Identification of genes subject to positive selection in uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli: a comparative genomics approach.

ABSTRACT: Escherichia coli is a model laboratory bacterium, a species that is widely distributed in the environment, as well as a mutualist and pathogen in its human hosts. As such, E. coli represents an attractive organism to study how environment impacts microbial genome structure and function. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) must adapt to life in several microbial communities in the human body, and has a complex life cycle in the bladder when it causes acute or recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI). Several studies designed to identify virulence factors have focused on genes that are uniquely represented in UPEC strains, whereas the role of genes that are common to all E. coli has received much less attention. Here we describe the complete 5,065,741-bp genome sequence of a UPEC strain recovered fr

SUBMITTER: Chen SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1424661 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature