[Insertional Inactivation of Virulence Operon in Population of Persistent Bordetella pertussis Bacteria].

Avirulent B. pertussis bacteria containing IS elements in the bvgAS operon were detected during the study of whooping cough patients and bacilli carriers. The present work is devoted to the study of the accumulation dynamics and the mechanisms of generation of persistent forms of the B. pertussis bacteria in lower monkeys as the most adequate model for extrapolation ofthe experiment results to humans. By means of the real-time PCR method, it was established that the B. pertussis bacteria lived more than three months in the upper respiratory tract after a single intranasal monkey infection; the period was reduced to 14-28 days during repeated infection. An increase in the portion of B. pertussis Bvg mutants in the population to tens of percent from the total number of registered bacteria was registered. The experimental confirmation ofthe development and accumulation of avirulent B. pertussis Bvg mutants during the development of the infectious process was obtained. Further study of the composition of the B. pertussis persistent bacteria population at different stages of the disease will make it possible to formulate new approaches to the whooping cough diagnostics and prevention and creation of fundamentally new drugs.

[PERSISTENCE OF BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS BACTERIA AND A POSSIBLE MECHANISM OF ITS FORMATION].

A growth of pertussis morbidity is observed in many countries of the world against the background of mass vaccindtion. Forms of the disease course have changed. Atypical forms of pertussis occur predominately in adolescents and adults. Asymptomatic carriage of the causative agent has been established. Infection of infants with. BordetelIa pertussis bacteria in more than 90% of cases occurs from parents and relatives. A prolonged persistence of the causative agent has been identified. Morbidity increase in developed countries is associated with the use of acellular vaccines, that do not protect from the infection, but reduce severity of the disease. A change of genotypes of the circulating bacteria strains is observed ubiquitously. Formation of a persistent form of B. pertussis is possible due to a reversible integration of IS-elements into bvgAS operon and other virulence genes. The results of studies of invasion and survival of B. pertussis bacteria in eukaryotic cells, a change in B. pertussis bacteria population after experimental infection of laboratory mice and monkeys are presented, accumulation of avirulent insertion Bvg mutants of B. pertussis was detected. The data obtained are in accordance with the results of analysis of causative agent population in patients with typical and atypical forms of pertussis in humans. More than 50% of the population of B. pertussis bacteria in practically healthy carriers was shown to be presented by avirulent insertion Bvg mutants. B. pertussis virulence reducing as a result of inactivation of single or several virulence genes probably provide long-term persistence of bacteria in host organism and formation of apparently healthy vehicles. Follow-up studies on that front would help to formulate new attitudes to preventive measures of pertussis and lead to development of fundamentally new pharmaceuticals (vaccines) preventing formation of bacterial persistence.

[Experimental whooping cough of nonhuman primate].

Despite considerable success in study of Bordetella pertussis virulence factors, pathogenesis of whooping cough, duration of B. pertussis bacteria persistence, types and mechanisms of immune response are still keep underinvestigated. It can be explained by the absence ofadequate experimental animal model for pertussis study. Our study estimates clinical and laboratory parameters of whooping cough in non-human primates of the Old World in the process of intranasan infection by virulent B. pertussis bacteria. Also the duration of B. pertussis bacteria persistence in animals was investigated. 14 animal units of 4 species of non-human primates of the Old World were used for intranasal infection. The examination of infect animals included: visual exploration of nasopharynx, thermometry, clinical and biochemical blood analyses, identification ofB. pertussis, using microbiologic and molecular genetic analyses, estimation of innate and adoptive immune factors. The development of infectious process was accompanied by generation of B. pertussis bacteria, catarrhal inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa, leucocytosis, hypoglycemia specific for pertussis, and activation of innate and adaptive immunity for all primates regardless of specie were seen. While repeated experimental infection in primates single bacterial colonies were registered during only first week after challenge. It occurs like the absence of inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa and the lack of laboratory marks of whooping cough, recorded after first challenge. The evident booster effect of humoral immunity was observed. As a model for investigation of B. pertussis bacteria persistence and immune response against whooping cough we suggest the usage of rhesus macaque as more available to experiments.

[Accumulation of the bvg- Bordetella pertussis a virulent mutants in the process of experimental whooping cough in mice].

The duration of the persistence and dynamics of accumulation of insertion bvg- Bordetella pertussis mutants were studied in lungs of laboratory mice after intranasal and intravenous challenge by virulent bacteria of the causative agent of whooping cough. The capability of the virulent B. pertussis bacteria to long-term persistence in the body of mice was tested. Using the real-time PCR approximately hundred genome equivalents of the B. pertussis DNA were detected in lungs of mice in two months after infection regardless of the way of challenge. Using the bacterial test bacteria were identified during only four weeks after challenge. Bvg- B. pertussis avirulent mutants were accumulated for the infection time. The percentage of the avirulent bacteria in the B. pertussis population reached 50% in 7-9 weeks after challenge. The obtained results show that the laboratory mice can be used for study of the B. pertussis insertion mutant formation dynamics in vivo and confirm the hypothesis about insertional bvg- B. pertussis virulent mutants accumulation during development of pertussis infection in human.

[Construction of the genetically attenuated bacteria Bordetella pertussis devoid of dermonecrotic toxin activity and producing modified nontoxic pertussis toxin form].

The recombinant modified (attenuated) bacteria A. pertussis were constructed. These bacteria contained knockout mutation of the dnt gene and produced nontoxic pertussis toxin derivative. The immunological properties of the mutant bacteria B. pertussis strain KS were studied. The recombinant bacteria B. pertussis strain KS were found to be devoid of dermonecrotic toxin activity, conserved the structure of the mutant dnt gene in condition of cultivation on selective growth media, and long-term survival in laboratory animal organism. Intranasal immunization of mice with living bacteria B. pertussis, attenuated strain KS provided protection of animals from virulent strains of the pertussis. The efficiency of the protection was comparable with protection efficiency provided by standard corpuscular pertussis vaccine OSO-3.

[The influence of Bordetella pertussis bvgAS operon on formation and resolution of plasmid-chromosome cointegrates in Escherichia coli K12 mutants with damages in common components of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system].

The plasmids containing the genetically marked variants of Bordetela pertussi transposon TnBP were synthesized on the base of the plasmid with thermosensitive replication. The integration frequency of these plasmids into the E.coli K12 chromosome at non-permissive temperature (42 degrees C) was determined. It was found that the frequency of forming of RSBP-induced plasmid-chromosome cointegrated in bacteria E.coli K12 deficient in HPr or Enzyme I of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system was decreased. The bvgAS operon from B.pertussis in trans-position restores the ability of mutant E.coli K12 to form and resolve.

[Engineering of attenuated Bordetella pertussis bacteria producing immunogenic non-toxic form of pertussis toxin].

AIM: To engineer attenuated Bordetella pertussis strain producing non-toxic immunogenic derivative of pertussis toxin (toxoid KT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, allelic exchange as well as methods for determination of immunobiological characteristics of toxoid KTwere used. RESULTS: Attenuated B. pertussis strains 5 and 35 containing mutant operon ptx and gene of resistance to canamycin were engineered. Recombinant bacteria retained marker of resistance to canamycin as well as structure of mutant operon during cultivation on growth media and long-term survival in lung of laboratory mice. Immunobiologic characteristics of attenuated B. pertussis were studied. CONCLUSION: Intranasal immunization of laboratory animals with live attenuated B. pertussis 5 and 35 provides protection from infection with virulent B. pertussis strain, which is comparable with efficacy of standard whole-cell vaccine.

[A comparative study of the role of the yadA, invA, and psaA genes in the pathogenicity of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis].

