Mapping the evolution of E.coli's main virulence factor offers a refined drug target NatureComms
In a new study, published today in, a multi-center team led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo, Imperial College London and UCL, has mapped for the first time the evolutionary timeline and population distribution of Escherichia coli's protective outer capsule, which is responsible for the bacterium's virulence. The study also shows how targeting the bacterium's protective layer can help treat extraintestinal infections.
Understanding the bacterium's anatomy and how this plays a role in causing disease is key for the prevention of serious infections. Scientists until now lacked basic knowledge of the prevalence, evolution and functional properties of the K1 capsule, limiting their capacity to combat E. coli infections.
They found that this specifically virulent capsule—K1—actually dates further back in time, approximately 500 years earlier than previously imagined. This highlights the importance of the capsule for the bacterium's survival and the role of the extracellular barrier in the success of E. coli as the main cause of extraintestinal infections.
The study also shows that 25% of all current E. coli strains responsible for blood infections contain theneeded to develop the K1 capsule. Obtaining a complete evolutionary history of this strain will now allow researchers to understand how bacteria obtain the genetic material responsible for severe virulence in the first place, and analyze ways to combat them.
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