title: Phase-variable surface structures are required for infection of Campylobacter jejuni by bacteriophages.
abstract: This study characterizes the interaction between Campylobacter jejuni and the 16 phages used in the United Kingdom typing scheme by screening spontaneous mutants of the phage-type strains and transposon mutants of the sequenced strain NCTC 11168. We show that the 16 typing phages fall into four groups based on their patterns of activity against spontaneous mutants. Screens of transposon and defined mutants indicate that the phage-bacterium interaction for one of these groups appears to involve the capsular polysaccharide (CPS), while two of the other three groups consist of flagellatropic phages. The expression of CPS and flagella is potentially phase variable in C. jejuni, and the implications of these findings for typing and intervention strategies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coward
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Philp
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Towler
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heydarian
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maskell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000378:metabolism*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000502:physiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000821:virology*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008242:Lysogeny; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements