101
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Schmid A, Dittmann S, Grimminger V, Walter S, Heesemann J, Wilharm G. Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion chaperone SycD: Recombinant expression, purification and characterization of a homodimer. Protein Expr Purif 2006; 49:176-82. [PMID: 16750393 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2006.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2006] [Revised: 04/21/2006] [Accepted: 04/23/2006] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia species pathogenic to human benefit from a protein transport machinery, a type three secretion system (T3SS), which enables the bacteria to inject effector proteins into host cells. Several of the transport substrates of the Yersinia T3SS, called Yops (Yersinia outer proteins), are assisted by specific chaperones (Syc for specific Yop chaperone) prior to transport. Yersinia enterocolitica SycD (LcrH in Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis) is a chaperone dedicated to the assistance of the translocator proteins YopB and YopD, which are assumed to form a pore in the host cell membrane. In an attempt to make SycD amenable to structural investigations we recombinantly expressed SycD with a hexahistidine tag in Escherichia coli. Combining immobilized nickel affinity chromatography and gel filtration we obtained purified SycD with an exceptional yield of 120mg per liter of culture and homogeneity above 95%. Analytical gel filtration and cross-linking experiments revealed the formation of homodimers in solution. Secondary structure analysis based on circular dichroism suggests that SycD is mainly composed of alpha-helical elements. To prove functionality of purified SycD previously suggested interactions of SycD with Yop secretion protein M2 (YscM2), and low calcium response protein V (LcrV), respectively, were reinvestigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Schmid
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institut, Lehrstuhl für Bakteriologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, D-80336 München, Germany
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102
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Axler-Diperte GL, Miller VL, Darwin AJ. YtxR, a conserved LysR-like regulator that induces expression of genes encoding a putative ADP-ribosyltransferase toxin homologue in Yersinia enterocolitica. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:8033-43. [PMID: 16997967 PMCID: PMC1698212 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01159-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica causes human gastroenteritis, and many isolates have been classified as either "American" or "non-American" strains based on their geographic prevalence and virulence properties. In this study we describe identification of a transcriptional regulator that controls expression of the Y. enterocolitica ytxAB genes. The ytxAB genes have the potential to encode an ADP-ribosylating toxin with similarity to pertussis toxin. However, a ytxAB null mutation did not affect virulence in mice. Nevertheless, the ytxAB genes are conserved in many Y. enterocolitica strains. Interestingly, American and non-American strains have different ytxAB alleles encoding proteins that are only 50 to 60% identical. To obtain further insight into the ytxAB locus, we investigated whether it is regulated as part of a known or novel regulon. Transposon mutagenesis identified a LysR-like regulator, which we designated YtxR. Expression of ytxR from a nonnative promoter increased Phi(ytxA-lacZ) operon fusion expression up to 35-fold. YtxR also activated expression of its own promoter. DNase I footprinting showed that a His(6)-YtxR fusion protein directly interacted with the ytxA and ytxR control regions at similar distances upstream of their probable transcription initiation sites, identified by primer extension. Deletion analysis demonstrated that removal of the regions protected by His(6)-YtxR in vitro eliminated YtxR-dependent induction in vivo. The ytxAB locus is not present in most Yersinia species. In contrast, ytxR is conserved in multiple Yersinia species, as well as in the closely related organisms Photorhabdus luminescens and Photorhabdus asymbiotica. These observations suggest that YtxR may play a conserved role involving regulation of other genes besides ytxAB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace L Axler-Diperte
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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103
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Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is an important food-borne pathogen that can cause yersiniosis in humans and animals. The epidemiology of Y. enterocolitica infections is complex and remains poorly understood. Most cases of yersiniosis occur sporadically without an apparent source. The main sources of human infection are assumed to be pork and pork products, as pigs are a major reservoir of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. However, no clear evidence shows that such a transmission route exists. Using PCR, the detection rate of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in raw pork products is high, which reinforces the assumption that these products are a transmission link between pigs and humans. Several different DNA-based methods have been used to characterize Y. enterocolitica strains. However, the high genetic similarity between strains and the predominating genotypes within the bio- and serotype have limited the benefit of these methods in epidemiological studies. Similar DNA patterns have been obtained among human and pig strains of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, corroborating the view that pigs are an important source of human yersiniosis. Indistinguishable genotypes have also been found between human strains and dog, cat, sheep and wild rodent strains, indicating that these animals are other possible infection sources for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fredriksson-Ahomaa
- Institute of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
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104
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Najdenski H, Golkocheva E, Kussovski V, Ivanova E, Manov V, Iliev M, Vesselinova A, Bengoechea JA, Skurnik M. Experimental pig yersiniosis to assess attenuation of Yersinia enterocolitica O:8 mutant strains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 47:425-35. [PMID: 16872380 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2006.00113.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An experimental oral pig model was used to assess the pathogenic and immunogenic potential of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8 wild-type strain 8081-L2 and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant derivatives: a spontaneous rough mutant 8081-R2, strain 8081-DeltawzzGB expressing O-antigen with uncontrolled chain lengths, and strain 8081-wbcEGB expressing semirough LPS with only one O-unit. Microbiological and immunological parameters of the infected pigs were followed from day 7 to 60 postinfection. The wild-type and all LPS mutant strains persisted in the lymphoid tissue of tonsils and small intestines, causing asymptomatic infection without any pathological changes. Although the pig is known as a reservoir of Yersiniae, a precise analysis of pathogenic and immunogenic parameters based on different in vitro tests (hematological response, killing ability of leukocytes and blood sera, antibody response, hydrogen peroxide production by macrophages, classical and alternative pathways of complement activation), revealed significant attenuation in the pathogenicity of the LPS mutant strains but not the loss of immunogenic potential. In comparison with the other strains, strain 8081-DeltawzzGB demonstrated more continuous leucocytosis with monocytosis, higher invasive potential, significant activation of hydrogen peroxide production by macrophages and an effective immunoglobulin G immune response accompanied by relevant histological immunomorphological rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hristo Najdenski
- The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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105
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Boghenbor KK, On SLW, Kokotovic B, Baumgartner A, Wassenaar TM, Wittwer M, Bissig-Choisat B, Frey J. Genotyping of human and porcine Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia intermedia, and Yersinia bercovieri strains from Switzerland by amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 72:4061-6. [PMID: 16751516 PMCID: PMC1489625 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01996-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, 231 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, 25 strains of Y. intermedia, and 10 strains of Y. bercovieri from human and porcine sources (including reference strains) were analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), a whole-genome fingerprinting method for subtyping bacterial isolates. AFLP typing distinguished the different Yersinia species examined. Representatives of Y. enterocolitica biotypes 1A, 1B, 2, 3, and 4 belonged to biotype-related AFLP clusters and were clearly distinguished from each other. Y. enterocolitica biotypes 2, 3, and 4 appeared to be more closely related to each other (83% similarity) than to biotypes 1A (11%) and 1B (47%). Biotype 1A strains exhibited the greatest genetic heterogeneity of the biotypes studied. The biotype 1A genotypes were distributed among four major clusters, each containing strains from both human and porcine sources, confirming the zoonotic potential of this organism. The AFLP technique is a valuable genotypic method for identification and typing of Y. enterocolitica and other Yersinia spp.
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106
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Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is an enteric pathogen capable of causing systemic disease in a murine model. We have identified a novel protein, systemic factor protein A (SfpA), conserved in other pathogenic bacteria that is involved in systemic disease. Analysis of bacterial colonization revealed that a DeltasfpA strain is defective in mesenteric lymph node colonization. Bioinformatics and functional studies suggest that SfpA is a porin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirly Mildiner-Earley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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107
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Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is able to efficiently invade Peyer's patches with the aid of invasin, an outer member protein involved in the attachment and invasion of M cells. Invasin is encoded by inv, which is positively regulated by RovA in both Y. enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis while negatively regulated by YmoA in Y. enterocolitica and H-NS in Y. pseudotuberculosis. In this study we present data indicating H-NS and RovA bind directly and specifically to the inv promoter of Y. enterocolitica. We also show that RovA and H-NS from Y. enterocolitica bind to a similar region of the inv promoter and suggest they compete for binding sites. This is similar to recently published data from Y. pseudotuberculosis, revealing a potentially conserved mechanism of inv regulation between Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. Furthermore, we present data suggesting H-NS and YmoA form a repression complex on the inv promoter, with H-NS providing the binding specificity and YmoA interacting with H-NS to form a repression complex. We also demonstrate that deletion of the predicted H-NS binding region relieves the requirement for RovA-dependent transcription of the inv promoter, consistent with RovA acting as a derepressor of H-NS-mediated repression. Levels of H-NS and YmoA are similar between 26 degrees C and 37 degrees C, suggesting that the H-NS/YmoA repression complex is present at both temperatures, while the levels of rovA transcript are low at 37 degrees C and high at 26 degrees C, leading to expression of inv at 26 degrees C. Expression of RovA at 37 degrees C results in transcription of inv and production of invasin. Data presented here support a model of inv regulation where the level of RovA within the cell governs inv expression. As RovA levels increase, RovA can successfully compete for binding to the inv promoter with the H-NS/YmoA complex, resulting in derepression of inv transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon W Ellison
- Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Microbiology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8230, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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108
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Wollmann P, Zeth K, Lupas AN, Linke D. Purification of the YadA membrane anchor for secondary structure analysis and crystallization. Int J Biol Macromol 2006; 39:3-9. [PMID: 16405993 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2005.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2005] [Revised: 11/24/2005] [Accepted: 11/24/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Non-fimbrial adhesins, such as Yersinia YadA, Moraxella UspA1 and A2, Haemophilus Hia and Hsf, or Bartonella BadA, represent an important class of molecules by which pathogenic proteobacteria adhere to their hosts. They form trimeric surface structures with a head-rod-anchor architecture. Whereas their head and rod domains may be of heterologous origin, their anchor domains are homologous and display the properties of autotransporters. Conflicting topology models exist for these membrane anchors. Here, we describe the expression and purification of the membrane anchor of YadA from Yersinia enterocolitica for structural biology experiments. We expressed YadA-M in the Escherichia coli outer membrane. After solubilization and purification, it is a trimer of extreme stability. Using protein FTIR and secondary structure analysis, we show that the anchor is a beta-barrel, but contains a helical part at its N-terminus. We have crystallized the protein under various conditions and present X-ray data to 3.8 A resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Wollmann
- Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Department Membrane Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18a, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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109
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Jin D, Cui ZG, Xiao YC, Wang X, Gu F, Xia SL, Hu WF, Yang JC, Wang H, Gu L, Xu JG, Kan B, Jing HQ. [Molecular typing of the pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains with pulsed field gel electrophores isolated in China]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2006; 27:677-80. [PMID: 17172107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the epidemiological and molecular typing features of the pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains isolated in China,using pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) and standardized PFGE method as well as typing database of Yersinia enterocolitica. METHODS PFGE analysis was performed as Laboratory Directions for molecular subtyping of Salmonella by PFGE (PulseNet,USA) with some modifications and the results of PFGE were analyzed by BioNumerics soft (Version 4.0, Applied Maths BVBA, Belium). RESULTS 114 O:3 Yersinia enterocolitica strains were typed by 25 patterns to have found that K6GN11C30012 (50 strains), K6GN11C30015(19 strains) and K6GN11C30016(10 strains) were the major patterns. K6GNllC30012 had 92.2% cluster similarity with K6GN11C30009-K6GN11C30023. This clone included 91.23% strains of 114 0:3 Yersinia enterocolitica strains. 51 0:9 Yersinia enterocolitica strains were typed by 14 patterns; K6GN11C90004 (22 strains) and K6GN11C90010 (13 strains)were the major patterns. K6GN11C90004 had 81.8% cluster similarity with K6GN11C90010 patterns. The major patterns of 0:3 and 0:9 serotypes were quite different. CONCLUSION O:3 Yersinia enterocolitica strains might originate from the same clone and had very few variation in different years and provinces but O:9 Yersinia enterocolitica strains from two different clones with some changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Jin
- National Institute of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
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110
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Maxson ME, Darwin AJ. Multiple promoters control expression of the Yersinia enterocolitica phage-shock-protein A (pspA) operon. Microbiology (Reading) 2006; 152:1001-1010. [PMID: 16549664 PMCID: PMC1550779 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.28714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The widely conserved phage-shock-protein A (pspA) operon encodes an extracytoplasmic stress response system that is essential for virulence in Yersinia enterocolitica, and has been linked to other important phenotypes in Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Shigella flexneri. Regulation of pspA operon expression is mediated through a promoter upstream of pspA that depends on sigma factor RpoN (sigma(54)) and the enhancer binding protein PspF. PspA, PspB and PspC, encoded within the pspA operon, also regulate expression by participating in a putative signal transduction pathway that probably serves to modulate PspF activity. All of this suggests that appropriate expression of the pspA operon is critical. Previous genetic analysis of the Y. enterocolitica pspA operon suggested that an additional level of complexity might be mediated by PspF/RpoN-independent expression of some psp genes. Here, an rpoN null mutation and interposon analysis were used to confirm that PspF/RpoN-independent gene expression does originate within the psp locus. Molecular genetic approaches were used to systematically analyse the two large non-coding regions within the psp locus. Primer extension, control region deletion and site-directed mutagenesis experiments led to the identification of RpoN-independent promoters both upstream and downstream of pspA. The precise location of the PspF/RpoN-dependent promoter upstream of pspA was also determined. The discovery of these RpoN-independent promoters reveals yet another level of transcriptional complexity for the Y. enterocolitica pspA operon that may function to allow low-level constitutive expression of psp genes and/or additional regulation under some conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew J. Darwin
- *Corresponding author: Department of Microbiology MSB 228, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: , Tel. (212) 263-3223, Fax (212) 263-8276
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111
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Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Stolle A, Siitonen A, Korkeala H. Sporadic human Yersinia enterocolitica infections caused by bioserotype 4/O : 3 originate mainly from pigs. J Med Microbiol 2006; 55:747-749. [PMID: 16687594 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46523-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica 4/O : 3 is the most frequent cause of sporadic human yersiniosis in Finland and Germany. To investigate the possible link between pigs and humans, 282 human and 534 porcine strains from Finland and Germany were characterized with PFGE using NotI, ApaI and XhoI enzymes. Most of the human strains (>80 %) were indistinguishable from the porcine strains in both countries and most of the genotypes (178/182) were different in Finland and Germany. The indistinguishable genotypes among human and porcine strains together with different genotypes in Finland and Germany indicate that pigs are an important source of sporadic yersiniosis in both countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fredriksson-Ahomaa
- Institute of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Stolle
- Institute of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Siitonen
- Department of Bacterial and Inflammatory Diseases, National Public Health Institute (KTL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannu Korkeala
- Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, University of Helsinki, Finland
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112
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de la Prieta MC, Francia MV, Seoane A, Lobo JMG. Characterization of defective beta-lactamase genes in Yersinia enterocolitica. J Antimicrob Chemother 2006; 58:661-4. [PMID: 16807253 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkl267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To study at the molecular level the heterogeneity of expression of the two chromosomal beta-lactamases, BlaA and BlaB, in Yersinia enterocolitica strains isolated from clinical samples. METHODS MIC determination by the agar dilution method and beta-lactamase assays was performed to determine the resistance level conferred by these enzymes. DNA cloning, PCR and direct sequencing were used to detect the presence of mutations. RESULTS The blaA allele from strain IP97 (blaA97) was found to carry a deletion of 51 bp which entirely abolished its beta-lactamase activity. Both the ampR gene and the promoter region of strain Y56 were shown to be functional by a gene swapping experiment. The blaB allele from strain Y56 was found to carry two point mutations, only one of them resulting in a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein. This single amino acid change created a practically inactive BlaB or AmpC cephalosporinase in Y. enterocolitica Y56. CONCLUSIONS The lack of activity observed in the beta-lactamases of some Y. enterocolitica isolates was due to the presence of point mutations or small deletions in the corresponding genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Carmen de la Prieta
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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113
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Abstract
The beta-lactamase genes blaA and blaB were detected by PCR amplification in strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A isolated from India, Germany, France and the USA. Both genes were detected in all strains. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed genetic heterogeneity in blaA but not in blaB. Cluster analysis of blaA restriction profiles grouped the strains into three groups. The blaA gene of Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A showed a high degree of sequence homology to that of Y. enterocolitica 8081 (biovar 1B) and Y. enterocolitica Y-56 (biovar 4), whereas homology was low with class A beta-lactamase genes of other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The pI 8.7 of enzyme Bla-A of Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A was similar to that of biovars 2, 3 and 4. The enzyme Bla-B focused at 6.8 and 7.1, indicating that biovar 1A strains produced a 'B-like' enzyme. This is the first study to have investigated the genetic heterogeneity of the beta-lactamase genes of Y. enterocolitica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Sharma
- Microbial Pathogenicity Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
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114
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Howard SL, Gaunt MW, Hinds J, Witney AA, Stabler R, Wren BW. Application of comparative phylogenomics to study the evolution of Yersinia enterocolitica and to identify genetic differences relating to pathogenicity. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:3645-53. [PMID: 16672618 PMCID: PMC1482848 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.10.3645-3653.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica, an important cause of human gastroenteritis generally caused by the consumption of livestock, has traditionally been categorized into three groups with respect to pathogenicity, i.e., nonpathogenic (biotype 1A), low pathogenicity (biotypes 2 to 5), and highly pathogenic (biotype 1B). However, genetic differences that explain variation in pathogenesis and whether different biotypes are associated with specific nonhuman hosts are largely unknown. In this study, we applied comparative phylogenomics (whole-genome comparisons of microbes with DNA microarrays combined with Bayesian phylogenies) to investigate a diverse collection of 94 strains of Y. enterocolitica consisting of 35 human, 35 pig, 15 sheep, and 9 cattle isolates from nonpathogenic, low-pathogenicity, and highly pathogenic biotypes. Analysis confirmed three distinct statistically supported clusters composed of a nonpathogenic clade, a low-pathogenicity clade, and a highly pathogenic clade. Genetic differences revealed 125 predicted coding sequences (CDSs) present in all highly pathogenic strains but absent from the other clades. These included several previously uncharacterized CDSs that may encode novel virulence determinants including a hemolysin, a metalloprotease, and a type III secretion effector protein. Additionally, 27 CDSs were identified which were present in all 47 low-pathogenicity strains and Y. enterocolitica 8081 but absent from all nonpathogenic 1A isolates. Analysis of the core gene set for Y. enterocolitica revealed that 20.8% of the genes were shared by all of the strains, confirming this species as highly heterogeneous, adding to the case for the existence of three subspecies of Y. enterocolitica. Further analysis revealed that Y. enterocolitica does not cluster according to source (host).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Howard
- Department of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
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115
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Blaylock B, Riordan KE, Missiakas DM, Schneewind O. Characterization of the Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion ATPase YscN and its regulator, YscL. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:3525-34. [PMID: 16672607 PMCID: PMC1482870 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.10.3525-3534.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Type III secretion is a mechanism used by a broad range of gram-negative bacteria to neutralize eukaryotic defenses by enabling translocation of bacterial proteins directly into the cytoplasm of host cells. The bacterial energy source for secretion is ATP, which is consumed by an ATPase that couples ATP hydrolysis to the unfolding of secreted proteins and the dissociation of their chaperones just prior to secretion. By studying the biochemical properties of YscN and YscL of Yersinia enterocolitica, we have characterized them as the ATPase and ATPase regulator, respectively, of the type III secretion system of this organism. In vivo, YscL and YscN interact with each other, and the overexpression of glutathione S-transferase-YscL abolishes secretion and down-regulates the expression of secretion apparatus components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bill Blaylock
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, IL 60627, USA
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116
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Hallanvuo S, Peltola J, Heiskanen T, Siitonen A. Simplified phenotypic scheme evaluated by 16S rRNA sequencing for differentiation between Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. enterocolitica-like species. J Clin Microbiol 2006; 44:1077-80. [PMID: 16517897 PMCID: PMC1393122 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.44.3.1077-1080.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many clinical laboratories are familiar with a sizeable group of "unserotypeable Yersinia enterocolitica" strains. Due to identification problems, this group may hide Y. bercovieri, Y. mollaretii, and Y. rohdei strains. We present a simple scheme to distinguish between pathogenic Y. enterocolitica and potentially nonpathogenic Y. enterocolitica-like strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saija Hallanvuo
- Enteric Bacteria Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland
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117
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Logue CM, Sherwood JS, Doetkott C. Growth studies of plasmid bearing and plasmid cured Yersinia enterocolitica GER O:3 in the presence of cefsulodin, irgasan and novobiocin at 25 and 37oC. J Appl Microbiol 2006; 100:1299-306. [PMID: 16696677 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02861.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM In this study, the growth characteristics of Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 4, GER O:3 plasmid bearing (P+) and plasmid cured (P-) strain types were evaluated in brain heart infusion broth supplemented with cefsulodin, irgasan, and novobiocin alone or in combination. METHODS AND RESULTS Growth curves were obtained for the two strain types in broth supplemented with selective agents at 25 or 37 degrees C for 32 h to obtain data on the lag phase durations and growth rates of the strains. Generally, the lag times and growth rates of the P+ and P- strains were similar for cultures incubated at 25 degrees C regardless of the selective agent added and where plasmid replication and expression were not under any significant burden. However, where the lag times and growth rates of the strains were examined at 37 degrees C, significant differences were observed in the lag phase durations of the plasmid bearing strain type compared the plasmid cured strain, an effect that was due to the burden of the plasmid and the influence of selective agents. Generally, when two or more agents were present, lag phase durations were longer for the plasmid bearing strain. Some exceptions noted where in the presence of irgasan or full selective agent (CIN) the opposite case was observed. When growth rates were compared, the plasmidless strain type was typically faster than the plasmid bearing strain in the presence of most selective agents at 37 degrees C and the growth rates of both strain types at 25 degrees C were similar where the temperature appeared to negate the effects of plasmid. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained in these studies suggest that selective agents (in particular irgasan) and incubation temperature play a significant role in influencing the growth characteristics of plasmid bearing and plasmid cured strains of Y. enterocolitica. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This data presented in this study has significant implications for enrichment methods used in the detection or recovery of plasmid bearing Y. enterocolitica strains from food, environmental or clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Logue
- The Great Plains Institute of Food Safety, Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, USA.
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Lamps LW, Havens JM, Gilbrech LJ, Dube PH, Scott MA. Molecular biogrouping of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica: development of a diagnostic PCR assay with histologic correlation. Am J Clin Pathol 2006; 125:658-64. [PMID: 16707365 DOI: 10.1309/a8jj-pggg-wxyl-f48a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) is associated with several inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. Pathogenic YE organisms are classified as biogroup 1B (high-virulence [HV] serovars) or biogroups 2 through 5 (low virulence [LV]). We developed the first molecular assay designed to distinguish between these groups and correlated the molecular results with histologic patterns of inflammation. Eleven known pathogenic YE culture isolates (6 biogroup 1B and 5 biogroups 2-5) and 6 YE-positive archival cases were subjected to polymerase chain reaction analysis using primer pairs targeting a strain-dependent variable region, allowing discrimination between biogroups with a single assay. All 11 known culture isolates were confirmed. Of the 6 archival cases, 4 were LV, and 2 were HV. Histologic correlation revealed granulomatous inflammation in the LV cases and suppurative inflammation in the HV cases. This novel assay is useful for diagnosis using culture samples and archival tissues. It also could yield important information correlating YE epidemiology, pathogenesis, and morphology because these preliminary data suggest that LV strains may be associated with chronic granulomatous processes and HV strains with suppurative inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura W Lamps
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
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Abstract
