E.coli

The study of the pathogenesis of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections encompasses many different disciplines, including clinical microbiology, diagnostics, animal ecology, and food safety, as well as the cellular microbiology of both bacterial pathogenesis and the mechanisms of toxin action. E. coli: Shiga Toxin Methods and Protocols aims to bring together a number of experts from each of these varied fields in order to o- line some of the basic protocols for the diagnosis and study of STEC pat- genesis. We hope that our book will prove a valuable resource for the clinical microbiologist as well as the cellular microbiologist. For the clinical microbiologist, our aim is to detail a number of current protocols for the detection of STEC in patient samples, each of which have their own advantages. Chapter 1 provides an introduction into the medical significance of STEC infections. Chapters 2-7 follow with protocols for the diagnosis and detection of STEC bacteria in patient and animal samples.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and its isolated cytotoxin (Stx), also known as "hamburger E. coli" are continuing sources of significant-and sometime fatal-human and animal infections. In E. coli: Shiga Toxin Methods and Protocols, a multidisciplinary panel of leading experimentalists details the key protocols for the diagnosis and study of STEC and Stx pathogenesis. Described in step-by-step detail, these readily reproducible techniques range from those for the diagnosis and detection of STEC bacteria in patient and animal samples, to those for studying the cellular microbiology of STEC infections, especially host-pathogen interactions and the hemolysin of STEC. There are also protocols for studying the details of Shiga toxin (Stx) biology-from the purification of the toxin to the effects of Stx on various host cell functions-and for exploring STEC-mediated disease in various animal models. Each protocol has been thoroughly tested and optimized to produce robust and successful experimental results, and includes troubleshooting tips, advice on avoiding pitfalls, and alternate methods. Comprehensive and up-to-date, E. coli: Shiga Toxin Methods and Protocols offers bacteriologists and medical microbiologists today's most powerful tools for illuminating the molecular and cellular microbiology of STEC's bacterial pathogenesis, as well as the mechanisms of its toxicity.