Regulating expression of virulence determinants in enterotoxigenic escherichia coli H10407

Haycocks, James Richard John (2015). Regulating expression of virulence determinants in enterotoxigenic escherichia coli H10407. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Enterotoxigenic \(Escherichia\) \(coli\) (ETEC) is a major cause of traveller’s and infantile diarrhoea in developing countries, and results in considerable mortality in under 5 year olds. Disease is mediated through adhesion of ETEC cells to the intestinal brush border and the secretion of the heat-stable and/or heat-labile toxin. Whilst the toxins have been well studied it is still not clear how their expression is regulated.

This work has defined binding of CRP, H-NS and σ\(^7\)\(^0\) across the genome of the prototypical ETEC strain H10407. We demonstrate a central role for all three factors in regulating pathogenicity in ETEC H10407. Hence, we show that CRP directly regulates expression of both \(estA2\) and \(estA1\), which encode the heat-stable toxins. Furthermore, CRP indirectly represses expression of the heat-labile toxin. This work also identifies a role for CRP in controlling transcription of a small open reading frame, imbedded within a gene, at the 3’ end of an operon encoding a type I secretion system.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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