Vpma phase variation is important for survival and persistence of Mycoplasma agalactiae in the immunocompetent host.

ABSTRACT: Despite very small genomes, mycoplasmas retain large multigene families encoding variable antigens whose exact role in pathogenesis needs to be proven. To understand their in vivo significance, we used Mycoplasma agalactiae as a model exhibiting high-frequency variations of a family of immunodominant Vpma lipoproteins via Xer1-mediated site-specific recombinations. Phase-Locked Mutants (PLMs) expressing single stable Vpma products served as first breakthrough tools in mycoplasmology to study the role of such sophisticated antigenic variation systems. Comparing the general clinical features of sheep infected with a mixture of phase-invariable PLMs (PLMU and PLMY) and the wild type strain, it was earlier concluded that Vpma phase variation is not necessary for infection. Conversely, the curr

SUBMITTER: Chopra-Dewasthaly R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5634654 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature