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Transcriptional analysis of Rickettsia prowazekii invasion gene homolog (invA) during host cell infection.

ABSTRACT: An invasion gene homolog, invA, of Rickettsia prowazekii has recently been identified to encode a member of the Nudix hydrolase subfamily which acts specifically on dinucleoside oligophosphates (Np(n)N; n >/= 5), a group of cellular signaling molecules known as alarmones. InvA is thought to enhance intracellular survival by regulating stress-induced toxic nucleotide levels during rickettsial infection. To further characterize the physiological function of InvA, the gene expression pattern during various stages of rickettsial intracellular growth was investigated. Using semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and real-time fluorescent probe-based quantitative RT-PCR, a differential expression profile of invA during rickettsial host cell infection was examined. The invA transcript temporarily increased during the early period of infection. Expression of rickettsial groEL, a molecular indicator of cellular stresses, was also shown to be upregulated during the early period of infection. Furthermore, invA was cotranscribed in a polycistronic message with rrp, a gene encoding the response regulator protein homolog, which is a part of a two-component signal transduction system. These results support our earlier findings that under such stress conditions dinucleoside oligophosphate pyrophosphatase may function as a buffer, enhancing rickettsial survival within the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell. The expression of rickettsial dinucleoside oligophosphate pyrophosphatase may be regulated by a part of the two-component signal transduction system similar to that described for response regulators in other bacterial systems.

SUBMITTER: Gaywee J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC130406 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Transcriptional analysis of Rickettsia prowazekii invasion gene homolog (invA) during host cell infection.

Gaywee Jariyanart J Radulovic Suzana S Higgins James A JA Azad Abdu F AF

Infection and immunity 20021101 11

An invasion gene homolog, invA, of Rickettsia prowazekii has recently been identified to encode a member of the Nudix hydrolase subfamily which acts specifically on dinucleoside oligophosphates (Np(n)N; n >/= 5), a group of cellular signaling molecules known as alarmones. InvA is thought to enhance intracellular survival by regulating stress-induced toxic nucleotide levels during rickettsial infection. To further characterize the physiological function of InvA, the gene expression pattern during ...[more]

PMID: 12379714

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Project description:Natural pathogen transmission of Rickettsia prowazekii, the etiologic agent of epidemic typhus, to humans is associated with arthropods, including human body lice, ticks, and ectoparasites of eastern flying squirrel. Recently, we have documented the presence of small RNAs in Rickettsia species and expression of R. prowazekii sRNAs during infection of cultured human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs), which represent the primary target cells during human infections. Bacterial noncoding transcripts are now well established as critical post-transcriptional regulators of virulence and adaptation mechanisms in varying host environments. Despite their importance, little is known about the expression profile and regulatory activities of R. prowazekii sRNAs (Rp_sRs) in different host cells encountered as part of the natural life-cycle. To investigate the sRNA expression profile of R. prowazekii during infection of arthropod host cells, we employed an approach combining in vitro infection, bioinformatics, RNA sequencing, and PCR-based quantitation. Global analysis of R. prowazekii transcriptome by strand-specific RNA sequencing enabled us to identify 67 cis-acting (antisense) and 26 trans-acting (intergenic) Rp_sRs expressed during the infection of Amblyomma americanum (AAE2) cells. Comparative evaluation of expression during R. prowazekii infection of HMECs and AAE2 cells by quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated significantly higher expression of four selected Rp_sRs in tick AAE2 cells. Examination of the coding transcriptome revealed differential up-regulation of >150 rickettsial genes in either HMECs or AAE2 cells and yielded evidence for host cell-dependent utilization of alternative transcription start sites by 18 rickettsial genes. Our results thus suggest noticeable differences in the expression of both Rp_sRs as well as the coding transcriptome and the exploitation of multiple transcription initiation sites for select genes during the infection of human endothelium and tick vector cells as the host and yield new insights into rickettsial virulence and transmission mechanisms.

Dataset Information

Transcriptional analysis of Rickettsia prowazekii invasion gene homolog (invA) during host cell infection.

Publications

Transcriptional analysis of Rickettsia prowazekii invasion gene homolog (invA) during host cell infection.

Similar Datasets

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