Mutations of Francisella novicida that alter the mechanism of its phagocytosis by murine macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Infection with the bacterial pathogen Francisella tularensis tularensis (F. tularensis) causes tularemia, a serious and debilitating disease. Francisella tularensis novicida strain U112 (abbreviated F. novicida), which is closely related to F. tularensis, is pathogenic for mice but not for man, making it an ideal model system for tularemia. Intracellular pathogens like Francisella inhibit the innate immune response, thereby avoiding immune recognition and death of the infected cell. Because activation of inflammatory pathways may lead to cell death, we reasoned that we could identify bacterial genes involved in inhibiting inflammation by isolating mutants that killed infected cells faster than the wild-type parent. We screened a comprehensive transposon library of F. novicida for mutant st

SUBMITTER: Lai XH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2912274 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature