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- Title
Identification and Characterization of a Phospholipase D--Superfamily Gene in Rickettsiae.
- Authors
Renesto, Patricia; Dehoux, Pierre; Gouin, Edith; Touqui, Lhousseine; Cossart, Pascale; Raoult, Didier
- Abstract
The completion of the sequencing of the genomes of both Rickettsia conorii and R. prowazekii provides the opportunity to identify putative virulence factors within these strictly intracellular pathogens. A role for a phospholipase A[SUB2] (PLA[SUB2]) in rickettsial pathogenicity was hypothesized, but the corresponding gene has not been identified. We have identified a gene that encodes a putative phospholipase D (PLD) and that has been detected by Southern blotting in 11 analyzed strains of rickettsiae. The recombinant protein is dimeric and has PLD activity, as demonstrated by its capacity to release [[SUP3]H]-choline from phosphatidyl [[SUP3]H]-choline. This PLD is present in whole rickettsial lysates and likely is a virulence factor, because incubation of rickettsiae with an anti-PLD antibody reduced their cytotoxic activity against Vero cells. This enzyme might account for the activity previously attributed to PLA[SUB2] and might be critical for the intracellular life of these bacteria.
- Subjects
GENOMES; RICKETTSIAS; RICKETTSIA pathogenicity; MICROBIAL virulence
- Publication
Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2003, Vol 188, Issue 9, p1276
- ISSN
0022-1899
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1086/379080