Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and their bacteriophages as a model for the analysis of virulence and stress response of a food-borne pathogen
Creuzburg, K.; Schmidt, H.
Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 120(7-8): 288-295
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0005-9366 PMID: 17715821 Document Number: 610579
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are a subgroup of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) that are able to cause serious food-borne intestinal diseases which can be followed in 5 to 15 % by extraintestinal sequelae such as the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). One of the major pathogenicity factors of EHEC is the production of one or more Shiga toxins (Stx), which act as inhibitors of protein biosynthesis and have profound effects on the signal transduction and immunological response in eukaryotic cells. The stx genes are located in the genome of heterogeneous, lambdoid, functional or cryptic bacteriophages and are expressed during the phage life cycle. Due to the linkage between the phage life cycle and stx expression, STEC and their bacteriophages are useful as a model for the analysis of stress response and virulence of this food-borne pathogen.