The enterobacterial common antigen-like gene cluster of Haemophilus ducreyi contributes to virulence in humans.
Haemophilus ducreyi 35000HP contains a cluster of homologues of genes required for the synthesis of enterobacterial common antigen (ECA), suggesting that H. ducreyi may express a putative ECA-like glycoconjugate. WecA initiates the synthesis of ECA by transferring N-acetylglucosamine to undecaprenyl-P, to form lipid I. A wecA mutant (35000HPwecA) was constructed, and 5 volunteers were inoculated at 3 sites with fixed doses of 35000HP on one arm and at 3 sites with varying doses of 35000HPwecA on the other arm. 35000HPwecA caused pustules to form at 3 sites inoculated with a dose 2.5-fold higher than that of 35000HP. However, at sites inoculated with similar doses of 35000HP and 35000HPwecA, pustules developed at 46.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.3%-70.0%) of 15 parent-strain sites and at 8.3% (95% CI, 0.01%-23.6%) of 12 mutant-strain sites (P = .013). Thus, the expression of wecA contributes to the ability of H. ducreyi to cause pustules in humans.
Banks
Keith E
KE
Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
Fortney
Kate R
KR
Baker
Beth
B
Billings
Steven D
SD
Katz
Barry P
BP
Munson
Robert S
RS
Spinola
Stanley M
SM
D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D002602:Chancroid / Q000382:microbiology*; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006191:Haemophilus ducreyi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005810:Multigene Family; D014774:Virulence
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C017286:enterobacterial common antigen