title: Role of trehalose biosynthesis in environmental survival and virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium.
abstract: The otsA and otsB genes, encoding trehalose-6-phosphate synthase and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase respectively, have been isolated from Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and nucleotide-sequenced. Induction of trehalose biosynthesis by exposure of bacteria to high osmotic strength resulted in the intracellular accumulation of trehalose. An otsA mutant of S. enterica serovar typhimurium was more susceptible to killing by heat, and grew poorly under conditions of high osmolarity. The wild-type and otsA mutant strains showed similar abilities to colonise spleen tissues after oral dosing of mice. These findings suggest that the otsBA gene products play a role in environmental survival, but not in virulence, of S. enterica serovar typhimurium.
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, CBS Porton Down, Salisbury, Wilts, UK.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.forename: Helen L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bullifent
authors.forename: Kam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Arcadio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García de Castro
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frith
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tunnacliffe
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D014199:Trehalose / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014199:Trehalose; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C023180:trehalose-6-phosphate synthase; C023178:trehalose-phosphatase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases