Project description:We used an inhalation mouse model of infection to query a collection of 2149 mutants in a Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida background for genes required for growth, survival and systemic dissemination. A microarray-based genome-wide negative selection screen (Microarray tracking of transposon mutants = MATT) allowed us to monitor the behavior of transposon insertions in 1371 unique genes. Interestingly most of these genes persisted in lung and colonized liver and spleen. We found 44 (35%) genes negatively selected in lung and 81 (65%) genes negatively selected in liver and/or spleen. If negative selection in lung occurred, the attenuated mutants in general persisted at 24h after infection, disseminated to liver and/or spleen and appeared to be lost in lung after 48 to 72h of infection. These genes with a strong phenotype in lung but also potential for dissemination might be attractive vaccine or drug candidates. Keywords: Genome-Wide Negative Selection Screen
Project description:We used transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-Seq) to identify the genes that are required for in vitro growth and intramacrophage growth of the live vaccine strain of F. tularensis (LVS).
Project description:We used an inhalation mouse model of infection to query a collection of 2149 mutants in a Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida background for genes required for growth, survival and systemic dissemination. A microarray-based genome-wide negative selection screen (Microarray tracking of transposon mutants = MATT) allowed us to monitor the behavior of transposon insertions in 1371 unique genes. Interestingly most of these genes persisted in lung and colonized liver and spleen. We found 44 (35%) genes negatively selected in lung and 81 (65%) genes negatively selected in liver and/or spleen. If negative selection in lung occurred, the attenuated mutants in general persisted at 24h after infection, disseminated to liver and/or spleen and appeared to be lost in lung after 48 to 72h of infection. These genes with a strong phenotype in lung but also potential for dissemination might be attractive vaccine or drug candidates. Keywords: Genome-Wide Negative Selection Screen 185 arrays, no duplicates/replicates Filtered data (per organ/timepoint) provided as a supplementary file
Project description:The transposon site hybridization (TraSH) technique (Sassetti, CM et al. 2001. PNAS 98:12712-7) was utilized to identify genes important for the survival of Y. pestis within murine macrophages. A transposon library was created with ~31,500 Y. pestis KIM6+ insertion mutants. A portion of the Y. pestis transposon insertion mutant library was used to infect BMMs and the surviving bacteria (output pool) were recovered. TraSH was used to compare the output pool to a portion of the library that was not subjected to selection (input pool) in order to identify Y. pestis genes important for survival in macrophages. Each end of the transposon used for mutagenesis contains an outward-reading T7 RNA polymerase promoter. RNAs transcribed from the T7 promoters are complementary to the chromosomal DNA flanking each transposon in the library, so the RNAs can be used as “targets” to identify the approximate position of each transposon insertion in the mutant pool. Differentially labeled targets generated from the output and input pools are competitively hybridized to the 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays obtained from Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center/J. Craig Venter Institute. Genes important for survival of Y. pestis in macrophages are identified by determining the ratio of the signal intensities for the output and input targets hybridizing to a given probe.
Project description:pool 16 and pool 29 arrays represent the Francisella transposon insertion mutants isolated from the spleens of two separate groups of 5 intraperitoneally infected mice. skin arrays represent the Francisella transposon insertion mutants isolated from the skin of 5 individual, subcutaneously infected mice. input arrays represent Francisella transposon insertion mutants surviving after growth in TSB broth. Detailed Materials and Methods from Weiss et al, PNAS, 2007, In vivo negative selection screen identifies genes required for Francisella virulence: Mice and Francisella infections Female C57BL/6 mice (Jackson) between 7 and 10 wk of age were kept under specific pathogen-free conditions in filter-top cages at Stanford University and provided with sterile water and food ad libitum. Experimental studies were in accordance with IACUC Guidelines. Mice were inoculated with 2x105 cfu subcutaneously in 50 ul sterile PBS or intraperitoneally (IP) in 500 ul. Spleens were harvested 2 days post-infection, homogenized, and dilutions were plated on supplemented MH agar plates containing kanamycin (infections with library) or MH plates with and without the appropriate antibiotic (competition experiments). Plates were grown overnight at 37oC, 5% CO2 and colonies were enumerated. After infections with the library, approximately 10^5 cfu were collected in sterile PBS for isolation of DNA. Competitive Index (CI) values were calculated using the formula CI = (mutant cfu in output/wild-type cfu in output)/(mutant cfu in input/wild-type cfu in input). Microarrays Genomic DNA was purified from bacterial pellets by phenol-chloroform extraction. Each DNA sample was divided in two and digested separately with BfaI or RsaI (NEB). The digested DNA was used as the template for in vitro transcription with the AmpliScribe T7-Flash transcription kit (Epicentre) following the manufacturer's protocol, except that 2 ?g of digested DNA was used, and the reaction was allowed to proceed for 12 to 16 h. Purified RNA was used in a RT reaction using Superscript II(?) (Invitrogen) and random hexamers as primers. cDNA was labeled with amino-allyl dUTP using the Klenow (exo-) enzyme. The ssDNA containing amino-allyl dUTP from the mouse output or the library input pools were labeled with Cy3 and Cy5, respectively, prior to hybridization to our Francisella microarray as described previously. Data analysis Normalized data were downloaded from the Stanford Microarray Database according to the median log2 Cy5/Cy3 (logRAT2N). Filters for feature quality, including a Cy3 net median intensity of 150 and regression correlation of >0.6, were applied. To compare data from separate IP infection experiments, each experimental sample was zero-transformed to the input/input control. Features (spots) missing values for 40% of the arrays were removed from the data set. The data sets were analyzed with the SAM program, using the two-class analysis option to identify features that consistently deviated from the input and samples across all of the arrays with a false discovery rate of 1%.
Project description:The transposon site hybridization (TraSH) technique (Sassetti, CM et al. 2001. PNAS 98:12712-7) was utilized to identify genes important for the survival of Y. pestis within murine macrophages. A transposon library was created with ~31,500 Y. pestis KIM6+ insertion mutants. A portion of the Y. pestis transposon insertion mutant library was used to infect BMMs and the surviving bacteria (output pool) were recovered. TraSH was used to compare the output pool to a portion of the library that was not subjected to selection (input pool) in order to identify Y. pestis genes important for survival in macrophages. Each end of the transposon used for mutagenesis contains an outward-reading T7 RNA polymerase promoter. RNAs transcribed from the T7 promoters are complementary to the chromosomal DNA flanking each transposon in the library, so the RNAs can be used as “targets” to identify the approximate position of each transposon insertion in the mutant pool. Differentially labeled targets generated from the output and input pools are competitively hybridized to the 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays obtained from Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center/J. Craig Venter Institute. Genes important for survival of Y. pestis in macrophages are identified by determining the ratio of the signal intensities for the output and input targets hybridizing to a given probe. A transposon library was created with ~31,500 Y. pestis KIM6+ insertion mutants. A portion of the Y. pestis transposon insertion mutant library was used to infect BMMs and the surviving bacteria (output pool) were recovered. TraSH was used to compare the output pool to a portion of the library that was not subjected to selection (input pool). Each end of the transposon used for mutagenesis contains an outward-reading T7 RNA polymerase promoter. RNAs transcribed from the T7 promoters are complementary to the chromosomal DNA flanking each transposon in the library, so the RNAs was used as “targets” to identify the approximate position of each transposon insertion in the mutant pool. Differentially labeled targets generated from the output and input pools are competitively hybridized to the 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays obtained from Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center/J. Craig Venter Institute. Genes important for survival of Y. pestis in macrophages are identified by determining the ratio of the signal intensities for the output and input targets hybridizing to a given probe.
Project description:This study investigated gene expression profile in wild type and nlrp3 deficient mice infected with F. tularensis LVS. RNA-sequencing was performed to determine the transcript levels of genes using total RNA extracted from lungs of wild type C57BL/6 and Nlrp3-/- mice infected with 1 × 104 CFU of F. tularensis LVS on days 3 and 7 post-infection.
Project description:Bacteremia caused by Francisella tularensis is rare and has been reported mainly in the United States and infrequently in Europe. We report herein the first case of bacteremic F. tularensis pneumonia in an immunocompetent individual in southern Europe.