YqiC of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a membrane fusogenic protein required for mice colonization”.

CARRICA, M; CRAIG, P.O.; GARCÍA-ANGULO, V.A,; AGUIRRE, A; GARCÍA VÉSCOVI, E.; GLODBAUM, F.A.; CRAVERO, S.L.

BMC MICROBIOLOGY

BIOMED CENTRAL LTD

Año: 2011 vol. 11 p. 95 - 105

1471-2180

Background. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is an intracellular bacterial pathogenwhich can colonize a variety of hosts, including human, causing syndromes that vary fromgastroenteritis and diarrhea to systemic disease.Results. In this work we present structural information as well as insights into the in vivofunction of YqiC, a 99-residue protein of S. Typhimurium, which belongs to the cluster of theorthologous group 2960 (COG2960). We found that YqiC shares biophysical and biochemicalproperties with Brucella abortus BMFP, the only previously characterized member of thisgroup, such as a high alpha helix content, a coiled-coil domain involved in trimerization and amembrane fusogenic activity in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that YqiC localizes atcytoplasmic and membrane subcellular fractions, that a S. Typhimurium yqiC deficient strainhad a severe attenuation in virulence in the murine model when inoculated both orally andintraperitoneally, and was impaired to replicate at physiological and high temperatures invitro, although it was still able to invade and replicate inside epithelial and macrophages celllines. Conclusion. This work firstly demonstrates the importance of a COG2960 member forpathogen-host interaction, and suggests a common function conserved among members of thisgroup.