This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moore, T. D. Articles by Sparling, P. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moore, T. D. Articles by Sparling, P. F.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., 07 1996, 4301-4305, Vol 178, No. 14
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Interruption of the gpxA gene increases the sensitivity of Neisseria meningitidis to paraquat

TD Moore and PF Sparling
Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-7030, USA.

Antioxidant enzymes are thought to be important for the survival of pathogenic Neisseria species. We have further characterized the glutathione peroxidase homolog gene (gpxA), which we recently isolated from Neisseria meningitidis FAM20 (T.D.E. Moore and P.F. Sparling, Infect. Immun. 63:1603-1607, 1995). GpxA was found to be produced constitutively in vivo. An isogenic, omega insertion mutant in the gpxA gene was constructed and characterized. The gpxA insertion mutant was much more sensitive to the oxidative stress caused by paraquat and slightly more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide. This is the first demonstration of a phenotype arising from a mutation of a glutathione peroxidase homolog gene in a prokaryotic organism. Protection of the cell by GpxA from the effects of oxidative stress caused by aerobic metabolism may contribute to the ability of Neisseria meningitidis to cause disease in the human host.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Bjur, E., Eriksson-Ygberg, S., Aslund, F., Rhen, M. (2006). Thioredoxin 1 Promotes Intracellular Replication and Virulence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium. Infect. Immun. 74: 5140-5151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Seib, K. L., Wu, H.-J., Kidd, S. P., Apicella, M. A., Jennings, M. P., McEwan, A. G. (2006). Defenses against Oxidative Stress in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a System Tailored for a Challenging Environment. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 70: 344-361 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brenot, A., King, K. Y., Janowiak, B., Griffith, O., Caparon, M. G. (2004). Contribution of Glutathione Peroxidase to the Virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect. Immun. 72: 408-413 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vergauwen, B., Pauwels, F., Vaneechoutte, M., Van Beeumen, J. J. (2003). Exogenous Glutathione Completes the Defense against Oxidative Stress in Haemophilus influenzae. J. Bacteriol. 185: 1572-1581 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anjum, M. F., Stevanin, T. M., Read, R. C., Moir, J. W. B. (2002). Nitric Oxide Metabolism in Neisseria meningitidis. J. Bacteriol. 184: 2987-2993 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• King, K. Y., Horenstein, J. A., Caparon, M. G. (2000). Aerotolerance and Peroxide Resistance in Peroxidase and PerR Mutants of Streptococcus pyogenes. J. Bacteriol. 182: 5290-5299 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Klee, S. R., Nassif, X., Kusecek, B., Merker, P., Beretti, J.-L., Achtman, M., Tinsley, C. R. (2000). Molecular and Biological Analysis of Eight Genetic Islands That Distinguish Neisseria meningitidis from the Closely Related Pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect. Immun. 68: 2082-2095 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mongkolsuk, S., Praituan, W., Loprasert, S., Fuangthong, M., Chamnongpol, S. (1998). Identification and Characterization of a New Organic Hydroperoxide Resistance (ohr) Gene with a Novel Pattern of Oxidative Stress Regulation from Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli. J. Bacteriol. 180: 2636-2643 [Abstract] [Full Text]