Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli (/ˌɛʃᵻˈrɪkiə ˈkoʊlaɪ/; also known as E. coli) is a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in their hosts, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls due to food contamination. The harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2, and preventing colonization of the intestine with pathogenic bacteria. E. coli is expelled into the environment within fecal matter. The bacterium grows massively in fresh fecal matter under aerobic conditions for 3 days, but its numbers decline slowly afterwards.

ME and CFS
Most ME/CFS patients have E.coli levels that are only 20% of a normal person's.

E.coli bacteria create an essential molecule ‘chorismate’, which is an essential precursor to the following:
 * Folic acid
 * Tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter, that helps control daytime positive mood and many other functions.  Serotonin is converted to melatonin at night, to encourage sleep.
 * Tyrosine and phenylalanine (essential for cognitive processes)
 * Ubiquinol / CoQ10 (essential for energy production)
 * in the Citric Acid / ATP cycle, succinic acid is converted by CoQ10 to create fumaric acid.
 * In ME/CFS patients, there is an EXCESS of succinic acid, which suggests there is not enough CoQ10 to convert it to fumaric acid.
 * This lack of CoQ10 affects the entire TCA cycle, crippling energy production
 * Menaquinone / Vitamin K12

Learn More

 * Wikipedia - Eschericihia coli