The insecticidal toxin complexes (Tcs) are produced by several Enterobacteriaceae associated with insects, such as Photorhabdus luminescens, Serratia entomophila and Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Genome sequences revealed tc-like genes in Yersinia spp., but insecticidal activity of this genus associated with the toxins has not been described. Through the search for genes upregulated at low growth temperatures in Yersinia enterocolitica strain W22703, a genomic island of 19 kb termed tc-PAI(Ye) with homologues of the toxin genes tcaA, tcaB, tcaC and tccC was identified. Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of 34 strains demonstrated that the tc-PAI(Ye) is present in biovars 2, 3 and 4, but neither in biovars 1A and 1B, nor in five Yersinia species apathogenic in humans. Using the luxCDABE operon as reporter, the expression of the toxin genes was shown to be completely repressed in cells cultured at 37 degrees C, and to increase by 4.6 orders of magnitude when the growth temperature was decreased gradually to 10 degrees C. These data provide the first indication that temperature is a critical parameter for induction or repression of tc gene transcription. Whole-cell extracts of Y. enterocolitica strain W22703 cultivated at 10 degrees C, but not at 30 degrees C, led to insect mortality when fed to Manduca sexta larvae, in contrast to an insertional tcaA mutant. Overall the results suggest that the tc-PAI(Ye) could play an important role in the transmission and survival of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains outside mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Bresolin
- Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, ZIEL, Abteilung Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, D-85350 Freising, Germany
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120
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Matsumoto H, Young GM. Proteomic and functional analysis of the suite of Ysp proteins exported by the Ysa type III secretion system of Yersinia enterocolitica Biovar 1B. Mol Microbiol 2006; 59:689-706. [PMID: 16390460 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04973.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Full virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica Biovar 1B requires two distinct and distantly related contact-dependent type III secretion (T3S) systems. The plasmid-encoded Ysc T3S system is essential for systemic stages of infection and the Yop effector proteins it translocates have been extensively studied. The chromosome-encoded Ysa T3S system contributes to gastrointestinal stages of infection, but the suite of Ysp effectors proteins it translocates into host cells remains obscure. Using a proteomics-based approach, the Ysa T3S system was analysed revealing a complex set of 15 secreted Ysp proteins. Seven of these proteins were previously described (YspA, YspB, YspC, YspD, YopE, YopN and YopP). Eight of these Ysps (YspK, YspI, YspE, YspF, YspP, YspY, YspN and YspL) had not previously been characterized. Several of the new Ysps are homologous to other virulence factors, including YspP with similarity to the Yersinia protein tyrosine phosphatase YopH and YspK with similarity to the Shigella serine/threonine kinase OspG. Biochemical analysis of purified hexa-histidine tagged YspK and YspP established that these proteins have kinase and phosphatase activity respectively. Infection of eukaryotic cells with Y. enterocolitica strains expressing a Ysp-CyaA chimeric protein resulted in Ysa T3S system-dependent increases in cytosolic levels of cAMP for six Ysps (YspK, YspI, YspE, YspF, YspP and YspL), but not two others (YspY and YspN). YspN, however, was required for translocation of effector proteins into eukaryotic cells by the Ysa T3S system. Competition assays in BALB/c mice revealed that mutants defective for the production of an individual Ysp are affected for colonization of gastrointestinal tissues. Collectively, the results of this study support the hypothesis that the Ysa T3S system targets a complex suite of effector proteins into host cells to affect the outcome of an infection. Identification of the suite of effectors delivered by the Ysa T3S system reveals that host cell signalling pathways are the probable targets of several Ysp effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Matsumoto
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
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Abstract
To analyze the transcriptional response of Yersinia enterocolitica cells to prolonged growth at low temperature, a collection of luxCDABE transposon mutants was cultivated in parallel at optimal (30 degrees C) and suboptimal (10 degrees C) temperatures and screened for enhanced promoter activities during growth until entering stationary phase. Among 5,700 Y. enterocolitica mutants, 42 transcriptional units were identified with strongly enhanced or reduced promoter activity at 10 degrees C compared to 30 degrees C, and changes in their transcriptional levels over time were measured. Green fluorescent protein fusions to 10 promoter regions confirmed the data. The temporal order of induction of the temperature-responsive genes of Y. enterocolitica was deduced, starting with the expression of cold shock genes cspA and cspB and the elevated transcription of a glutamate-aspartate symporter. Subsequently, cold-adapted cells drastically up-regulated genes encoding environmental sensors and regulators, such as UhpABC, ArcA, and methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein I (MCPI). Among the most prominent cold-responsive elements that were transcriptionally induced during growth in early and middle exponential phase are the insecticidal toxin genes tcaA and tcaB, as well as genes involved in flagellar synthesis and chemotaxis. The expression pattern of the late-exponential- to early-stationary-growth phase is dominated by factors involved in biodegradative metabolism, namely, a histidine ammonia lyase, three enzymes responsible for uptake and utilization of glycogen, the urease complex, and a subtilisin-like protease. Double-knockout mutants and complementation studies demonstrate inhibitory effects of MCPI and UhpC on the expression of a putative hemolysin transporter. The data partially delineate the spectrum of gene expression of Y. enterocolitica at environmental temperatures, providing evidence that an as-yet-unknown insect phase is part of the life cycle of this human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Bresolin
- Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung (ZIEL), Abteilung Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, D-85354 Freising, Germany
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Koretke KK, Szczesny P, Gruber M, Lupas AN. Model structure of the prototypical non-fimbrial adhesin YadA of Yersinia enterocolitica. J Struct Biol 2006; 155:154-61. [PMID: 16675268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2006.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2005] [Accepted: 03/22/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Non-fimbrial adhesins, such as Yersinia YadA, Moraxella UspA1 and A2, Haemophilus Hia and Hsf, or Bartonella BadA represent an important class of molecules by which pathogenic proteobacteria adhere to their hosts. They form trimeric surface structures with a head-stalk-anchor architecture. Whereas head and stalk domains are diverse and appear (frequently repetitively) in different combinations, the anchor domains are homologous and display the properties of autotransporters. We have built a molecular model for the prototypical non-fimbrial adhesin, YadA, by combining the crystal structure of the head (PDB:1P9H) with theoretical models for the stalk and the anchor. The head domain is a single-stranded, left-handed beta-helix, connected to the stalk by a conserved trimerization element (the neck). The stalk consists of a right-handed coiled coil, containing ten 15-residue repeats with a C-terminal stutter (insertion of four residues). The stalk continues into the conserved anchor domain, which is formed by four heptads of a left-handed coiled coil, followed by four transmembrane beta-strands. Our model of the YadA coiled coil, generated with the program BeammotifCC, combines these periodicities into a structure that starts with a pronounced right-handed supercoil and ends with a canonical, left-handed conformation. The last two heptads of the coiled coil are located within a 12-stranded beta-barrel, formed by trimerization of the four transmembrane beta-strands in each monomer. We propose that this pore assembles in the outer membrane to form the opening through which the monomer chains exit the cell. After export is completed, the fiber folds and the pore is occluded by the coiled coil. Our model explains how these proteins can act as autotransporters in the absence of any homology to classical, single-chain autotransporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin K Koretke
- Protein Bioinformatics Group, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426-0989, USA
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Scott RA, Weil J, Le PT, Williams P, Fray RG, von Bodman SB, Savka MA. Long- and short-chain plant-produced bacterial N-acyl-homoserine lactones become components of phyllosphere, rhizosphere, and soil. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2006; 19:227-39. [PMID: 16570653 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-19-0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Two N-acyl-homoserine lactone (acyl-HSL) synthase genes, lasI from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and yenI from Yersinia enterocolitica, were introduced into tobacco, individually and in combination. Liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry and thin-layer chromatography confirmed products of lasI and yenI activity in single and cotransformants. Cotransformants expressing plastid-localized LasI and YenI synthases produced the major acyl-HSLs for each synthase in all tissues tested. Total acyl-HSL signals accumulated in leaf tissue up to 3 pmol/mg of fresh weight, half as much in stem tissue, and approximately 10-fold less in root tissues. Acyl-HSLs were present in aqueous leaf washes from greenhouse-grown transgenic plants. Transgenic lines grown for 14 days under axenic conditions produced detectable levels of acyl-HSLs in root exudates. Ethyl acetate extractions of rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil from transgenically grown plants contained active acyl-HSLs, whereas plant-free soil or rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil from wild-type plants lacked detectable amounts of acyl-HSLs. This work shows that bioactive acyl-HSLs are exuded from leaves and roots and accumulate in the phytosphere of plants engineered to produce acyl-HSLs. These data further suggest that plants that are bioengineered to synthesize acyl-HSLs can foster beneficial plant-bacteria communications or deter deleterious interactions. Therefore, it is feasible to use bioengineered plants to supplement soils with specific acyl-HSLs to modulate bacterial phenotypes and plant-associated bacterial community structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell A Scott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
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Kiljunen S, Hakala K, Pinta E, Huttunen S, Pluta P, Gador A, Lönnberg H, Skurnik M. Yersiniophage phiR1-37 is a tailed bacteriophage having a 270 kb DNA genome with thymidine replaced by deoxyuridine. Microbiology (Reading) 2006; 151:4093-4102. [PMID: 16339954 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.28265-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophage piR1-37 was isolated based on its ability to infect strain YeO3-R1, a virulence-plasmid-cured O antigen-negative derivative of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O : 3. In this study, the phage receptor was found to be a structure in the outer core hexasaccharide of Y. enterocolitica O : 3 LPS. The phage receptor was present in the outer core of strains of many other Y. enterocolitica serotypes, but also in some Yersinia intermedia strains. Surprisingly, the receptor structure resided in the O antigen of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O : 9. Electron microscopy demonstrated that phiR1-37 particles have an icosahedral head of 88 nm, a short neck of 10 nm, a long contractile tail of 236 nm, and tail fibres of at least 86 nm. This implies that the phage belongs to the order Caudovirales and the family Myoviridae in the ICTV (International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses) classification. phiR1-37 was found to have a lytic life cycle, with eclipse and latent periods of 40 and 50 min, respectively, and a burst size of approximately 80 p.f.u. per infected cell. Restriction digestions and PFGE showed that the phiR1-37 genome was dsDNA and approximately 270 kb in size. Enzymically hydrolysed DNA was subjected to HPLC-MS/MS analysis, which demonstrated that the phiR1-37 genome is composed of DNA in which thymidine (T) is >99 % replaced by deoxyuridine (dU). The only organisms known to have similar DNA are the Bacillus subtilis-specific bacteriophages PBS1 and PBS2. N-terminal amino acid sequences of four major structural proteins did not show any similarity to (viral) protein sequences in databases, indicating that close relatives of phiR1-37 have not yet been characterized. Genes for two of the structural proteins, p24 and p46, were identified from the partially sequenced phiR1-37 genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saija Kiljunen
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kristo Hakala
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elise Pinta
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Suvi Huttunen
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Patrycja Pluta
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Aneta Gador
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Harri Lönnberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Maynard C, Berthiaume F, Lemarchand K, Harel J, Payment P, Bayardelle P, Masson L, Brousseau R. Waterborne pathogen detection by use of oligonucleotide-based microarrays. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 71:8548-57. [PMID: 16332846 PMCID: PMC1317427 DOI: 10.1128/aem.71.12.8548-8557.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A small-oligonucleotide microarray prototype was designed with probes specific for the universal 16S rRNA and cpn60 genes of several pathogens that are usually encountered in wastewaters. In addition to these two targets, wecE-specific oligonucleotide probes were included in the microarray to enhance its discriminating power within the Enterobacteriaceae family. Universal PCR primers were used to amplify variable regions of 16S rRNA, cpn60, and wecE genes directly in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium genomic DNA mixtures (binary); E. coli, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Yersinia enterocolitica genomic DNA mixtures (ternary); or wastewater total DNA. Amplified products were fluorescently labeled and hybridized on the prototype chip. The detection sensitivity for S. enterica serovar Typhimurium was estimated to be on the order of 0.1% (10(4) S. enterica genomes) of the total DNA for the combination of PCR followed by microarray hybridization. The sensitivity of the prototype could be increased by hybridizing amplicons generated by PCR targeting genes specific for a bacterial subgroup, such as wecE genes, instead of universal taxonomic amplicons. However, there was evidence of PCR bias affecting the detection limits of a given pathogen as increasing amounts of a different pathogen were spiked into the test samples. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using DNA microarrays in the detection of waterborne pathogens within mixed populations but also raise the problem of PCR bias in such experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Maynard
- National Research Council of Canada, Biotechnology Research Institute, 6100 Ave. Royalmount, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4P 2R2
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Atkinson S, Chang CY, Sockett RE, Cámara M, Williams P. Quorum sensing in Yersinia enterocolitica controls swimming and swarming motility. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:1451-61. [PMID: 16452428 PMCID: PMC1367215 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.4.1451-1461.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2005] [Accepted: 11/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Yersinia enterocolitica LuxI homologue YenI directs the synthesis of N-3-(oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL) and N-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (C6-HSL). In a Y. enterocolitica yenI mutant, swimming motility is temporally delayed while swarming motility is abolished. Since both swimming and swarming are flagellum dependent, we purified the flagellin protein from the parent and yenI mutant. Electrophoresis revealed that in contrast to the parent strain, the yenI mutant grown for 17 h at 26 degrees C lacked the 45-kDa flagellin protein FleB. Reverse transcription-PCR indicated that while mutation of yenI had no effect on yenR, flhDC (the motility master regulator) or fliA (the flagellar sigma factor) expression, fleB (the flagellin structural gene) was down-regulated. Since 3-oxo-C6-HSL and C6-HSL did not restore swimming or swarming in the yenI mutant, we reexamined the N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) profile of Y. enterocolitica. Using AHL biosensors and mass spectrometry, we identified three additional AHLs synthesized via YenI: N-(3-oxodecanoyl)homoserine lactone, N-(3-oxododecanoyl)homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C12-HSL), and N-(3-oxotetradecanoyl)homoserine lactone. However, none of the long-chain AHLs either alone or in combination with the short-chain AHLs restored swarming or swimming in the yenI mutant. By investigating the transport of radiolabeled 3-oxo-C12-HSL and by introducing an AHL biosensor into the yenI mutant we demonstrate that the inability of exogenous AHLs to restore motility to the yenI mutant is not related to a lack of AHL uptake. However, both AHL synthesis and motility were restored by complementation of the yenI mutant with a plasmid-borne copy of yenI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Atkinson
- Institute of Infections, Immunity and Inflammation, Centre for Biomolecular Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
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Horne SM, Prüss BM. Global gene regulation in Yersinia enterocolitica: effect of FliA on the expression levels of flagellar and plasmid-encoded virulence genes. Arch Microbiol 2006; 185:115-26. [PMID: 16404569 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-005-0077-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2005] [Revised: 11/18/2005] [Accepted: 12/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study describes the involvement of the sigma factor of the flagellar system, FliA, in global gene regulation of Yersinia enterocolitica. In addition to exhibiting a positive effect upon the expression levels of eight class III flagellar operons, FliA also exhibited a negative effect upon the expression levels of four virulence operons that are located on the pYV virulence plasmid. These are yadA, virC, yopQ, and the insertion element ISYen1. While the positive effect on class III flagellar operons by FliA is most likely direct, the negative effect on the virulence operons appears to require the known transcriptional activator of these genes, VirF. This was determined using microarray analysis, quantitative PCR and a search for putative binding sites for FliA. In addition to the FliA regulation of flagellar and plasmid-encoded virulence genes, we studied temperature regulation of these genes. While wild-type cells exhibited increased expression levels of flagellar genes and decreased expression levels of plasmid-encoded virulence genes at 25 degrees C (as compared to 37 degrees C), temperature dependence of gene expression was much reduced in the fliA mutants. We conclude that FliA contributes to the inverse temperature regulation of flagellar and plasmid-encoded virulence genes. We present a network of transcriptional regulation around FlhD/FlhC and FliA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley M Horne
- Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 1523 Centennial Blvd., Fargo, ND 58105, USA
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Pastor A, Chabert J, Louwagie M, Garin J, Attree I. PscF is a major component of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion needle. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2006; 253:95-101. [PMID: 16239085 DOI: 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2005] [Revised: 09/15/2005] [Accepted: 09/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, translocates exoenzymes (Exo) directly into the eukaryotic cell cytoplasm. This is accomplished by a type III secretion/translocation machinery. Here, we show that the P. aeruginosa type III secretory needle structure is composed essentially of PscF, a protein required for secretion and P. aeruginosa cytotoxicity. Partially purified needles, detached from the bacterial surface, are 60-80 nm in length and 7 nm in width, resembling needles from Yersinia spp.. YscF of Yersinia enterocolitica was able to functionally complement the pscF deletion, but required 11 P. aeruginosa-specific amino acids at the N-terminus for its function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandrine Pastor
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biophysique des Systèmes Intégrés (UMR 5092 CNRS/CEA/UJF), DRDC/BBSI, CEA Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 09, France
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Agrain C, Sorg I, Paroz C, Cornelis GR. Secretion of YscP from Yersinia enterocolitica is essential to control the length of the injectisome needle but not to change the type III secretion substrate specificity. Mol Microbiol 2005; 57:1415-27. [PMID: 16102009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04758.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The length of the needle of the Yersinia Ysc injectisome is determined by a protein called YscP. This protein, which acts both as a molecular ruler and as a substrate-specificity switch for type III secretion is itself secreted by the injectisome. In this report, we address the question why YscP is secreted. By a systematic deletion analysis and by fusing different parts of the molecule to the adenylate cyclase reporter, we identified two independent secretion signals. One of them is encompassed within the 35 N-terminal residues while the second one spans residues 97-137. These two signals are functionally different from Yop secretion signals. When both secretion signals were removed, Yops could still be secreted but the needle length control was lost. YscP possessing only one signal did not control needle length properly but the control was improved when more YscP was produced and secreted. YscP deprived of both signals could not control length, even when overproduced. We conclude from this that YscP needs to be secreted to exert its length control function but not its substrate-specificity switch function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Agrain
- Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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130
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Myers KM, Gaba J, Al-Khaldi SF. Molecular identification of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from pasteurized whole milk using DNA microarray chip hybridization. Mol Cell Probes 2005; 20:71-80. [PMID: 16330182 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2005.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2005] [Accepted: 09/30/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A DNA microarray chip of four virulence genes and 16S ribosomal DNA gene conserved region among all Gram negative species, including Yersinia, as a positive control was developed and evaluated using 22 Yersinia enterocolitica isolates. Eight different oligonucleotide probes (oligoprobes) with an average size of 22 bp, complementary to the unique sequences of each gene, were designed and immobilized on the surface of chemically modified slides. Multiplex PCR was used to simultaneously amplify DNA target regions of all five genes, and single stranded DNA (ssDNA) samples for microarray analysis were prepared by using a primer extension of amplicons in the presence of one primer of all genes. The presence of genes in Y. enterocolitica was established by hybridization of the fluorescently labeled ssDNA representing different samples of the microarray gene-specific oligoprobes and confirmed by PCR. Results of the study showed specificity of genotyping Y. enterocolitica using multiple microarray-based assays. Final validation of the chip's ability to identify Y. enterocolitica genes from adulterated pasteurized whole milk was confirmed and successful. The limit of chip detection of virulence genes in pasteurized whole milk was found to be 1000 CFU per hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Myers
- Division of Microbiological Studies, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740-3855, USA
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131
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Heeb S, Kuehne SA, Bycroft M, Crivii S, Allen MD, Haas D, Cámara M, Williams P. Functional analysis of the post-transcriptional regulator RsmA reveals a novel RNA-binding site. J Mol Biol 2005; 355:1026-36. [PMID: 16359708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.11.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2005] [Accepted: 11/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The RsmA family of RNA-binding proteins are global post-transcriptional regulators that mediate extensive changes in gene expression in bacteria. They bind to, and affect the translation rate of target mRNAs, a function that is further modulated by one or more, small, untranslated competitive regulatory RNAs. To gain new insights into the nature of this protein/RNA interaction, we used X-ray crystallography to solve the structure of the Yersinia enterocolitica RsmA homologue. RsmA consists of a dimeric beta barrel from which two alpha helices are projected. From structure-based alignments of the RsmA protein family from diverse bacteria, we identified key amino acid residues likely to be involved in RNA-binding. Site-specific mutagenesis revealed that arginine at position 44, located at the N terminus of the alpha helix is essential for biological activity in vivo and RNA-binding in vitro. Mutation of this site affects swarming motility, exoenzyme and secondary metabolite production in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbon metabolism in Escherichia coli, and hydrogen cyanide production in the plant beneficial strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0. R44A mutants are also unable to interact with the small untranslated RNA, RsmZ. Thus, although possessing a motif similar to the KH domain of some eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins, RsmA differs substantially and incorporates a novel class of RNA-binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Heeb
- Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
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132
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Abstract
The effect of freezing at -20 degrees C on survival, injury, stability of the virulence plasmid, and expression of virulence-associated determinants of Yersinia enterocolitica (YEP(+)) in ground pork was assessed. The viable counts on nonselective and selective media after 12 weeks of freezing were similar to counts obtained before freezing, indicating that the YEP(+) strain survived the freezing process. There was no evidence of freeze-stress injury. Results of a PCR assay targeting plasmid-associated virF gene and virulence determinants indicate that YEP(+) subjected to freezing are potentially capable of causing food-borne illness and freezing is not a substitute for safe handling and proper cooking of pork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Bhaduri
- MFS Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038, USA.
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133
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Tennant SM, Skinner NA, Joe A, Robins-Browne RM. Homologues of insecticidal toxin complex genes in Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1A and their contribution to virulence. Infect Immun 2005; 73:6860-7. [PMID: 16177365 PMCID: PMC1230942 DOI: 10.1128/iai.73.10.6860-6867.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is an enteric pathogen that consists of six biotypes: 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Strains of the latter five biotypes can carry a virulence plasmid, known as pYV, and several well-characterized chromosomally encoded virulence determinants. Y. enterocolitica strains of biotype 1A lack the virulence-associated markers of pYV-bearing strains and were once considered to be avirulent. There is growing epidemiological, clinical, and experimental evidence, however, to suggest that some biotype 1A strains are virulent and can cause gastrointestinal disease. To identify potential virulence genes of pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A, we used genomic subtractive hybridization to determine genetic differences between two biotype 1A strains: an environmental isolate, Y. enterocolitica IP2222, and a clinical isolate, Y. enterocolitica T83. Among the Y. enterocolitica T83-specific genes we identified were three, tcbA, tcaC, and tccC, that showed homology to the insecticidal toxin complex (TC) genes first discovered in Photorhabdus luminescens. The Y. enterocolitica T83 TC gene homologues were expressed by Y. enterocolitica T83 and were significantly more prevalent among clinical biotype 1A strains than other Yersinia isolates. Inactivation of the TC genes in Y. enterocolitica T83 resulted in mutants which were attenuated in the ability to colonize the gastrointestinal tracts of perorally infected mice. These results indicate that products of the TC gene complex contribute to the virulence of some strains of Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A, possibly by facilitating their persistence in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon M Tennant
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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134
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Abstract
Type III machines of pathogenic Yersinia spp. transport Yop proteins across the bacterial envelope into host cells. Translational fusions of yopE to the dihydrofolate reductase gene (dhfr) or the beta-galactosidase gene (lacZ) generate hybrid proteins that block type III injection of Yop proteins into host cells, consistent with the canonical view that impassable DHFR and LacZ hybrids jam secretion machines. Mutations in repressors of posttranscriptional gene regulation, Yersinia enterocolitica yscM1 and yscM2 as well as Yersinia pestis lcrQ, relieve the YopE-DHFR-imposed blockade and restore type III injection into host cells. Genetic suppression of the type III blockade does not, however, promote YopE-DHFR secretion. A model is proposed whereby rejection of YopE-DHFR from the secretion pathway inhibits type III gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Sorg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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135
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Fearnley C, On SLW, Kokotovic B, Manning G, Cheasty T, Newell DG. Application of fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism for comparison of human and animal isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005; 71:4960-5. [PMID: 16151073 PMCID: PMC1214646 DOI: 10.1128/aem.71.9.4960-4965.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) method, developed to genotype Yersinia enterocolitica, has been used to investigate 70 representative strains isolated from humans, pigs, sheep, and cattle in the United Kingdom. AFLP primarily distinguished Y. enterocolitica strains according to their biotype, with strains dividing into two distinct clusters: cluster A, comprising largely the putatively pathogenic biotypes (BT2 to -4), and cluster B, comprising the putatively nonpathogenic biotype 1A strains and a single BT1B isolate. Within these two clusters, subclusters formed largely on the basis of serotype. However, AFLP profiles also allowed differentiation of strains within these serotype-related subclusters, indicating the high discriminatory power of the technique for Y. enterocolitica. Investigation of the relationship between strain AFLP profile and host confirmed that pigs are, and provides further proof that sheep may be, potential sources of human infection with putatively pathogenic strains. However, the results suggest that some strains causing human disease do not come from veterinary sources identifiable at this time. The distribution of some BT1A isolates within cluster A raises questions about the relationship between virulence potential and biotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Fearnley
- Department of Food and Environmental Safety, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, United Kingdom
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136
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Jacobsen NR, Bogdanovich T, Skurnik M, Lübeck PS, Ahrens P, Hoorfar J. A real-time PCR assay for the specific identification of serotype O:9 of Yersinia enterocolitica. J Microbiol Methods 2005; 63:151-6. [PMID: 16226639 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2005.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2004] [Revised: 03/01/2005] [Accepted: 03/03/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A real-time PCR assay was developed based on a 181-bp fragment of the recently cloned per gene, including an internal amplification control (124 bp), for the detection of Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 (Ye O:9). The validation included 48 Ye O:9, 33 Y. enterocolitica non-O:9 and 35 other closely-related bacterial strains, containing per gene homologies. The assay was specific for the Ye O:9 tested, the detection limit was 1-10 genome copies of purified DNA and amplification efficiency was between 90.5-103%, indicating a linear regression throughout the detection window.
