Effect of fur mutation on acid-tolerance response and in vivo virulence of avian septicemic Escherichia coli.
The Fur (ferric uptake regulator) protein is a master regulator of iron metabolism in gram-negative bacteria. In the present study, the effect of a partial deletion of the fur gene on the acid-tolerance response and in vivo virulence of avian Escherichia coli was examined. The fur mutant was unable to trigger the acid-tolerance response as observed in the wild-type parent strain. However, the mutant was as virulent as the wild-type parent strain when tested in 1-day-old chickens by subcutaneous inoculation. These data indicate that the fur gene is involved in the acid-tolerance response but not involved in the virulence of E. coli, as detected by the ability to cause septicemia in our experimental infection.
Zhu
Chengru
C
Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Ngeleka
Musangu
M
Potter
Andrew A
AA
Allan
Brenda J
BJ
D000818:Animals; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002645:Chickens; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009154:Mutation; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C068477:ferric uptake regulating proteins, bacterial