GSE118188
RNA Sequencing Based Transcriptional Overview of Xerotolerance in Cronobacter sakazakii SP291
Cronobacter sakazakii is a xerotolerant neonatal pathogen epidemiologically linked to powdered infant food formula, often leading to high mortality rates. Here, we used RNA-seq to provide physiological and transcriptional insights into the survival of C. sakazakii in desiccated conditions. Our RNA-seq data shows that about 22% of the total C. sakazakii genes were significantly up-regulated and 9% were down-regulated during desiccation survival. When qRT-PCR was used to validate the RNA-seq data, we found that the primary desiccation response was gradually down-regulated during the tested four hours of desiccation while the secondary response remained constitutively up-regulated. The desiccation tolerance of C. sakazakii was dependent on the immediate microenvironment surrounding the bacterial cell. Removal of TSB salts and that the introduction of sterile infant formula residues in the microenvironment enhanced the desiccation survival of C. sakazakii SP291. The trehalose biosynthetic pathway encoded by otsA and otsB, a prominent secondary bacterial desiccation response, was highly up-regulated in desiccated C. sakazakii. C. sakazakii SP291 ?otsAB was significantly inhibited compared to the wild type in an eight hour desiccation survival assay confirming the physiological importance of trehalose in desiccation survival. Overall, we provide a comprehensive RNA-seq based transcriptional overview and the phenotypic importance of trehalose metabolism in Cronobacter sakazakii during desiccation. Overall design: Bacterial transcriptomic profile of desiccated and early stationary phase (ESP; WT) conditions were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicates, using Illumina HiSeq2500.