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Affiliation(s)
- N R Jacobsen
- Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research (DFVF), Copenhagen, Denmark
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137
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Bhaduri S, Wesley IV, Bush EJ. Prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains in pigs in the United States. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005; 71:7117-21. [PMID: 16269749 PMCID: PMC1287643 DOI: 10.1128/aem.71.11.7117-7121.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2005] [Accepted: 07/23/2005] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is considered an important food-borne pathogen impacting the pork production and processing industry in the United States. Since this bacterium is a commensal of swine, the primary goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in pigs in the United States using feces as the sample source. A total of 2,793 fecal samples were tested for its presence in swine. Fecal samples were collected from late finisher pigs from 77 production sites in the 15 eastern and midwestern pork-producing states over a period of 27 weeks (6 September 2000 to 20 March 2001). The prevalence of ail-positive Y. enterocolitica was determined in samples using both a fluorogenic 5' nuclease PCR assay and a culture method. The mean prevalence was 13.10% (366 of 2,793 fecal samples tested) when both PCR- and culture-positive results were combined. Forty-one of 77 premises (53.25%) contained at least one fecal sample positive for the ail sequence. The PCR assay indicated a contamination rate of 12.35% (345/2,793) compared to 4.08% (114/2,793) by the culture method. Of the 345 PCR-positive samples, 252 were culture negative, while of the 114 culture-positive samples, 21 were PCR negative. Among 77 premises, the PCR assay revealed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher percentage (46.75%, n = 36 sites) of samples positive for the pathogen (ail sequence) than the culture method (22.08%, n = 17 sites). Thus, higher sensitivity, with respect to number of samples and sites identified as positive for the PCR method compared with the culture method for detecting pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, was demonstrated in this study. The results support the hypothesis that swine are a reservoir for Y. enterocolitica strains potentially pathogenic for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Bhaduri
- Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA.
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138
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Abstract
We report a significantly improved system for studying single-copy lacZ operon fusions in Yersinia enterocolitica: a simple procedure for the stable integration of lacZ operon fusions into the ara locus and a strain with a deletion mutation that abolishes the low level of endogenous beta-galactosidase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Maxson
- Department of Microbiology MSB 228, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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139
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Sacco C, Ciapini A, Santomauro F, Dei R, Donato R. [Evaluation of the Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenicity through some phenotypic and genotypic characters: CRMOX agar positivity and presence of the ail gene]. Ann Ig 2005; 17:501-7. [PMID: 16523709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Sixty-nine strains of Y. enterocolitica isolated from environmental and human matrices (waste water, food and faeces) were studied in order to evidence the presence of ail gene, calcium-dependency and Congo Red absorption for pathogenic strains identification. Out of 24 clinical strains, the ail gene was present in 21 (87%), among which 79% were CRMOX-positive as well. On the contrary, none of the 45 environmental strains showed the ail gene although only one (isolated from cooked vegetables) was CRMOX agar positive. Our results confirmed the importance of molecular methods to evidence the Y. enterocolitica pathogenic strains. However, our study pointed also the utility to consider the approach of classic bacteriology, like the subcoltivation on CRMOX agar to show calcium-dependency and Congo Red absorption. In particular, when dealing with environmental isolates, that medium will be useful as a preliminary screening to identify those isolates which need further research to indicate their pathogenic potential by the use of more complex but also more expensive molecular methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sacco
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Firenze.
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140
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Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is a psychrotrophic foodborne pathogen that has been implicated in outbreaks of foodborne illness involving cold-stored foods, especially milk and pork. A major mechanism bacteria use to adapt to cold is expression of cold shock proteins. The objective of this research was to study the expression of major cold shock proteins of Y. enterocolitica in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, milk, and pork following a temperature downshift from 30 to 4 degrees C. Y. enterocolitica was inoculated into 10 ml of LB broth, sterile skim milk, or pork, and the samples were stored at 4 degrees C (cold shock) or 30 degrees C (control) for 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h. At each sampling time, total protein and total RNA were extracted from Y. enterocolitica harvested from LB broth, milk, and pork and subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and dot blot analysis. Two major cold shock proteins (CspA1 and CspA2) of approximately 7 kDa and their genes were expressed by Y. enterocolitica following cold shock. However, the CspA1 and CspA2 proteins were not expressed by Y. enterocolitica at 30 degrees C. Y. enterocolitica CspA1 and CspA2 were observed as early as 2 h of cold shock in cultures from LB broth and milk and at 8 h of cold shock in cultures from pork.
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141
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Golubov A, Gierczynski R, Heesemann J, Rakin A. A novel insertion sequence element, IS Yen2, as an epidemiological marker for weakly pathogenic bioserotypes of Yersinia enterocolitica. Int J Med Microbiol 2005; 295:213-26. [PMID: 16128396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2005.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure and distribution of IS Yen2, a new Yersinia enterocolitica insertion sequence element, were investigated. ISYen2 is related to IS elements of the IS21 family and is present in two isoforms in Y. enterocolitica serotype O:3. Analysis of all copies of both isoforms, IS Yen2A and IS Yen2B, by PCR and sequencing indicated that they are not flanked by direct repeats which are typical of the IS21 family of repetitive elements. IS Yen2 is present in multiple copies in Y. enterocolitica O:3 and O:9 and in a single copy in Y. enterocolitica O:1 and O:2 serotypes. The probe for IS Yen2 efficiently detected all weakly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica bioserotypes investigated, whereas it did not hybridize with other strains. This indicates that IS Yen2 can serve as an additional tool for Y. enterocolitica differentiation and epidemiological studies. Distribution of the different groups of IS elements in two Y. enterocolitica pathotypes is in favor of the parallel evolution of American and European Y. enterocolitica strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Golubov
- Yersinia Group I, Max von Pettenkofer-Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Pettenkofer Str. 9a, D-80336 Munich, Germany
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142
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Majander K, Korhonen TK, Westerlund-Wikström B. Simultaneous display of multiple foreign peptides in the FliD capping and FliC filament proteins of the Escherichia coli flagellum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005; 71:4263-8. [PMID: 16085812 PMCID: PMC1183357 DOI: 10.1128/aem.71.8.4263-4268.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is composed of more than 20 different proteins. The filament, which constitutes the major extracellular part of the flagellum, is built up of approximately 20,000 FliC molecules that assemble at the growing distal end of the filament. A capping structure composed of five FliD molecules located at the tip of the filament promotes polymerization of FliC. Lack of FliD leads to release of the subunits into the growth medium. We show here that FliD can be successfully used in bacterial surface display. We tested various insertion sites in the capping protein, and the optimal region for display was at the variable region in FliD. Deletion and/or insertion at other sites resulted in decreased formation of flagella. We further developed the technique into a multihybrid display system in which three foreign peptides are simultaneously expressed within the same flagellum, i.e., D repeats of FnBPA from Staphylococcus aureus at the tip and fragments of YadA from Yersinia enterocolitica as well as SlpA from Lactobacillus crispatus along the filament. This technology can have biotechnological applications, e.g., in simultaneous delivery of several effector molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katariina Majander
- General Microbiology, Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 9C), FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
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143
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Abstract
Pathogenic biovars of Yersinia enterocolitica maintain the well-studied plasmid-encoded Ysc type III secretion (TTS) system, which has a definitive role in virulence. Y. enterocolitica biovar 1B additionally has a distinct chromosomal locus, the Yersinia secretion apparatus pathogenicity island (YSA PI) that encodes the Ysa TTS system. The signals to which the Ysa TTS system responds and its role in virulence remain obscure. This exploratory study was conducted to define environmental cues that promote the expression of Ysa TTS genes and to define how the Ysa TTS system influences bacterium-host interactions. Using a genetic approach, a collection of Y. enterocolitica Ysa TTS mutants was generated by mutagenesis with a transposon carrying promoterless lacZYA. This approach identified genes both within and outside of the YSA PI that contribute to Ysa TTS. Expression of these genes was regulated in response to growth phase, temperature, NaCl, and pH. Additional genetic analysis demonstrated that two regulatory genes encoding components of the YsrR-YsrS (ysrS) and RcsC-YojN-RcsB (rcsB) phosphorelay systems affect the expression of YSA PI genes and each other. The collection of Ysa TTS-defective transposon mutants, along with other strains carrying defined mutations that block Ysa and Ysc TTS, was examined for changes in virulence properties by using the BALB/c mouse model of infection. This analysis revealed that the Ysa TTS system impacts the ability of Y. enterocolitica to colonize gastrointestinal tissues. These results reveal facets of how Y. enterocolitica controls the function of the Ysa TTS system and uncovers a role for the Ysa TTS during the gastrointestinal phase of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista Venecia
- Microbiology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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144
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Gu L, Wang H, Zhu FC, Shi ZY, Zeng XY, Tan ZY, Xiao YC, Qiu HY, Wang X, Jin D, Cui ZG, Wang B, Kan B, Wang XS, Jing HQ, Xu JG. [Study on the distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica in Nantong, Jinagsu Province]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2005; 26:786-9. [PMID: 16536305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica and its virulence factors in Nantong, Jiangsu. METHODS Yersinia strains were isolated from livestock and poultry. Conventional PCR was used to detect the virulence factors of all strains and strain 0:8 was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE). RESULTS The combined isolation rate of Yersinia enterocolitica from livestock and poultry was 31.06% and the gene distribution characters were: 39.57% of them were ail-, ystA- , ystB-, yadA- , virF-; 60.43% were ail- , ystA- , ystB + , yadA- , virF- respectively. The two reference strains from America and Denmark showed similar electrophoresis patterns but were significantly different with O:8 strains isolated from China while the serotypes of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 and O:9 which were the main epidemic strains in China, were not found in this area. CONCLUSION The pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitis O:3 and O:9 were not found in Nantong,Jiangsu province.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Gu
- Jiangsu Provincial Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210009, China
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145
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Antonenka U, Nölting C, Heesemann J, Rakin A. Horizontal transfer of Yersinia high-pathogenicity island by the conjugative RP4 attB target-presenting shuttle plasmid. Mol Microbiol 2005; 57:727-34. [PMID: 16045617 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04722.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The high-pathogenicity island (HPI) encodes a highly efficient yersiniabactin system of iron acquisition responsible for mouse lethality in Yersinia. Although the HPI is widely disseminated among Enterobacteriaceae it lacks functions necessary for its replication and transmission. Therefore, the mechanism of its horizontal transfer and circulation is completely obscure. On the other hand, the HPI is a genetically active island in the bacterial cell. It encodes a functional recombinase and is able to transpose to new targets on the chromosome. Here we report on a possible mechanism of the HPI dissemination based on site-specific recombination of the excised HPI with the attB-presenting (asn tRNA gene) RP4 promiscuous conjugative shuttle plasmid. The resulting cointegrate can be transferred by conjugation to a new host, where it dissociates, and the released HPI integrates into any unoccupied asn tRNA gene target in the genome. This mechanism has been proven both with the 'mini' island carrying only the attP recognition site and genes coding for recombination enzymes and with the complete HPI labelled with an antibiotic resistance marker. After acquisition of the mobilized complete form of the HPI, the ability of the HPI-cured Yersinia enterocolitica WA-TH(-) strain to produce yersiniabactin has been restored. Such 'trapping' of pathogenicity islands and subsequent shuffling to new hosts by a conjugative replicon carrying a suitable attB site could be applied to other functional integrative elements and explain wide dissemination of PAIs.
