<i>Rickettsia rickettsii</i> RoaM negatively regulates expression of a limited number of rickettsial genes.

ABSTRACT: The recently described rickettsial protein RoaM (regulator of actin-based motility) negatively regulates the production of actin tails, and its abrogation induces hyper-spreading behavior in many laboratory-adapted strains of Rickettsia rickettsii. RoaM is not surface exposed; thus, its mechanism of regulating actin-based motility is unclear. Using R. rickettsii strains derived from the virulent Sheila Smith strain that express varying levels of roaM, an RNA-seq experiment was performed. We found that roaM-overexpressing strains downregulate expression of at least six genes which may link the regulatory effects of RoaM to the phenotypic effect on motility. Genes regulated by RoaM were confirmed by RT-qPCR. Among the genes regulated is the secreted effector RarP2

SUBMITTER: Nock AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12039225 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature