Transposon mutagenesis in a hyper-invasive clinical isolate of Campylobacter jejuni reveals a number of genes with potential roles in invasion.
Transposon mutagenesis has been applied to a hyper-invasive clinical isolate of Campylobacter jejuni, 01/51. A random transposon mutant library was screened in an in vitro assay of invasion and 26 mutants with a significant reduction in invasion were identified. Given that the invasion potential of C. jejuni is relatively poor compared to other enteric pathogens, the use of a hyper-invasive strain was advantageous as it greatly facilitated the identification of mutants with reduced invasion. The location of the transposon insertion in 23 of these mutants has been determined; all but three of the insertions are in genes also present in the genome-sequenced strain NCTC 11168. Eight of the mutants contain transposon insertions in one region of the genome (approximately 14 kb), which when compared with the genome of NCTC 11168 overlaps with one of the previously reported plasticity regions and is likely to be involved in genomic variation between strains. Further characterization of one of the mutants within this region has identified a gene that might be involved in adhesion to host cells.
Javed
Muhammad Afzal
MA
School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
Grant
Andrew J
AJ
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
Bagnall
Mary C
MC
Veterinary Laboratories Agency (Weybridge), New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Maskell
Duncan J
DJ
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
Newell
Diane G
DG
Veterinary Laboratories Agency (Weybridge), New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
Manning
Georgina
G
School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009154:Mutation; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements