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Impact on the Host of the Yersinia pestis-specific Virulence Set and the Contribution of the Pla Surface Protease

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Advances in Yersinia Research

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 954))

Abstract

From the closely related enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, the bubonic plague agent Yersinia pestis has recently evolved an exceptionally high virulence potential and the ability to infect via the intradermal route. However, Y. pseudotuberculosis inoculated at the same dose and the same site as Yersinia pestis remains less virulent, showing that the two species harbor distinct virulence sets. In particular, Y. pseudotuberculosis does not appear to be able to induce the formation of a typical bubo, characterized by extensive tissue destruction and bacterial invasive behavior, but rather of an organized and controlled lymph node abscess. Among the limited number of genetic differences between Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis is the pla gene, borne by the Y. pestis-specific pPla plasmid. Pla is a major virulence factor for bubonic plague and it has been shown in in vitro tests to be a multifunctional protein with proteolytic, adhesive, and invasive properties. The Y. pestis-specific character of Pla and its various in vitro functions led us to hypothesize that it may be involved in the appearance of the bubo-specific features. A model to investigate this hypothesis is presented as well as preliminary results indicating that Pla is important for the constitution of high bacterial burden in the draining lymph node and for some, but not all, of the plague histological lesions.

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Funding

This work was supported by Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité des Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

    Françoise Guinet

  2. Yersinia Research Unit, National Reference Laboratory and WHO Collaborating Center for Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

    Elisabeth Carniel

Authors
  1. Françoise Guinet
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  2. Elisabeth Carniel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Françoise Guinet .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Centro de Pesquisa Aggeu Magalhães, Campus da UFPE, Recife, 50670, Brazil

    Alzira Maria Paiva de Almeida

  2. , Centro de Pesquisa Aggeu Magalhães, Campus da UFPE, Recife, 50670-420, Brazil

    Nilma Cintra Leal

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Guinet, F., Carniel, E. (2012). Impact on the Host of the Yersinia pestis-specific Virulence Set and the Contribution of the Pla Surface Protease. In: de Almeida, A., Leal, N. (eds) Advances in Yersinia Research. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 954. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3561-7_26

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