title: Isolation and characterization of Francisella novicida mutants defective in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis.
abstract: In order to identify genes involved in LPS biosynthesis we isolated random mutants generated by transposon insertion in Francisella novicida. The resulting mutant bank yielded mutants with three distinct LPS phenotypes, and three representative mutants were chosen for further study. One mutant that had short O-antigen chains was sensitive to serum; this mutant and one other were more sensitive to killing by deoxycholate than control strains. The third mutant was resistant to deoxycholate killing but slightly sensitive to serum. The three mutants varied in their ability to grow in macrophages. The DNA sequences interrupted by the transposon in two of the three mutants showed similarity to known LPS biosynthetic genes at the deduced amino acid level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Petch Building, P.O. Box 3055, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cowley
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Nano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005603:Francisella / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009154:Mutation; D019081:O Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019081:O Antigens; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid