Role of hns in the virulence phenotype of pathogenic salmonellae

A TnphoA-generated mutant C5060, attenuated for virulence, was derived from the mouse-virulent Salmonella typhimurium strain C5. This mutation, designated hns-112::TnphoA, harbours the transposon in the 3 end of hns, with the alkaline phosphatase open reading frame in the opposite orientation to that of hns. Bacterial strains harbouring hns-112::TnphoA were mucoid and had altered levels of DNA supercoiling, as monitored using pUC18 as a reporter plasmid. Transduction of hns-112::TnphoA into mouse virulent strains, including S. typhimurium SL1344 and Salmonella enteritidis Se795, resulted in attenuation. When an independent hns mutation, harbouring a kanamycin-resistance cassette inserted into the Kpnl site at base pair 237 of the hns gene, was introduced into S. typhimurium C5, the isolates were also attenuated. S. typhimurium C5 isolates harbouring the multicopy plasmid pGB651, which encodes the Escherichia coli hns gene, were partially attenuated in mice. Transductional analysis, using Tn10 insertions located close to the hns gene, showed that virulence could be restored In genetic crosses that eliminated the resident hns mutations. However, some hns⁺ transductants were stilt attenuated, suggesting that secondary attenuating lesions can accumulate in hns-deficient strains. These studies show that the hns locus plays a role in Salmonella virulence.     

GacS-dependent regulation of enzymic and antifungal activities and synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acylhomoserine lactones in rhizospheric strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas chlororaphis</Emphasis> 449

Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain 449 isolated from the rhizosphere of maize suppresses numerous plant pathogens in vitro. The strain produces phenazine antibiotics and synthesizes at least three types of quorum sensing signaling molecules, N-acylhomoserine lactones. Here we have shown that the rhizospheric P. chlororaphis strains 449, well known strain 30–84 as well as two other P. chlororaphis strains exhibit polygalacturonase activity. Using mini-Tn5 transposon mutagenesis, four independent mutants of strain P. chlororaphis 449 with insertion of mini-Tn5 Km2 in gene gacS of two-component GacA-GacS system of global regulation were selected. All these mutant strains were deficient in production of extracellular proteinase(s), phenazines, N-acylhomoserine lactones synthesis, and did not inhibit the growth of G⁺ bacteria in comparison with the wild type strain. The P. chlororaphis 449-06 gacS ⁻ mutant studied in greater detail was deficient in polygalacturonase, pectin methylesterase activities, swarming motility and antifungal activity. It is the first time the involvement of GacA-GacS system in the regulation of enzymes of pectin metabolism, polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase, was demonstrated in fluorescent pseudomonads.     

Construction of a food-grade multiple-copy integration system for Lactococcus lactis

A food-grade vector system was developed that allows stable integration of multiple plasmid copies in the chromosome of Lactococcus lactis. The vector consists of the plus origin of replication (Ori⁺) of the lactococcal plasmid pWV01, the sucrose genes of the lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus PPE1.0 as selectable marker, a multiple-cloning site, and a lactococcal DNA fragment of a well-characterized chromosomal region. The system includes two L. lactis strains, LL108 and LL302, which produce the pWV01 RepA protein essential for replication of the Ori⁺ vectors. These helper strains allow the construction and isolation of the replicating form of the integration plasmids from a homologous background. Single-cross-over integration of the plasmids in L. lactis MG1363 resulted in amplifications to a level of approximately 20 copies/chromosome after selection of the transformants on medium containing sucrose as the only fermentable sugar. The amplifications were stable under selective growth conditions. In glucose-containing medium a limited loss of integrated plasmid copies was detected at a rate of (7.5–15) × 10⁻² copies per generation. One strain, MG124, was isolated that had retained 11 integrated copies after a period of 120 generations of non-selective growth. These results show that the single-cross-over integration system described here represents a simple procedure for the engineering of stable food-grade strains carrying multiple copies of a gene of interest. Received: 23 September 1997 / Received revision: 21 November 1997 / Accepted: 21 November 1997     

rtpA, a gene encoding a bacterial two-component sensor kinase, determines pathogenic traits ofPseudomonas tolaasii, the causal agent of brown blotch disease of a cultivated mushroom,Pleurotus ostreatus

Pseudomonas tolaasii strain PT814 produces extracellular toxins, tolaasins, and a volatile toxin, tovsin, that are responsible for the induction of brown blotch and rotting, respectively, in a cultivated mushroom,Pleurotus ostreatus. Insertions of single transposon mini-Tn5Km 1 into the chromosome ofP. tolaasii strain PT814 generated mutants that are pleiotropically defective in tolaasin and protease production, and altered in colony morphology. The mutants, however, produce tovsin at the level of wild-type. Variants phenotypically similar to the pleiotropic mutants ofP. tolaasii strain PT814 spontaneously occurred inP. tolaasii strain S8501 at 22–30°C in vitro. The occurrence of variants was significantly reduced in the presence of extracts ofP ostreatus or at a temperature of 15–20°C. ThertpA gene (rtpA=regulator gene of tolaasin production and other pleiotropic traits) isolated from aP. tolaasii strain PT814 gene library restored the wild-type phenotype in both the mini-Tn5km 1 insertion and spontaneous mutants. mini-Tn5km 1 insertions were also located in the allele ofrtpA. Nucleotide sequencing of thertpA DNA revealed an open reading frame of 2,751 bp predicted to encode a protein consisting of 917 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 100.6 kDa and displaying the conserved amino acid sequence of both sensor, and receiver domains of “bacterial two-component regulators”. The data suggest that the machinery responding to environmental stimuli is essential for the pathogenic interaction ofP. tolaasii with the mushroom.     

Senescence associated with the over-replication of a mitochondrial retroplasmid in Neurospora crassa

Mitochondrial DNA rearrangements and deletions are a prevailing feature of filamentous fungal cultures that undergo senescence. In Neurospora spp., strains containing the Mauriceville and Varkud mitochondrial retroplasmids routinely senesce at elevated temperatures, a process that is initiated by the integration of variant forms of the plasmids into the mitochondrial genome. Here, we describe a strain that is phenotypically distinguishable from previously characterized senescent strains and show that senescence can occur in the absence of plasmid integration and associated alterations in mitochondrial DNA. The MS4416 strain contains a unique variant of the Mauriceville retroplasmid, and undergoes senescence at highly predictable frequencies at 37°, 25° and 18 °C. Decline in vegetative growth rate correlates with increased levels of the variant plasmid and alterations in the synthesis of mitochondrially encoded proteins, suggesting that plasmid over-replication interferes with mitochondrial translation. We also report the isolation of a mutant strain that escapes senescence yet still maintains high levels of the variant plasmid. Its ability to tolerate a growth-suppressive retroplasmid suggests that there are mechanisms in Neurospora which compensate for the deleterious effects that plasmid over-replication has on mitochondrial function. Received: 12 July 1999 / Accepted: 17 December 1999     

Construction of a trivalent candidate Shigella vaccine strain with host-vector balanced-lethal system

A trivalent liveShigella vaccine candidate FSD01 against S.flexneri 2a, S.sonnei and S.dysenteriae I was constructed. This candidate strain was based on the S.flexneri 2a vaccine T32. By homologous recombination exchange, the chromosomalasd gene of T32 was site-specifically inactivated, resulting in the strain unable to grow normally in LB broth, while anotherasd gene of S.mutans was employed to construct an Asd⁺ complementary vector. This combination ofasd ^- host/Asd⁺ vector formed a balanced-lethal expression system in T32 strain. By use of this system, two important protective antigen genes coding for S.sonnei Form I antigen and Shiga toxin B subunit were cloned and expressed in T32, which led to the construction of trivalent candidate vaccine FSD01. Experimental results showed that this strain was genetically stable, but its recombinant plasmid was non-resistant. Moreover, it was able to effectively express trivalent antigens in one host and induce protective responses in mice against the challenges of the above threeShigella strains.     

Bacteriophage P22 as a vehicle for transducing cosmid gene banks between smooth strains of Salmonella typhimurium: use in identifying a role for aroD in attenuating virulent Salmonella strains

Summary A cosmid gene bank of the virulent Salmonella typhimurium C5 was constructed in Escherichia coli K12. The bank was repackaged into bacteriophage heads and transduced into the semi-rough S. typhimurium strain AS68 which expresses the LamB receptor protein. Approximately 6000 ampicillin-resistant transductants were pooled and used as host for the propagation of bacteriophage P22. The P22 lysate was able to transduce cosmid recombinants to smooth strains of S. typhimurium and individual transductants were selected which complemented various S. typhimurium auxotrophic mutations. A stable mutation was introduced into the aroD gene of S. typhimurium C5. The resulting aroD ^- mutant, named CU038, was highly attenuated compared with the wild-type parent strain and BALB/c mice immunised orally with CU038 were well protected against challenge with the virulent C5 parental strain. Using the cosmid bank repackaged into bacteriophage P22 heads it was possible to isolate cosmid recombinants that could complement the aroD mutation of CU038 either by in vitro selection using minimal medium or in vivo selection for restoration of virulence in BALB/c mice. Repackaged P22 cosmid banks could provide a simple system for selecting in vivo for Salmonella virulence determinants. A Salmonella typhi strain harbouring mutations in aroA and aroD was constructed for potential use as a live oral typhoid vaccine in humans.     

Extracellular expression of human epidermal growth factor encoded by an Escherichia coli K-12 plasmid stabilized by the ytl2-incR system of Salmonella typhimurium

A plasmid stabilization system, active in high copy-number plasmids, was cloned from the large resident plasmid, pSLT, of Salmonella typhimurium. The ytl2 gene, together with a 249-bp region (termed incR) downstream of the gene, imparted >10⁴-fold stability to a pBR322-based plasmid. The ytl2-incR region was then used to stabilize a recombinant plasmid carrying the human epidermal growth factor gene (with the Escherichia coli K-12 ompA signal sequence), behind the lacUV5 promoter. In shake flask tests to optimize expression of human epidermal growth factor, loss of recombinant plasmid was <1% when growth (both before and after induction with isopropyl-β-d-galactopyranoside) took place even in the absence of antibiotic selection, and the specific activity of secreted human epidermal growth factor was ca 20 μg per 10⁸ cells at harvest, compared to a figure of ca 3 μg per 10⁸ cells when a comparable plasmid, but devoid of the ytl2-incR region, was employed, as outgrowth of plasmid-free cells after induction severely compromised the specific activity of the secreted product. Received 2 June 1998/ Accepted in revised form 15 July 1998     

Identification and genetic characterization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosaleuB gene encoding 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa leuB gene, encoding 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, was identified upstream of asd, encoding aspartate-β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Genetic analysis indicated that leuB is identical to the previously mapped gene defined by the leu-10 allele. The chromosomal leuB locus was inactivated by gene replacement. The insertions had no adverse effect on expression of the downstream asd gene but resulted in leucine auxotrophy. The leuB gene encodes a protein containing 360 amino acids (with a molecular weight of 39153), which was expressed in Escherichia coli as a M, 42000 protein. The results suggested that, in contrast to the situation in other bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus subtilis) the P. aeruginosa leuB gene is physically separated from the genes encoding the other enzymes of the isopropylmalate pathway. Received: 15 August 1996 / Accepted: 23 October 1996     

Construction of a trivalent candidate vaccine against Shigella species with DNA recombination

In this work asd gene of Shigella flexneri 2a strain T32 was replaced by Vibrio cholerae toxin B subunit (ctxB) gene with DNA recombination in vivo and in vitro. The resulting derivative of T32, designed as FWL01, could stably express CtxB, but its growth in LB medium depended on the presence of diaminopimelic acid (DAP). Then form I plasmid of Shigella sonnei strain S7 was labeled with strain T32 asd gene and mobilized into FWL01. Thus a trivalent candidate oral vaccine strain, designed as FSW01, was constructed. In this candidate strain, a balanced-lethal system was constituted between the host strain and the form I plasmid expressing S. sonnei O antigen. Therefore the candidate strain can express stably not only its own O antigen but also CtxB and O antigen of S. sonnei in the absence of any antibiotic. Experiments showed that FSW01 did not invade HeLa cells or cause keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs. However, rabbits immunized FSW01 can elicit significant immune responses. In mice and rhesus monkey models, vaccinated animals were protected against the challenges of wild S. flexneri 2a strain 2457T and S. sonnei strain S9.     

Manipulation of the DNA coding for the desulphurizing activity in a new isolate of Arthrobacter sp.

