An amino acid produced in the human brain could help
prevent or treat infection from E. coli O157, according to researchers at the
University of Glasgow in Scotland.
The scientists studied the genome sequence of 1,500
strains of E. coli to determine which genes enable it to attach to and infect a
host.
They studied various concentrations of D-Serine, which
helps regulate nerve signalling.
E. coli O157 is only found in guts; they found that
high concentrations of amino acid D-Serine block it from attaching to host
tissue in other parts of the body.
This suggests that adding D-Serine to feed could
prevent infection or possibly treat it.
“This work provides new insights into the infection
process with the aim of developing compounds that block such bugs from
attaching to the host,”research leader Dr. Andrew Roe said in a news release.
“With many strains of E. coli developing resistance to traditional antibiotics, such
approaches are urgently needed,” he added.
“If we can disarm such bacteria rather than killing
them it puts less pressure on the bacteria to evolve into something that is
resistant to treatment.”
The research, funded by the Medical Research Council,
is published in the ISME Journal, the
Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology.
