Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1984 Jan;43(1):108–114. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.108-114.1984

Characterization of common virulence plasmids in Yersinia species and their role in the expression of outer membrane proteins.

D A Portnoy, H Wolf-Watz, I Bolin, A B Beeder, S Falkow
PMCID: PMC263395  PMID: 6317562

Abstract

The virulence plasmids pYV019, pYV8081, and pIB1 from Yersinia pestis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, respectively, were characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis. The three plasmids exhibited a region of common DNA previously shown to encode determinants which confer Ca2+ dependence. The plasmids from Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis were similar throughout their genomes. In contrast, a region of the plasmid from Y. enterocolitica which contained an origin of replication differed from the other two plasmids as determined by DNA homology and replication properties. Plasmid-associated outer membrane proteins from all three species of Yersinia were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. There were no differences in the outer membrane protein profiles between plasmid-containing and homogenic strains lacking the plasmid after growth at 28 degrees C. After growth at 37 degrees C, both Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis showed at least four major plasmid-associated outer membrane proteins. Y. pestis did not show any discernible changes after growth at 37 degrees C. It was shown by using E. coli minicell analysis that the plasmid DNA from all three species of Yersinia contained the coding capacity for production of the novel outer membrane proteins.

Full text

PDF
108

Images in this article

109Image
on p.109
111Image
on p.111
112Image
on p.112

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Acker G., Knapp W., Wartenberg K., Mayer H. Localization of enterobacterial common antigen in Yersinia enterocolitica by the immunoferritin technique. J Bacteriol. 1981 Aug;147(2):602–611. doi: 10.1128/jb.147.2.602-611.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Adler H. I., Fisher W. D., Cohen A., Hardigree A. A. MINIATURE escherichia coli CELLS DEFICIENT IN DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 Feb;57(2):321–326. doi: 10.1073/pnas.57.2.321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beher M. G., Schnaitman C. A. Regulation of the OmpA outer membrane protein of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1981 Sep;147(3):972–985. doi: 10.1128/jb.147.3.972-985.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berche P. A., Carter P. B. Calcium requirement and virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica. J Med Microbiol. 1982 Aug;15(3):277–284. doi: 10.1099/00222615-15-3-277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bolivar F. Construction and characterization of new cloning vehicles. III. Derivatives of plasmid pBR322 carrying unique Eco RI sites for selection of Eco RI generated recombinant DNA molecules. Gene. 1978 Oct;4(2):121–136. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(78)90025-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bölin I., Norlander L., Wolf-Watz H. Temperature-inducible outer membrane protein of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica is associated with the virulence plasmid. Infect Immun. 1982 Aug;37(2):506–512. doi: 10.1128/iai.37.2.506-512.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bölin I., Wolf-Watz H. Molecular cloning of the temperature-inducible outer membrane protein 1 of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Infect Immun. 1984 Jan;43(1):72–78. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.72-78.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ferber D. M., Brubaker R. R. Plasmids in Yersinia pestis. Infect Immun. 1981 Feb;31(2):839–841. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.2.839-841.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gemski P., Lazere J. R., Casey T. Plasmid associated with pathogenicity and calcium dependency of Yersinia enterocolitica. Infect Immun. 1980 Feb;27(2):682–685. doi: 10.1128/iai.27.2.682-685.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gemski P., Lazere J. R., Casey T., Wohlhieter J. A. Presence of a virulence-associated plasmid in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Infect Immun. 1980 Jun;28(3):1044–1047. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.3.1044-1047.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gill R. E., Heffron F., Falkow S. Identification of the protein encoded by the transposable element Tn3 which is required for its transposition. Nature. 1979 Dec 20;282(5741):797–801. doi: 10.1038/282797a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gill R., Heffron F., Dougan G., Falkow S. Analysis of sequences transposed by complementation of two classes of transposition-deficient mutants of Tn3. J Bacteriol. 1978 Nov;136(2):742–756. doi: 10.1128/jb.136.2.742-756.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Grunstein M., Hogness D. S. Colony hybridization: a method for the isolation of cloned DNAs that contain a specific gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Oct;72(10):3961–3965. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.10.3961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HIGUCHI K., SMITH J. L. Studies on the nutrition and physiology of Pasteurella pestis. VI. A differential plating medium for the estimation of the mutation rate to avirulence. J Bacteriol. 1961 Apr;81:605–608. doi: 10.1128/jb.81.4.605-608.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kretschmer F. J., Chang A. C., Cohen S. N. Indirect selection of bacterial plasmids lacking identifiable phenotypic properties. J Bacteriol. 1975 Oct;124(1):225–231. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.1.225-231.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Martinez R. J. Plasmid-mediated and temperature-regulated surface properties of Yersinia enterocolitica. Infect Immun. 1983 Sep;41(3):921–930. doi: 10.1128/iai.41.3.921-930.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Meyers J. A., Sanchez D., Elwell L. P., Falkow S. Simple agarose gel electrophoretic method for the identification and characterization of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol. 1976 Sep;127(3):1529–1537. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.3.1529-1537.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pai C. H., DeStephano L. Serum resistance associated with virulence in Yersinia enterocolitica. Infect Immun. 1982 Feb;35(2):605–611. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.2.605-611.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Perry R. D., Brubaker R. R. Vwa+ phenotype of Yersinia enterocolitica. Infect Immun. 1983 Apr;40(1):166–171. doi: 10.1128/iai.40.1.166-171.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Portnoy D. A., Falkow S. Virulence-associated plasmids from Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pestis. J Bacteriol. 1981 Dec;148(3):877–883. doi: 10.1128/jb.148.3.877-883.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Portnoy D. A., Moseley S. L., Falkow S. Characterization of plasmids and plasmid-associated determinants of Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenesis. Infect Immun. 1981 Feb;31(2):775–782. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.2.775-782.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Robinson M. K., Bennett P. M., Falkow S., Dodd H. M. Isolation of a temperature-sensitive derivative of RP1. Plasmid. 1980 May;3(3):343–347. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(80)90047-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Straley S. C., Brubaker R. R. Cytoplasmic and membrane proteins of yersiniae cultivated under conditions simulating mammalian intracellular environment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Feb;78(2):1224–1228. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.2.1224. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Zink D. L., Feeley J. C., Wells J. G., Vanderzant C., Vickery J. C., Roof W. D., O'Donovan G. A. Plasmid-mediated tissue invasiveness in Yersinia enterocolitica. Nature. 1980 Jan 10;283(5743):224–226. doi: 10.1038/283224a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES