Base changes in the fliC gene of Edwardsiella tarda: possible effects on flagellation and motility

Authors:
  • FMFumiyasu Murayama
    Fumiyasu Murayama
  • EYEisuke Yamanoi
    Eisuke Yamanoi
  • EIEmi Iwamoto
    Emi Iwamoto
  • SMSatoru Matsuoka
    Satoru Matsuoka
  • MNMitsuaki Nishibuchi
    Mitsuaki Nishibuchi
  • TNToshihiro Nakai
    Toshihiro Nakai
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Abstract
Edwardsiella tarda is a broad host-range pathogen infecting both animals and humans. E. tarda isolates from red sea bream Pagrus major are non-motile, whereas isolates from Japanese eel Anguilla japonica and Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus are motile with peritrichous flagella. We compared the fliC gene coding for flagellin (FliC) in motile and non-motile E. tarda strains isolated from diseased fish. Twenty-two amino acid residues differed in the predicted FliC amino acid sequences between non-motile and motile strains. There were no significant differences either in the upstream sequences regulating transcription of the fliC gene or in the fliC transcript levels between motile and non-motile strains. The predicted secondary structure of FliC in non-motile E. tarda differed from that of motile strains, and the modeled data suggested that the secondary structure may be the important factor responsible for non-flagellation in the non-motile strains.