In:
Infection and Immunity, American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 70, No. 3 ( 2002-03), p. 1367-1371
Abstract:
Haemophilus ducreyi produces a periplasmic copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), which is thought to protect the organism from exogenous reactive oxygen species generated by neutrophils during an inflammatory response. We had previously identified the gene, sodC , responsible for the production and secretion of Cu-Zn SOD and constructed an isogenic H. ducreyi strain with a mutation in the sodC gene (35000HP- sodC-cat ). Compared to the parent, the mutant does not survive in the presence of exogenous superoxide (L. R. San Mateo, M. Hobbs, and T. H. Kawula, Mol. Microbiol. 27:391-404, 1998) and is impaired in the swine model of H. ducreyi infection (L. R. San Mateo, K. L. Toffer, P. E. Orndorff, and T. H. Kawula, Infect. Immun. 67:5345-5351, 1999). To test whether Cu-Zn SOD is important for bacterial survival in vivo, six human volunteers were experimentally infected with 35000HP and 35000HP- sodC-cat and observed for papule and pustule formation. Papules developed at similar rates at sites inoculated with the mutant or parent. The pustule formation rates were 75% (95% confidence intervals [CI], 43 to 95%) at 12 parent-inoculated sites and 67% (95% CI, 41 to 88%) at 18 mutant-inoculated sites ( P = 0.47). There was no significant difference in levels of H. ducreyi recovery from mutant- and parent-inoculated biopsy sites. These results suggest that expression of Cu-Zn SOD does not play a major role in the survival of this pathogen in the initial stages of experimental infection of humans.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0019-9567
,
1098-5522
DOI:
10.1128/IAI.70.3.1367-1371.2002
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology
Publication Date:
2002
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1483247-1
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