Escherichia coli
Physiology | SpotlightMultiple Drug-Induced Stress Responses Inhibit Formation of Escherichia coli BiofilmsThe prevention of bacterial biofilm formation is one of the major current challenges in microbiology. Here, by systematically screening a large number of approved drugs for their ability to suppress biofilm formation by Escherichia coli, we identified a number of prospective antibiofilm compounds. We further demonstrated different mechanisms of action for individual...
Environmental MicrobiologyGenetic and Phenotypic Factors Associated with Persistent Shedding of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli by Beef CattleFood animal reservoirs contribute to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) evolution via the acquisition of horizontally acquired elements like Shiga toxin bacteriophages that enhance pathogenicity. In cattle, persistent fecal shedding of STEC contributes to contamination of beef and dairy products and to crops being exposed to contaminated water systems....
Environmental MicrobiologyImplications of Foraging and Interspecies Interactions of Birds for Carriage of Escherichia coli Strains Resistant to Critically Important AntimicrobialsIt has been shown that 20% of Australian silver gulls carry drug-resistant Escherichia coli strains of anthropogenic origin associated with severe diseases, such as sepsis and urinary tract infections, in humans. To further characterize the dynamics of drug-resistant E. coli in wildlife populations...
Environmental MicrobiologySystematic Analysis of Escherichia coli Isolates from Sheep and Cattle Suggests Adaption to the Rumen NicheAs an important intestinal microorganism, E. coli is present in the intestinal tract of animals and in many other environments. However, it normally does not produce and secret cellulases due to its complex bilayer membrane structure and poor secretory apparatus. Here, we proved that E. coli is...
Food MicrobiologyEffect of Weather on the Die-Off of Escherichia coli and Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium on Preharvest Leafy Greens following Irrigation with Contaminated WaterThe log-linear die-off rate proposed by FSMA is not always appropriate, as the die-off rates of foodborne bacterial pathogens and specified agricultural water quality indicator organisms appear to commonly follow a biphasic pattern with an initial rapid decline followed by a period of tailing. While we observed substantial variation in the net culturable population levels of Salmonella and...
Genetics and Molecular BiologyHistone-like Nucleoid-Structuring Protein (H-NS) Paralogue StpA Activates the Type I-E CRISPR-Cas System against Natural Transformation in Escherichia coliStpA is normally considered a molecular backup of the nucleoid-structuring protein H-NS, which was reported as a transcriptional repressor of the type I-E CRISPR-Cas system in Escherichia coli. However, the role of StpA in regulating the type I-E CRISPR-Cas system remains elusive. Our previous work uncovered a new route for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) entry during...
Environmental MicrobiologyCan Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Bacteria Be Distinguished by Sensory Protein Abundance?Sensory proteins (SPs) act as sensors and actuators for a cell and participate in important mechanisms pertaining to bacterial survival, adaptation, and virulence. Therefore, bacterial species residing in similar ecological niches or those sharing common pathotypes are expected to exhibit similar SP signatures. We have investigated profiles of SPs in different species of ...
Genetics and Molecular Biology | SpotlightEscherichia coli CFT073 Fitness Factors during Urinary Tract Infection: Identification Using an Ordered Transposon LibraryUropathogenic Escherichia coli strains cause most uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI), one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. Random transposon mutagenesis techniques have been utilized to identify essential bacterial genes during infection; however, this has been met with limitations when applied to the murine UTI model. Conventional high-...
Physiology | SpotlightCovert Cross-Feeding Revealed by Genome-Wide Analysis of Fitness Determinants in a Synthetic Bacterial MutualismMicrobial communities impact life on Earth in profound ways, including driving global nutrient cycles and influencing human health and disease. These community functions depend on the interactions that resident microbes have with the environment and each other. Thus, identifying genes that influence these interactions will aid the management of natural communities and the use of microbial consortia as biotechnology. Here, we identified...
Food MicrobiologyAre Antimicrobial Interventions Associated with Heat-Resistant Escherichia coli on Meat?The implementation of multiple hurdles in the beef production chain has resulted in substantial improvement in the microbial safety of beef in Canada. In this study, we characterized a large number of Escherichia coli isolates (n = 1,450) from various sources/stages of beef processing to determine whether the commonly used antimicrobial interventions would...