title: Characterization of an avirulent mutant of a virulent avian Escherichia coli isolate.
abstract: A virulent, complement-resistant avian Escherichia coli isolate and its avirulent, complement-sensitive, transposon-insertion mutant were compared for the purpose of revealing structures associated with complement resistance. Both had a smooth lipopolysaccharide layer, contained traT, and lacked a capsule, but the mutant possessed a 16.2-kilodalton outer-membrane protein (OMP) not present in the wild-type. This protein may be the product of a coding region interrupted by transposon insertion. Such results suggest that an OMP greater than 16.2 kilodaltons in size may be responsible for the complement resistance and virulence of this wild-type E. coli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58105.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wooley
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Giddings
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens; D003090:Coliphages / Q000502:physiology; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010957:Plasmids / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011201:Poultry Diseases; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides