RcsB contributes to the distinct stress fitness among Escherichia coli O157:H7 curli variants of the 1993 hamburger-associated outbreak strains.

ABSTRACT: Curli are adhesive fimbriae of Enterobactericaeae and are involved in surface attachment, cell aggregation, and biofilm formation. We reported previously that curli-producing (C(+)) variants of E. coli O157:H7 (EcO157) were much more acid sensitive than their corresponding curli-deficient (C(-)) variants; however, this difference was not linked to the curli fimbriae per se. Here, we investigated the underlying molecular basis of this phenotypic divergence. We identified large deletions in the rcsB gene of C(+) variants isolated from the 1993 U.S. hamburger-associated outbreak strains. rcsB encodes the response regulator of the RcsCDB two-component signal transduction system, which regulates curli biogenesis negatively but acid resistance positively. Further comparison of stress fitness rev

SUBMITTER: Carter MQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3485712 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature