Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) TW14425 Genome sequencing and assembly. Escherichia coli TW14425

Diarrheal diseases present a significant problem for humankind, causing roughly half a million deaths annually. To cause diarrhea, enteric bacterial pathogens must first colonize the gut, a niche occupied by the normal bacterial flora. Pathogenic bacteria's ability to inhibit the growth of other bacteria can therefore facilitate the colonization process. Although enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the major causative agents of diarrheal diseases, very little is known about the competition systems found in and used by ETEC and how they contribute to their pathogenicity. Here we performed a comprehensive search for bacterial toxins and toxin delivery systems followed evaluation of their contributory effect on the competitiveness of ETEC in in vitro competition assays.