Skip to main content
Article
Critical Role of LuxS in the Virulence of Campylobacter jejuni in a Guinea Pig Model of Abortion
Infection and Immunity
  • Paul J. Plummer, Iowa State University
  • Orhan Sahin, Iowa State University
  • Eric Ryan Burrough, Iowa State University
  • Rachel Sippy, Iowa State University
  • Kathy T. Y. Mou, Iowa State University
  • Jessica Rabenold, Iowa State University
  • Michael Yaeger, Iowa State University
  • Qijing Zhang, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
2-1-2012
DOI
10.1128/IAI.05766-11
Abstract

Previous studies on Campylobacter jejuni have demonstrated the role of LuxS in motility, cytolethal distending toxin production, agglutination, and intestinal colonization; however, its direct involvement in virulence has not been reported. In this study, we demonstrate a direct role of luxS in the virulence of C. jejuni in two different animal hosts. The IA3902 strain, a highly virulent sheep abortion strain recently described by our laboratory, along with its isogenic luxS mutant and luxScomplement strains, was inoculated by the oral route into both a pregnant guinea pig virulence model and a chicken colonization model. In both cases, the IA3902luxS mutant demonstrated a complete loss of ability to colonize the intestinal tract. In the pregnant model, the mutant also failed to induce abortion, while the wild-type strain was highly abortifacient. Genetic complementation of the luxSgene fully restored the virulent phenotype in both models. Interestingly, when the organism was inoculated into guinea pigs by the intraperitoneal route, no difference in virulence (abortion induction) was observed between the luxS mutant and the wild-type strain, suggesting that the defect in virulence following oral inoculation is likely associated with a defect in colonization and/or translocation of the organism out of the intestine. These studies provide the first direct evidence that LuxS plays an important role in the virulence of C. jejuni using an in vivomodel of natural disease.

Comments

This article is from Infection and Immunity 80 (2012): 585, doi:10.1128/IAI.05766-11. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
American Society for Microbiology
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Paul J. Plummer, Orhan Sahin, Eric Ryan Burrough, Rachel Sippy, et al.. "Critical Role of LuxS in the Virulence of Campylobacter jejuni in a Guinea Pig Model of Abortion" Infection and Immunity Vol. 80 Iss. 2 (2012) p. 585 - 593
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/paul-plummer/5/