Division-arrest induced filamentation protects uropathogenic Escherichia coli from killing by the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37
Gozel Atakgayeva, Natasha Porco, Sofya Rudovskaya, M. Z. I. Sarkar, Madison Tomlinson, Raymond Huynh, Thomas John Pucadyil, Roberto J. Botelho, Joseph B. McPhee
This study shows that LL-37 kills dividing E. coli by disrupting membranes during late division, while filamentation confers resistance, suggesting filamentation may aid UPEC survival during infections.
bioRxiv · Jan 29, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology