title: Inactivation of clpB in the pathogen Leptospira interrogans reduces virulence and resistance to stress conditions.
abstract: Leptospira interrogans is the causative agent of leptospirosis, which is an emerging zoonotic disease. Resistance to stress conditions is largely uncharacterized for this bacterium. We therefore decided to analyze a clpB mutant that we obtained by random transposon mutagenesis. The mutant did not produce any of the two isoforms of ClpB. The clpB mutant exhibited growth defects at 30° and 37°C and in poor nutrient medium and showed increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, whereas the genetically complemented strain was restored in ClpB expression and in vitro wild-type growth. We also showed that the clpB mutant was attenuated in virulence in an animal model of acute leptospirosis. Our findings demonstrate that ClpB is involved in the general stress response. The chaperone is also necessary, either directly or indirectly, for the virulence of the pathogen L. interrogans.
authors: Unité de Biologie des Spirochètes, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors: Kristel
authors: K
authors: Lourdault
authors: Gustavo M
authors: GM
authors: Cerqueira
authors: Elsio A
authors: EA
authors: Wunder
authors: Mathieu
authors: M
authors: Picardeau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D020033:Protein Isoforms