Expression of the antifeeding gene anfA1 in Serratia entomophila requires rpoS

The rpoS gene of Serratia entomophila BC4B was cloned and used to create rpoS-mutant strain BC4BRS. Larvae of the New Zealand grass grub Costelytra zealandica infected with BC4BRS became amber colored but continued to feed, albeit to a lesser extent than infected larvae. Subsequently, we found that expression of the antifeeding gene anfA1 in trans was substantially reduced in BC4BRS relative to that in the parental strain BC4B. Our data show that a functional rpoS gene is vital for full expression of anfA1 and for development of the antifeeding component of amber disease.