The
locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) is a moderately conserved
pathogenicity island consisting of 35,000
base pairs in the bacteria
Escherichia coli genome. The LEE encodes the
Type III secretion system and associated chaperones and effector proteins responsible for attaching and effacing (AE) lesions in the large intestine. These proteins include
intimin, Tir,
EspC, EspF, EspH, and Map protein. The LEE has a 38% G+C ratio.