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.
Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Chengru
C
Zhu
Musangu
M
Ngeleka
Andrew A
AA
Potter
Brenda J
BJ
Allan
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