Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Microbiology

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Old Dominion University

Binding

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Regulation Of The Vapbc-1 Toxin-Antitoxin Locus In Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae, Susan D. Cline, Sehresh Saleem, Dayle A. Daines Mar 2012

Regulation Of The Vapbc-1 Toxin-Antitoxin Locus In Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae, Susan D. Cline, Sehresh Saleem, Dayle A. Daines

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) are human-adapted commensal bacteria that can cause a number of chronic mucosal infections, including otitis media and bronchitis. One way for these organisms to survive antibiotic therapy and cause recurrent disease is to stop replicating, as most antimicrobials target essential biosynthetic pathways. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) gene pairs have been shown to facilitate entry into a reversible bacteriostatic state. Characteristically, these operons encode a protein toxin and an antitoxin that associate following translation to form a nontoxic complex, which then binds to and regulates the cognate TA promoter. Under stressful conditions, the labile antitoxin is degraded and the …


Identification And Characterization Of A Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Putative Toxin-Antitoxin Locus, Dayle A. Daines, Justin Jarisch, Arnold L. Smith Jan 2004

Identification And Characterization Of A Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Putative Toxin-Antitoxin Locus, Dayle A. Daines, Justin Jarisch, Arnold L. Smith

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Certain strains of an obligate parasite of the human upper respiratory tract, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), can cause invasive diseases such as septicemia and meningitis, as well as chronic mucosal infections such as otitis media. To do this, the organism must invade and survive within both epithelial and endothelial cells. We have identified a facilitator of NT(Hi) survival inside human cells, virulence-associated protein D (vapDHi, encoded by gene H10450). Both vapDHi and a flanking gene, H10451, exhibit the genetic and physical characteristics of a toxin/antitoxin ( TA) locus, with VapDHi serving as the …