Identification of a Novel Regulatory Gene, <i>trmE,</i> that Orchestrates <i>Salmonella</i> Flagellar Synthesis and Virulence

Identification of a Novel Regulatory Gene, <i>trmE,</i> that Orchestrates <i>Salmonella</i> Flagellar Synthesis and Virulence

It is well established that flagella play a critical role in bacterial motility and virulence, and the genes associated with flagellar synthesis and regulation have been extensively characterized. In this study, we identified the <i>trmE</i> gene as a novel modulator of flagellar synthes...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Haoyu Geng, Linyan Luo, Jian Zhang, Jingying Gao, Shizhong Geng, Paul Barrow
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
<i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis
<i>trmE</i>
flagella
Tn5 transposon
virulence
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1455
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Summary:It is well established that flagella play a critical role in bacterial motility and virulence, and the genes associated with flagellar synthesis and regulation have been extensively characterized. In this study, we identified the <i>trmE</i> gene as a novel modulator of flagellar synthesis in <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis. A transposon (Tn5) mutant library of <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis (SE) was constructed through bacterial conjugation, followed by screening for motility-deficient mutants. Among 1321 mutants screened, C50041<i>trmE</i>::Tn5 exhibited reduced motility. To validate this phenotype, we constructed C50041Δ<i>trmE</i> mutants and complementary strains C50041Δ<i>trmE</i>::<i>trmE</i>. Compared to parental strain SE(C50041), C50041Δ<i>trmE</i> displayed significantly lower mRNA levels of flagellar synthesis-related genes as determined via quantitative real-time PCR and the few visible flagella observed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Function studies assessing virulence also showed results that matched this phenotype; specifically, C50041Δ<i>trmE</i> demonstrated decreased adhesion and invasion capabilities towards macrophages. Furthermore, C50041Δ<i>trmE</i> induced impaired apoptosis and pyroptosis in macrophages, while exhibiting reduced mortality in BALB/c mice along with diminished mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cellular factors within murine spleen. This study provides compelling evidence that the <i>trmE</i> gene in <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis is involved in flagellar synthesis.
ISSN:2076-2607

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