Characterisation of Novel Adhesin Gene Clusters in Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia Coli O157

The recently published sequence of the enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933 strain contains five putative fimbrial adhesin gene clusters that are not present in E. coli K12 MG1655. <P>
The aim of this research is to determine whether these clusters are able to express functional adhesins and evaluate their role in the colonisation and persistence of EHEC O157 in cattle. <P>
The distribution of the different gene clusters will be investigated in VTEC and commensal E. coli strains. Clones of the clusters and isogenic mutants will be used to evaluate bacterial binding to bovine colonic tissue cultured in vitro and a bovine epithelial cell line. The research also budgets for testing of isogenic mutants of two adhesin gene clusters, including long polar fimbriae, in cattle challenge experiments.