The Helicobacter pylori protein HP0958 is essential for flagellum biogenesis. It has been shown that HP0958 stabilizes the sigma(54) factor RpoN. The aim of this study was to further investigate the role of HP0958 in flagellum production in H. pylori. Global transcript analysis identified a number of flagellar genes that were differentially expressed in an HP0958 mutant strain. Among these, the...

The flagellum protein flagellin of Listeria monocytogenes is encoded by the flaA gene. Immediately downstream of flaA, two genes, cheY and cheA, encoding products with homology to chemotaxis proteins of other bacteria, are located. In this study we constructed deletion mutants with mutations in flaA. cheY, and cheA to elucidate their role in the biology of infection with L. monocytogenes. The D...

The complex flagellar filaments of the LIO8 serogroup member Campylobacter coli VC167 are composed of two highly related subunit proteins encoded by the flaA and flaB genes which share 92% identity. Using oligonucleotide primers based on the known DNA sequence of both the flaA and flaB genes from C. coli VC167 in the polymerase chain reaction, we have shown conservation of both fla genes among ...

The widespread CsrA/RsmA protein regulators repress translation by binding GGA motifs in bacterial mRNAs. CsrA activity is primarily controlled through sequestration by multiple small regulatory RNAs. Here we investigate CsrA activity control in the absence of antagonizing small RNAs by examining the CsrA regulon in the human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. We use genome-wide co-immunoprecipitat...

LuxS plays a role in the synthesis of an extracellular signaling molecule, autoinducer 2 (AI-2). To analyze a possible role of AI-2 in regulating Helicobacter pylori gene expression, we constructed a panel of transcriptional reporter strains. We show that the expression of H. pylori flaA is growth phase dependent and that flaA transcription increases in association with increased culture densit...

This study aimed to identify the sources and routes of transmission of Campylobacter in intensively reared poultry farms in the Republic of Ireland. Breeder flocks and their corresponding broilers housed in three growing facilities were screened for the presence of Campylobacter species from November 2006 through September 2007. All breeder flocks tested positive for Campylobacter species (with...

Helicobacter mustelae, like Helicobacter pylori, possesses two flagellin proteins, FlaA and FlaB. Isogenic mutant strains of H. mustelae have been constructed by disruption of the flaA or flaB gene with a kanamycin resistance cassette or by introduction of both a kanamycin and a chloramphenicol resistance gene to produce a double mutant. To determine whether one or both flagellin proteins are n...

An outbreak of campylobacteriosis affected approximately one-half of 165 people attending an annual farmers' dance in Montrose, Scotland, in November 2005. Epidemiological investigations, including a cohort study (n = 164), identified chicken liver paté as the most likely vehicle of infection. Paté preparation involved deliberate undercooking of chicken livers by flash-frying, followed by mecha...

Campylobacter jejuni was monitored in 4 chicken farms during the period 2003 to 2006 to elucidate the mechanisms of transmission. Three farms (1 to 3), located at least 14 km from each other, belonged to an integrated poultry company, which also provided the farms with day-old chicks from several hatcheries as well as chicken feed. Another farm (4), which belonged to a different company, was lo...