title: Analysis of Yersinia pestis gene expression in the flea vector.
abstract: Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague. Unlike the other pathogenic Yersinia species, Y. pestis has evolved an arthropod-borne route of transmission, alternately infecting flea and mammalian hosts. Distinct subsets of genes are hypothesized to be differentially expressed during infection of the arthropod vector and mammalian host. Genes crucial for mammalian infection are referred to as virulence factors whilst genes playing a role in the flea vector are termed transmission factors. This article serves as a review of known factors involved in flea-borne transmission and introduces an 'in vivo' microarray approach to elucidating the genetic basis of Y. pestis infection of- and transmission by the flea.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Health, USA. vadyvaloov@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Viveka
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vadyvaloo
authors.forename: Clayton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jarrett
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sturdevant
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sebbane
authors.forename: B Joseph
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hinnebusch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D015317:Biogenic Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D009154:Mutation; D010930:Plague / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015317:Biogenic Polyamines; D012329:RNA, Bacterial