Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains are responsible for numerous outbreaks causing a range of illness in humans, from diarrhea to hemolytic uremic syndrome. EHEC O157:H7, the most common pathotype in US, colonize the intestine and produce multiple factors associated with disease. My laboratory is studying the mechanisms used by EHEC strains to adhere to the intestinal epithelia. The goal is to define the role of novel adhesins and their regulatory networks controlling their expression, in the colonization abilities of EHEC O157:H7 and other pathogenic E. coli strains to develop a candidate vaccine.
We are also studying the mechanism of expression and secretion of the EHEC Cah autotransporter protein. Autotransporter proteins have been shown to efficiently promote the export of heterologous passenger proteins, opening up an effective way for surface display. We used this property as a tool to study immunogenic epitopes of pathogens that are considered biological warfare agents.
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