New mechanism reveals how atypical E. coli maintain their ability to infect

A new study shows how a type of disease-causing E. coli can quickly adapt when it loses one of its main ways of attaching to the intestine. The bacteria either change shape or make small changes to a protein that strengthens their grip on human cells. The findings help explain why these strains can still cause illness and identify a possible target for future treatments that could stop infection by preventing bacteria from attaching in the first place.

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