Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
Published on: January 5, 2024
Bacteriophages carrying Shiga toxin genes: genomic variations, detection and potential treatment of pathogenic
Joanna M Loś1, Marcin Loś, Grzegorz Węgrzyn
1Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Kladki, Poland.
Abstract:
Although most Escherichia coli strains occur in the mammalian intestine as commensals, some of them, including enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), are capable of causing disease in humans. The most notorious virulence factors of EHEC are Shiga toxins, encoded by genes located on genomes of lambdoid prophages. Production and release of these toxins is strongly stimulated after the induction of these prophages. Many antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections stimulate induction of Shiga toxin-converting prophages, enhancing severity of the disease symptoms. Hence, treatment with antibiotics is not recommended if infection with EHEC is confirmed or even suspected. In this light, rapid detection of EHEC is crucial, and understanding the mechanisms of prophage induction and phage development in the human intestine is important to facilitate development of procedures preventing or alleviating Shiga toxin-caused diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Gastroenteritis
Regulation of Bacterial Virulence
Bacterial Toxins
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
DNA Bacteriophages
Transduction

