Bordetella pertussis fimbriae are regulated by BvgAS system and Pfim structure

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860328
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bacteriology (including mycology)
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Principal Investigator: OTSUKA Nao 国立感染症研究所, その他部局等, 研究員 (90596610)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 百日咳菌 / fimbriae / 発現機構

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bordetella pertussis, the etiologic agent of whooping cough, produces two serologically distinct fimbriae, Fim2 and Fim3 either one or both. Expression of fimbrial genes fim2 and fim3 is regulated by the two component BvgAS system, and by the length of poly(C) tract in the promoter of each gene. In this study, we observed that the Pfim poly(C) distribution does not be affected by growing medium and antibacterial agents with sub-MIC. In the Bvg+ phase, B. pertussis virulence-activated genes (vags) are up-regulated, and virulence-repressed genes (vrgs) are down-regulated. We confirmed that fim2 gene is a vag as previous studies reported, but fim3 behaved as either a vag or vrg, depending on the Pfim3 poly(C) length and Bvg state.

Free Research Field

細菌学