The roles of yadA, invA, and psaA genes introduced into the genetic background of the Y. pseudotuberculosis strain possessing the large p VM82 plasmid in virulence and invasion capacity were studied. Isogenic single mutants as well as double and multiple mutants of these genes were constructed and used. LD50 was used as a measure of virulence and the estimation of the ability to invade mammalian cells and the effect of infection on the weight changes of infected mice were used as additional indicators of pathogenicity. It was shown that the YadA had a major effect on the bacterial virulence when compared with the effects of PsaA and InvA. InvA appears to mediate the main pathway of the cellular invasion. YadA is responsible for the weight loss after infection of mice with sublethal doses of Y. pseudotuberculosis. The effects of YadA on virulence and of InvA on bacterial invasion were independent of the expression of the other genes studied. To our knowledge, this study showed for the first time the direct involvement of YadA in the virulence of Y. pseudotuberculosis in mice. Further pathomorphological studies are required to reveal the differences in the pathogenesis of pseudotuberculosis caused by yadA mutants or yadA+ bacteria of Y. pseudotuberculosis.

[Molecular evidence for the lysogenic state of microorganisms belonging to the genus Bordetella and characterization of Bordetella parapertussis temperate bacteriophage 66(2.2)].

A new bacteriophage phiK of microorganisms belonging to the genus Bordetella was isolated from cells of the earlier characterized strains 66(2-2) (1 and 2) obtained upon phage conversion of B. parapertussis 17903 cells by B. pertussis bacteriophage phi134. Bacteriophage phiK is identical to previously described Bordetella bacteriophages phiT, phi134, and phi214 in morphology and some biological properties but has a permuted genome different from all other phages. DNA of bacteriophage phiK is not integrated in the chromosome of B. parapertussis 17903, similar to DNA of bacteriophages phiT, phi134, and phi214 that are not integrated into B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica chromosomes, but may be present in a small part of the bacterial population as linear plasmids. Sequences homologous to DNA of bacteriophage phiK were detected in the chromosome of strain 66(2-2) (1 and 2) and in chromosomes of all tested strains B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica. Prophage integration in chromosomes of microorganisms of the genus Bordetella may vary in different bacterial strains and species. An assumption about abortive lysogeny of B. parapertussis bacteria for phiK phage and of B. bronchiseptica for closely related phages phiT, phi134, and phi214 has been advanced. The possibility of involvement of B. pertussis insertion sequences in the formation of the chromosomal structure in 66(2-2) convertants and in phage genomes is considered.

[Functional activity of transposase of Bordetella pertussis IS element in Escherichia coli cells].

An Escherichia coli strain producing transposase of a repeated sequence of Bordetella pertussis chromosome (RSBP) was constructed. A defective MGE-helper plasmid method, which allowed the determination of transposase functional activity was developed. It was shown that transposase synthesized in E. coli cells ensures transposition of "defective" RSBP into the host chromosome. Overexpression of transposase was shown to markedly decrease the vital activity of E. coli cells under selective cultivation conditions. Reasons for a decrease in viability transposase-producing cells are discussed. Results showing the impact of transposase on replication of recombinant plasmids and E. coli cell division were obtained.

[Bvg-negative regulation of repeated sequence transferring in Bordetella pertussis cells].

A method of monitoring the sequential events of IS481 transposition into the ctag site of bvg operon of Bordetella pertussis has been developed. Reproduction of virulent B. pertussis cells in vitro is accompanied by intrachromosomal site-specific IS481 transposition, which, in turn, results in inactivation of bvg operon of the causative agent and cell avirulent state. Avirulent bvg mutants of B. pertussis are incapable of intramolecular IS481 transposition. The frequency of the transposition increases when MgSO4 and nicotinic acid are present the culture medium. In the absence of these modulating factors. IS481 transposition along B. pertussis chromosome is inhibited but not arrested completely. Negative regulation of the bvg-repressed genes of B. pertussis seems to be a mechanism that controls bvg-dependent IS481 transposition.

[Identification of the open reading frame coding transposase of Bordetella pertussis RS-element]. / Identifikatsiia otkrytoi ramki schityvaniia, kodiruiushchei transpozazu RS-élementa Bordetella pertussis.

A computer-aided analysis of the repeating sequence of Bordetella pertussis chromosome (RSBP3) revealed 3 open reading frames, one of whose (ORF1) can code a protein whose structure and properties are similar to those of transposasas, i.e. enzymes in charges for the traveling of migrating genetic elements of pro- and eukaryote. Mutants of the RSBP3 insertion sequence with the affected and unaffected ORF1 sequence were constructed in order to substantiate the above assumption. Two independent experimental models (formation of inter-plasmid co-integrates and of co-integrates between plasmid and E. coli chromosome) were used to show that the RSBP3-stimulated formation of co-integrates is only true for plasmids containing RSBP3 with the unaffected ORF1 sequence. An activity of the Hpr protein (a component of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase) was proven to influence the formation process of inter-plasmid co-integrates.

[Integration and intramolecular transposition of the TnBP3 Bordetella pertussis transposon in the Escherichia coli K-12 cells -- mutant for the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system Hpr protein ]. / Integratsiia i vnutrimolekuliarnoe peremeshchenie transpozona TnBP3 Bordetella pertussis v kletkakh Escherichia coli K-12, mutantnykh po belku Hpr fosfoenolpiruvat-zavisimoi fosfotransferaznoi sistemy.

Integration of a plasmid carrying the TnBP3 transposon of Bordetella pertussis into the chromosome of Escherichia coli and transpositions of the integrated structure within a chromosome in the wild-type and mutant cells ptsH devoid of the major Hpr protein of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system were studied. When transposed to a new chromosome site, the integrated structure was precisely (or almost precisely) excised from the metY gene sequence, which resulted in restoration of the Met+ phenotype. The integration and transposition events were only observed in the E. coli cells carrying the ptsH+ allele. The ptsH mutations inhibited integration and intramolecular transposition, which were restored after phenotypic or genetic suppression of the ptsH mutation. The intensity of the processes studied were suggested to depend on the integrity of a chain that ensures transferring of the phosphoryl residue by proteins of the phosphotransferase system in E. coli K12. The results obtained indicate that the ptsH mutants of E. coli can serve as the optimal host for cloning of fragments carrying repeated sequences of B. pertussis, which may apply to the repeated sequences of other microorganisms.

[Integration of plasmids into E. coli K12 chromosomes, caused by a Bordetella transposon]. / Integratsiia plazmidy v khroosomu E. coli K12, obuslovlennaia transpozonom Bordetella.

Transposition of Bordetella pertussis transposon in E. coli chromosome has been studied on a model of exclusion of donor multicopy pKK3 plasmid with coumermicin. TnBP3 induced the formation of co-integrates between the plasmid and chromosome. The structure of co-integrate was determined. Facts of exclusion of integrated structure and transposon transposition within integrated plasmid into new sites on a recipient chromosome were detected. Relationship between these processes and activity of bacterial cell recombination system has been determined.

[Transposition and inheritance of Bordetella Tn-element in Escherichia coli K12]. / Transpozitsiia i nasledovanie Tn-élementa Bordetell v kletkakh Escherichia coli K12.

B. pertussis genetically mobile element TnBp3 integrates the plasmid in E. coli chromosome. During culturing under nonselective conditions the majority of cells of some E. coli strains lose the kanamycin resistance marker, which indicates the instability of TnBp3 inheriting. The stability of inheriting the integrated structure is higher in E. coli cells with recB-21 recC-12 sbcB-2 mutations. The role of RecBC recombination system in extrusion of TnBp3 is discussed.

[A mobile genetic element on a Bordetella pertussis chromosome stimulates cointegrate formation in Escherichia coli strains]. / Mobil'ny'i geneticheskii élement khromosomy Bordetella pertussis stimuliruet obrazovanie kointegratov v shtammakh Escherichia coli.

