Hussain 2015 August 2015, 2(1):9-16

International Journal of Microbiology and Allied Sciences (IJOMAS)

ISSN: 2382-5537
August 2015, 2(1):9-16
IJOMAS, 2015

Review Article Page: 9-16

An introduction to the Serotypes, Pathotypes and Phylotypes of

Escherichia coli
Tahir Hussain1*
1
Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB),
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author:
Tahir Hussain
Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB),
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan
E-mail: pak_biotechnologist@yahoo.com
Abstract
Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium in variety of animals including man but sometimes
it causes fatal infections. On the basis of infections and pathogenic determinants, E. coli has
been grouped into various pathotypes, serotypes and phylotypes. E. coli has three major
serotype classes (O, H, K), four phylotypes (A, B1, B2, D), and two broad pathotypes
(Extraintestinal E. coli (ExPEC) and Diarrheagenic E. coli). The Diarrheagenic E. coli has
six distinct classes (Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC),
Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), Enteroinvasive E. coli
(EIEC) and Diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC).

Key words: Escherichia coli, pathotypes, phylotypes, serotypes.

Introduction
Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium
lives harmless in intestinal microflora in
variety of animals including man, however
sometimes they cause fatal diseases in
humans, mammals and birds [1]. Based on
pathogenicity and site of infection
Escherichia coli strains are classified into
three distinct groups such as commensal
strains, intestinal pathogenic strains, and
Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC)
strains [2]. Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli
live as commensal in the intestines but
sometimes they infect extraintestinal sites [3],
causing various infections including
gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection,
meningitis and septicemia [4]. E. coli is often
considered an opportunistic pathogen [5].
Many strains of E. coli have specific virulence
factors that provide them the inherent
capability to cause disease [6]. E. coli is also
a common contaminant of different food
sources and water [7], and is frequently used
as indicator organism to estimate fecal
contamination in water.
Serotypes
Serotyping of the antigens is a useful criterion
for identifying pathogenic E. coli strains in

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Hussain 2015
food, environmental and clinical samples, and
for understanding the epidemiology [8].
Serotyping is regarded an established method
for detecting possible pathogenic strains
among commensal microorganisms [9]. E.
coli is serotyped on the basis of its O
(somatic), H (flagellar), and K (capsular)
surface antigen profiles [10]. The O, H. K
antigen exists in many combinations, and
their specific combination makes a specific
serotype [11]. Many antigens of the O. H and
K classes (56 H-antigens, 80 K-antigens, 173
O-antigens) have been reported, and which
can have any possible combination, making
between 50,000- 100,000 serotypes [9].
(Figure 1).
O-antigen
O-anitigen is a thermostable
lipopolysaccharide component found in the
cell wall of Escherichia coli [12]. The O
antigens are important virulence factors
playing a major role in the pathogen-host
interactions, and are also used for classifying
E. coli strains and in tracing the source of
outbreaks [13]. O-antigen makes the glycan
polymer in the surface layer of
lipopolysaccharide. Excessive presence of O-
component in the lipopolysaccharide makes it
smooth and the absence of O- component
makes it rough and hydrophobic [14]. Their
presence or absence may also determine the
penetration of drugs inside the bacterial cell
[15].
H-antigen
The flagellar filament of Escherichia coli is
made up of a single protein, flagellin [8]. The
terminal region of flagellin proteins of E. coli
are conserved, while the central region is
variable and carries the antigen for H-serotype
[15][16][17][18][19][20]. H typing in E. coli
is important because strains causing epidemic
diarrheal diseases can be differentiated from
the normal stool flora by its unique O:H
antigenic combinations [21].
K-antigen
K antigen denotes envelope or capsule
antigens [12]. Capsular (K) antigens of
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Escherichia coli have virulence capabilities
because they make bacteria resistant to
phagocytosis by the host leucocytes [22]. The
abundance of K antigens present in bacteria
has been found associated with virulence for
the urinary tract infections in epidemiological
studies [23].
Figure 1: Serotypes of E. coli (Data adapted
from Erjavec and Zgur-Bertok, 2011)
Pathotypes
Escherichia coli normally lives in the human
host intestines as friendly bacterium causing
no harm, but sometimes it causes very
threatening diseases. Six pathotypes of the
intestinal pathogenic E. coli have been
described: Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC),
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC),
Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC),
Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC),
Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC),
Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), and Diffusely
adherent E. coli (DAEC). (Figure 2)
Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC)
Enteropathogenic E. coli is a common cause
of infantile diarrhea in developing countries.
A well-defined future of the disease is the loss
(effacement) of absorptive microvilli (MV)
from the surface of small intestinal
enterocytes [24]. EPEC colonise the intestine
epithelium first, and then form characteristic
effacement and lesions in the intestinal
epithelium resulting in watery and bloody
diarrhea [25].
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC)
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli are recognised as
the primary cause of bloody diarrhoea or
haemorrhagic colitis [26]. The characteristic
Hussain 2015
feature of this group is production of
verocytotoxins [27], also known as Shiga
toxins (Stx). Stx is produced in the colon and
damages the tissue resulting in bloody
diarrhea [26]. It then travels to kidney through
the bloodstream damaging renal endothelial
cells resulting in renal inflammation [28].
Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)
ETEC is an important cause of childhood
diarrhea with fatal consequences for children
under 5 years of age [29]. It is also common
type of diarrhea in the developing world and
is the main cause of diarrhoea in travellers
[26]. ETEC-mediated diarrhea has been
described by the secretion of characteristic
toxins: the heat-stable enterotoxins (STs), the
heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) or a combination
of these [29].
Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC)
EAEC are increasingly recognized as a cause
of persistent diarrhea in both children and
adults [30], and is also commonly recognized
as a cause of endemic and epidemic diarrhoea
worldwide [29]. The EAEC first cause
colonization of the colon, followed by
secretion of enterotoxins and cytotoxins [11],
resulting in significant mucosal damage [31].
Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)
EIEC are characterized as very similar in
biochemical, genetic and pathogeni aspects to
Shigella spp [26]. Different studies have
reported that Shigella and E. coli sharing
many features taxonomically belong to same
specie [32][33]. They have the same
mechanisms of pathogenicity [29]. Presence
of the invasive plasmid with the capability to
invade host tissues is one of most important
events that seem to have caused the co-
evolution of both Shigella and EIEC [34][35].
Diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC)
DAEC are defined by their diffuse adherence
pattern on HeLa and HEp-2 cells and has been
associated with the watery diarrhea in both
developing and developed countries, and is
also responsible for recurring urinary tract
infections [36]. DAEC have been widely
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reported as a cause of diarrhoea particularly in
children older than one year of age [11].
Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia
Coli
The E. coli pathotypes that cause extra-
intestinal infections are called Extraintestinal
pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). They are
phylogenetically and epidemiologically
distinct from commensal and diarrheagenic
stains [37]. One of the most common
extraintestinal infections are urinary tract
infections [38], which have been reported to
cause significant morbidity, lost productivity,
and increased health-care costs [39]. ExPEC
are one of the leading causes of neonatal
meningitis and neonatal sepsis [40]. They
have been reported to cause various surgical
site infections [41].
Phylotypes
Phylogenetic analysis reveals that
Escherichia coli is composed of four main
phylogenetic groups (A, B1, B2, and D) [42].
Environmental E. coli strains generally
belong to the B1 phylogenetic group [43]. The
extraintestinal pathogenic strains normally
belong to groups B2 and D [44]. The
commensal E. coli belong to groups A and B1
[45], while the intestinal pathogenic strains
belong to groups A, B1 and D [46]. These
phylo-groups of E. coli differ in their habitat
and life-history [42][47], and some
characteristics, such as their antibiotic-
resistance profiles and their growth rate [48].
Strains from phylogenetic groups B2 and D
contain more virulence factors than strains
from the groups A and B1 [42][49].
Furthermore, genome size differs among
these phylotypes, with A and B1 strains
having smaller genomes than B2 or D strains
[42][50]. The E. coli strains are placed in the
Phylogenetic groups on the basis of presence
and absence of genetic markers chuA, yjaA
and the DNA fragment TspE4.C2 [51]. The
genetic marker chuA is present in group B2
and D and absent in B1 and A. Another
marker, the yjaA is present in B2 and absent
in group D. The DNA fragment TspE4.C2 is
present only in B1. The strains which are
Hussain 2015
Figure 2: Six distinct classes of Diarrheagenic E. coli and five types of Extraintestinal E.
coli
deficient in all the three markers (chuA, yjaA,
TspE4) are assigned group A. (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Phylogenetic groups of
Escherichia coli (Adapted from Clermont,
2000)
Conclusion
E. coli is clinically the most commonly
encountered pathogen. Different strains of E.
coli are of significant importance in terms of
outbreaks, epidemiology and evolutionary
viewpoint. Proper and timely identification
and classification of E. coli strains into
pathotypes, serotypes and phylotypes often
helps in containing their pathogenicity and
virulence.
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For Citation:
Hussain. 2015. An introduction to the Serotypes, Pathotypes and Phylotypes of Escherichia
coli. International Journal of Microbiology and Allied Sciences. 2(1):9-16.

International Journal of Microbiology and Allied Sciences, August 2015, Volume 2 Issue 1

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