HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gabig, M. Articles by Wegrzyn, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gabig, M. Articles by Wegrzyn, G. Agricola Articles by Gabig, M. Articles by Wegrzyn, G.

The cell surface protein Ag43 facilitates phage infection of Escherichia coli in the presence of bile salts and carbohydrates

Grzegorz Wgrzyn^1,3

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Kadki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland¹
Division of Genomic Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK²
Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, w. Wojciecha 5, 81-347 Gdynia, Poland³

Author for correspondence: Mark S. Thomas. Tel: +44 114 271 2834. Fax: +44 114 273 9926. e-mail: m.s.thomas{at}shef.ac.uk

It was found that infection of Escherichia coli by bacteriophage is inhibited in the presence of certain bile salts and carbohydrates when cells are in the ’OFF’ state for production of the phase-variable cell surface protein antigen 43 (Ag43). The inhibition of phage growth was found to be due to a significant impairment in the process of phage adsorption. Expression of the gene encoding Ag43 (agn43) from a plasmid or inactivation of the oxyR gene (encoding an activator of genes important for defence against oxidative stress) suppressed this inhibition. A mutation, rpoA341, in the gene encoding the subunit of RNA polymerase also facilitated phage adsorption in the presence of bile salts and carbohydrates. The rpoA341 mutation promoted efficient production of Ag43 in a genetic background that would otherwise be in the ’OFF’ phase for expression of the agn43 gene. Analysis of a reporter gene fusion demonstrated that the promoter for the agn43 gene was more active in the rpoA341 mutant than in the otherwise isogenic rpoA⁺ strain. The combined inhibitory action of bile salts and carbohydrates on phage adsorption and the abolition of this inhibition by production of Ag43 was not restricted to , as a similar phenomenon was observed for the coliphages P1 and T4.

Keywords: bacteriophage infection, MacConkey agar, antigen 43, RNA polymerase subunit, phase switching

Abbreviations: DOC, deoxycholate; PVP, polyvinylpyrrolidone; WSS Wytwórnia Surowic I Szczepionek

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. M. Q. Shanks, N. A. Stella, E. J. Kalivoda, M. R. Doe, D. M. O'Dee, K. L. Lathrop, F. L. Guo, and G. J. Nau A Serratia marcescens OxyR Homolog Mediates Surface Attachment and Biofilm Formation J. Bacteriol., October 15, 2007; 189(20): 7262 - 7272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. R. Henderson, F. Navarro-Garcia, M. Desvaux, R. C. Fernandez, and D. Ala'Aldeen Type V Protein Secretion Pathway: the Autotransporter Story Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., December 1, 2004; 68(4): 692 - 744. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. W. van der Woude and A. J. Baumler Phase and Antigenic Variation in Bacteria Clin. Microbiol. Rev., July 1, 2004; 17(3): 581 - 611. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-H. Yang, R. T. Vinopal, D. Grasso, and B. F. Smets High Diversity among Environmental Escherichia coli Isolates from a Bovine Feedlot Appl. Envir. Microbiol., March 1, 2004; 70(3): 1528 - 1536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]