Novel organisation and regulation of the promoter from enteroaggregative and uropathogenic .

The serine protease autotransporters of the (SPATEs) are a large family of virulence factors commonly found in enteric bacteria. These secreted virulence factors have diverse functions during bacterial infection, including adhesion, aggregation and cell toxicity. One such SPATE, the Pic mucinase (protein involved in colonisation) cleaves mucin, allowing enteric bacterial cells to utilise mucin as a carbon source and to penetrate the gut mucus lining, thereby increasing mucosal colonisation.