Integrating evolutionary aspects into dual-use discussion: the cases of influenza virus and enterohemorrhagic .

Research in infection biology aims to understand the complex nature of host-pathogen interactions. While this knowledge facilitates strategies for preventing and treating diseases, it can also be intentionally misused to cause harm. Such dual-use risk is potentially high for highly pathogenic microbes such as Risk Group-3 (RG3) bacteria and RG4 viruses, which could be used in bioterrorism attacks.

Comparative phenotypic characterization of hybrid Shiga toxin-producing / uropathogenic Escherichia coli, canonical uropathogenic and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

Hybrid Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains are phylogenetically positioned between STEC and UPEC and can cause both diarrhea and urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, their virulence properties and adaptation to different host milieu in comparison to canonical UPEC and STEC strains are unknown.

Origin and Evolution of Hybrid Shiga Toxin-Producing and Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strains of Sequence Type 141.

Hybrid Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and uropathogenic (UPEC) strains of multilocus sequence type 141 (ST141) cause both urinary tract infections and diarrhea in humans and are phylogenetically positioned between STEC and UPEC strains. We used comparative genomic analysis of 85 temporally and spatially diverse ST141 strains, including 14 STEC/UPEC hybrids, collected in Germany ( = 13) and the United States ( = 1) to reconstruct their molecular evolution. Whole-genome sequencing data showed that 89% of the ST141 strains either were STEC/UPEC hybrids or contained a mixture of virulence genes from other pathotypes.