The type II secretion system is essential for erythrocyte lysis and gut colonization by the leech digestive tract symbiont Aeromonas veronii.

ABSTRACT: Hemolysin and the type II secretion system (T2SS) have been shown to be important for virulence in many pathogens, but very few studies have shown their importance in beneficial microbes. Here, we investigated the importance of the type II secretion pathway in the beneficial digestive-tract association of Aeromonas veronii and the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana and revealed a critical role for the hemolysis of erythrocytes. A mutant with a miniTn5 insertion in exeM, which is involved in forming the inner membrane platform in the T2SS, was isolated by screening mutants for loss of hemolysis on blood agar plates. A hemolysis assay was used to quantify the mutant's deficiency in lysing sheep erythrocytes and revealed a 99.9% decrease compared to the parent strain. The importance of the T2SS i

SUBMITTER: Maltz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3020562 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature