Intact purine biosynthesis pathways are required for wild-type virulence of Brucella abortus 2308 in the BALB/c mouse model.
Brucella abortus 2308 derivatives with mini-Tn5 insertions in purE, purL, and purD display significant attenuation in the BALB/c mouse model, while isogenic mutants with mini-Tn5 insertions in pheA, trpB, and dagA display little or no attenuation in cultured murine macrophages or mice. These experimental findings confirm the importance of the purine biosynthesis pathways for the survival and replication of the brucellae in host macrophages. In contrast to previous reports, however, these results indicate that exogenous tryptophan and phenylalanine are available for use by the brucellae in the phagosomal compartment.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, 600 Moye Blvd., Greenville, NC 27858-4354, USA.
Rosemarie B
RB
Alcantara
Richard D A
RD
Read
Michelle Wright
MW
Valderas
Timothy D
TD
Brown
R Martin
RM
Roop
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D011687:Purines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D011687:Purines; C030985:purine