NC_011601:2139188 Escherichia coli O127:H6 str. E2348/69 chromosome, complete genome
Host Lineage: Escherichia coli; Escherichia; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is an important cause of fatal infant diarrhea. EPEC induces diarrhea by attaching and effacing to host cells in the small intestine, inducing cytoskeletal rearrangements that result in pedastel formation, and then by introducing toxins into the host cell. This organism was named for its discoverer, Theodore Escherich, and is one of the premier model organisms used in the study of bacterial genetics, physiology, and biochemistry. This enteric organism is typically present in the lower intestine of humans, where it is the dominant facultative anaerobe present, but it is only one minor constituent of the complete intestinal microflora. E. coli, is capable of causing various diseases in its host, especially when they acquire virulence traits. E. coli can cause urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis, and many different intestinal diseases, usually by attaching to the host cell and introducing toxins that disrupt normal cellular processes.