The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it>
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>All four <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies possess gene clusters with potential to express type IV pili (Tfp). These clusters include putative pilin genes, as well as <it>pilB</it>, <it>pilC <...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2010-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Microbiology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/10/227 |
| _version_ | 1818525010737758208 |
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| author | Forslund Anna-Lena Salomonsson Emelie Golovliov Igor Kuoppa Kerstin Michell Stephen Titball Richard Oyston Petra Noppa Laila Sjöstedt Anders Forsberg Åke |
| author_facet | Forslund Anna-Lena Salomonsson Emelie Golovliov Igor Kuoppa Kerstin Michell Stephen Titball Richard Oyston Petra Noppa Laila Sjöstedt Anders Forsberg Åke |
| author_sort | Forslund Anna-Lena |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>All four <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies possess gene clusters with potential to express type IV pili (Tfp). These clusters include putative pilin genes, as well as <it>pilB</it>, <it>pilC </it>and <it>pilQ</it>, required for secretion and assembly of Tfp. A hallmark of Tfp is the ability to retract the pilus upon surface contact, a property mediated by the ATPase PilT. Interestingly, out of the two major human pathogenic subspecies only the highly virulent type A strains have a functional <it>pilT </it>gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In a previous study, we were able to show that one pilin gene, <it>pilA</it>, was essential for virulence of a type B strain in a mouse infection model. In this work we have examined the role of several Tfp genes in the virulence of the pathogenic type A strain SCHU S4. <it>pilA</it>, <it>pilC</it>, <it>pilQ</it>, and <it>pilT </it>were mutated by in-frame deletion mutagenesis. Interestingly, when mice were infected with a mixture of each mutant strain and the wild-type strain, the <it>pilA, pilC </it>and <it>pilQ </it>mutants were out-competed, while the <it>pilT </it>mutant was equally competitive as the wild-type.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This suggests that expression and surface localisation of PilA contribute to virulence in the highly virulent type A strain, while PilT was dispensable for virulence in the mouse infection model.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:04:09Z |
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| id | doaj.art-3f500de97d764f36a65b8ef597fe2f0b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2180 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:04:09Z |
| publishDate | 2010-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f500de97d764f36a65b8ef597fe2f0b2022-12-22T01:18:21ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802010-08-0110122710.1186/1471-2180-10-227The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it>Forslund Anna-LenaSalomonsson EmelieGolovliov IgorKuoppa KerstinMichell StephenTitball RichardOyston PetraNoppa LailaSjöstedt AndersForsberg Åke<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>All four <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies possess gene clusters with potential to express type IV pili (Tfp). These clusters include putative pilin genes, as well as <it>pilB</it>, <it>pilC </it>and <it>pilQ</it>, required for secretion and assembly of Tfp. A hallmark of Tfp is the ability to retract the pilus upon surface contact, a property mediated by the ATPase PilT. Interestingly, out of the two major human pathogenic subspecies only the highly virulent type A strains have a functional <it>pilT </it>gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In a previous study, we were able to show that one pilin gene, <it>pilA</it>, was essential for virulence of a type B strain in a mouse infection model. In this work we have examined the role of several Tfp genes in the virulence of the pathogenic type A strain SCHU S4. <it>pilA</it>, <it>pilC</it>, <it>pilQ</it>, and <it>pilT </it>were mutated by in-frame deletion mutagenesis. Interestingly, when mice were infected with a mixture of each mutant strain and the wild-type strain, the <it>pilA, pilC </it>and <it>pilQ </it>mutants were out-competed, while the <it>pilT </it>mutant was equally competitive as the wild-type.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This suggests that expression and surface localisation of PilA contribute to virulence in the highly virulent type A strain, while PilT was dispensable for virulence in the mouse infection model.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/10/227 |
| spellingShingle | Forslund Anna-Lena Salomonsson Emelie Golovliov Igor Kuoppa Kerstin Michell Stephen Titball Richard Oyston Petra Noppa Laila Sjöstedt Anders Forsberg Åke The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it> BMC Microbiology |
| title | The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it> |
| title_full | The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it> |
| title_fullStr | The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it> |
| title_full_unstemmed | The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it> |
| title_short | The type IV pilin, PilA, is required for full virulence of <it>Francisella tularensis </it>subspecies <it>tularensis</it> |
| title_sort | type iv pilin pila is required for full virulence of it francisella tularensis it subspecies it tularensis it |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/10/227 |
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