Microbial Endocrinology: An Update

by Elio
 

A hypothetical model for E. coli O157:H7 colonization in the GI tract. For details, see the legend in the article. The authors proposed that colonization occurs only in regions where non-E. coli commensal bac­teria are present. Source.

No sooner had we posted a piece on the emerging field of Microbial Endocrinology than a pertinent and inter­esting paper appeared. The authors report that E. coli O157:H7 is at­tracted to the hormones epinephrine and norepinephine and is repelled by the bacterial metabo­lite, indole. Whereas the hormones enhance bacterial motility, biofilm formation, and adherence to epithelial cells, indole instead attenuates these responses. The authors present a model (Figure 5 in the paper) sug­gesting that colonization by the pathogenic strain is inhibited by indole-producing commensals.