The contribution of PmrAB to the virulence of a clinical isolate of Escherichia coli.
Previous data from our laboratory suggest a relationship between increased pmrAB expression and virulence in an Escherichia coli mouse infection model of pyelonephritis. Competitive infections with wild type and pmrAB mutants showed that disruption of pmrAB caused decreased persistence of E. coli within the mouse kidney. These results were confirmed with plasmid-mediated complementation of the pmrAB mutant. Additionally, increased expression of pmrAB from this complementing plasmid in a previously attenuated marA-rob-soxS triple mutant displayed increased bacterial persistence in the infection when compared with the triple mutant alone. These findings suggest a role for this two-component regulatory system in the virulence of E. coli in a murine pyelonephritis model.
Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance and the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology; Tufts University School of Medicine; Boston, MA USA.
Douglas M
DM
Warner
Valérie
V
Duval
Stuart B
SB
Levy
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D051379:Mice; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C409039:PmrB protein, bacteria; D014157:Transcription Factors; D037521:Virulence Factors; C081902:pmrA protein, Bacteria
E. coli; infection; kidney; pmrAB