Reviewing the Evolution of 'High-Risk' E. coli

VBS Professor Tim Johnson recently published the review article, "Role of Plasmids in the Ecology and Evolution of "High-Risk" Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Clones,” in EcoSal Plus, an American Society for Microbiology journal dedicated to authoritative reviews on E. coli and Salmonella.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the world of E. coli plasmids. E. coli is one of the most popular and best studied bacterial organisms. A plasmid is a extrachromosomal DNA molecule within a cell. The genes carried in plasma often provide bacteria with genetic advantages such as antibiotic resistance. This study looks at how E. coli plasmids relate to virulence and their part in the evolution of high-risk global Extraintestinal pathogenic E.coli (ExPEC) clones, where a handful of plasmids have been recognized to confer virulence and fitness-associated traits.