Discovery of Bacillus thuringiensis virulence genes using signature-tagged mutagenesis in an insect model of septicaemia.
Transposon Tn917 was used to identify Bacillus thuringiensis genes required for virulence and survival in a Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm) septicaemia model. Uniquely tagged transposons, n = 72, were constructed and used to generate 1152 insertion mutants. Sixteen pools of 72 mutants were screened in the infection model, and 12 virulence-attenuated mutants were unable to survive the infection. Analysis of the mutated DNA sequences implicated an arsR family transcriptional regulator, a histone-like DNA-binding protein, a transposon, and several sequences of unknown function in B. thuringiensis pathogenesis.
Steggles
James R
JR
Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, England.
Wang
Jinhong
J
Ellar
David J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000382:microbiology*; D018402:Manduca / Q000382:microbiology*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements