Identification of a novel small RNA modulating Francisella tularensis pathogenicity.

ABSTRACT: Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent bacterium responsible for the zoonotic disease tularemia. It is a facultative intracellular pathogen that replicates in the cytoplasm of host cells, particularly in macrophages. Here we show that F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) expresses a novel small RNA (sRNA), which modulates the virulence capacities of the bacterium. When this sRNA, designated FtrC (for Francisella tularensis RNA C), is expressed at high levels, F. tularensis replicates in macrophages less efficiently than the wild-type parent strain. Similarly, high expression of FtrC reduces the number of viable bacteria recovered from the spleen and liver of infected mice. Our data demonstrate that expression of gene FTL_1293 is regulated by FtrC. Furthermore, we show by in vitro g

SUBMITTER: Postic G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3405028 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature