This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Site-directed mutagenesis is typically used to inactivate wild-type (wt) Gram-negative bacteria. However, virulence genes have often not been identified, thus making attenuated strains difficult to construct. We hypothesized that attenuation of virulent bacteria by forcing the expression of various appendages (e.g., fimbriae, needles, or capsules) represents an alternative approach to inactivating wt bacteria, thereby allowing these mutants to be used as live vaccines while still stimulating a robust immune response. To test this hypothesis, the Yersinia pestis capsule antigen F1 (F1-Ag) was selected. Secretion of F1-Ag is dependent upon the formation of a secretion apparatus encoded by the caf operon that includes an usher protein that forms into channels in the bacterial outer membrane (OM), allowing secretion of F1-Ag. We evaluated whether overexpression of this protein secretion apparatus in the OM would adversely affect the bacterium, thereby, influencing channel-mediated attenuation. We hypothesize that overexpression of the usher Caf1A protein, when assembled into channels, will attenuate Salmonella, and this avirulent mutant will render protection against wt Salmonella challenge. To study this possibility, we investigated whether overexpression of the entire caf operon in wt Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium would attenuate Salmonella and found that overexpression of the Caf1 capsule can significantly attenuate S. typhimurium both in vitro and in vivo. Through a series of gene deletions in the caf operon, we demonstrated that the observed capsule-mediated Salmonella attenuation can be caused by any of the caf operon genes, including caf1A, caf1M, and caf1. Currently, we are investigating whether the attenuated Salmonella will be able to serve as a live vaccine for salmonellosis. We will further investigate the underlying mechanism involved in this novel attenuation strategy via microarray technology.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 235 publications
