Targeted Deletion of the Cytopathogenic Toxin A Gene in Sneathia vaginalis.

ABSTRACT: Sneathia vaginalis is a common component of the vaginal microbiome and is emerging as a marker for preterm birth. It produces the cytopathogenic toxin A (CptA), which is capable of lysing human red blood cells and permeabilizing epithelial cells. However, the role of CptA and other potential virulence factors in pathogenesis has been difficult to characterize due to the lack of genetic tools for targeted deletion in S. vaginalis. The objective of this study was to create the first isogenic gene deletion mutant in S. vaginalis. We chose the cptA gene as a target for deletion because of its role in virulence. We characterized the restriction-modification profile in S. vaginalis to increase the chances that exogenous DNA would resist restriction digestion, and we identified an antibiotic resi

SUBMITTER: Ray RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12675970 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature