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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #311525
Title: Regulation of flagellum biosynthesis within the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri

Author
item Snyder, Anna
item Welch, Timothy - Tim

Submitted to: American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2014
Publication Date: 11/7/2014
Citation: Snyder, A.K., Welch, T.J. 2014. Regulation of flagellum biosynthesis within the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri. American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting. Paper No. 40A.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Yersinia ruckeri, a Gram negative Enterobacterium, is the causative agent of enteric red mouth disease (ERM) within farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum). There has been an increase of ERM outbreaks in previously vaccinated trout caused by a recently emerged, non-motile variant of Y. ruckeri. In this study, we aimed to understand the importance of flagella presence and its regulation during infection. First, experimental infection challenges were performed, showing that there was not a competitive advantage for non-motility. In support of these findings, reverse transcriptional analysis of the flagellar locus fliC throughout the course of infection revealed active repression during infection and subsequent up-regulation upon host mortality. Lastly, the role of the master flagellar operon, flhDC, and potential regulatory mechanisms were examined within Y. ruckeri. The repression of flagella biosynthesis during infection may be important for virulence, as flagellin (FliC), a major component of the flagella, has been shown to cause host immune stimulation. Y. ruckeri provides a valuable a model to understand bacterial infections, particularly with regards to flagella production, within fish hosts. Disease outbreaks can severely impact farmed fish production and increased knowledge of mechanisms involved in virulence may be exploited for the development of novel disease control strategies.