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146
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Thisted Lambertz S, Danielsson-Tham ML. Identification and characterization of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica isolates by PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005; 71:3674-81. [PMID: 16000776 PMCID: PMC1168976 DOI: 10.1128/aem.71.7.3674-3681.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 550 to 600 yersiniosis patients are reported annually in Sweden. Although pigs are thought to be the main reservoir of food-borne pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, the role of pork meat as a vehicle for transmission to humans is still unclear. Pork meat collected from refrigerators and local shops frequented by yersiniosis patients (n=48) were examined for the presence of pathogenic Yersinia spp. A combined culture and PCR method was used for detection, and a multiplex PCR was developed and evaluated as a tool for efficient identification of pathogenic food and patient isolates. The results obtained with the multiplex PCR were compared to phenotypic test results and confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In all, 118 pork products (91 raw and 27 ready-to-eat) were collected. Pathogenic Yersinia spp. were detected by PCR in 10% (9 of 91) of the raw pork samples (loin of pork, fillet of pork, pork chop, ham, and minced meat) but in none of the ready-to-eat products. Isolates of Y. enterocolitica bioserotype 4/O:3 were recovered from six of the PCR-positive raw pork samples; all harbored the virulence plasmid. All isolates were recovered from food collected in shops and, thus, none were from the patients' home. When subjected to PFGE, the six isolates displayed four different NotI profiles. The same four NotI profiles were also present among isolates recovered from the yersiniosis patients. The application of a multiplex PCR was shown to be an efficient tool for identification of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica isolates in naturally contaminated raw pork.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Thisted Lambertz
- National Food Administration, Research and Development Department, PO Box 622, SE-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden.
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147
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Anisimov R, Brem D, Heesemann J, Rakin A. Molecular mechanism of YbtA-mediated transcriptional regulation of divergent overlapping promotersybtAandirp6ofYersinia enterocolitica. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2005; 250:27-32. [PMID: 16019159 DOI: 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2005] [Revised: 06/17/2005] [Accepted: 06/20/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes of Yersiniae spp. involved in production of the siderophore yersiniabactin are located on the high-pathogenicity island (HPI). Their transcription is controlled by the AraC/XilS-like transcriptional regulator YbtA encoded within the HPI. YbtA-regulated divergent and overlapping ybtA and irp6 promoters contain three YbtA binding sites, RS1, RS2 and RS3. Deleting RSs systematically and using ybtA and irp6 transcriptional fusions, we determined that different modes of YbtA binding are responsible for activation of irp6 and repression of ybtA. Based on these data, we propose a model of irp6 and ybtA promoter regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Anisimov
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology Pettenkofer Strasse 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany.
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148
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Warren SM, Young GM. An amino-terminal secretion signal is required for YplA export by the Ysa, Ysc, and flagellar type III secretion systems of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1B. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:6075-83. [PMID: 16109949 PMCID: PMC1196154 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.17.6075-6083.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2005] [Accepted: 06/02/2005] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1B maintains three distinct type III secretion (TTS) systems, which independently operate to target proteins to extracellular sites. The Ysa and Ysc systems are prototypical contact-dependent TTS systems that translocate toxic effectors to the cytosols of targeted eukaryotic host cells during infection. The flagellar TTS system is utilized during the assembly of the flagellum and is required for secretion of the virulence-associated phospholipase YplA to the bacterial milieu. When ectopically produced, YplA is also a secretion substrate for the Ysa and Ysc TTS systems. In this study, we define elements that allow YplA recognition and export by the Ysa, Ysc, and flagellar TTS systems. Fusion of various amino-terminal regions of YplA to Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) lacking its native secretion signal demonstrated that the first 20 amino acids or corresponding mRNA codons of YplA were sufficient for export of YplA-PhoA chimeras by each TTS system. Export of native YplA by each of the three TTS systems was also found to depend on the integrity of its amino terminus. Introduction of a frameshift mutation or deletion of yplA sequences encoding the amino-terminal 20 residues negatively impacted YplA secretion. Deletion of other yplA regions was tolerated, including that resulting in the removal of amino acid residues 30 through 40 of the polypeptide and removal of the 5' untranslated region of the mRNA. This work supports a model in which independent and distantly related TTS systems of Y. enterocolitica recognize protein substrates by a similar mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha M Warren
- Microbiology Graduate Group, University of California, One Shields Avenue, 217 Cruess Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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149
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Takeuchi O, Suzuki T, Kawamura I, Kobayashi N, Takizawa-Hashimoto A, Mitsuyama M. Involvement of the virulence gene products of Yersinia enterocolitica in the immune response of infected mice. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2005; 45:321-9. [PMID: 16019194 DOI: 10.1016/j.femsim.2005.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2005] [Revised: 05/26/2005] [Accepted: 05/27/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica is known to be highly dependent on its virulence plasmid. However, it remains unclear whether the virulence plasmid is engaged also in the induction of cell-mediated immunity that is essential for protective immunity in the host. In this study, we have compared the induction of type 1 helper T cell immunity against Y. enterocolitica using a virulent strain (P+) harboring the pYV plasmid and an avirulent strain (P-) harboring no pYV. Spleen cells from both groups of mice immunized with 1/10 LD50 of P+ strain and those with 1/10 LD50 of P- strain produced a high level of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) upon stimulation with heat-killed bacteria, and CD4+ T cells were exclusively responsible for IFN-gamma production. When crude Yersinia outer proteins (Yops) were used for antigenic stimulation, IFN-gamma response of immune spleen cells against crude Yops was observed only in mice immunized with P+ strain. Flowcytometric analysis revealed a significant level of increase in IFN-gamma-producing CD8+ T cells as well as the increase in IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells against crude Yops. These results suggest that the virulence plasmid of Y. enterocolitica is involved in the induction of Th1-type of possibly protective T cells in infected mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Takeuchi
- Department of Microbiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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150
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Sakai T, Nakayama A, Hashida M, Yamamoto Y, Takebe H, Imai S. Outbreak of food poisoning by Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O8 in Nara prefecture: the first case report in Japan. Jpn J Infect Dis 2005; 58:257-8. [PMID: 16116267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Sakai
- Division of Bacteriology, Nara Prefectural Institute of Hygiene and Environment, Nara 630-8131, Japan.
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