Bacterial and plant factors that influence adhesion of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli and Salmonella enterica to salad leaves

到目前为止，对食源性病原体传播的研究主要集中在农场动物宿主上。虽然通过沙拉叶传播肠道病原体的情况正在上升，但只有少数研究探讨了人类肠道细菌病原体附着在植物上的分子机制。同样，很少有研究植物在细菌黏附和/或存活率上的基因变异，以及那些没有解决任何差异的遗传基础的研究。在这个项目中，我们的目标是调查人类细菌病原体如何附着在沙拉叶子(特别是生菜)上。我们将确定细菌生长条件对有机体附着在叶片上的能力的影响。同样，我们将确定植物生长条件对细菌附着敏感性的影响。使用遗传方法，我们将确定哪些细菌基因与叶片附着有关，我们将利用重组自交系的生菜图谱群体来启动旨在了解植物对细菌附着易感性的遗传基础的研究。我们还将测定沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌在不同生菜品系上的存活率和复制率。我们研究的最终目标是提供叶圈中植物和肠道细菌之间相互作用的基础知识，以便开发降低作物污染风险和提高食品安全的策略。

Until now, research into transmission of food-borne pathogens has largely focused on farm animal reservoirs. Although transmission of enteric pathogens via salad leaves is on the rise, only a few studies have addressed the molecular mechanisms used by human enteric bacterial pathogens to attach to plants. Likewise there have been few studies investigating variation between plant genotypes on bacterial adhesion and/or survival and those that have not addressed the genetic basis of any differences. In this project we aim to investigate how human bacterial pathogens attach to salad leaves (in particular lettuce). We will determine the effect of bacterial growth condition on the ability of the organism to attach to leaves. Similarly, we will determine the effect of plant growth conditions on susceptibility to bacterial attachment. Using genetic approaches, we will determine which bacterial genes are involved in leaf attachment and we will utilise a lettuce mapping population of recombinant inbred lines to initiate studies aimed at gaining an understanding of the genetic basis of a plant's susceptibility to bacterial adhesion. We will also determine survival and replication rates of Salmonella and E. coli on the different lettuce lines. The ultimate goal of our studies is to provide the underpinning knowledge of the interaction between the plant and enteric bacteria in the phyllosphere to allow the development of strategies to reduce the risk of crop contamination and to increase food safety.