Identification of an essential gene of Listeria monocytogenes involved in teichoic acid biogenesis.
Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular gram-positive bacterium responsible for severe opportunistic infections in humans and animals. We had previously identified a gene encoding a putative UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase, a precursor of the teichoic acid linkage unit, in the genome of L monocytogenes strain EGD-e. This gene, now designated lmo2537, encodes a protein that shares 62% identity with the cognate epimerase MnaA of Bacillus subtilis and 55% identity with Cap5P of Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we addressed the role of lmo2537 in L. monocytogenes pathogenesis by constructing a conditional knockout mutant. The data presented here demonstrate that lmo2537 is an essential gene of L. monocytogenes that is involved in teichoic acid biogenesis. In vivo, the conditional mutant is very rapidly eliminated from the target organs of infected mice and thus is totally avirulent.
Dubail
Iharilalao
I
Faculté de Médecine Necker, 156, Rue de Vaugirard, 75730 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Bigot
Armelle
A
Lazarevic
Vladimir
V
Soldo
Blazenka
B
Euphrasie
Daniel
D
Dupuis
Marion
M
Charbit
Alain
A
D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002238:Carbohydrate Epimerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020043:Genes, Essential; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009154:Mutation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C107803:Cap5 protein, Staphylococcus; D013682:Teichoic Acids; D037521:Virulence Factors; D002238:Carbohydrate Epimerases; C100033:UDP acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase