Role of type IV pilin encoding genes in virulence of Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica

• The number of virulence factors identified in Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is so far relatively few. The F. tularensis genome contains some genes with homology to known virulence factors. One of these is the type IV pili system, which is known to have a key role in virulence of other bacterial species. When we compared different F. tularensis subspecies we could identify distinct differences in Type IV pilin genes between the highly virulent type A strains and the less pathogenic type B strains. In this work we addressed the role in virulence of the different pilin genes in a virulent type B strain. Of all the pilin genes only PilA and the pseudopilins FTT1621-1622 were proven to have a role in virulence. In addition we also verified that the gene encoding the PilT ATPase is non-functional due to a non-sense mutation and we also confirmed that the truncated pilT has no role in mouse virulence. Furthermore we also provide evidence that the F. tularensis pilins are posttranslationally modified presumably by glycosylation by a PilO dependent mechanism.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Molecular biology

Molekylärbiologi

molekylärbiologi

Molecular Biology

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vet (ämneskategori)

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