Table 1.
Major virulence factors of B. pertussis.
| Major virulence factors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulators | Type | Stimuli | Regulon | |
| BvgAS | TCS* | In lab: nicotinate, MgSO4 | [40,48] | |
| RisAK | TCS | Unknown | [49,107] | |
| BtrA | Sigma factor | In lab: oxidative conditions, iron starvation, glutamate limitation … | [52] | |
| PlrRS** | TCS | CO2 | Unknown [51] | |
| RseA/RpoE | Sigma factor | Envelope stress | [55] | |
| Adhesins | Name | Structure | Secretion | |
| FHA | Filamentous hemagglutinin | β helix [56] | Two-Partner Secretion [67] | |
| Prn | Pertactin | β helix [57] | Autotransporter [72] | |
| Fim | Fimbriae | Polymer of pilin subunits [58] | Chaperone-usher pathway [59] | |
| Toxins | Name | Structure | Secretion mechanism | Activity |
| PTX | Pertussis toxin | AB5-type exotoxin [78] | Type IV secretion system Ptl [79] | ADP ribosylation of G proteins [80] |
| ACT | Adenylate cyclase | RTX toxin [83] | Type I secretion system CyaBDE [83] | Pore forming and calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase [83] |
| TCT | Tracheal cytotoxin | Disaccharide-tetrapeptide [60] | Peptidoglycan fragment [85,86] triggering an inflammatory response | |
| DNT | Dermonecrotic toxin | Homologous to Pasteurella multocida toxin [61] | Not secreted [62] | Transglutaminase activating Rho GTPases [63] |
| BteA/BopC | T3SS effector | [195] | Type III secretion system [64] | Cytotoxicity, unknown mechanism |
| BopN | T3SS effector | Homologous to Yersinia effector [65] | Type III secretion system [64] | Cytotoxicity, unknown mechanism |
* Abbreviations: TCS, two-component systems; RTX, repeats in toxin; T3SS, type three secretion system
Numbers in brackets refer to references.