The Yersinia insecticidal toxin complex

描述（由申请人提供）：鼠疫或黑死病是一种人畜共患疾病，通过跳蚤在哺乳动物之间传播。这种传播方式要求这种疾病的病原体鼠疫耶尔森氏菌能够绕过哺乳动物和昆虫的宿主防御系统。关于Y的相互作用我们知道得很多。鼠疫菌与哺乳动物宿主的关系，然而，人们对Y.鼠疫决定因素，使生存和复制的昆虫。近年来，Y.鼠疫已被确定。该序列信息表明Y.鼠疫杆菌含有一组与昆虫病原体发光杆菌的杀虫毒素编码基因具有显著同源性的基因。本提案的目标是确定该Y.鼠疫杀虫复合物通过导致跳蚤的定殖增加或细菌从跳蚤向哺乳动物的传播增加而增加该病原体的毒力。此外，初步研究，以检查该复合物的活性，并提出了该复合物的分泌机制。 鼠疫是一种古老的流行病，至今仍在继续，每年约有2,000例。鼠疫耶尔森氏菌存在于世界各地的各种啮齿动物物种中，并通过各自的跳蚤媒介传播。这项提议的目的是研究一种新发现的毒素复合物在Y。鼠疫跳蚤定殖和/或传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Plague, or the Black Death, is a zoonotic disease that is spread from mammal to mammal by fleas. This mode of transmission demands that the causative agent of this disease, Yersinia pestis, is able to circumvent the host defense systems of both mammals and insects. Much is known about the interaction of Y. pestis with the mammalian host, however, there is only limited understanding of Y. pestis determinants that allow survival and replication in the insect. In recent years the complete genome sequence of Y. pestis has been determined. This sequence information indicates that Y. pestis contains a cluster of genes with significant homology to insecticidal toxin encoding genes of the insect pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens. The goals of this proposal are to determine if this Y. pestis insecticidal complex increases the virulence of this pathogen, either by resulting in increase colonization of the flea or increased transmission of the bacteria from the flea to a mammal. In addition, initial studies to examine the activity of this complex, and the mechanism of secretion of this complex are proposed. Plague is an epidemic disease of antiquity that continues today with approximately 2,000 cases per year. The causative agent Yersinia pestis is maintained in various rodent species across the world and spread via their respective flea vectors. The goals of this proposal are to examine the role of a newly found toxin complex in Y. pestis flea colonization and/or transmission.