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

Mauricio J. Farfan, Alfredo G. Torres

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

129 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)903-913
Number of pages11
JournalInfection and immunity
Volume80
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

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