New pathways for controlling Shiga toxin expression and virulence in enterohaemorrhagic E. coli

志贺产毒大肠杆菌是一种重要的人类病原体，可导致从血性腹泻到肾功能衰竭等一系列疾病。疾病的严重程度与志贺毒素表达的量有关，这取决于毒素编码噬菌体内的未知因素。我们最近发现，这些噬菌体含有许多可能调节毒素表达的RNA调节因子。这项建议试图了解这些RNA如何控制志贺毒素的表达和疾病的严重程度。

Shiga toxigenic E. coli are significant human pathogens that cause disease ranging from bloody diarrhoea to renal failure. The severity of disease is correlated with the amount of Shiga toxin expressed, which is dependent on unknown factors within the toxin-encoding bacteriophage. We have recently found that these bacteriophages contain numerous RNA regulators that may modulate toxin expression. This proposal seeks to understand how these RNAs control Shiga toxin expression and disease severity.