Phase variation of F1651 (Prs-like) fimbriae from Escherichia coli causing septicaemia in animals

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Abstract
Escherichia coli O115:F165 strains are associated with septicaemia in young pigs and synthesize fimbriae involved in virulence, designated as F165(1). F165(1) fimbriae belong to the P fimbrial family and are encoded by the foo gene cluster. The foo regulatory region of strain 5131 possesses characteristics similar to that of members of the P regulatory family, including papI and papB homologues, and two GATC sites separated by 102 bp, targets of differential Dam methylation. In wild-type strains, the synthesis of F165(1) is repressed by leucine and the fimbriae undergo phase variation. Immunofluorescence staining showed that phase variation of F165(1) results in a majority of cells (98%) in the ON phase, in contrast with phase variation of other members of this regulatory family, for which the majority of the cells are in the OFF state. Using a translational fusion in strain 5131 between phoA and fooA, encoding for the major structural subunit of F165(1), it was shown that leucine inhibits the OFF to ON switch and modulates the basal transcription of the foo operon.