鼠疫菌毒力调控研究

Studies on virulence regulation of Yersinia pestis

鼠疫菌通过一系列转录调控子(如CRP、PhoP、RovA和Fur)控制着一些关键毒力因子(如Pla、强毒力岛、III型分泌系统等)的基因表达。鼠疫菌可感应宿主体内信号刺激,紧密调控毒力因子的表达。在这个紧密调控过程中,调控子、毒力相关基因构成了一个动态网络。鼠疫菌在从假结核菌祖先演化的进程中,基因表达调控网络的重塑在鼠疫菌毒力进化过程中发挥着不可取代的作用。

A set of transcritpional regulators such as CRP,PhoP,RovA and Fur have been characterized to regulate virulence-related genes in Yersinia pestis,especially including those encoding Pla,high pathogenicity island and type III secretion system.Y.pestis has evolved the ability to sense host signals and then to closely regulate the expression of virulence factors,for which regulators and their target virulence-related genes constitute a dynamic gene regulatory network.The remodeling of gene regulatory network promotes the evolution of Y.pestis,which is a deadly pathogen causing systemic infections,from its ancestor Y.pseudotuber culosis that is a mild enteropathogenic bacterium.