This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nano, F. E.
Right arrow Articles by Elkins, K. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nano, F. E.
Right arrow Articles by Elkins, K. L.
Right arrowPubmed/NCBI databases
*Protein

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, October 2004, p. 6430-6436, Vol. 186, No. 19
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.19.6430-6436.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

A Francisella tularensis Pathogenicity Island Required for Intramacrophage Growth

Francis E. Nano,1* Na Zhang,1 Siobhán C. Cowley,2 Karl E. Klose,3 Karen K. M. Cheung,1 Michael J. Roberts,1 Jagjit S. Ludu,1 Gregg W. Letendre,1 Anda I. Meierovics,2 Gwen Stephens,4 and Karen L. Elkins2

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria,1 British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,4 Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland,2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas3

Received 19 May 2004/ Accepted 30 June 2004

Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative, facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the highly infectious zoonotic disease tularemia. We have discovered a ca. 30-kb pathogenicity island of F. tularensis (FPI) that includes four large open reading frames (ORFs) of 2.5 to 3.9 kb and 13 ORFs of 1.5 kb or smaller. Previously, two small genes located near the center of the FPI were shown to be needed for intramacrophage growth. In this work we show that two of the large ORFs, located toward the ends of the FPI, are needed for virulence. Although most genes in the FPI encode proteins with amino acid sequences that are highly conserved between high- and low-virulence strains, one of the FPI genes is present in highly virulent type A F. tularensis, absent in moderately virulent type B F. tularensis, and altered in F. tularensis subsp. novicida, which is highly virulent for mice but avirulent for humans. The G+C content of a 17.7-kb stretch of the FPI is 26.6%, which is 6.6% below the average G+C content of the F. tularensis genome. This extremely low G+C content suggests that the DNA was imported from a microbe with a very low G+C-containing chromosome.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, P.O. Box 3055 STN CSC, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C. V8W 3P6, Canada. Phone: (250) 721-7074. Fax: (250) 721-8855. E-mail: fnano{at}uvic.ca.


Journal of Bacteriology, October 2004, p. 6430-6436, Vol. 186, No. 19
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.19.6430-6436.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sharma, J., Li, Q., Mishra, B. B., Pena, C., Teale, J. M. (2009). Lethal pulmonary infection with Francisella novicida is associated with severe sepsis. J. Leukoc. Biol. 86: 491-504 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lesic, B., Starkey, M., He, J., Hazan, R., Rahme, L. G. (2009). Quorum sensing differentially regulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa type VI secretion locus I and homologous loci II and III, which are required for pathogenesis. Microbiology 155: 2845-2855 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Grall, N., Livny, J., Waldor, M., Barel, M., Charbit, A., Meibom, K. L. (2009). Pivotal role of the Francisella tularensis heat-shock sigma factor RpoH. Microbiology 155: 2560-2572 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Buchan, B. W., McCaffrey, R. L., Lindemann, S. R., Allen, L.-A. H., Jones, B. D. (2009). Identification of migR, a Regulatory Element of the Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain iglABCD Virulence Operon Required for Normal Replication and Trafficking in Macrophages. Infect. Immun. 77: 2517-2529 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Meibom, K. L., Forslund, A.-L., Kuoppa, K., Alkhuder, K., Dubail, I., Dupuis, M., Forsberg, A., Charbit, A. (2009). Hfq, a Novel Pleiotropic Regulator of Virulence-Associated Genes in Francisella tularensis. Infect. Immun. 77: 1866-1880 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schmerk, C. L., Duplantis, B. N., Wang, D., Burke, R. D., Chou, A. Y., Elkins, K. L., Ludu, J. S., Nano, F. E. (2009). Characterization of the pathogenicity island protein PdpA and its role in the virulence of Francisella novicida. Microbiology 155: 1489-1497 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schmerk, C. L., Duplantis, B. N., Howard, P. L., Nano, F. E. (2009). A Francisella novicida pdpA mutant exhibits limited intracellular replication and remains associated with the lysosomal marker LAMP-1. Microbiology 155: 1498-1504 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Broms, J. E., Lavander, M., Sjostedt, A. (2009). A Conserved {alpha}-Helix Essential for a Type VI Secretion-Like System of Francisella tularensis. J. Bacteriol. 191: 2431-2446 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pieper, R., Huang, S.-T., Robinson, J. M., Clark, D. J., Alami, H., Parmar, P. P., Perry, R. D., Fleischmann, R. D., Peterson, S. N. (2009). Temperature and growth phase influence the outer-membrane proteome and the expression of a type VI secretion system in Yersinia pestis. Microbiology 155: 498-512 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kraemer, P. S., Mitchell, A., Pelletier, M. R., Gallagher, L. A., Wasnick, M., Rohmer, L., Brittnacher, M. J., Manoil, C., Skerett, S. J., Salama, N. R. (2009). Genome-Wide Screen in Francisella novicida for Genes Required for Pulmonary and Systemic Infection in Mice. Infect. Immun. 77: 232-244 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Qin, A., Scott, D. W., Thompson, J. A., Mann, B. J. (2009). Identification of an Essential Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis Virulence Factor. Infect. Immun. 77: 152-161 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chase, J. C., Celli, J., Bosio, C. M. (2009). Direct and Indirect Impairment of Human Dendritic Cell Function by Virulent Francisella tularensis Schu S4. Infect. Immun. 77: 180-195 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Roth, K. M., Gunn, J. S., Lafuse, W., Satoskar, A. R. (2009). Francisella inhibits STAT1-mediated signaling in macrophages and prevents activation of antigen-specific T cells. Int Immunol 21: 19-28 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chong, A., Wehrly, T. D., Nair, V., Fischer, E. R., Barker, J. R., Klose, K. E., Celli, J. (2008). The Early Phagosomal Stage of Francisella tularensis Determines Optimal Phagosomal Escape and Francisella Pathogenicity Island Protein Expression. Infect. Immun. 76: 5488-5499 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mohapatra, N. P., Soni, S., Reilly, T. J., Liu, J., Klose, K. E., Gunn, J. S. (2008). Combined Deletion of Four Francisella novicida Acid Phosphatases Attenuates Virulence and Macrophage Vacuolar Escape. Infect. Immun. 76: 3690-3699 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brotcke, A., Monack, D. M. (2008). Identification of fevR, a Novel Regulator of Virulence Gene Expression in Francisella novicida. Infect. Immun. 76: 3473-3480 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Oyston, P. C. F. (2008). Francisella tularensis: unravelling the secrets of an intracellular pathogen. J Med Microbiol 57: 921-930 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zogaj, X., Chakraborty, S., Liu, J., Thanassi, D. G., Klose, K. E. (2008). Characterization of the Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida type IV pilus. Microbiology 154: 2139-2150 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chakraborty, S., Monfett, M., Maier, T. M., Benach, J. L., Frank, D. W., Thanassi, D. G. (2008). Type IV Pili in Francisella tularensis: Roles of pilF and pilT in Fiber Assembly, Host Cell Adherence, and Virulence. Infect. Immun. 