English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Pseudomonas aeruginosa  is an opportunistic human pathogen that causes infections in a variety of animal and plant hosts.  Caenorhabditis elegans  is a simple model with which one can identify bacterial virulence genes. Previous studies with  C. elegans  have shown that depending on the growth medium,  P. aeruginosa  provokes different pathologies: slow or fast killing, lethal paralysis and red death. In this study, we developed a high-throughput semi-automated liquid-based assay such that an entire genome can readily be scanned for virulence genes in a short time period. We screened a 2,200-member STM mutant library generated in a cystic fibrosis airway  P. aeruginosa  isolate, TBCF10839. Twelve mutants were isolated each showing at least 70% attenuation in  C. elegans  killing. The selected mutants had insertions in regulatory genes, such as a histidine kinase sensor of two-component systems and a member of the AraC family, or in genes involved in adherence or chemotaxis. One mutant had an insertion in a  cheB  gene homologue, encoding a methylesterase involved in chemotaxis (CheB2). The  cheB2  mutant was tested in a murine lung infection model and found to have a highly attenuated virulence. The  cheB2  gene is part of the chemotactic gene cluster II, which was shown to be required for an optimal mobility  in vitro . In  P. aeruginosa , the main player in chemotaxis and mobility is the chemotactic gene cluster I, including  cheB1 . We show that, in contrast to the  cheB2  mutant, a  cheB1  mutant is not attenuated for virulence in  C. elegans  whereas in vitro motility and chemotaxis are severely impaired. We conclude that the virulence defect of the  cheB2  mutant is not linked with a global motility defect but that instead the  cheB2  gene is involved in a specific chemotactic response, which takes place during infection and is required for  P. aeruginosa  pathogenicity.

Caenorhabditis elegans Semi-Automated Liquid Screen Reveals a Specialized Role for the Chemotaxis Gene cheB2 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence