Global Systems-Level Analysis of Hfq and SmpB Deletion Mutants in Salmonella: Implications for Virulence and Global Protein Translation
2009

Global Analysis of Hfq and SmpB Mutants in Salmonella

Sample size: 5 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Charles Ansong, Hyunjin Yoon, Steffen Porwollik, Heather Mottaz-Brewer, Brianne O. Petritis, Navdeep Jaitly, Joshua N. Adkins, Michael McClelland, Fred Heffron, Richard D. Smith

Primary Institution: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Hypothesis

How do Hfq and SmpB regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in Salmonella?

Conclusion

Hfq and SmpB play significant roles in regulating protein translation and virulence in Salmonella.

Supporting Evidence

  • Mutants of hfq and smpB modulate at least 20% and 4% of all possible Salmonella proteins, respectively.
  • Deletion of Hfq resulted in a significant reduction in Salmonella virulence in mice.
  • Hfq and SmpB are essential for Salmonella's ability to survive and replicate within macrophages.
  • Proteomics analysis revealed that Hfq regulates a broad spectrum of Salmonella proteins involved in various biological processes.

Takeaway

Scientists studied how two proteins, Hfq and SmpB, help Salmonella bacteria survive and cause disease by controlling how genes are used.

Methodology

The study used global proteomics and transcriptomics to analyze protein and RNA levels in Hfq and SmpB mutant strains of Salmonella.

Limitations

The study may underestimate the number of proteins regulated by Hfq and SmpB due to detection limits.

Participant Demographics

BALB/c mice were used for infection studies.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004809

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