A new bacterial strain able to cleave CS bonds from organosulphur heterocyclic compounds through the 4-S pathway and tentatively classified as Arthrobacter sp. was recently isolated. In the present short article we describe the cloning and the characterization of the DNA encoding the enzymes responsible for desulphurization in this microorganism, referred to as Arthrobacter sp. DS7. The desulphurization operon was found to be located in a large plasmid that also bears the genes conferring cadmium and arsenic resistance. By shortening this plasmid, a new cloning vector was prepared and used to obtain a recombinant derivative strain that desulphurizes dibenzothiophene despite of the presence of inorganic sulphur in the growth medium. Received: 25 May 1998 / Received revision: 4 September 1998 / Accepted: 13 September 1998     

High-level expression of a recombinant protein in Klebsiella planticola owing to induced secretion into the culture medium

The Tn5-based transposon Tn5-KIL3 (Miksch et al. 1997c) bearing the kil gene of the ColE1 plasmid of Escherichia coli, which mediates controlled export of periplasmic proteins into the culture medium, was stably integrated into the chromosome of Klebsiella planticola with high transposition frequency. A Bacillus hybrid β-glucanase located on an RSF1010-derived plasmid was mobilized from E.coli to K. planticola and used as a reporter protein to select strains with high expression and secretion competence. During fermentation experiments it was shown that the production of β-glucanase in K. planticola was improved to an unexpectedly high level when the enzyme was secreted into the medium. Due to the stationary-phase promoter used for the expression of the kil gene the secretion of β-glucanase into the medium started at the transition from the exponential to the stationary phase, as in E. coli, and the fraction of secreted protein reached 90%. The results showed that K. planticola may represent an interesting organism for the production of heterologous proteins. Received: 22 July 1998 / Received revision: 25 November 1998 / Accepted: 29 November 1998     

Identification of a hotspot for transformation of Neisseria meningitidis by shuttle mutagenesis using signature-tagged transposons

Shuttle mutagenesis using signature-tagged transposons was employed to generate a library of individually tagged mutants of the Neisseria meningitidis strain B1940, which belongs to serogroup B. The use of tagged transposons allowed us to monitor for enrichment for single mutants during the process of shuttle mutagenesis, by amplification of the tags and subsequent sequence determination. Enrichment of a single clone occurred during the transformation of the meningococci with transposon-containing plasmid DNA. Sequence determination around the site of transposon insertion revealed that the transposon had mutagenized a previously unknown locus, which was designated hrtA (high rate of transformation). hrtA-mediated transformation was independent of TnMax5 and tag sequences, and it most probably involved recombination events. The hrtA locus is restricted to meningococci and gonococci and is present in few apathogenic neisserial species. Chromosomal mapping of hrtA and six further hrt sites revealed a random distribution of highly transforming DNA fragments on the meningococcal chromosome. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that shuttle mutagenesis of naturally competent bacteria using signature-tagged transposons allows the isolation of chromosomal DNA fragments, which exhibit a high transformation efficiency, and which, therefore, are likely to be involved in horizontal gene transfer. Received: 12 January 1998 / Accepted: 30 April 1998     

Flux through the tetrahydrodipicolinate succinylase pathway is dispensable for l-lysine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum

The N-succinyl-ll-diaminopimelate desuccinylase gene (dapE) in the four-step succinylase branch of the l-lysine biosynthetic pathway of Corynebacterium glutamicum was disrupted via marker-exchange mutagenesis to create a mutant strain that uses only the one-step meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase branch to overproduce lysine. This mutant strain grew and utilized glucose from minimal medium at the same rate as the parental strain. In addition, the dapE  ⁻ strain produced lysine at the same rate as its parent strain. Transformation of the parental and dapE  ⁻ strains with the amplified meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase gene (ddh) on a plasmid did not affect lysine production in either strain, despite an eightfold amplification of the activity of the enzyme. These results indicate that the four-step succinylase pathway is dispensable for lysine overproduction in shake-flask culture. In addition, the one-step meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase pathway does not limit lysine flux in Corynebacterium under these conditions. Received: 20 May 1998 / Received revision: 12 August 1998 / Accepted: 3 September 1998     

Klebsiella aerogenes Strain Carrying Drug-Resistance Determinants and a lac Plasmid

In addition to carrying determinants conferring resistance to at least two antibiotics, chloramphenicol and streptomycin, a Klebsiella aerogenes strain contains a plasmid responsible for increased β-galactosidase activity. The plasmid can be transferred to Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium strains. K. aerogenes segregants without the plasmid grow on lactose one-half as fast as the parent strain and contain only one-tenth to one-fifth as much β-galactosidase.     

Heterotrophic bacteria of the freshwater neuston and their ability to act as plasmid recipients under nutrient deprived conditions

Significantly higher numbers of Gram-negative heterotrophic bacteria were present at the air-water interface (neston) of freshwater lakes than in the bulk water. Neuston bacteria were distinguished as a population distinct from bacteria in the bulk water by a higher incidence of pigmented colony types and significantly greater levels of multiple resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. The incidence of plasmids in 236 neuston and 229 bulk water strains were similar (14 and 16.2%, respectively). Nine of 168 plasmid-free strains and 2 of 14 plasmid carrying strains, isolated from both bulk water and neuston, acted as recipients of plasmid R68.45 in plate matings with aPseudomonas aeruginosa donor strain PAO4032 at 21°C, but at frequencies below that of matings with a restriction-minus recipient strain ofP. aeruginosa, strain PAO1168. In a model system composed of nutrient-free synthetic lake water, plasmid R68.45 was shown to transfer betweenP. aeruginosa strains at frequencies between 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁵. Transconjugants were detected about 100 times more frequently at the interface than in the bulk water, which in part reflected a greater enrichment of the donor at this site. None of the aquatic isolates were able to act as recipients of plasmid R68.45 in this model system with strain PAO4032 as donor. The results suggest that under nutrient deprived conditions, the spread of plasmid R68.45 and similar plasmids by lateral transfer into this particular aquatic population would be a rare event.     

Protection of Mice Against Challenge with Homologous and Heterologous Serovars of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae After Live Vaccination

Protective immune responses and the virulence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) have been attributed, in part, to toxins (Apx) produced by the bacterium. A mutant of the serovar 7 strain HS93 (HS93Tox⁻), lacking the genes encoding the structural toxin ApxA and the post-translational activating protein ApxC, but retaining the genes required for secretion ApxB and ApxD, was isolated and shown to be attenuated in a mouse model. A plasmid vector system was developed and used to express the ApxA gene from within the HS93Tox⁻ strain. The resulting strain, HS93Tox⁻/pIG-T1K, expresses the Apx structural protein in a non-activated form. HS93Tox⁻/pIG-T1K was shown to be attenuated in a mouse model and to be capable of inducing Apx-specific antibodies, which were boosted on re-inoculation. Live vaccination of mice with HS93Tox⁻/pIG-T1K offered protection against homologous wild-type serovar 7 challenge, and also heterologous challenge with a serovar 1 strain. This is in contrast to vaccination with the HS93Tox⁻ strain, which failed to protect mice against a heterologous challenge. Received: 13 April 1998 / Accepted: 16 June 1998     

Different impacts of pMP19 on the virulence of Melissococcus plutonius strains with different genetic backgrounds

Virulence factors responsible for bacterial pathogenicity are often encoded by plasmids. In Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agent of European foulbrood of honey bees, a putative virulence plasmid (pMP19) possessing mtxA, which encodes a putative insecticidal toxin, was found by comparative genome analyses. However, as the role of pMP19 in the pathogenesis of European foulbrood remains to be elucidated, we generated pMP19 cured-M. plutonius from representative strains of the three genetically distinct groups (CC3, CC12 and CC13) and compared their virulence against Apis mellifera larvae using our in vitro infection model. Under the conditions tested, the loss of pMP19 abrogated the pathogenicity in CC3 strains, and > 94% of pMP19-cured CC3 strain-infected larvae became adult bees, suggesting that pMP19 is a virulence determinant of CC3 strains. However, introduction of mtxA on its own did not increase the virulence of pMP19-cured strains. In contrast to CC3 strains, the representative CC12 strain remained virulent even in the absence of pMP19, whereas the representative CC13 strain was avirulent even in the presence of the plasmid. Thus, pMP19 plays a role in the virulence of M. plutonius; however, its impact on the virulence varies among strains with different genetic backgrounds.