Characterization of MgtC, a virulence factor of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi.
The MgtC is a virulence factor in Salmonella Typhimurium that is required for growth at low-Mg2+ concentrations and intramacrophage survival. This gene is codified in a conserved region of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 3 (SPI-3), and is also present in the chromosome of other Salmonella serovars. In this study we characterized the MgtC factor in S. Typhi, a human specific pathogen, by using mgtC and SPI-3 mutant strains. We found that MgtC is the most important factor codified in the SPI-3 of S. Typhi for growth in low-Mg2+ media and survival within human cells. In addition, by using reporter genes we determined that the low-Mg2+ concentration, acidic media and PhoP regulator induce mgtC expression in S. Typhi. We suggest that MgtC is the most important virulence factor codified in the SPI-3 of S. Typhi.
Retamal
Patricio
P
Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Castillo-Ruiz
Mario
M
Mora
Guido C
GC
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; C093586:MgtC protein, Salmonella typhimurium; D008274:Magnesium