ARS | Publication request: Growth Phase dependent gene regulation in Bordetella bronchiseptica

Submitted to: United States Japan Natural Resources Animal and Avian Health Panel
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 12, 2007
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Bordetellae are Gram negative bacterial respiratory pathogens. Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, is a human-restricted variant of Bordetella bronchiseptica, which infects a broad range of mammals causing chronic and often asymptomatic infections. Growth phase dependent gene regulation has recently been reported for B. pertussis, with many virulence factors, including adhesins, decreasing as a function of growth phase. Using microarray analysis, we characterized the global transcriptional profile of B. bronchiseptica as a function of growth phase. Similar to what was reported for B. pertussis, we found many B. bronchiseptica virulence factors, including adhesins, to decrease as a function of growth phase. One major exception to this is the B. bronchiseptica type III secretion locus. We found the expression of some type III secretion genes, such as bopB and bopN, to increase as a function of growth phase. In contrast, we found the expression of other type III secretion genes, like bscS and bscO, to decrease. Our data suggest that the ability to regulate gene expression as a function of growth phase may serve as a crucial factor in maintaining prolonged host survival, thereby contributing to the chronic nature of B. bronchiseptica infections.