Survival protein A is essential for virulence in Yersinia pestis

• Published in: Microbial pathogenesis Vol. 92; pp. 50 - 53
• Main Authors: Southern, Stephanie J., Scott, Andrew E., Jenner, Dominic C., Ireland, Philip M., Norville, Isobel H., Sarkar-Tyson, Mitali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Gene Deletion; Genetic Complementation Test; Mice; Mutant; Plague - microbiology; Plague - mortality; Virulence; Virulence - genetics; Virulence Factors; Yersinia pestis; Yersinia pestis - pathogenicity; Yersinia pestis - physiology; Yersinia pseudotuberculosis; Virulence; Mutant; Yersinia pestis
• ISSN: 0882-4010; 1096-1208
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2015.12.013

Plague is a highly pathogenic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. There is currently no vaccine available for prophylaxis and antibiotic resistant strains have been isolated, thus there is a need for the development of new countermeasures to treat this disease. Survival protein A (SurA) is a chaperone that has been linked to virulence in several species of bacteria, including the close relative Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of SurA in virulence of the highly pathogenic Y. pestis by creating an unmarked surA deletion mutant. The Y. pestis ΔsurA mutant was found to be more susceptible to membrane perturbing agents and was completely avirulent in a mouse infection model when delivered up to 2.1 × 105 CFU by the subcutaneous route. This provides strong evidence that SurA would make a promising antimicrobial target. •This study evaluates the role of SurA in Yersinia pestis.•Deletion of the surA gene has an effect on the cell envelope.•A surA mutant is avirulent in a Y. pestis mouse infection model.