Myo-inositol utilization by Citrobacter koseri promotes brain infection
Abstract
Citrobacter species are opportunistic bacterial pathogens that are implicated in both nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Among the Citrobacter species, Citrobacter koseri is often isolated from clinical material, and it can cause meningitis and brain abscesses in neonates and immunocompromised individuals, thus posing a great threat to human health. However, the virulence determinants of C. koseri remain largely unknown. Myo-inositol is an abundant carbohydrate in the environment and in certain organs of the human body, especially the brain. The C. koseri genome harbors a cluster of genes, QCQ70420.1 to QCQ70429.1 (named the Ino-cluster in this study), which encode IolBCDE, MmsA, and an ATP-binding cassette transporter. The gene cluster may be involved in the utilization of myo-inositol. To investigate the functions of the Ino-cluster in C. koseri, we constructed a mutant strain by deleting the Ino-cluster and found that the mutant could not use myo-inositol as the sole carbon source, confirming that this cluster is responsible for myo-inositol utilization. Moreover, we investigated the function of the Ino-cluster and myo-inositol utilization in C. koseri pathogenicity. Deletion of the Ino-cluster significantly impai...Continue Reading
References
The fifth gene of the iol operon of Bacillus subtilis, iolE, encodes 2-keto-myo-inositol dehydratase
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Brain Abscess
Brain abscess is an accumulation of pus caused by inflammation and infected materials in the brain. Symptoms include fever, headache, seizures and other neurological problems. Discover the latest research on brain abscess today.