked OGs and unknown-function OGs.

• Why it matters: F plasmids may contribute to E. coli virulence, but the cargo genes they carry are not well defined, limiting understanding of how plasmids spread and function in pathogenic strains.
• What they did: The study analyzed prevalent orthogroups across a collection of F plasmids from extraintestinal ST131 isolates, then assessed prevalence across intestinal and extraintestinal E. coli isolates and examined gene clustering within F-plasmid regions.
• The result: Transport-related OGs are highly prevalent in extraintestinal ST131 isolates, while unknown-function OGs occur in a large proportion of F plasmids from both intestinal and extraintestinal isolates, implying roles in F-plasmid DNA biology.

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