This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Yang, X.
Right arrow Articles by Pascual, D. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Yang, X.
Right arrow Articles by Pascual, D. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, July 2006, p. 3874-3879, Vol. 74, No. 7
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.01957-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Deletion of znuA Virulence Factor Attenuates Brucella abortus and Confers Protection against Wild-Type Challenge

Xinghong Yang, Todd Becker, Nancy Walters, and David W. Pascual*

Veterinary Molecular Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717-3610

Received 1 December 2005/ Returned for modification 26 January 2006/ Accepted 18 April 2006

znuA is known to be an important factor for survival and normal growth under low Zn2+ concentrations for Escherichia coli, Haemophilus spp., Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Pasteurella multocida. We hypothesized that the znuA gene present in Brucella melitensis 16 M would be similar to znuA in B. abortus and questioned whether it may also be an important factor for growth and virulence of Brucella abortus. Using the B. melitensis 16 M genome sequence, primers were designed to construct a B. abortus deletion mutant. A znuA knockout mutation in B. abortus 2308 ({Delta}znuA) was constructed and found to be lethal in low-Zn2+ medium. When used to infect macrophages, {Delta}znuA B. abortus showed minimal growth. Further study with {Delta}znuA B. abortus showed that its virulence in BALB/c mice was attenuated, and most of the bacteria were cleared from the spleen within 8 weeks. Protection studies confirmed the {Delta}znuA mutant as a potential live vaccine, since protection against wild-type B. abortus 2308 challenge was as effective as that obtained with the RB51 or S19 vaccine strain.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Veterinary Molecular Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3610. Phone: (406) 994-6244. Fax: (406) 994-4303. E-mail: dpascual{at}montana.edu.

Editor: V. J. DiRita

Infection and Immunity, July 2006, p. 3874-3879, Vol. 74, No. 7
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.01957-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Anderson, E. S., Paulley, J. T., Gaines, J. M., Valderas, M. W., Martin, D. W., Menscher, E., Brown, T. D., Burns, C. S., Roop, R. M. II (2009). The Manganese Transporter MntH Is a Critical Virulence Determinant for Brucella abortus 2308 in Experimentally Infected Mice. Infect. Immun. 77: 3466-3474 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sabri, M., Houle, S., Dozois, C. M. (2009). Roles of the Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli ZnuACB and ZupT Zinc Transporters during Urinary Tract Infection. Infect. Immun. 77: 1155-1164 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Feng, Y., Li, M., Zhang, H., Zheng, B., Han, H., Wang, C., Yan, J., Tang, J., Gao, G. F. (2008). Functional Definition and Global Regulation of Zur, a Zinc Uptake Regulator in a Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Strain Causing Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome. J. Bacteriol. 190: 7567-7578 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rosadini, C. V., Wong, S. M. S., Akerley, B. J. (2008). The Periplasmic Disulfide Oxidoreductase DsbA Contributes to Haemophilus influenzae Pathogenesis. Infect. Immun. 76: 1498-1508 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ammendola, S., Pasquali, P., Pistoia, C., Petrucci, P., Petrarca, P., Rotilio, G., Battistoni, A. (2007). High-Affinity Zn2+ Uptake System ZnuABC Is Required for Bacterial Zinc Homeostasis in Intracellular Environments and Contributes to the Virulence of Salmonella enterica. Infect. Immun. 75: 5867-5876 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»