A strain on the relationship

摘要

Resident gut bacteria may contribute to the development of colon cancer.rnIn 2006, a research team in Europe noticed that certain strains of Escherichia coli commonly found in the gut can infect mammalian cells and induce DNA double-strand breaks. These strains harbour a specific genetic sequence called pks. Now, group-member Jean-Philippe Nougayrede atrnthe French National Institute for Agricultural Research in Toulouse and his colleagues show that when these strains damage DNA in mouse colon cells, the damage, and the transient cellular response to it, is followed by aberrant cell divisions similar to those that lead to tumours.rnThe authors suggest that these bacterial strains may be the cause of some sporadic colon cancers.