title: Analysis of the occurrence and distribution of the Omp25/Omp31 family of surface proteins in the six classical Brucella species.
abstract: Members of the Omp25/Omp31 family of surface proteins were previously shown to participate in the virulence of some Brucella species and a different distribution of the seven proteins of this family among species could be related to the difference in pathogenicity and host preference they exhibit. Accordingly, in this work we have analyzed the expression of the genes coding for the Omp25/Omp31 family in the six classical Brucella species and a set of B. ovis mutant strains with each omp gene inactivated. Immunoblot of whole-cell lysates with antibodies raised against the purified recombinant outer membrane proteins (OMPs) did not show the simultaneous presence of the seven OMPs in any of the Brucella strains studied, but different Omp25/Omp31 profiles were detected, in our experimental conditions, between the Brucella strains representative of the six classical species. Transcripts for omp31, omp25 and omp25c were, in general, the most abundant of the family and some hits were found in B. ovis for a posttranscriptional regulation mechanism and for a compensatory mechanism increasing the synthesis of a protein to compensate for the absence of another one. Finally, the potential interest of Omp25c and Omp31b as subcellular vaccines, considering their occurrence in the Brucella strains studied and their antigenic relatedness with other proteins of the family, is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Edificio Departamental, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza Doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Martín-Martín
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caro-Hernández
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sancho
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tejedor
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cloeckaert
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández-Lago
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vizcaíno
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002002:Brucella / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005810:Multigene Family; D013045:Species Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins