Effect of MarA-like proteins on antibiotic resistance and virulence in Yersinia pestis.
MarA, an AraC/XylS transcriptional regulator in Escherichia coli, affects drug susceptibility and virulence. Two MarA-like proteins have been found in Yersinia pestis: MarA47 and MarA48. Deletion or overexpression of these proteins in the attenuated KIM 1001 Deltapgm strain led to a change in multidrug susceptibility (including susceptibility to clinically relevant drugs). Additionally, lung colonization by the marA47 or marA48 deletion mutant was decreased about 10-fold in a pneumonic plague mouse model. Complementation of the deletions by replacing the deleted genes on the chromosome restored wild-type characteristics. These findings show that two MarA homologs in Y. pestis affect antibiotic susceptibility and virulence.
Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Ida M
IM
Lister
Joan
J
Mecsas
Stuart B
SB
Levy
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010930:Plague / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins