Open AccessVirulence of a Proteus mirabilis ATF isogenic mutant is not impaired in a mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection
Author(s) -
Zunino Pablo,
Geymonat Liliana,
Allen Andrew G.,
LegnaniFajardo Carmen,
Maskell Duncan J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2000.tb01516.x
Subject(s) - proteus mirabilis , fimbria , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , urinary system , virulence , mutant , escherichia coli , genetics , gene , anatomy
Proteus mirabilis , a common cause of urinary tract infection, produces a number of different fimbriae, including ambient temperature fimbriae (ATF). These fimbriae are optimally expressed at 23°C and their contribution to urinary tract infection has so far remained unknown. In the present study, a clinical isolate of P. mirabilis and an isogenic allelic replacement mutant unable to express ATF were tested for their ability to cause infection in the ascending urinary tract infection model in mice. The atf mutant colonised the urinary tract as well as the wild‐type strain and was also able to outcompete the wild‐type strain in a co‐challenge experiment. Different non‐clinical P. mirabilis isolates showed a reactive AtfA band after Western blot analysis using a polyclonal rabbit AtfA antiserum. These data together suggest that ATF does not play a role in P. mirabilis urinary tract infection.