concept

Mouse colon infected with Citrobacter rodentium

Small intestine mucosa

Pathogenic E. coli on the intestinal lining

A single enteropathogenic E. coli in the intestine

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Human small intestine showing villi and glands. The cytokeratinin the cells is stained blue, the cell nuclei are stained red and the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels are stained green.

Human epithelial cells infected with E. coli

Neuroendocrine cells in the small intestine

Normal mouse colon showing nuclei in red and the actin in the muscle layer in blue.

This pair of images demonstrates how a disease-causing strain of E. coli bacteria brings about diarrhoea by breaking down the waterproof barriers between the cells. First of all the bacteria, seen as small red dots, attach to the surface of intestinal cells, making tiny pedestals out of one of the cell's own proteins (bright green). Once attached, the bacteria send signals into the cells, causing the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down. Water is then able to seep out between the cells into the intestine, leading to diarrhoea. The image on the top shows an early stage in the process where the tight junctions are still intact and show as continuous blue lines between the cells. The image on the bottom is taken later in the process, once the tight junctions have broken down. Their remnants appear as blue dots.

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

A villus from the human small intestine. The finger-like shape increases the surface area of the intestine improving the efficiency of food absorption.

Villus from the small intestine

The small red dots are enteropathogenic <I>E. coli</I> bacteria attaching to the surface of human intestinal cells in culture. During this process they sequester the actin (greeen) in the host cell to form actin-rich pedestals. This tends to give the appearance of a green halo around the bacteria. Once attached, the bacteria cause the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down, leading to the leakage of water into the intestine and consequent diarrhoea.

The small red dots are enteropathogenic <I>E. coli</I> bacteria attaching to the surface of human intestinal cells in culture. During this process they sequester the actin (greeen) in the host cell to form actin-rich pedestals. This tends to give the appearance of a green halo around the bacteria. Once attached, the bacteria cause the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down, leading to the leakage of water into the intestine and consequent diarrhoea. Wellcome Image Awards 2008.

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Images

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Normal mouse colon showing nuclei in red and the actin in the muscle layer in blue.

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

Villus from the small intestine

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Wellcome uses cookies.

S. Schuller

Images

Catalogue

Normal mouse colon showing nuclei in red and the actin in the muscle layer in blue.

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

Villus from the small intestine

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Wellcome Collection

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