Marker exchange mutagenesis of the aerolysin determinant in Aeromonas hydrophila demonstrates the role of aerolysin in A. hydrophila-associated systemic infections.

Abstract

We report here on the isolation of isogenic strains of Aeromonas hydrophila AB3 deleted for a segment of the aerolysin gene. All aer mutants obtained lacked the 49-kilodalton aerolysin gene product and were neither hemolytic for blood erythrocytes nor cytotoxic for Chinese hamster ovary tissue culture cells. One such mutant, AB3-5, was used in a mouse toxicity model to evaluate the role of aerolysin in the pathogenesis of A. hydrophila infections. The strain had a 50% lethal dose (LD50) of greater than 10(9) as compared with the parental strain which had an LD50 of 5 X 10(7). Reintegration of the deleted segment into AB3-5 resulted in an LD50 of 6 X 10(7) cells for this revertant. Furthermore, all mice injected with a sublethal dose of the parental strains developed necrotic lesions; this was never obtained with the aerolysin-deficient strain AB3-5. More importantly, specific neutralizing antibody to aerolysin was detected in mice surviving A. hydrophila infection, demonstrating that aerolysin is produced during the course of systemic A. hydrophila infections.

• Authors: T Chakraborty, B Huhle, H Hof, H Bergbauer, W Goebel
• Journal: Infection and immunity (Infect Immun) Vol. 55 Issue 9 Pg. 2274-80 (Sep 1987) ISSN: 0019-9567 [Print] United States
• PMID: 3305370 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Bacterial Toxins
• DNA, Bacterial
• Hemolysin Proteins
• Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
• aerolysin

Topics

• Aeromonas (genetics, pathogenicity)
• Animals
• Antibodies, Bacterial (analysis)
• Bacterial Toxins (genetics, immunology)
• Chromosome Deletion
• DNA, Bacterial (genetics)
• Genes, Bacterial
• Hemolysin Proteins (genetics, immunology)
• Immunosorbent Techniques
• Lethal Dose 50
• Mice
• Mutation
• Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins