Neisseria gonorrhoeae mutants altered in toxicity to human fallopian tubes and molecular characterization of the genetic locus involved.

ABSTRACT: In an effort to identify potential cytotoxins expressed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, we have identified a locus that, when mutated in the gonococcus, results in a significant increase in toxicity of the strain to human fallopian tube organ cultures (HFTOC). This locus, gly1, contains two open reading frames (ORFs) which are likely cotranscribed. ORF1 encodes a polypeptide of 17.8 kDa with a signal sequence that is recognized and processed in Escherichia coli and N. gonorrhoeae. The 15.6-kDa processed polypeptide has been observed in membrane fractions and filtered spent media from cultures of E. coli expressing gly1 and in outer membrane preparations of wild-type N. gonorrhoeae. The gly1 locus is not essential for bacterial survival, and it does not play a detectable role in epithelial cell a

SUBMITTER: Arvidson CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC96367 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature