New insight into E. coli
Published: 6 July 2020
A study involving the Institute's Professor Andrew Roe has found a common protein, carried by most strains of E. coli, controls different sets of genes and discovered that, in the case of the infamous 'burger bug', EHEC, it is a central cause of disease.
A study involving the Institute's Professor Andrew Roe has found a common protein carried by most strains of E. coli controls different sets of genes and discovered that, in the case of the infamous 'burger bug', EHEC, it is a central cause of disease.
The work, recently published in mBio, focused on the bacterial species E. coli, some strains of which are harmless and act as part of the gut bacteria whereas others can cause diseases, including bladder and bloodstream infections, or meningitis.
In the collaboration between the universities of Glasgow and Newcastle, researchers explored how bacteria control, which genes to switch on and off, and how this varies between different strains.
Surprisingly, they found a common protein, called YhaJ, that is carried by nearly all strains of E. coli yet controls very different sets of genes across the four strains analysed.
For example, in the aforementioned EHEC it was found that YhaJ controls attachment to the gut wall and so is a central cause of disease.
This is important because it provides new insights into how strains evolve into such dangerous and efficient pathogens.
Andrew Roe, Professor of Molecular Microbiology, commented: “We were surprised to find a protein that is basically identical in all strains which controls very diverse sets of genes.
"It really highlights how efficient bacteria can be: they recycle the existing wiring of the cell to help control the new virulence genes they acquire."
Widespread Strain-Specific Distinctions in Chromosomal Binding Dynamics of a Highly Conserved Escherichia coli Transcription Factor
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First published: 6 July 2020