The two-faced role of cad genes in the virulence of pathogenic Escherichia coli.
In enterobacteria, acid stress induces expression of the cad system which is involved in maintaining intracellular pH at levels compatible with cell survival. Despite its crucial role, the cad operon is silenced in Shigella and in other pathogenic Escherichia coli. In the present review, we will address the question of why and how the cad locus has been sacrificed for the sake of optimal expression of virulence traits.
Prosseda
Gianni
G
Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dip. Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Sapienza-Università di Roma, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Carmela Latella
Maria
M
Barbagallo
Marialuisa
M
Nicoletti
Mauro
M
Al Kassas
Rasha
R
Casalino
Mariassunta
M
Colonna
Bianca
B
D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D009876:Operon; D010641:Phenotype; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics