''Escherichia'' () is a genus of Gram-negative, non-

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

-forming, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria from the family

Enterobacteriaceae Enterobacteriaceae is a large family (biology), family of Gram-negative bacteria. It was first proposed by Rahn in 1936, and now includes over 30 genera and more than 100 species. Its classification above the level of family is still a subject ...

. In those species which are inhabitants of the

gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organ (biology), organs of the digestive syste ...

s of warm-blooded animals, ''Escherichia'' species provide a portion of the microbially derived vitamin K for their host. A number of the species of ''Escherichia'' are pathogenic. The genus is named after

Theodor Escherich Theodor Escherich (; 29 November 1857 – 15 February 1911) was a Germans, German-Austrians, Austrian pediatrics, pediatrician and a professor at universities in University of Graz, Graz and University of Vienna, Vienna. He discovered and de ...

, the discoverer of '' Escherichia coli''. ''Escherichia'' are facultative aerobes, with both aerobic and anaerobic growth, and an optimum temperature of 37 °C. ''Escherichia'' are usually motile by

flagella A flagellum (; ) is a hairlike appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are termed as flagellates. A microorganism may have f ...

, produce gas from fermentable carbohydrates, and do not decarboxylate

lysine Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. It contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form under biological conditions), an α-carboxylic acid group (which is in the deprotonated −C ...

or hydrolyze

arginine Arginine is the amino acid with the formula (H2N)(HN)CN(H)(CH2)3CH(NH2)CO2H. The molecule features a guanidino group appended to a standard amino acid framework. At physiological pH, the carboxylic acid is deprotonated (−CO2−) and both the am ...

. Species include '' E. albertii'', '' E. fergusonii'', '' E. hermannii'', '' E. marmotae'' and most notably, the

model organism A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...

and clinically relevant ''

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

''. ''

Shimwellia blattae ''Shimwellia blattae'' (formerly ''Escherichia blattae'') is a species of bacterium, one of two in the genus ''Shimwellia''. It is an aerobic enteric bacterium first isolated from the hindgut of cockroaches. Although it is related to human patho ...

'' was formerly classified in this genus.

Pathogenesis

While many ''Escherichia'' are commensal members of the

gut microbiota Gut microbiota, gut microbiome, or gut flora, are the microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that live in the digestive tracts of animals. The gastrointestinal metagenome is the aggregate of all the genomes of the gut m ...

, certain strains of some species, most notably the pathogenic serotypes of ''

'', are human pathogens, and are the most common cause of urinary tract infections, significant sources of gastrointestinal disease, ranging from simple diarrhea to dysentery-like conditions, as well as a wide range of other pathogenic states classifiable in general as colonic escherichiosis. While ''E. coli'' is responsible for the vast majority of ''Escherichia''-related pathogenesis, other members of the genus have also been implicated in human disease. ''Escherichia'' are associated with the imbalance of

microbiota Microbiota are the range of microorganisms that may be commensal, symbiotic, or pathogenic found in and on all multicellular organisms, including plants. Microbiota include bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses, and have been found t ...

of the lower reproductive tract of women. These species are associated with inflammation.

References

External links

Escherichia
genomes and related information a
PATRIC
a Bioinformatics Resource Center funded b
NIAID
{{Taxonbar, from=Q311055 Gut flora bacteria Gram-negative bacteria Pathogenic bacteria Bacteria genera

Pathogenesis

See also

References

External links