Journal article
Expression of Kingella kingae Type IV Pili Is Regulated by sigma(54), PilS, and PilR
Journal of bacteriology, Vol.191(15), pp.4976-4986
08/01/2009
DOI: 10.1128/JB.00123-09
PMCID: PMC2715724
PMID: 19465661
Abstract
Kingella kingae is a member of the Neisseriaceae and is being recognized increasingly as an important cause of serious disease in children. Recent work has demonstrated that K. kingae expresses type IV pili that mediate adherence to respiratory epithelial and synovial cells and are selected against during invasive disease. In the current study, we examined the genome of K. kingae strain 269-492 and identified homologs of the rpoN and the pilS and pilR genes that are essential for pilus expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa but not in the pathogenic Neisseria species. The disruption of either rpoN or pilR in K. kingae resulted in a marked reduction in the level of transcript for the major pilus subunit (pilA1) and eliminated piliation. In contrast, the disruption of pilS resulted in only partial reduction in the level of pilA1 transcript and a partial decrease in piliation. Furthermore, the disruption of pilS in colony variants with high-density piliation resulted in variants with low-density piliation. Mutations in the promoter region of pilA1 and gel shift analysis demonstrated that both sigma(54) and PilR act directly at the pilA1 promoter, with PilR binding to two repetitive elements. These data suggest that the regulation of K. kingae type IV pilus expression is complex and multilayered, influenced by both the genetic state and environmental cues.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Expression of Kingella kingae Type IV Pili Is Regulated by sigma(54), PilS, and PilR
- Creators
- Thomas E. Kehl-Fie - Washington University in St. LouisEric A. Porsch - Duke UniversitySara E. Miller - Duke University HospitalJoseph W. St. Geme - Duke University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of bacteriology, Vol.191(15), pp.4976-4986
- Publisher
- Amer Soc Microbiology
- DOI
- 10.1128/JB.00123-09
- PMID
- 19465661
- PMCID
- PMC2715724
- ISSN
- 0021-9193
- eISSN
- 1098-5530
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- T32GM007067 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) T32-GM07067 / NIH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/01/2009
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Record Identifier
- 9984618635402771
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