Association of Helicobacter pylori Antioxidant Activities with Host Colonization Proficiency

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Abstract
To assess the importance of two separate antioxidant activities in Helicobacter pylori , we tested the abilities of strains with mutations in either tpx (encoding thiolperoxidase) or ahpC (encoding alkyl hydroperoxide reductase [AhpC]) to colonize the stomachs of mice. The tpx strain was clearly more sensitive than the parent strain to both oxygen and cumene hydroperoxide. The strain colonized only 5% of the inoculated mice. Two different classes of oxygen-sensitive ahpC mutants in the type strain (ATCC 43504) were recently described (A. A. Olczak, J. W. Olson, and R. J. Maier, J. Bacteriol. 184:3186-3193, 2002). The same two classes of mutants were recovered upon ahpC mutagenesis of the mouse-adapted strain, SS1. Neither of these mutants was able to colonize mouse stomachs, whereas 78% of the mice inoculated with the parent strain became H. pylori positive.