76: 2852-2861 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Craven, R. R., Hall, J. D., Fuller, J. R., Taft-Benz, S., Kawula, T. H. (2008). Francisella tularensis Invasion of Lung Epithelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 76: 2833-2842 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Qin, A., Scott, D. W., Mann, B. J. (2008). Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 Disulfide Bond Formation Protein B, but Not an RND-Type Efflux Pump, Is Required for Virulence. Infect. Immun. 76: 3086-3092 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ludu, J. S., de Bruin, O. M., Duplantis, B. N., Schmerk, C. L., Chou, A. Y., Elkins, K. L., Nano, F. E. (2008). The Francisella Pathogenicity Island Protein PdpD Is Required for Full Virulence and Associates with Homologues of the Type VI Secretion System. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4584-4595 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Filloux, A., Hachani, A., Bleves, S. (2008). The bacterial type VI secretion machine: yet another player for protein transport across membranes. Microbiology 154: 1570-1583 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Santic, M., Asare, R., Skrobonja, I., Jones, S., Abu Kwaik, Y. (2008). Acquisition of the Vacuolar ATPase Proton Pump and Phagosome Acidification Are Essential for Escape of Francisella tularensis into the Macrophage Cytosol. Infect. Immun. 76: 2671-2677 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rodriguez, S. A., Yu, J.-J., Davis, G., Arulanandam, B. P., Klose, K. E. (2008). Targeted Inactivation of Francisella tularensis Genes by Group II Introns. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 2619-2626 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Maier, T. M., Casey, M. S., Becker, R. H., Dorsey, C. W., Glass, E. M., Maltsev, N., Zahrt, T. C., Frank, D. W. (2007). Identification of Francisella tularensis Himar1-Based Transposon Mutants Defective for Replication in Macrophages. Infect. Immun. 75: 5376-5389 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pukatzki, S., Ma, A. T., Revel, A. T., Sturtevant, D., Mekalanos, J. J. (2007). Type VI secretion system translocates a phage tail spike-like protein into target cells where it cross-links actin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 15508-15513 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Guina, T., Radulovic, D., Bahrami, A. J., Bolton, D. L., Rohmer, L., Jones-Isaac, K. A., Chen, J., Gallagher, L. A., Gallis, B., Ryu, S., Taylor, G. K., Brittnacher, M. J., Manoil, C., Goodlett, D. R. (2007). MglA Regulates Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida (Francisella novicida) Response to Starvation and Oxidative Stress. J. Bacteriol. 189: 6580-6586 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mohapatra, N. P., Soni, S., Bell, B. L., Warren, R., Ernst, R. K., Muszynski, A., Carlson, R. W., Gunn, J. S. (2007). Identification of an Orphan Response Regulator Required for the Virulence of Francisella spp. and Transcription of Pathogenicity Island Genes. Infect. Immun. 75: 3305-3314 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lindemann, S. R., McLendon, M. K., Apicella, M. A., Jones, B. D. (2007). An In Vitro Model System Used To Study Adherence and Invasion of Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain in Nonphagocytic Cells. Infect. Immun. 75: 3178-3182 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Su, J., Yang, J., Zhao, D., Kawula, T. H., Banas, J. A., Zhang, J.-R. (2007). Genome-Wide Identification of Francisella tularensis Virulence Determinants. Infect. Immun. 75: 3089-3101 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sebastian, S., Dillon, S. T., Lynch, J. G., Blalock, L. T., Balon, E., Lee, K. T., Comstock, L. E., Conlan, J. W., Rubin, E. J., Tzianabos, A. O., Kasper, D. L. (2007). A Defined O-Antigen Polysaccharide Mutant of Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain Has Attenuated Virulence while Retaining Its Protective Capacity. Infect. Immun. 75: 2591-2602 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Weiss, D. S., Brotcke, A., Henry, T., Margolis, J. J., Chan, K., Monack, D. M. (2007). In vivo negative selection screen identifies genes required for Francisella virulence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 6037-6042 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gallagher, L. A., Ramage, E., Jacobs, M. A., Kaul, R., Brittnacher, M., Manoil, C. (2007). A comprehensive transposon mutant library of Francisella novicida, a bioweapon surrogate. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 1009-1014 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Raynaud, C., Meibom, K. L., Lety, M.-A., Dubail, I., Candela, T., Frapy, E., Charbit, A. (2007). Role of the wbt Locus of Francisella tularensis in Lipopolysaccharide O-Antigen Biogenesis and Pathogenicity. Infect. Immun. 