Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of infectious diarrhoea in children, and porcine ETEC has been the leading cause of post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in pigs. In our present study, we demonstrated for the first time that HDRsEf1 protects occludin from ETEC-induced suppression. Moreover, HDRsEf1 was found to regulate occludin expression via TLR-2 activation and the PI3K pathway. The results provide insights into the mechanism by which HDRsEf1 protects cells against ETEC infection and a rationale for the use of HDRsEf1 as a therapeutic and preventative agent.

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