Role of Yersinia Murine Toxin in Survival of Yersinia pestis in the Midgut of the Flea Vector
- 26 April 2002
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 296 (5568), 733-735
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1069972
Abstract
Transmission by flea bite is a relatively recent adaptation that distinguishes Yersinia pestis, the plague bacillus, from closely related enteric bacteria. Here, a plasmid-encoded phospholipase D (PLD), previously characterized as Yersinia murine toxin (Ymt), was shown to be required for survival of Y. pestis in the midgut of its principal vector, the rat fleaXenopsylla cheopis. Intracellular PLD activity appeared to protect Y. pestis from a cytotoxic digestion product of blood plasma in the flea gut. By enabling colonization of the flea midgut, acquisition of this PLD may have precipitated the transition ofY. pestis to obligate arthropod-borne transmission.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Murine toxin of Yersinia pestis shows phospholipase D activity but is not required for virulence in miceInternational Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2000
- The Assembly System for the Outer Core Portion of R1- and R4-type Lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coliPublished by Elsevier ,1998
- Book Reviews The Horned Dinosaurs, review by K. Padian * Biochemistry of Smooth Muscle Contraction, M. Ikebe * Vignettes * Books ReceivedScience, 1996
- Role of the Yersinia pestis Hemin Storage ( hms ) Locus in the Transmission of Plague by FleasScience, 1996
- A duplicated catalytic motif in a new superfamily of phosphohydrolases and phospholipid synthases that includes poxvirus envelope proteinsTrends in Biochemical Sciences, 1996
- A duplicated catalytic motif in a new superfamily of phosphohydrolases and phospholipid synthases that includes poxvirus envelope proteinsTrends in Biochemical Sciences, 1996
- A novel family of phospholipase D homologues that includes phospholipid synthases and putative endonucleases: Identification of duplicated repeats and potential active site residuesProtein Science, 1996
- Virulent non-capsulate Yersinia pestis variants constructed by insertion mutagenesisJournal of Medical Microbiology, 1995
- Patterns of Erythrocyte Digestion by Bloodsucking Insects: Constraints on Vector CompetenceJournal of Medical Entomology, 1993
- Factors promoting acute and chronic diseases caused by yersiniaeClinical Microbiology Reviews, 1991