Department of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands.
ISME J. 2011 Feb;5(2):173-83. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2010.80. Epub 2010 Jun 24.
In this review, our current understanding of the species Escherichia coli and its persistence in the open environment is examined. E. coli consists of six different subgroups, which are separable by genomic analyses. Strains within each subgroup occupy various ecological niches, and can be broadly characterized by either commensalistic or different pathogenic behaviour. In relevant cases, genomic islands can be pinpointed that underpin the behaviour. Thus, genomic islands of, on the one hand, broad environmental significance, and, on the other hand, virulence, are highlighted in the context of E. coli survival in its niches. A focus is further placed on experimental studies on the survival of the different types of E. coli in soil, manure and water. Overall, the data suggest that E. coli can persist, for varying periods of time, in such terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In particular, the considerable persistence of the pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 is of importance, as its acid tolerance may be expected to confer a fitness asset in the more acidic environments. In this context, the extent to which E. coli interacts with its human/animal host and the organism's survivability in natural environments are compared. In addition, the effect of the diversity and community structure of the indigenous microbiota on the fate of invading E. coli populations in the open environment is discussed. Such a relationship is of importance to our knowledge of both public and environmental health.
在这篇综述中，我们检查了对物种大肠杆菌及其在开放环境中持续存在的现有理解。大肠杆菌由六个不同的亚群组成，这些亚群可以通过基因组分析来分离。每个亚群内的菌株占据不同的生态位，可以根据共生或不同的致病行为来广泛描述。在相关情况下，可以指出支持行为的基因组岛。因此，在大肠杆菌在其生态位中生存的背景下，强调了具有广泛环境意义和毒力的基因组岛。进一步关注不同类型大肠杆菌在土壤、粪便和水中的生存的实验研究。总的来说，这些数据表明，大肠杆菌可以在不同的陆地和水生栖息地中持续存在，持续时间长短不一。特别是，致病性大肠杆菌 O157:H7 的相当长时间的持续存在是很重要的，因为其耐酸性可能赋予其在更酸性环境中的适应性优势。在这种情况下，比较了大肠杆菌与人类/动物宿主的相互作用程度及其在自然环境中的生存能力。此外，还讨论了土著微生物群落的多样性和结构对入侵大肠杆菌种群在开放环境中命运的影响。这种关系对于我们对公共卫生和环境卫生的认识是很重要的。
