An intragenic deletion in pilQ leads to nonpiliation of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from cystic fibrosis lung.
Deficient motility is one of the characteristic hallmarks observed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that chronically colonize the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa TB is a nonpiliated CF isolate known to be defective in twitching motility. Complementation confirmed a direct link of this phenotype to an intragenic out-of-frame deletion in pilQ (PA5040). Sequence alignment of pilQ derived from TB vs. PAO1 suggests that close direct repeats framing the deletion site may have triggered this mutation. This type of mutation could play a role in the emergence of pathoadaptive mutations of P. aeruginosa in the CF lung habitat.
Chang
Yu-Sing Tammy
YS
Klinische Forschergruppe, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany. chang.tammy@mh-hannover.de
Klockgether
Jens
J
Tümmler
Burkhard
B
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C084295:pilQ protein, bacteria; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins