Transposon mutagenesis used to study the role of complement resistance in the virulence of an avian Escherichia coli isolate.
The role of complement resistance in the virulence of an avian Escherichia coli isolate was examined with transposon mutagenesis. A suicide plasmid containing a kanamycin-encoding mini-transposon was used to transform a virulent complement-resistant avian E. coli isolate. A less resistant mutant was identified that contained a transposon insertion in a plasmid and in the chromosome. This loss of complement resistance was associated with a drop in virulence in an embryo assay. No other phenotypic changes were detected in the mutant. These results suggest that complement resistance is associated with the virulence of this organism.
Nolan
L K
LK
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
Wooley
R E
RE
Cooper
R K
RK
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002645:Chickens; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D003165:Complement System Proteins