Researchers in Queensland have made a groundbreaking discovery about E. coli bacteria, revealing that a specific mutation allows some strains to cause severe diseases in humans, while others remain harmless. This finding has significant implications for combating antibiotic resistance and has been published in Nature Communications.
Professor Schembri explained that this mutation essentially gives the affected E. coli bacteria the ability to spread more aggressively throughout the body, leading to infections in vital organs such as the liver, spleen, and brain.
According to Professor Schembri, this breakthrough sheds light on why certain E. coli strains can lead to life-threatening conditions like sepsis, neonatal meningitis, and urinary tract infections (UTIs), while others coexist harmlessly within the human body. The key difference lies in the bacteria’s ability to produce cellulose.
Furthermore, bacteria have the capacity to produce various substances on their cell surfaces that can either activate or suppress the host’s immune system.
2024-02-21 10:00:05
Source from phys.org