Molecular Investigation of the Type VI Secretion System via the vgrG Gene among Multidrug-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69923/25008028Keywords:
UPEC Enterobacteriaceae T-Kit Antibiotics T6SS vgrGAbstract
Bacteria possessing T6SS are highly pathogenic, as the system delivers effector proteins and toxins into host cells. This study aimed to determine whether UPEC strains possess this system by detecting the vgrG gene. This study involved the collection of 378 urine samples between November 2025 and February 2026. The samples were collected in the college laboratory. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed, and the vgrG gene was detected. E. coli isolates were identified using the Enterobacteriaceae T-Kit, yielding 82 isolates. Antibiotic susceptibility test results are Ampicillin (95.1%), Cefuroxime (85.37%), Cefotaxime (82.93%), Nalidixic acid (78.05%), Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (76.83%), Trimethoprim (75.61%), Amoxicillin-clavulanate (74.4%), Ampicillin-sulbactam (71.95%), Cefoxitin (71.95%), Levofloxacin (68.29%), Cefazolin (67.07%), Ceftazidime (67.07%), Doxycycline (65.85%), Ciprofloxacin (63.41%), Cefepime (59.76%), Nitrofurantoin (29.27%), Aztreonam (52.44%), Gentamicin (45.12%), Minocycline (43.90%), Mecillinam (37.8%), Tobramycin (36.59%), Kanamycin (32.93%), Piperacillin-tazobactam (30.49%), Fosfomycin (25.61%), Amikacin (28.05%), Polymyxin B (23.2%), Ertapenem (20.73%), Imipenem (19.51%), and Meropenem (17.07%).The results also showed that, among the 44 isolates selected for detection of the vgrG gene, 37 isolates (84.1%) carried this gene.This study concludes that the UPEC bacteria in the sample under investigation pose a growing clinical threat characterized by a dual complexity: the widespread prevalence of the T6SS coincides with an alarming rise in resistance rates to conventional antibiotics.
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