The hallmark of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) adhesion to cultured human host cells is intimate attachment and the formation of attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions. Recently, EHEC O157:H7 was shown to induce A/E lesions on human intestinal explants. Unlike EPEC, which colonized the small intestine, EHEC adhesion was restricted to follicle-associa...

The presence of the pathogenicity island (PAI) O122 genes, efa1 (lifA), sen, pagC, nleB, and nleE, in typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains was investigated. The simultaneous occurrence of all genes was statistically associated with diarrhea due to atypical EPEC. Detection of the complete PAI O122 could aid in the identification of potential pathogenic strains of...

Enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EHEC and EPEC, respectively) strains are closely related human pathogens that are responsible for food-borne epidemics in many countries. Integration host factor (IHF) and the locus of enterocyte effacement-encoded regulator (Ler) are needed for the expression of virulence genes in EHEC and EPEC, including the elicitation of actin rearran...

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a human pathogen that attaches to intestinal epithelial cells and causes chronic watery diarrhea. A close relative, enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), causes severe bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Both pathogens insert a protein, Tir, into the host cell plasma membrane where it binds intimin, the outer membrane ligand of EPEC and EHEC. T...

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) attach to cells (attachment) lining the intestine and induce a decrease in the number of the cells' microvilli (effacement). This attachment and effacement is followed by diarrhea, which may be explained, at least in part, to the loss of microvilli and the decreased ability of the infected cells to absorb fluids. EPEC also attach to the surfaces of a num...

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) remains an important cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Research into EPEC is intense and provides a good virulence model of other E. coli infections as well as other pathogenic bacteria. Although the virulence mechanisms are now better understood, they are extremely complex and much remains to be learnt. The pathogenesis of EPEC depends on the format...

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major cause of diarrheal infant death in developing countries, and probiotic bacteria have been shown to provide health benefits in gastrointestinal infections. In this study, we have investigated the influence of the gut symbiont Lactobacillus reuteri on EPEC adherence to the human intestinal epithelium. Different host cell model systems including ...

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is an attaching and effacing (A/E) human pathogen that causes diarrhea during acute infection, and it can also sustain asymptomatic colonization. A/E E. coli depletes host cell DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins in colonic cell lines and has been detected in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, until now, a direct link between infection and host mu...

The pathogenicity of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is linked to the locus of enterocyte effacement, or LEE, encoding a type III secretion system (T3SS) that directly transfers bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic cells. Atypical diffusely adhering EPEC (DA-EPEC) strains that harbor homologues of the LEE but lack the EPEC adherence factor plasmid have been increasingly associat...

Background: Foodborne infection caused by EnterotoxigenicEscherichia coli (ETEC) and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is one of the major health problems, particularly in the developing countries. Therefore, it is vital to identify the origin of food contamination to plan control strategies efficiently. Method: A tota...