Adhesion to host cells is essential for virulence of many bacterial pathogens, including pathogenic Escherichia coli. An adhesion mechanism that relies on the secreted protein EtpA is now presented. EtpA attaches to both the bacterial flagella tip and the host cell, providing an adherence mechanism that is important for E. coli pathogenesis and may be present in many other pathogens that possess EtpA homologues.
- Koushik Roy
- George M. Hilliard
- James M. Fleckenstein
