ClpB mutants of Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica and tularensis are defective for type VI secretion and intracellular replication.

ABSTRACT: Francisella tularensis, a highly infectious, intracellular bacterium possesses an atypical type VI secretion system (T6SS), which is essential for the virulence of the bacterium. Recent data suggest that the HSP100 family member, ClpB, is involved in T6SS disassembly in the subspecies Francisella novicida. Here, we investigated the role of ClpB for the function of the T6SS and for phenotypic characteristics of the human pathogenic subspecies holarctica and tularensis. The ∆clpB mutants of the human live vaccine strain, LVS, belonging to subspecies holarctica, and the highly virulent SCHU S4 strain, belonging to subspecies tularensis, both showed extreme susceptibility to heat shock and low pH, severely impaired type VI secretion (T6S), and significant, but impaired intracellular replicatio

SUBMITTER: Alam A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6063899 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature