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.
Lister
Ida M
IM
Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Mecsas
Joan
J
Levy
Stuart B
SB
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