Genetic transformation of pilation and virulence into Neisseria gonorrhoeae T4

Abstract

GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF N. GONORRHOEAE T4 cells of four strains of N. gonorrhoeae to pilation. The transformants appeared typically TI or T2 in morphology and were biochemically typical N. gonorrhoeae. Additionally, DNA extracted from the stable transformants could be used to transform other T4 cells.(A preliminary report of this work was presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New York [E. S. Baron and A. K. Saz, Abstr. Annu. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1975, Hil, p. 98].) MATERIALS AND METHODS Bacterial strains. All donor and recipient strains were morphologically, physiologically, and biochemically typical N. gonorrhoeae. Two strains of N. gonorrhoeae, 62168M and F62, were kindly supplied by Clyde Thornsberry, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga. Strain EB16577 and laboratory strain F18 were obtained from the diagnostic laboratory of the

flu, a metastable gene controlling surface properties of Escherichia coli

“…The discovery of the flu gene of E. coli may therefore be of general microbiological significance and have practical implications for pure and applied sciences. Thus, the presence of surface compo-nents influences virulence, drug resistance, phage sensitivity, conjugation efficiency, and transformability, as has been shown for pili (8,9,30,38,50) and for lipopolysaccharide (19,32,43,51). Therefore, the conscious choice of a particular flu variant may be important in experimental designs.…”

“…Many other bacterial species show variation between different colony morphologies and different states of piliation (8,9,12,16,53). The discovery of the flu gene of E. coli may therefore be of general microbiological significance and have practical implications for pure and applied sciences.…”

Vertebrate and Invertebrate Animal and New In Vitro Models for Studying Neisseria Biology

“…The use of chicken embryos as an animal model for gonorrhoea dates to the 1970s with the papers from Finklestein and colleagues [ 269 , 270 , 271 ]. The model has shown some use in demonstrating passive protection by immune sera against lethal infection and for investigating gonococcal virulence, e.g., the role of cardinal components such as LOS, pili and the opacity proteins, and the dependence on iron [ 270 , 272 , 273 , 274 ]. Different routes of inoculation can be used, including intravenous routes, and routes through the yolk sac and chorioallantoic membrane [ 275 ].…”