Stringent Response and AggR-Dependent virulence regulation in the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Strain 042.

Virulence expression in the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strain 042 requires the transcriptional activator AggR. We show in this report that, as reported for other virulence factors, the nucleotide second messenger (p)ppGpp is needed for a high expression level of AggR. As expected from these...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Hüttener Queiroz, Mário, Prieto Durán, Alejandro, Espelt, Joan, Bernabeu Lorenzo, Manuel, Juárez Giménez, Antonio
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2018
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/139903
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/139903
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Escheríchia coli
Biofilms
Escherichia coli
Description
Summary:Virulence expression in the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strain 042 requires the transcriptional activator AggR. We show in this report that, as reported for other virulence factors, the nucleotide second messenger (p)ppGpp is needed for a high expression level of AggR. As expected from these findings, expression of AggR-activated genes such as the AafA pilin subunit is downregulated in the absence of (p)ppGpp. Considering the fact that biofilm formation in strain 042 requires the AafA protein, biofilm development in strain 042 is impaired in derivatives that lack either the AggR protein, the virulence plasmid that encodes AggR (pAA2) or the ability to synthesize (p)ppGpp. These results show a direct correlation between (p)ppGpp, expression of AggR and biofilm development in strain 042.