Polynucleotide phosphorylase is a global regulator of virulence and persistency in Salmonella enterica.
For many pathogens, the ability to regulate their replication in host cells is a key element in establishing persistency. Here, we identified a single point mutation in the gene for polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) as a factor affecting bacterial invasion and intracellular replication, and which determines the alternation between acute or persistent infection in a mouse model for Salmonella enterica infection. In parallel, with microarray analysis, PNPase was found to affect the mRNA levels of a subset of virulence genes, in particular those contained in Salmonella pathogenicity islands 1 and 2. The results demonstrate a connection between PNPase and Salmonella virulence and show that alterations in PNPase activity could represent a strategy for the establishment of persistency.
Clements
Mark O
MO
Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Nobels Väg 16, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Eriksson
Sofia
S
Thompson
Arthur
A
Lucchini
Sacha
S
Hinton
Jay C D
JC
Normark
Staffan
S
Rhen
Mikael
M
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017931:DNA Primers; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011117:Polyribonucleotide Nucleotidyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
C107306:AgfA protein, Salmonella enterica; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D011117:Polyribonucleotide Nucleotidyltransferase