Nucleotide biosynthesis is critical for growth of bacteria in human blood.

ABSTRACT: Proliferation of bacterial pathogens in blood represents one of the most dangerous stages of infection. Growth in blood serum depends on the ability of a pathogen to adjust metabolism to match the availability of nutrients. Although certain nutrients are scarce in blood and need to be de novo synthesized by proliferating bacteria, it is unclear which metabolic pathways are critical for bacterial growth in blood. In this study, we identified metabolic functions that are essential specifically for bacterial growth in the bloodstream. We used two principally different but complementing techniques to comprehensively identify genes that are required for the growth of Escherichia coli in human serum. A microarray-based and a dye-based mutant screening approach were independently used to screen a

SUBMITTER: Samant S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2242838 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature