2026 Spring International Convention of
The Pharmaceutical Society of Korea

2026 Spring
International Convention of PSK

04.23(THU) - 04.24(FRI)
D+9

Abstracts

P5-2

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli drives venous thrombosis via EhxA‑mediated red blood cell shape‑shifting beyond the Shiga toxin paradigm

  • Sungbin Choi1, Hanjin Park1, Eun Ha Lee2, Hyobin Jeon2, Ok-Nam Bae1, Han Young Chung*2
  • 1College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University
  • 2College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) causes severe thrombotic microangiopathies, traditionally attributed to Shiga toxin. However, the direct mechanisms underlying red blood cell (RBC)-driven procoagulant activity remain undefined. Here, we identify the RTX-family hemolysin EhxA as the principal driver of RBC-mediated thrombogenesis during EHEC infection. Using human and rat RBC models, we demonstrate that EhxA triggers intracellular calcium influx and subsequent phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization. This PS-anchored signaling quantitatively dictates a structural remodeling of RBCs from discocytes into echinocytes and spherocytes. Consequently, this transformation amplifies procoagulant outputs, including thrombin generation, RBC-endothelium adhesion, and RBC self-aggregation. Deletion of the ehxA gene abolished these pathogenic RBC responses, whereas genetic complementation and bacteria-free assays using purified EhxA restored them. Strikingly, isogenic stx2 mutants failed to elicit comparable RBC phenotypes, functionally uncoupling this prothrombotic pathway from Shiga toxin. Furthermore, in vivo rat models confirmed that wild-type EHEC infection exacerbates RBC structural remodeling and venous thrombosis, effects entirely absent in ehxA-mutant infected hosts. Collectively, these findings establish a novel EhxA-Ca2+-PS pathway orchestrating RBC disintegration and highlight RTX-family toxins as promising targets for preventing pathogen-induced coagulopathies.


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TODAY 2026. 05. 03

2026 Spring Convention

D+9

Conference infomation

Conference Schedule
Apr. 23(Thu) ~ 24(Fri), 2026
Conference Venue
Cheongju Osong Convention Center 275-5, Mansu-ri, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Location
Early Registration Period
Feb. 09(Mon) ~ Apr. 15(Wed), 2026
Abstract Submission Period
Feb. 09(Mon) ~ Mar. 31(Tue), 2026
Certificate of Attendance