title: Peptidoglycan Acetylation of Campylobacter jejuni Is Essential for Maintaining Cell Wall Integrity and Colonization in Chicken Intestines.
abstract: Peptidoglycan (PG) acetylation of Gram-positive bacteria confers lysozyme resistance and contributes to survival in the host. However, the importance of PG acetylation in Gram-negative bacteria has not been fully elucidated. The genes encoding putative PG acetyltransferase A (PatA) and B (PatB) are highly conserved in Campylobacter jejuni, the predominant cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. To evaluate the importance of PatA and PatB of C. jejuni, we constructed patA and patB isogenic mutants and compared their phenotypes with those of the parental strains. Although transmission electron microscopy did not reveal morphological changes, both mutants exhibited decreased motility and biofilm formation in vitro The extent of acetylation of the PG purified from the patA and patB mutants was significantly lower than the PG acetylation in the parental strains. Both mutants exhibited decreased lysozyme resistance and intracellular survival in macrophage cells. In a chick colonization experiment, significant colonization deficiency was observed for both mutants. These results suggest that PatA and PatB of C. jejuni play important roles in maintaining cell wall integrity by catalyzing PG O-acetylation and that the loss of these enzymes causes decreased motility and biofilm formation, thus leading to colonization deficiency in chicken infection.
  
  
  
  The importance of peptidoglycan (PG) acetylation in Gram-negative bacteria has not been fully elucidated. The genes encoding putative PG acetyltransferase A (PatA) and B (PatB) are highly conserved in Campylobacter jejuni, the predominant cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. We evaluated the importance of these enzymes using isogenic mutants. The results of this study suggest that PatA and PatB of C. jejuni play important roles in maintaining cell wall integrity. The loss of these factors caused multiple phenotypic changes, leading to colonization deficiency in chicken infection. These data should be useful in developing novel control measures to prevent chicken colonization by C. jejuni Inhibitors of the PG acetylation enzymes PatA and PatB might serve as potent anti-C. jejuni agents.
authors: Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Taketoshi
authors: T
authors: Iwata
authors: Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Watanabe
authors: Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Kusumoto
authors: Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan akiba@affrc.go.jp.
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Akiba
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D000123:Acetyltransferases