The BMEI0216 gene of Brucella melitensis is required for internalization in HeLa cells.
Brucella is an intracellular facultative bacterium able to survive and multiply in professional and non-professional phagocytes. However, its adhesion and invasion mechanisms have not been elucidated yet. In this work, we assess the interruption of a BMEI0216 gene of Brucella melitensis, by using HeLa epithelial cells and murine macrophages for invasion and replication assays. The mutation did not affect survival or multiplication within macrophages. Likewise, invasion assays with HeLa cells revealed no differences at 30 and 45 min, whereas, at 1 and 2h, the infection ability of the mutant was drastically reduced. These results suggest that the BMEI0216 gene is required for B. melitensis internalization.
Hernández-Castro
Rigoberto
R
Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico.
Verdugo-Rodríguez
Antonio
A
Puente
José Luis
JL
Suárez-Güemes
Francisco
F
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017347:Brucella melitensis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D023061:Gene Order; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D013997:Time Factors
D001426:Bacterial Proteins