The CpxA/CpxR Two-Component System Affects Biofilm Formation and Virulence in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

• Published in: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2018-03, Vol.8, p.72-72
• Main Authors: Li, Huan, Liu, Feng, Peng, Wei, Yan, Kang, Zhao, Haixu, Liu, Ting, Cheng, Hui, Chang, Peixi, Yuan, Fangyan, Chen, Huanchun, Bei, Weicheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actinobacillus Infections - microbiology; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae - genetics; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae - growth & development; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae - metabolism; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae - pathogenicity; Animals; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; biofilm; Biofilms - growth & development; CpxA/CpxR; Deoxyribonuclease I - analysis; Disease Models, Animal; DNA-Binding Proteins; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; Escherichia coli - genetics; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial - genetics; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Mutation; Operon; Protein Footprinting; Protein Kinases - genetics; Protein Kinases - metabolism; rpoE; Sigma Factor - genetics; Sigma Factor - metabolism; Transcriptome; virulence; Virulence - genetics; Virulence Factors - genetics; Virulence Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 2235-2988; 2235-2988
• DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00072

Gram-negative bacteria have evolved numerous two-component systems (TCSs) to cope with external environmental changes. The CpxA/CpxR TCS consisting of the kinase CpxA and the regulator CpxR, is known to be involved in the biofilm formation and virulence of . However, the role of CpxA/CpxR remained unclear in , a bacterial pathogen that can cause porcine contagious pleuropneumonia (PCP). In this report, we show that CpxA/CpxR contributes to the biofilm formation ability of . Furthermore, we demonstrate that CpxA/CpxR plays an important role in the expression of several biofilm-related genes in , such as and . Furthermore, The results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and DNase I footprinting analysis demonstrate that CpxR-P can regulate the expression of the operon through . In an experimental infection of mice, the animals infected with a mutant exhibited delayed mortality and lower bacterial loads in the lung than those infected with the wildtype bacteria. In conclusion, these results indicate that the CpxA/CpxR TCS plays a contributing role in the biofilm formation and virulence of .