Open AccessDNA Adenine Methylase Is Essential for Viability and Plays a Role in the Pathogenesis of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Vibrio cholerae
Author(s) -
Steven M. Julio,
Douglas M. Heithoff,
Daniele Provenzano,
Karl E. Klose,
Robert L. Sinsheimer,
David A. Low,
Michael J. Mahan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
infection and immunity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.508
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1070-6313
pISSN - 0019-9567
DOI - 10.1128/iai.69.12.7610-7615.2001
Subject(s) - yersinia pseudotuberculosis , biology , virulence , vibrio cholerae , microbiology and biotechnology , yersinia , salmonella , immune system , yersinia enterocolitica , yersinia infections , secretion , vibrio , vibrionaceae , yersiniosis , enterobacteriaceae , bacteria , gene , immunology , genetics , escherichia coli , biochemistry
Salmonella strains that lack or overproduce DNA adenine methylase (Dam) elicit a protective immune response to different Salmonella species. To generate vaccines against other bacterial pathogens, the dam genes of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Vibrio cholerae were disrupted but found to be essential for viability. Overproduction of Dam significantly attenuated the virulence of these two pathogens, leading to, in Yersinia, the ectopic secretion of virulence proteins (Yersinia outer proteins) and a fully protective immune response in vaccinated hosts. Dysregulation of Dam activity may provide a means for the development of vaccines against varied bacterial pathogens.