Phospholipases C and the pathogenesis of Listeria.
Listeria monocytogenes is a model intracellular pathogen which escapes from a host cell vacuole, grows intracytoplasmically, and spreads cell to cell without an extracellular phase. A number of genes necessary for pathogenicity have been discovered, two of which encode phospholipases C, a PI-PLC and a broad-range PLC. Single and double mutants were constructed with in-frame deletions in one or both PLCs. Characterization of the strains indicated that the two PLCs may have overlapping function as the double mutant was 500-fold less virulent while the single mutants had a negligible effect on virulence. The role of the PLCs appears to be multifactorial as PI-PLC has a role in escaping from the initial host vacuole and the broad-range PLC appears to have a role in cell to cell spreading.
Portnoy
D A
DA
Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-6076.
Smith
G A
GA
Goldfine
H
H
D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D043265:Phosphatidylinositol Diacylglycerol-Lyase; D054801:Phosphoinositide Phospholipase C; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000502:physiology; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D054801:Phosphoinositide Phospholipase C; D043265:Phosphatidylinositol Diacylglycerol-Lyase