Rifampicin‐resistant RpoB S522L Vibrio vulnificus exhibits disturbed stress response and hypervirulence traits

Cutugno, L., O'Byrne, C., Pané-Farré, J., & Boyd, A. (2023). Rifampicin-resistant RpoB S522L Vibrio vulnificus exhibits disturbed stress response and hypervirulence traits. MicrobiologyOpen, 12, e1379. https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.1379

Abstract

Rifampicin resistance, which is genetically linked to mutations in the RNA polymerase β-subunit gene rpoB, has a global impact on bacterial transcription and cell physiology. Previously, we identified a substitution of serine 522 in RpoB (i.e., RpoBS522L) conferring rifampicin resistance to Vibrio vulnificus, a human food-borne and wound-infecting pathogen associated with a high mortality rate. Transcriptional and physiological analysis of V. vulnificus expressing RpoBS522L showed increased basal transcription of stress-related genes and global virulence regulators. Phenotypically these transcriptional changes manifest as disturbed osmo-stress responses and toxin-associated hypervirulence as shown by reduced hypoosmotic-stress resistance and enhanced cytotoxicity of the RpoBS522L strain. These results suggest that RpoB-linked rifampicin resistance has a significant impact on V. vulnificus survival in the environment and during infection.

Funder

European Union H2020
Irish Research Council
Higher Education Authority, Ireland

Publisher

Wiley

Rights

CC BY

cb

Collections

Microbiology (Scholarly Articles)