title: Shedding of genes that interfere with the pathogenic lifestyle: the Shigella model.
abstract: Pathoadaptive mutations are evolutionary events leading to the silencing of specific anti-virulence loci. This reshapes the core genome of a novel pathogen, adapts it to the host and boosts its harmful potential. A paradigmatic case is the emergence of Shigella, the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, from its innocuous Escherichia coli ancestor. Here we summarize current views on how pathoadaptation has allowed Shigella to progressively increase its virulence. In this context, modification of the polyamine pattern emerges as a crucial step towards full expression of the virulence program in Shigella.
authors: Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie C Darwin, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors: Gianni
authors: G
authors: Prosseda
authors: Maria Letizia
authors: ML
authors: Di Martino
authors: Rosaria
authors: R
authors: Campilongo
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Fioravanti
authors: Gioacchino
authors: G
authors: Micheli
authors: Mariassunta
authors: M
authors: Casalino
authors: Bianca
authors: B
authors: Colonna
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D012760:Shigella / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence