Escherichia coli
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyHost Range-Associated Clustering Based on Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis, Phylotypes, and Virulence Genes of Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli StrainsAtypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) is a diarrheagenic type of E. coli, as it possesses the intimin gene (eae) for attachment and effacement on epithelium. Since aEPEC is ubiquitous even in developed countries, we previously used molecular epidemiological methods to...
BiotechnologyBioprospecting of Native Efflux Pumps To Enhance Furfural Tolerance in Ethanologenic Escherichia coliLignocellulosic biomass, especially agricultural residues, represents an important potential feedstock for microbial production of renewable fuels and chemicals. During the deconstruction of hemicellulose by thermochemical processes, side products that inhibit cell growth and production, such as furan aldehydes, are generated, limiting cost-effective lignocellulose conversion. Here, we developed a new approach to increase cellular...
MethodsRapid and Simple Universal Escherichia coli Genotyping Method Based on Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis Using Single-Tube Multiplex PCR and Standard Gel ElectrophoresisFast typing methods that can easily and accurately distinguish clonal groups and unrelated isolates are of particular interest for microbiologists confronted with outbreaks or performing epidemiological studies. Highly discriminatory universal methods, like PFGE, optical mapping, or WGS, are expensive and/or time-consuming. MLST is useful for phylogeny but is less discriminatory and requires sequencing facilities. PCR methods, which are...
Public and Environmental Health Microbiology | SpotlightSurvival of Escherichia coli in Manure-Amended Soils Is Affected by Spatiotemporal, Agricultural, and Weather Factors in the Mid-Atlantic United StatesCurrent language in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule states no objection to a 90- or 120-day interval between application of untreated BSAAO and harvest of crops to minimize transfer of pathogens to produce intended for human consumption with the intent to limit potential cases of foodborne illness. This regional multiple season, multiple location field trial determined survival durations of...
Evolutionary and Genomic Microbiology | SpotlightResistance Gene Carriage Predicts Growth of Natural and Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates in the Absence of AntibioticsManaging the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is a major challenge for global public health. Central to this challenge is understanding whether resistance is linked to impaired bacterial growth in the absence of antibiotics, because this determines whether resistance declines when bacteria are no longer exposed to antibiotics. We studied 92 isolates of the key bacterial pathogen...
PhysiologyPhysiological, Genetic, and Transcriptomic Analysis of Alcohol-Induced Delay of Escherichia coli DeathIn one of the most well-studied organisms in the life sciences, Escherichia coli, we still do not fully understand what causes populations to die. This is largely due to the technological difficulties of studying bacterial cell death. This study provides an avenue to studying how and why E. coli...
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightAssessing Transmission of Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia coli in Wild Giraffe Contact NetworksAntimicrobial resistance represents a significant threat to human health, food security, and the global economy. To fully understand the evolution and dissemination of resistance genes, a complete picture of antimicrobial resistance in all biological compartments, including natural ecosystems, is required. The environment and wild animals may act as reservoirs for anthropogenically derived resistance genes that could be transferrable to...
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightA Simple In Vitro Gut Model for Studying the Interaction between Escherichia coli and the Intestinal Commensal Microbiota in Cecal MucusBoth commensal and pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli appear to colonize the mammalian intestine by interacting physically and metabolically with other members of the microbiota in the mucus layer that overlays the cecal and colonic epithelium. However, the use of animal models and the complexity of the mammalian gut make it difficult to isolate experimental...
Public and Environmental Health MicrobiologyAntibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Class 1 Integrons in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Wild Primates in Rural UgandaAntibiotic resistance is a global problem. This study, conducted in rural western Uganda, describes antibiotic resistance patterns in Escherichia coli bacteria near two forested national parks. Resistance was present not only in people, but also in their livestock and in nearby wild nonhuman primates. Multidrug resistance and class 1 integrons containing genes that...
Environmental MicrobiologyMicrobial Source Tracking Using Quantitative and Digital PCR To Identify Sources of Fecal Contamination in Stormwater, River Water, and Beach Water in a Great Lakes Area of ConcernFecal contamination of recreational water poses a persistent and ongoing problem, particularly in areas of concern around the Great Lakes. The identification of the source(s) of fecal contamination is essential for safeguarding public health as well as guiding remediation efforts; however, fecal contamination may frequently be present at low levels and remain undetectable by certain methodologies. In this study, we utilized microbial...