Kaper James B, Nataro James P, Mobley Harry L
Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
Nat Rev Microbiol. 2004 Feb;2(2):123-40. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro818.
Few microorganisms are as versatile as Escherichia coli. An important member of the normal intestinal microflora of humans and other mammals, E. coli has also been widely exploited as a cloning host in recombinant DNA technology. But E. coli is more than just a laboratory workhorse or harmless intestinal inhabitant; it can also be a highly versatile, and frequently deadly, pathogen. Several different E. coli strains cause diverse intestinal and extraintestinal diseases by means of virulence factors that affect a wide range of cellular processes.
很少有微生物能像大肠杆菌那样具有多样性。作为人类和其他哺乳动物正常肠道微生物群的重要成员，大肠杆菌在重组DNA技术中也被广泛用作克隆宿主。但大肠杆菌不仅仅是实验室的得力工具或无害的肠道居民；它也可能是一种极具多样性且常常致命的病原体。几种不同的大肠杆菌菌株通过影响广泛细胞过程的毒力因子引发各种肠道和肠道外疾病。
