This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Forst, S. A. Articles by Tabatabai, N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Forst, S. A. Articles by Tabatabai, N. Agricola Articles by Forst, S. A. Articles by Tabatabai, N.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Mar 1997, 962-968, Vol 63, No. 3
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Role of the histidine kinase, EnvZ, in the production of outer membrane proteins in the symbiotic-pathogenic bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophilus

SA Forst and N Tabatabai
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 53201, USA. sforst@csd.uwm.edu

We show that inactivation of envZ, the gene encoding the histidine kinase sensor protein, EnvZ, of Xenorhabdus nematophilus, affected the production of several outer membrane proteins (Opns). X. nematophilus produced five major Opns during exponential growth. Insertional inactivation of envZ led to a decrease in the production of OpnP, the OmpF-like pore-forming protein which constitutes approximately 50% of the total outer membrane protein in X. nematophilus. OpnA production was also reduced, while the remaining Opns were produced normally. During the transition to stationary phase, three new outer membrane proteins, OpnB, OpnS, and OpnX, were induced in the wild-type strain. The envZ-minus strain, ANT1, did not produce OpnB and OpnX, while OpnS was induced at markedly reduced levels. These results suggest that EnvZ was required for the high-level production of OpnP during exponential growth and may be involved in the production of OpnB, OpnS, and OpnX during stationary-phase growth. We also show that ANT1 was more pathogenic than the wild-type strain when as few as five cells were injected into the hemolymph of the larval stage of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta). The larvae died before significant numbers of bacteria were detectable in the hemolymph. These results are discussed in relation to the role of EnvZ in the life cycle of X. nematophilus.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Snyder, H., Stock, S. P., Kim, S.-K., Flores-Lara, Y., Forst, S. (2007). New Insights into the Colonization and Release Processes of Xenorhabdus nematophila and the Morphology and Ultrastructure of the Bacterial Receptacle of Its Nematode Host, Steinernema carpocapsae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5338-5346 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Orchard, S. S., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2005). Pyrimidine Nucleoside Salvage Confers an Advantage to Xenorhabdus nematophila in Its Host Interactions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6254-6259 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Stenson, T. H., Allen, A. G., al-Meer, J. A., Maskell, D., Peppler, M. S. (2005). Bordetella pertussis risA, but Not risS, Is Required for Maximal Expression of Bvg-Repressed Genes. Infect. Immun. 73: 5995-6004 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Orchard, S. S., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2004). Identification and Functional Characterization of a Xenorhabdus nematophila Oligopeptide Permease. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 5621-5627 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Martens, E. C., Gawronski-Salerno, J., Vokal, D. L., Pellitteri, M. C., Menard, M. L., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2003). Xenorhabdus nematophila Requires an Intact iscRSUA-hscBA-fdx Operon To Colonize Steinernema carpocapsae Nematodes. J. Bacteriol. 185: 3678-3682 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Martens, E. C., Heungens, K., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2003). Early Colonization Events in the Mutualistic Association between Steinernema carpocapsae Nematodes and Xenorhabdus nematophila Bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 185: 3147-3154 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vivas, E. I., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2001). Xenorhabdus nematophilus as a Model for Host-Bacterium Interactions: rpoS Is Necessary for Mutualism with Nematodes. J. Bacteriol. 183: 4687-4693 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Volgyi, A., Fodor, A., Forst, S. (2000). Inactivation of a Novel Gene Produces a Phenotypic Variant Cell and Affects the Symbiotic Behavior of Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 1622-1628 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Volgyi, A., Fodor, A., Szentirmai, A., Forst, S. (1998). Phase Variation in Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1188-1193 [Abstract] [Full Text]