title: Enterobacterial adhesins and the case for studying SNPs in bacteria.
abstract: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in structural genes can have a dramatic effect on the biology of whole organisms, from bacteria and viruses to mammals. Here, we underscore the importance of SNPs in bacterial genes that contribute to the ability of pathogens to cause disease. SNPs that confer an adaptive advantage for bacterial pathogens have been discovered in the genes encoding the FimH and Dr adhesins of Escherichia coli and, most recently, Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium FimH.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Weissman
authors.forename: Steve L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Moseley
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dykhuizen
authors.forename: Evgeni V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Sokurenko
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; C099569:FimI protein, E coli; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins