Different regulatory mechanisms of the capsule in hypervirulent : "direct" wcaJ variation vs. "indirect" rmpA regulation.

INTRODUCTION

Hypervirulent produce an increased amount of capsular substance and are associated with a hypermucoviscous phenotype. Capsule production is regulated by capsular regulatory genes and capsular gene cluster variations. In the present study, we focus on the effect of and on capsule biosynthesis.

METHODS

Phylogenetic trees were constructed to analyze wcaJ and rmpA sequence diversity in different serotypes hypervirulent strains. Then mutant strains (K2044, K2044, K2044and K2044) were used to verify the effects of wcaJ and its diversity on capsule synthesis and strain virulence. Furthmore, the role of rmpA in capsular synthesis and its mechanisms were detected in K2044 strain.

RESULTS

RmpA sequences are conversed in different serotypes. And rmpA promoted the production of hypercapsules by simultaneously acting on three promoters in cps cluster. Whereas w, its sequences are different in different serotypes, and its loss result in the termination of capsular synthesis. Moreover, the results verified that K2 could form hypercapsule in K2044 strains (K1 serotype), but K64 w could not.

DISCUSSION

The interaction of multiple factors is involved in capsule synthesis, including w and r. RmpA, an known conserved capsular regulator gene, acts on cps cluster promoters to promote the production of the hypercapsule. WcaJ as initiating enzyme of CPS biosynthesis, its presence determines the synthesis of capsule. Besides, different from rmpA, w sequence consistency is limited to the same serotype, which cause wcaJ functioning in different serotype strains with sequence recognition specificity.