title: Plasmid-encoded MCP is involved in virulence, motility, and biofilm formation of Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544.
abstract: The aim of this study was to elucidate the function of the plasmid-borne mcp (methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein) gene, which plays pleiotropic roles in Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544. By searching for virulence factors using a random transposon insertion mutant library, we identified and sequenced a new plasmid, pCSA2, in C. sakazakii ATCC 29544. An in silico analysis of pCSA2 revealed that it included six putative open reading frames, and one of them was mcp. The mcp mutant was defective for invasion into and adhesion to epithelial cells, and the virulence of the mcp mutant was attenuated in rat pups. In addition, we demonstrated that putative MCP regulates the motility of C. sakazakii, and the expression of the flagellar genes was enhanced in the absence of a functional mcp gene. Furthermore, a lack of the mcp gene also impaired the ability of C. sakazakii to form a biofilm. Our results demonstrate a regulatory role for MCP in diverse biological processes, including the virulence of C. sakazakii ATCC 29544. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to elucidate a potential function of a plasmid-encoded MCP homolog in the C. sakazakii sequence type 8 (ST8) lineage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Younho
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seongok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyelyeon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Pyo
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea sangryu@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sangryeol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ryu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002460:Cell Line; D044083:Cronobacter sakazakii / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010957:Plasmids; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins