Lineage-specific variation in frequency and hotspots of recombination in invasive Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The opportunistic bacterium Escherichia coli can invade normally sterile sites in the human body, potentially leading to life-threatening organ dysfunction and even death. However, our understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape its genetic diversity in this sterile environment remains limited. Here, we aim to quantify the frequency and characteristics of homologous recombination in E. coli from bloodstream infections.

Results

Analysis of 557 short-read genome sequences revealed that the propensity to exchange DNA by homologous recombination varies within a distinct population (bloodstream) at narrow geographic (Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, New Hampshire, USA) and temporal (years 2016 - 2022) scope. We identified the four largest monophyletic seq

SUBMITTER: Piper KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11853335 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature