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Journal of Bacteriology, August 2001, p. 4687-4693, Vol. 183, No. 16
Department of Bacteriology, University of
Wisconsin
Received 9 March 2001/Accepted 14 May 2001
Xenorhabdus nematophilus, a gram-negative bacterium, is
a mutualist of Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes and a
pathogen of larval-stage insects. We use this organism as a model of
host-microbe interactions to identify the functions bacteria require
for mutualism, pathogenesis, or both. In many gram-negative bacteria,
the transcription factor
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.16.4687-4693.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Xenorhabdus nematophilus as a Model for Host-Bacterium
Interactions: rpoS Is Necessary for Mutualism with
Nematodes
Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
S controls regulons that can
mediate stress resistance, survival, or host interactions. Therefore,
we examined the role of
S in the ability of X. nematophilus to interact with its hosts. We cloned, sequenced,
and disrupted the X. nematophilus rpoS gene that encodes
S. The X. nematophilus rpoS mutant
pathogenized insects as well as its wild-type parent. However, the
rpoS mutant could not mutualistically colonize nematode
intestines. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a specific
allele that affects the ability of X. nematophilus to exist
within nematode intestines, an important step in understanding the
molecular mechanisms of this association.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, 1550 Linden Dr.,
Madison, WI 53706. Phone: (608) 265-4537. Fax: (608) 262-9865. E-mail: hgblair{at}bact.wisc.edu.
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