Escherichia coli B2 strains prevalent in inflammatory bowel disease patients have distinct metabolic capabilities that enable colonization of intestinal mucosa.

Taken together, these results suggest that the metabolic capabilities of B2 strains vary significantly from those of other strains, enabling B2 strains to colonize intestinal mucosa.The results from this study motivate a broad experimental assessment of the nutritional effects on E. coli B2 pathophysiology in IBD patients.