Flagellar basal body flg operon as a virulence determinant of Vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio vulnificus, a halophilic estuarine bacterium causing a rapidly progressing fatal septicemia, is highly cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells. To identify new virulence factors associated with cytotoxicity, we constructed a mariner-based transposon (Tn Himar1) library of the highly virulent clinical i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2003-05, Vol.304 (2), p.405-410
Main Authors: Ran Kim, Young, Haeng Rhee, Joon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adhesion
Animals
Bacterial Adhesion
Cytotoxicity
DNA Transposable Elements
Flagella - genetics
flg operon
HeLa Cells
Himar1
Humans
LD 50
Lethal Dose 50
Locomotion
Mice
Motility
Mutation
Operon
Vibrio Infections - microbiology
Vibrio vulnificus
Vibrio vulnificus - pathogenicity
Virulence
Virulence Factors - genetics
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Summary:Vibrio vulnificus, a halophilic estuarine bacterium causing a rapidly progressing fatal septicemia, is highly cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells. To identify new virulence factors associated with cytotoxicity, we constructed a mariner-based transposon (Tn Himar1) library of the highly virulent clinical isolate MO6-24/O having a double mutation in the hemolysin and protease genes. The Himar1 mutant library was extensively screened for the mutants showing decreased cytotoxicity to HeLa cells. We selected a cytotoxicity defective mutant having a Himar1 insertion in an open reading frame showing 96% identity to Vibrio parahaemolyticus FlgC, a flagella basal body rod protein. The Tn Himar1 insertion mutation also resulted in a significant decrease in motility, adhesion, cytotoxicity, and lethality to mice. This is the first report showing that flg genes, which are components of the flagellum biogenesis gene cluster, might play an important role in the virulence of V. vulnificus.
ISSN:0006-291X
1090-2104
DOI:10.1016/S0006-291X(03)00613-2