Flagellar Phase Change in Salmonella Typhi
Author Information
Author(s): Stephen Baker, Kathryn Holt, Sally Whitehead, Ian Goodhead, Tim Perkins, Bruce Stocker, Jonathan Hardy, Gordon Dougan
Primary Institution: The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Hypothesis
The study investigates the mechanism of unidirectional flagellar phase change in Salmonella Typhi due to a linear plasmid truncation.
Conclusion
The phase change in Salmonella Typhi is unidirectional and involves a deletion at the right terminus of the linear plasmid pBSSB1.
Supporting Evidence
- Salmonella Typhi typically does not undergo phase variation but some Indonesian strains can express a novel flagellin.
- The phase change was shown to be unidirectional, reverting to expression from the resident chromosomal fliC gene.
- DNA sequencing revealed that the linear plasmid pBSSB1 was still present but had undergone deletion.
Takeaway
Some bacteria can change their outer parts to trick the immune system, and this study found that a specific type of Salmonella can only change in one direction.
Methodology
The study involved genetic analysis and phase variation assays on two Salmonella Typhi strains isolated in Indonesia.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on specific strains from Indonesia, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The strains were isolated from Indonesia.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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