Molecular mechanisms that mediate colonization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains

Infect Immun. 2012 Mar;80(3):903-13. doi: 10.1128/IAI.05907-11. Epub 2011 Dec 5.

Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a group of pathogens which cause gastrointestinal disease in humans and have been associated with numerous food-borne outbreaks worldwide. The intimin adhesin has been considered for many years to be the only colonization factor in these strains. However, the rapid progress in whole-genome sequencing of different STEC serotypes has accelerated the discovery of other adhesins (fimbrial and afimbrial), which have emerged as important contributors to the intestinal colonization occurring during STEC infection. This review summarizes recent progress to identify and characterize, at the molecular level, novel adhesion and colonization factors in STEC strains, with an emphasis on their contribution to virulence traits, their host-pathogen interactions, the regulatory mechanisms controlling their expression, and their role as targets eliciting immune responses in the host.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / immunology
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Adhesion*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / immunology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology*
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / immunology
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Mucosal
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / immunology
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity*
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial