A novel paralogous gene family involved in phase-variable flagella-mediated motility in Campylobacter jejuni

被引:130
作者
Karlyshev, AV
Linton, D
Gregson, NA
Wren, BW
机构
[1] Univ London London Sch Hyg & Trop Med, Dept Infect & Trop Dis, London WC1E 7HT, England
[2] KCL, Div Clin Neurosci, Dept Neuroimmunol, London SE1 1UL, England
来源
MICROBIOLOGY-SGM | 2002年 / 148卷
关键词
C; jejuni; flagellar biosynthesis; phase variation; slipped-strand mispairing; genetic instability;
D O I
10.1099/00221287-148-2-473
中图分类号
Q93 [微生物学];
学科分类号
071005 ; 100705 ;
摘要
Flagella-mediated motility is recognized to be one of the major factors contributing to virulence in Campylobacter jejuni. Motility of this bacterium is known to be phase variable, although the mechanism of such variation remains unknown. C, jejuni genome sequencing revealed a number of genes prone to phase variation via a slipped-strand mispairing mechanism. Many of these genes are hypothetical and are clustered in the regions involved in formation of three major cell surface structures: capsular polysaccharide, lipooligosaccharide and flagella. Among the genes of unknown function, the flagellar biosynthesis and modification region contains seven hypothetical paralogous genes designated as the motility accessory factor (maf) family. Remarkably, two of these genes (maf1 and maf4) were found to be identical and both contain homopolymeric G tracts. Using insertional mutagenesis it was demonstrated that one of the genes, maf5, is involved in formation of flagella. Phase variation of the maf1 gene via slipped-strand mispairing partially restored motility of the maf5 mutant. The maf family represents a new class of bacterial genes related to flagellar biosynthesis and phase variation. Reversible expression of flagella may be advantageous for the adaptation of C. jejuni to the varied in vivo and ex vivo environments encountered during its life cycle, as well in evasion of the host immune response.
引用
收藏
页码:473 / 480
页数:8
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