Biomaterial Database

Cloning and genetic characterization of the Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter mustelae flaB flagellin genes and construction of H. pylori flaA- and flaB-negative mutants by electroporation-mediated allelic exchange. 1993

S Suerbaum, and C Josenhans, and A Labigne

Unité des Entérobactéries, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U199, F-75724 Paris, France.

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common human pathogens. It causes chronic gastritis and is involved in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal ulcer disease and possibly gastric carcinoma. Helicobacter mustelae is a bacterium closely related to H. pylori that causes gastritis and ulcer disease in ferrets and is therefore considered an important animal model of gastric Helicobacter infections. Motility, even in a viscous environment, is conferred to the bacteria by several sheathed flagella and is regarded as one of their principal virulence factors. The flagellar filament of H. pylori consists of two different flagellin species expressed in different amounts. The gene (flaA) encoding the major flagellin has recently been cloned and sequenced. Here we report the cloning and sequencing of two highly homologous new flagellin genes from H. pylori 85P and H. mustelae NCTC 12032. The nucleotide sequence of the H. pylori gene proved that it encoded the second flagellin molecule found in H. pylori flagellar filaments. The genes were named flaB. The H. mustelae and H. pylori flaB genes both coded for proteins with 514 amino acids and molecular masses of 54.0 and 53.9 kDa, respectively. The proteins shared 81.7% identical amino acids. The degree of conservation between H. pylori FlaB and the H. pylori FlaA major flagellin was much lower (58%). Both flaB genes were preceded by sigma 54-like promoter sequences. Mapping of the transcription start site for the H. pylori flaB gene by a primer extension experiment confirmed the functional activity of the sigma 54 promoter. To evaluate the importance of both genes for motility, flaA- and flaB-disrupted mutants of H. pylori N6 were constructed by electroporation-mediated allelic exchange and characterized by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis and motility testing. Both mutations selectively abolished the expression of the targeted gene without affecting the synthesis of the other flagellin molecule. Whereas flaA mutants were completely nonmotile, flaB mutants retained motility.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D010641	Phenotype	The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment.	Phenotypes
D002465	Cell Movement	The movement of cells from one location to another. Distinguish from CYTOKINESIS which is the process of dividing the CYTOPLASM of a cell.	Cell Migration,Locomotion, Cell,Migration, Cell,Motility, Cell,Movement, Cell,Cell Locomotion,Cell Motility,Cell Movements,Movements, Cell
D005408	Flagellin	A protein with a molecular weight of 40,000 isolated from bacterial flagella. At appropriate pH and salt concentration, three flagellin monomers can spontaneously reaggregate to form structures which appear identical to intact flagella.
D005798	Genes, Bacterial	The functional hereditary units of BACTERIA.	Bacterial Gene,Bacterial Genes,Gene, Bacterial
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
D001426	Bacterial Proteins	Proteins found in any species of bacterium.	Bacterial Gene Products,Bacterial Gene Proteins,Gene Products, Bacterial,Bacterial Gene Product,Bacterial Gene Protein,Bacterial Protein,Gene Product, Bacterial,Gene Protein, Bacterial,Gene Proteins, Bacterial,Protein, Bacterial,Proteins, Bacterial
D001483	Base Sequence	The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.	DNA Sequence,Nucleotide Sequence,RNA Sequence,DNA Sequences,Base Sequences,Nucleotide Sequences,RNA Sequences,Sequence, Base,Sequence, DNA,Sequence, Nucleotide,Sequence, RNA,Sequences, Base,Sequences, DNA,Sequences, Nucleotide,Sequences, RNA
D012333	RNA, Messenger	RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.	Messenger RNA,Messenger RNA, Polyadenylated,Poly(A) Tail,Poly(A)+ RNA,Poly(A)+ mRNA,RNA, Messenger, Polyadenylated,RNA, Polyadenylated,mRNA,mRNA, Non-Polyadenylated,mRNA, Polyadenylated,Non-Polyadenylated mRNA,Poly(A) RNA,Polyadenylated mRNA,Non Polyadenylated mRNA,Polyadenylated Messenger RNA,Polyadenylated RNA,RNA, Polyadenylated Messenger,mRNA, Non Polyadenylated
D014158	Transcription, Genetic	The biosynthesis of RNA carried out on a template of DNA. The biosynthesis of DNA from an RNA template is called REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION.	Genetic Transcription