The small RNA chaperone Hfq is required for the virulence of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.
Bacterial small, noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) participate in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, often by affecting protein translation, transcript stability, and/or protein activity. For proper function, many sRNAs rely on the chaperone Hfq, which mediates the interaction of the sRNA with its target mRNA. Recent studies have demonstrated that Hfq contributes to the pathogenesis of a number of bacterial species, suggesting that sRNAs play an essential role in the regulation of virulence. The enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis causes the disease yersiniosis. Here we show that Hfq is required by Y. pseudotuberculosis to cause mortality in an intragastric mouse model of infection, and a strain lacking Hfq is attenuated 1,000-fold compared to the wild type. Hfq is also required for virulence through the intraperitoneal route of infection and for persistence of the bacterium in the Peyer's patches, mesenteric lymph nodes, and spleen, suggesting a role for Hfq in systemic infection. Furthermore, the Deltahfq mutant of Y. pseudotuberculosis is hypermotile and displays increased production of a biosurfactant-like substance, reduced intracellular survival in macrophages, and decreased production of type III secretion effector proteins. Together, these data demonstrate that Hfq plays a critical role in the virulence of Y. pseudotuberculosis by participating in the regulation of multiple steps in the pathogenic process and further highlight the unique role of Hfq in the virulence of individual pathogens.
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Chelsea A
CA
Schiano
Lauren E
LE
Bellows
Wyndham W
WW
Lathem
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D035001:Host Factor 1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000382:microbiology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014774:Virulence; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015012:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D035001:Host Factor 1 Protein; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering