Two putative zinc metalloproteases contribute to the virulence of Clostridium perfringens strains that cause avian necrotic enteritis.

ABSTRACT: Two putative zinc metalloproteases encoded by Clostridium perfringens have been implicated in the pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis, an economically significant poultry disease that is caused by this anaerobic bacterium. These proteases have ~64% amino acid identity and are encoded by the zmpA and zmpB genes. We screened 83 C. perfringens isolates by PCR for the presence of these genes. The first gene, zmpB, is chromosomally located and was present in all screened strains of C. perfringens, regardless of their origin and virulence. The second gene, zmpA, is plasmid-borne and was only found in isolates derived from chickens with necrotic enteritis. We describe the generation of insertionally inactivated mutants of both zmpA and zmp

SUBMITTER: Wade B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7081491 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature