Differential requirements for VirB1 and VirB2 during Brucella abortus infection.

ABSTRACT: The Brucella abortus virB operon, encoding a type IV secretion system (T4SS), is required for intracellular replication and persistent infection in the mouse model. The products of the first two genes of the virB operon, virB1 and virB2, are predicted to be localized at the bacterial surface, where they could potentially interact with host cells. Studies to date have focused on characterization of transposon mutations in these genes, which are expected to exert polar effects on downstream genes in the operon. In order to determine whether VirB1 and VirB2 are required for the function of the T4SS apparatus, we constructed and characterized nonpolar deletion mutations of virB1 and virB2. Both mutants were shown to be nonpolar, as demonstrated by their ability to express the downstream gene v

SUBMITTER: den Hartigh AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC517456 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature