title: Apyrase, the product of the virulence plasmid-encoded phoN2 (apy) gene of Shigella flexneri, is necessary for proper unipolar IcsA localization and for efficient intercellular spread.
abstract: The role in virulence of the Shigella flexneri ospB-phoN2 operon has been evaluated. Here we confirm that OspB is an effector and show that apyrase, the product of phoN2, may be a virulence factor, since it is required for efficient intercellular spreading. Apyrase may be important in a deoxynucleoside triphosphate-hydrolyzing activity-independent manner, suggesting that it may act as an interaction partner in the process of IcsA localization.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università G. D'Annunzio, Via dei Vestini, 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santapaola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Del Chierico
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrucca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzzau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casalino
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colonna
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berlutti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
mesh_terms: D001081:Apyrase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009876:Operon; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D037521:Virulence Factors; C058483:virG protein, Shigella flexneri; D001081:Apyrase