Molecular Subtyping and Distribution of the Serine Protease from Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli among Atypical Enteropathogenic E. coli Strains

Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) were examined to determine the prevalence and sequence of espP , which encodes a serine protease. These analyses indicated shared espP sequence types between the two E. coli pathotypes and thus provide further insights into the evolution of aEPEC and STEC.