enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a significant human bacterial pathogen and a leading cause of infantile diarrhea, particularly in developing regions. In the context of clinical research, EPEC is utilized as a challenge agent in controlled human infection models (CHIMs) to study the pathophysiology of bacterial diarrhea and to evaluate the protective effects of various factors, such as gastric acidity or pre-existing infections like Helicobacter pylori. The pathogen's virulence is primarily mediated by a Type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by the Locus of Enterocyte Effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island. This system allows the bacteria to inject effector proteins directly into host enterocytes, leading to the formation of attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and the development of actin-rich pedestal structures that facilitate bacterial colonization and disrupt intestinal absorption.

Other names

EPECenteropathogenic E. coli