Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the principal cause of urinary tract infection in
women, attaches to the superficial facet cell layer of the bladder epithelium (urothelium) via
its FimH adhesin. Attachment triggers exfoliation of bacteria-laden superficial facet cells,
followed by rapid reconstitution of the urothelium through differentiation of underlying basal
and intermediate cells. We have used DNA microarrays to define the molecular regulators of
urothelial renewal and host defense expressed in adult C57Bl/6 female mice during the …