Escherichia coli
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenomic Epidemiology and Evolution of Escherichia coli in Wild Animals in Mexico
Escherichia coli is a clinically important bacterial species implicated in human- and livestock-associated infections worldwide. The bacterium is known to reside in the guts of humans, livestock, and wild animals.
- Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceEscherichia coli Genomic Diversity within Extraintestinal Acute Infections Argues for Adaptive Evolution at Play
Little is known about the dynamics of adaptation in acute bacterial infections. By sequencing multiple isolates from monoclonal extraintestinal Escherichia coli infections in several patients, we were able to uncover traces of selection taking place at short time scales compared to chronic infection.
- Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyWidespread Prevalence of Plasmid-Mediated Colistin Resistance Gene mcr-1 in Escherichia coli from Père David's Deer in China
The mcr-1 gene is widely reported around the world and has been identified on various plasmids with different replicon types. Resistance to the last-line antibiotic colistin mediated by mcr-1 still represents a threat to global public health.
- Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCrucial Role of ppGpp in the Resilience of Escherichia coli to Growth Disruption
The capacity of microbes to resist and overcome environmental insults, known as resilience, allows them to survive in changing environments but also to resist antibiotic and biocide treatments and immune system responses. Although the role of the stringent response in bacterial resilience to nutritional stresses has been well studied, little is known about its importance in the ability of the bacteria to not just resist but also recover...
- Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceRaman Spectroscopy-Based Measurements of Single-Cell Phenotypic Diversity in Microbial Populations
Microbial cells that live in the same community can exist in different physiological and morphological states that change as a function of spatiotemporal variations in environmental conditions. This phenomenon is commonly known as phenotypic heterogeneity and/or diversity. Measuring this plethora of cellular expressions is needed to better understand and manage microbial processes. However, most tools to study phenotypic diversity only...
- Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyF Plasmids Are the Major Carriers of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Human-Associated Commensal Escherichia coli
Rising antibiotic resistance in human-associated bacterial pathogens is a serious threat to our ability to treat many infectious diseases. It is critical to understand how acquired resistance genes move in and through bacteria associated with humans, particularly for species such as Escherichia coli that are very common in the human gut but can also be dangerous...
- Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGenomewide Stabilization of mRNA during a “Feast-to-Famine” Growth Transition in Escherichia coli
The ability to rapidly respond to changing nutrients is crucial for E. coli to survive in many environments, including the gut. Reorganization of gene expression is the first step used by bacteria to adjust their metabolism accordingly. It involves fine-tuning of both transcription (transcriptional regulation) and mRNA stability (posttranscriptional regulation). While...
- Editor's Pick Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyNovel Insights and Features of the NDM-5-Producing Escherichia coli Sequence Type 167 High-Risk Clone
Global dissemination of some E. coli high-risk clones has been described in the last decades. The most widespread was the ST131 clone, associated with extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) production. Genomics of ST131 demonstrated that one clade within the ST emerged in the early 2000s, followed by a rapid, global expansion. The...
- Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyNonclonal Emergence of Colistin Resistance Associated with Mutations in the BasRS Two-Component System in Escherichia coli Bloodstream Isolates
Multidrug resistance among Gram-negative bacteria has led to the use of colistin as a last-resort drug. The cationic colistin kills Gram-negative bacteria through electrostatic interaction with the anionic lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharides. Due to increased use in clinical and agricultural settings, colistin resistance has recently started to emerge. In this study, we used a combination of whole-genome sequence analysis and...
- Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyHigh Prevalence of Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli with Chromosomally Carried mcr-1 in Healthy Residents in Vietnam
Elucidation of the mechanism of the wide dissemination of colistin-resistant bacteria in communities of developing countries is an urgent public health issue. In this study, we investigated the genetic background of the colistin resistance gene mcr in E. coli isolates from the fecal microbiota of healthy human residents living in a community in Vietnam with a...