Genomic and functional characterization of the L‑sorbose phosphotransferase system in high-risk <i>Escherichia coli</i> lineages.

ABSTRACT: Certain Escherichia coli strains belong to international high-risk clonal lineages exhibiting a combination of multidrug resistance, enhanced fitness, and increased virulence, posing major public health challenges. Investigation of characteristics beyond antibiotic resistance genes and classical virulence factors is crucial to gain understanding of common traits among these pathogens. Analysis of 22,267 publicly available E. coli genomes from five pathogenic and one commensal sequence type (ST) revealed the L-sorbose phosphotransferase system (PTS ) as a pathogen-enriched marker. Although previously investigated for evolutionary insights, this system has not been functionally assessed within high-risk clonal lineages, as performed in the present study. Our multi-omics results

SUBMITTER: Swiatek L-S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12817954 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature