We previously reported that the strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EcO157) that survived longer in austere soil environment lacked expression of curli, a fitness trait linked with intestinal colonization. In addition, the proportion of curli-positive variants of EcO157 decreased with repeated soil exposure. Here we evaluated 84 and 176 clinical strains from outbreaks and sporadic infections i...

Curli are functional amyloids produced by proteobacteria like Escherichia coli as part of the extracellular matrix that holds cells together into biofilms. The molecular events that occur during curli nucleation and fiber extension remain largely unknown. Combining observations from curli amyloidogenesis in bulk solutions with real-time in situ nanoscopic imaging at the single-fiber level, we s...

Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain 86-24 does not produce curli fimbriae, but gives rise to curli-positive isolates at a variable frequency. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of curli-negative and curli-positive isolates of strain 86-24.

Curli are bacterial appendages involved in the adhesion of cells to surfaces; their synthesis is regulated by many genes such as csgD and ompR. The expression of the two curli subunits (CsgA and CsgB) in Escherichia coli (E. coli) is regulated by CsgD; at the same time, csgD transcription is under the control of OmpR. Therefore, both genes are involved in the control of curli production. In thi...

Escherichia coli and a few other members of the Enterobacteriales can produce functional amyloids known as curli. These extracellular fibrils are involved in biofilm formation and studies have shown that they may act as virulence factors during infections. It is not known whether curli fibrils are restricted to the Enterobacteriales or if they are phylogenetically widespread. The growing number...

Curli amyloid fibers are the major protein component of the extracellular matrix produced by Enterobacteriaceae during biofilm formation. Curli are required for proper biofilm development and environmental persistence by Escherichia coli. Here, we present a complete and vetted genetic analysis of functional amyloid fiber biogenesis. The Keio collection of single gene deletions was screened on C...

Bacterial biofilms are associated with numerous human infections. The predominant protein expressed in enteric biofilms is the amyloid curli, which forms highly immunogenic complexes with DNA. Infection with curli-expressing bacteria or systemic exposure to purified curli-DNA complexes triggers autoimmunity via the generation of type I interferons (IFNs) and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies....

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the formation of insoluble amyloid plaques in the brain. Escherichia coli curli, encoded by the csg gene, is the prokaryotic equivalent of amyloid protein. To study the effect of a reducing protein on the solubility of curli, attempts were made to fuse curli to thioredoxin and flavin reductase. Both proteins are be...