ISSN:
1617-4623
Keywords:
Key wordsListeria monocytogenes inlGHE locus
;
inlC2DE locus
;
internalin multigene family
;
leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins
;
Listeria virulence
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract In this work we identified and characterized a gene cluster containing three internalin genes of Listeria monocytogenes EGD. These genes, termed inlG, inlH and inlE, encode proteins of 490, 548 and 499 amino acids, respectively, which belong to the family of large, cell wall-bound internalins. The inlGHE gene cluster is flanked by two listerial house-keeping genes encoding proteins homologous to the 6-phospho-β-glucosidase and the succinyl-diaminopimelate desuccinylase of E. coli. A similar internalin gene cluster, inlC2DE, localised to the same position on the L. monocytogenes EGD chromosome was recently described in a different isolate (Dramsi S, Dehoux P, Lebrun M, Goossens PL, Cossart P (1997) Infect Immun 65: 1615–1625). Sequence comparison of the two inl gene clusters indicates that inlG is a new internalin gene, while inlH was generated by a site-specific recombination, leading to an in-frame deletion which removed the 3′-terminal end of inlC2 and the 5′-terminal part of inlD. The third gene of the inlGHE cluster, inlE, is almost identical to the previously reported inlE gene. Our data show that the inlGHE gene cluster is probably transcribed from a major PrfA- independent promoter located upstream of inlG. PCR analysis revealed the presence of the newly identified inl genes inlG and inlH in most L. monocytogenes isolates tested. A mutant which has lost inlG, inlH and inlE by an in-frame deletion exhibited, after oral infection of mice, a significant loss in virulence and shows drastically reduced numbers of viable bacteria in both liver and spleen when compared to the wild-type strain.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004380050880
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