Project description:Pasteurella multocida is a pathogen that causes a range of distinct diseases in livestock animals. Different P. multocida strains produce different capsule and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures. Different P. multocida diseases are associated with different capsule and LPS types, and little is known about what underpins this disease specificity. In this study, we utilised transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS, also called Tn-Seq) to identify genes required for growth in rich media, and genes required for survival during systemic infections in BALB/c mice, for two diverse P. multocida strains, strain VP161 (capsule type A and LPS type L1) and strain M1404 (capsule type B and LPS type L2). Rich media analysis showed that both VP161 and M1404 shared 461 genes essential for growth in rich media, with comparison to the entire species showing that 95% of these rich media essential genes present in all publicly available closed P. multocida genomes. In vivo fitness analysis identified 63 and 94 genes important for VP161 and M1404 survival in BALB/c mice, respectively. Only 35 homologs were identified in both strains as important for survival, showing that conserved biological systems can be differentially important for different P. multocida strains. Investigation of proteins involved in the catabolite response showed that an active cyclic-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP) was required for maximal fitness in M1404. Furthermore, disrupting CRP or cAMP production also reduced capsule production in M1404, but increased capsule production in VP161, showing different strains of P. multocida have different regulatory systems for crucial virulence factors.
