Switches, cross-talk and memory in Escherichia coli adherence
- 1 July 2004
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Microbiology Society in Journal of Medical Microbiology
- Vol. 53 (7) , 585-593
- https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.05491-0
Abstract
Escherichia coli is a successful commensal and pathogen. Its pathogenic diversity stems from the acquisition and expression of multiple virulence-associated loci. Many of the key virulence factors are surface structures involved in adherence and motility. These are important antigens and their expression is limited by phase-variable genetic switches that are considered to act randomly. This review considers the possibility that such stochastic expression within a bacterial population belies sequential or co-ordinate control at the level of the individual bacterium. Co-ordinated expression or cross-talk between virulence loci can lead to a programmed set of events within a bacterium analogous to a simple form of electronic memory that is of benefit during infection.Keywords
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