75: 536-541 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mohapatra, N. P., Balagopal, A., Soni, S., Schlesinger, L. S., Gunn, J. S. (2007). AcpA Is a Francisella Acid Phosphatase That Affects Intramacrophage Survival and Virulence. Infect. Immun. 75: 390-396 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brotcke, A., Weiss, D. S., Kim, C. C., Chain, P., Malfatti, S., Garcia, E., Monack, D. M. (2006). Identification of MglA-Regulated Genes Reveals Novel Virulence Factors in Francisella tularensis. Infect. Immun. 74: 6642-6655 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • LoVullo, E. D., Sherrill, L. A., Perez, L. L., Pavelka, M. S. Jr (2006). Genetic tools for highly pathogenic Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis.. Microbiology 152: 3425-3435 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Petrosino, J. F., Xiang, Q., Karpathy, S. E., Jiang, H., Yerrapragada, S., Liu, Y., Gioia, J., Hemphill, L., Gonzalez, A., Raghavan, T. M., Uzman, A., Fox, G. E., Highlander, S., Reichard, M., Morton, R. J., Clinkenbeard, K. D., Weinstock, G. M. (2006). Chromosome Rearrangement and Diversification of Francisella tularensis Revealed by the Type B (OSU18) Genome Sequence.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 6977-6985 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ben Nasr, A., Haithcoat, J., Masterson, J. E., Gunn, J. S., Eaves-Pyles, T., Klimpel, G. R. (2006). Critical role for serum opsonins and complement receptors CR3 (CD11b/CD18) and CR4 (CD11c/CD18) in phagocytosis of Francisella tularensis by human dendritic cells (DC): uptake of Francisella leads to activation of immature DC and intracellular survival of the bacteria. J. Leukoc. Biol. 80: 774-786 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tempel, R., Lai, X.-H., Crosa, L., Kozlowicz, B., Heffron, F. (2006). Attenuated Francisella novicida Transposon Mutants Protect Mice against Wild-Type Challenge. Infect. Immun. 74: 5095-5105 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gil, H., Platz, G. J., Forestal, C. A., Monfett, M., Bakshi, C. S., Sellati, T. J., Furie, M. B., Benach, J. L., Thanassi, D. G. (2006). Deletion of TolC orthologs in Francisella tularensis identifies roles in multidrug resistance and virulence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 12897-12902 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nix, E. B., Cheung, K. K. M., Wang, D., Zhang, N., Burke, R. D., Nano, F. E. (2006). Virulence of Francisella spp. in Chicken Embryos.. Infect. Immun. 74: 4809-4816 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dempsey, M. P., Nietfeldt, J., Ravel, J., Hinrichs, S., Crawford, R., Benson, A. K. (2006). Paired-End Sequence Mapping Detects Extensive Genomic Rearrangement and Translocation during Divergence of Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis and Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica Populations.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 5904-5914 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Andersson, H., Hartmanova, B., Ryden, P., Noppa, L., Naslund, L., Sjostedt, A. (2006). A microarray analysis of the murine macrophage response to infection with Francisella tularensis LVS.. J Med Microbiol 55: 1023-1033 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Deng, K., Blick, R. J., Liu, W., Hansen, E. J. (2006). Identification of Francisella tularensis Genes Affected by Iron Limitation. Infect. Immun. 74: 4224-4236 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sullivan, J. T., Jeffery, E. F., Shannon, J. D., Ramakrishnan, G. (2006). Characterization of the Siderophore of Francisella tularensis and Role of fslA in Siderophore Production. J. Bacteriol. 188: 3785-3795 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wang, X., McGrath, S. C., Cotter, R. J., Raetz, C. R. H. (2006). Expression Cloning and Periplasmic Orientation of the Francisella novicida Lipid A 4'-Phosphatase LpxF. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 9321-9330 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Maier, T. M., Pechous, R., Casey, M., Zahrt, T. C., Frank, D. W. (2006). In Vivo Himar1-Based Transposon Mutagenesis of Francisella tularensis.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 1878-1885 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pukatzki, S., Ma, A. T., Sturtevant, D., Krastins, B., Sarracino, D., Nelson, W. C., Heidelberg, J. F., Mekalanos, J. J. (2006). Identification of a conserved bacterial protein secretion system in Vibrio cholerae using the Dictyostelium host model system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 1528-1533 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mariathasan, S., Weiss, D. S., Dixit, V. M., Monack, D. M. (2005). Innate immunity against Francisella tularensis is dependent on the ASC/caspase-1 axis. JEM 202: 1043-1049 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Svensson, K., Larsson, P., Johansson, D., Bystrom, M., Forsman, M., Johansson, A. (2005). Evolution of Subspecies of Francisella tularensis. J. Bacteriol. 187: 3903-3908 [Abstract] [Full Text]