MICROBIOLOGY
Escherichia coli: an exploration of its role in human health and disease
While most strains of Escherichia coli are harmless and can even be beneficial, others are extensively pathogenic and pose serious health risks. Dr Neil Bentley examines the role of E. coli in human health and disease, looking at how the global health challenges it presents can be tackled.
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic bacterium from the coliform family, and is found within the intestines of warm- blooded animals. The organism was initially identified by Theodor Escherich in 1885 and originally classed as a harmless commensal called Bacterium coli commune.1
Since then, E. coli
has been studied intensively and is now recognised as one of the most important microorganisms within the fields of microbiology, public health, and biotechnology. Most strains are harmless commensals and often beneficial by contributing to maintaining gut homeostasis. However, these strains may become opportunistic pathogens when they get into the wrong place. Other strains are extensively pathogenic and pose serious health risks, causing diseases that range from mild diarrhoea to life-threatening systemic infections, many of which cause substantial global health challenges. Furthermore, some E. coli strains are considered a model organism and are used extensively within the biotechnology industry.2-4 E. coli as an organism can be both a valuable ally and a formidable adversary. Within clinical microbiology we usually only consider the pathogenic impact and diseases caused. This short review
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describes the dichotomy of the organism, examining its positive contribution to health, along with exploring its pathogenicity, epidemiology, and laboratory diagnostics.
Beneficial roles Non-pathogenic strains of E. coli play a significant role in gut health and
metabolism. These strains contribute to the digestion of complex carbohydrates, yielding short-chain fatty acids that are critical for intestinal health.2
Additionally,
E. coli synthesises vitamin K2, which is essential for bone health and blood clotting, and aids in iron absorption by secreting siderophores like enterobactin.3 Within the biotechnology industry,
E. coli serves as a model organism that enables us to understand molecular biology concepts. Its genetic simplicity and rapid growth characteristics have enabled extensive research on DNA and its replication, transcription and translation.4
Moreover, engineered
strains are used to produce essential pharmaceuticals, including human insulin and growth hormones. E. coli’s utility also extends to environmental applications, including biodegradation and biosensing technologies. Within the laboratory
Escherichia coli strains range from harmless commensals to opportunistic pathogens; with some extensively pathogenic causing diseases that present substantial global health challenges.
FEBRUARY 2025
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