This work continues a series of reports devoted to the study of a repeated sequence isolated from the Bordetella pertussis chromosome (RSBP--Repeated Sequence of Bordetella Pertussis). The RSBP was earlier demonstrated to have a structure similar to IS elements and exhibit some properties of mobile genetic elements. The results of this work demonstrate the ability of this novel genetic element to stimulate the formation of cointegrates between independent replicons. We have studied the structure of five cointegrates formed by integration of a resident RSBP-containing plasmid into three different sites of a recipient replicon. The studied cointegrates are capable of resolution with the release of a resident plasmid independent of the host cell RecA function.

Repeated sequences isolated from Bordetella pertussis induce DNA rearrangements and deletions at high frequency.

Two repeated sequences (RS) from Bordetella pertussis were cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced. The RS, called RSBP1 and RSBP3, are highly homologous to other B. pertussis RS. The recombinant plasmids containing RSBP1 and RSBP3 or transposon-like structures of these elements were not stable but segregated plasmids with deletions or rearranged DNA. RS of B. pertussis seem to be able to stimulate both intra- and inter-genomic RecA-independent recombination events. In at least one case, the observed deletion had occurred precisely between the RS terminus and a site with sequence homology to the terminus. The high frequency rearrangements associated with the RS imply that the RS are transposable elements.

[Nucleotide sequence and properties of an inverted repeating element of a Bordetella pertussis chromosome]. / Nukleotidnaia posledovatel'nost' i svoistva invertirovannogo povtoriaiushchegosia élementa khromosomy Bordetella pertussis.

The repeated sequence from Bordetella pertussis chromosome was cloned using the method described by Ohtsubo. The sequences of the characterized B. pertussis chromosome are homologous to the previously described sequences and analogous in the structure to the already known IS elements. The parental recombinant plasmids containing the RS were unstable and segregated to the plasmids of different structure. The segregants' structure is characterized in this paper. It is shown in our study that the RS element is able to stimulate intragenomic rearrangements, such as deletions. It is shown that at least one deletion begins precisely after 3' end of RS and terminates with the sequence which is completely homologous to ten terminal nucleotides of this one. Probably, RSs stimulate at high frequency the formation of deletions, which appear to be the result of recA-independent site-specific recombination between short direct repeats.

[Nucleotide sequence and properties of a transposon-like structure cloned from a Bordetella pertussis chromosome]. / Nukleotidnaia posledovatel'nost' i svoistva transpozonopodobnoi struktury, klonirovannoi iz khromosomy Bordetella pertussis.

The 2.3 kb BamHI-EcoRI subclone has been isolated and sequenced from the 15 kb BamHI chromosomal fragment of Bordetella pertussis comprising also the vir gene. The sequence contained one copy of a transposon-like structure, very similar to the RSs of B. pertussis recently characterized, the unique sequence of B. pertussis chromosomal DNA and an inverted sequence complementary to 402 bp of 3' end of the B. pertussis RS element. The fragment of plasmid pUC4K containing the gene for kanamycin resistance (Km) was integrated in the XhoI site of the unique portion of the transposon-like structure of plasmid DNA (Ap(r), Km(r)). The clones in amount of 2% tested had the Ap-S phenotype. The recombinant plasmid from the Ap(s) phenotype clones lost one of the repeats and a portion of the gene bla as a result of deletion. The conclusion is drawn that RSs of B. pertussis stimulate the formation of deletions.

[Antibiotic resistance plasmids in various strains of Staphylococcus aureus]. / Izuchenie plazmid antibiotikorezistentnosti iz razlichnykh shtammov Staphylococcus aureus.

Plasmids with the molecular weights of 1.6 to 21.0 MD were detected in Staphylococcus aureus. The plasmids determined resistance to benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, streptomycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, arsenate and arsenite. Strain p16 of Staphylococcus aureus contained plasmid pL16 with the molecular weight of 18.0 MD determining resistance to erythromycin, streptomycin, benzylpenicillin and ampicillin. The plasmid has two replication sites and is likely a natural recombinant of two plasmids.