title: The Escherichia coli gene pool.
abstract: Wild Escherichia coli are superbly adapted to survive in the intestines of their mammalian hosts and in the environment. E. coli K12 derivative (MG1655) encodes 4288 potential genes that provide the background genetic framework of this species. Particular E. coli clonal types encode additional chromosomal and extrachromosomal genes that facilitate the ability of E. coli to adapt to new environments. These additional genes are often clustered, have related functions (for example, virulence-associated genes in pathogenicity islands) and may be integrated at specific sites on the E. coli chromosome.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Exhibition Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK. g.dougan@ic.ac.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dougan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pickard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Goara
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wain
mesh_terms: D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial