Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important intestinal pathogen that causes severe foodborne diseases. We previously demonstrated that the genomic island-encoded regulator LmiA activates the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes to promote EHEC O157:H7 adherence and coloni...

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Main Authors: Hongmin Sun, Lingyan Jiang, Jingnan Chen, Chenbo Kang, Jun Yan, Shuai Ma, Mengjie Zhao, Houliang Guo, Bin Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Gut Microbes
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2024.2443107
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author Hongmin Sun
Lingyan Jiang
Jingnan Chen
Chenbo Kang
Jun Yan
Shuai Ma
Mengjie Zhao
Houliang Guo
Bin Yang
author_facet Hongmin Sun
Lingyan Jiang
Jingnan Chen
Chenbo Kang
Jun Yan
Shuai Ma
Mengjie Zhao
Houliang Guo
Bin Yang
author_sort Hongmin Sun
collection DOAJ
description Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important intestinal pathogen that causes severe foodborne diseases. We previously demonstrated that the genomic island-encoded regulator LmiA activates the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes to promote EHEC O157:H7 adherence and colonization in the host intestine. However, whether LmiA is involved in the regulation of any other biological processes in EHEC O157:H7 remains largely unexplored. Here, we compared global gene expression differences between the EHEC O157:H7 wild-type strain and an lmiA mutant strain using RNA-seq technology. Genes whose expression was affected by LmiA were identified and classified using the Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) database. Specifically, the expression of acid resistance genes (including gadA, gadB, and gadC) was significantly downregulated, whereas the transcript levels of biofilm-related genes (including Z_RS00105, yadN, Z_RS03020, and fdeC) were increased, in the ΔlmiA mutant compared to the EHEC O157:H7 wild-type strain. Further investigation revealed that LmiA enhanced the acid resistance of EHEC O157:H7 by directly activating the transcription of gadA and gadBC. In contrast, LmiA reduced EHEC O157:H7 biofilm formation by indirectly repressing the expression of biofilm-related genes. Furthermore, LmiA-mediated regulation of acid resistance and biofilm formation is highly conserved and widespread among EHEC and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). Our findings provide essential insight into the regulatory function of LmiA in EHEC O157:H7, particularly its role in regulating acid resistance and biofilm formation.
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spelling doaj-art-3026b9a1b8914962a65d4c0e575e9afd2025-08-20T02:49:01ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGut Microbes1949-09761949-09842025-12-0117110.1080/19490976.2024.2443107Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7Hongmin Sun0Lingyan Jiang1Jingnan Chen2Chenbo Kang3Jun Yan4Shuai Ma5Mengjie Zhao6Houliang Guo7Bin Yang8TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaTEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, P. R. ChinaEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important intestinal pathogen that causes severe foodborne diseases. We previously demonstrated that the genomic island-encoded regulator LmiA activates the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes to promote EHEC O157:H7 adherence and colonization in the host intestine. However, whether LmiA is involved in the regulation of any other biological processes in EHEC O157:H7 remains largely unexplored. Here, we compared global gene expression differences between the EHEC O157:H7 wild-type strain and an lmiA mutant strain using RNA-seq technology. Genes whose expression was affected by LmiA were identified and classified using the Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) database. Specifically, the expression of acid resistance genes (including gadA, gadB, and gadC) was significantly downregulated, whereas the transcript levels of biofilm-related genes (including Z_RS00105, yadN, Z_RS03020, and fdeC) were increased, in the ΔlmiA mutant compared to the EHEC O157:H7 wild-type strain. Further investigation revealed that LmiA enhanced the acid resistance of EHEC O157:H7 by directly activating the transcription of gadA and gadBC. In contrast, LmiA reduced EHEC O157:H7 biofilm formation by indirectly repressing the expression of biofilm-related genes. Furthermore, LmiA-mediated regulation of acid resistance and biofilm formation is highly conserved and widespread among EHEC and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). Our findings provide essential insight into the regulatory function of LmiA in EHEC O157:H7, particularly its role in regulating acid resistance and biofilm formation.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2024.2443107EHEC O157:H7LmiAacid resistancebiofilmtranscriptional regulation
spellingShingle Hongmin Sun
Lingyan Jiang
Jingnan Chen
Chenbo Kang
Jun Yan
Shuai Ma
Mengjie Zhao
Houliang Guo
Bin Yang
Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
Gut Microbes
EHEC O157:H7
LmiA
acid resistance
biofilm
transcriptional regulation
title Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
title_full Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
title_fullStr Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
title_full_unstemmed Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
title_short Genomic island-encoded LmiA regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
title_sort genomic island encoded lmia regulates acid resistance and biofilm formation in enterohemorrhagic escherichia coli o157 h7
topic EHEC O157:H7
LmiA
acid resistance
biofilm
transcriptional regulation
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2024.2443107
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