Research
Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) causing diarrhoea kills over half a million children under five in low and middle-income countries each year. E. coli is also a leading cause of community- and hospital-acquired bloodstream infections and a major problem in the animal industry. Adhesins play a key role in bacterial pathogenesis, enabling the bacteria to colonise and cause an infection, but are also involved in survival in secondary environments, like water. Furthermore, adhesin’s ability to adhere to cells determine tissue and host specificity. A deep understanding of the pathogen’s transmission dynamics, how they evolve, how they interact with hosts as well as the distribution and diversity of the virulome (set of genes that contribute to the virulence of a bacterium) is of great significance for vaccine development.
In the light of these realities, the goal of the research in the von Mentzer Lab is to unravel the transmission dynamics of isolates between different hosts and the transmission of genetic elements that drive virulence and resistance in bacteria. To do this, we use data-driven genomics for high-throughput and large-scale analysis and where needed, followed by experimental corroboration. The previous research by Astrid von Mentzer centred around the major diarrhoea-causing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria provides the cornerstones from which I will focus on the evolution and emergence of pathogenic bacteria with a link to how vaccines can confer broad protection against different bacterial variants and identify the drivers behind their emergence in humans and animals.
Funded by the Research Council and Sahlgrenska Academy, our research group combines computational and experimental approaches to understand the evolution of E. coli pathotypes and hybrid pathotypes, as well as investigating the evolution and diversity of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes and their species dynamics. Our main focus areas are:
- Applying large-scale genomics methodologies to investigate the evolution pf pathogenic E. coli
- Using a ‘One Health’ approach to study the transmission of enterotoxigenic E. coli across ecological niches
- Combinding genomic predictions with experimental methodlogies to validate findings
Highlighted
![Construction of the ETECFinder database for the characterisation of enterotoxigenic<i>Escherichia coli</i>(ETEC) and revision of the<i>VirulenceFinder</i>webtool at the CGE website](/images/ETECFinder.png)
All
2023
![Circulation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) isolates expressing CS23 from the environment to clinical settings](/images/CS23_bolivia.png)
2022
![Draft Genome Sequence of an Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Strain Carrying Genes for Colonization Surface Antigen 13 and a Heat-Labile Toxin](/images/CS13_genome.png)
2021
![Long-read-sequenced reference genomes of the seven major lineages of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) circulating in modern time](/images/long-read_refs.png)
2020
![Colonization factor CS30 from enterotoxigenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> binds to sulfatide in human and porcine small intestine](/images/CS30_sulfatide.png)
2018
![Phenotypic and genomic analyses of bacteriophages targeting environmental and clinical CS3-expressing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains](/images/bacteriphages.png)
2017
![Identification and characterization of the novel colonization factor CS30 based on whole genome sequencing in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)](/images/CS30.png)
2016
![Identification of new heat-stable (STa) enterotoxin allele variants produced by human enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)](/images/ST_joffre.png)
![Stability of the Encoding Plasmids and Surface Expression of CS6 Differs in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Encoding Different Heat-Stable (ST) Enterotoxins (STh and STp)](/images/CS6_stability.png)
2015
![Treg‐cell depletion promotes chemokine production and accumulation of CXCR3<sup>+</sup> conventional T cells in intestinal tumors](/images/treg_2015.png)
2014
![Identification of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) clades with long-term global distribution](/images/long-read_refs.png)
2012
![Construction of the ETECFinder database for the characterisation of enterotoxigenic<i>Escherichia coli</i>(ETEC) and revision of the<i>VirulenceFinder</i>webtool at the CGE website](/images/ETECFinder.png)