YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a major threat to the poultry industry, causing bloodstream and extraintestinal infections. Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are known to aid bacterial pathogens in adapting to stress, promoting persister cell formation, and enhancing virulence. While...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Poultry Science |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124013385 |
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| author | Qiubo Chen Yunyan Sun Qianlong Xing Zhengliang Li Song Gao Qingqing Gao |
| author_facet | Qiubo Chen Yunyan Sun Qianlong Xing Zhengliang Li Song Gao Qingqing Gao |
| author_sort | Qiubo Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a major threat to the poultry industry, causing bloodstream and extraintestinal infections. Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are known to aid bacterial pathogens in adapting to stress, promoting persister cell formation, and enhancing virulence. While type II TA systems have been extensively studied in many pathogens, APEC-derived TAs have received limited attention. Our study focused on the YafN-YafO type II TA system in APEC O2 strain E058. Using bacterial two-hybrid and pull-down assays, we confirmed the interaction between YafN and YafO. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and lacZ fusion reporter assays demonstrated that YafN negatively autoregulates its own operon. The deletion of yafNO resulted in a significant reduction in persister cell formation under antibiotic and environmental stress (P < 0.01). Moreover, the yafNO mutant showed a ∼3-fold reduction in survival within chicken macrophages and attenuated virulence in chicken infection models, with a 44-fold increase in LD50 and ∼80-fold reduction in bacterial loads in blood and tissues (P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that the YafN-YafO is an active type II TA system in APEC E058, contributing to both stress resistance and virulence. Targeting this system could offer a novel strategy for controlling APEC infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a0779b15b5aa404db1f7638d987d12c6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0032-5791 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Poultry Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-a0779b15b5aa404db1f7638d987d12c62025-01-05T04:27:45ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912025-02-011042104760YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coliQiubo Chen0Yunyan Sun1Qianlong Xing2Zhengliang Li3Song Gao4Qingqing Gao5Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Avian Bioproduct Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou, PR China; Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Avian Bioproduct Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou, PR China; Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Avian Bioproduct Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou, PR China; Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Avian Bioproduct Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou, PR China; Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Avian Bioproduct Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou, PR China; Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Avian Bioproduct Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou, PR China; Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, PR China; Corresponding authorAvian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a major threat to the poultry industry, causing bloodstream and extraintestinal infections. Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are known to aid bacterial pathogens in adapting to stress, promoting persister cell formation, and enhancing virulence. While type II TA systems have been extensively studied in many pathogens, APEC-derived TAs have received limited attention. Our study focused on the YafN-YafO type II TA system in APEC O2 strain E058. Using bacterial two-hybrid and pull-down assays, we confirmed the interaction between YafN and YafO. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and lacZ fusion reporter assays demonstrated that YafN negatively autoregulates its own operon. The deletion of yafNO resulted in a significant reduction in persister cell formation under antibiotic and environmental stress (P < 0.01). Moreover, the yafNO mutant showed a ∼3-fold reduction in survival within chicken macrophages and attenuated virulence in chicken infection models, with a 44-fold increase in LD50 and ∼80-fold reduction in bacterial loads in blood and tissues (P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that the YafN-YafO is an active type II TA system in APEC E058, contributing to both stress resistance and virulence. Targeting this system could offer a novel strategy for controlling APEC infections.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124013385Avian pathogenic Escherichia colitype II toxin-antitoxin systemYafN-YafOstress resistancevirulence |
| spellingShingle | Qiubo Chen Yunyan Sun Qianlong Xing Zhengliang Li Song Gao Qingqing Gao YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli Poultry Science Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli type II toxin-antitoxin system YafN-YafO stress resistance virulence |
| title | YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli |
| title_full | YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli |
| title_fullStr | YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli |
| title_full_unstemmed | YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli |
| title_short | YafN-YafO toxin-antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli |
| title_sort | yafn yafo toxin antitoxin system contributes to stress resistance and virulence of avian pathogenic escherichia coli |
| topic | Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli type II toxin-antitoxin system YafN-YafO stress resistance virulence |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124013385 |
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