Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Engineering Adherent Bacteria by Creating a Single Synthetic Curli Operon
15:28

Engineering Adherent Bacteria by Creating a Single Synthetic Curli Operon

Published on: November 16, 2012

Role of different genes in the CS6 operon for surface expression of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli colonization

Joshua Tobias1, Michael Lebens, Susanne Källgård

  • 1WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Göteborg University, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden. Joshua.Tobias@microbio.gu.se

Vaccine
|August 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) colonization factor CS6 is crucial for infant diarrhea. Understanding its gene assembly and surface expression is key for developing effective ETEC vaccines.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial pathogenesis
  • Vaccine development

Background:

  • Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) causes significant infant diarrhea globally.
  • CS6 is a prevalent colonization factor (CF) of ETEC, essential for bacterial attachment.
  • The genetic basis and assembly mechanism of CS6 remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the roles of CS6 operon genes (CssA, CssB, CssC, CssD) in the expression and surface assembly of CS6.
  • To elucidate the contribution of individual CS6 components to bacterial adhesion.

Main Methods:

  • Cloning of the CS6 operon into a laboratory E. coli strain.
  • Construction of gene deletion mutants within the CS6 operon.
  • Monoclonal antibody-based detection of protein expression.
  • Cell-binding assays using CaCo-2 cells.

Main Results:

  • The usher protein (CssD) is not essential for CS6 assembly or surface expression.
  • Deletion of the chaperon protein (CssC) significantly reduced CssA levels but not CssB.
  • Both CssC and CssD contribute to receptor binding, likely through their roles in subunit assembly and transport.

Conclusions:

  • The study clarifies the distinct roles of CS6 operon genes in protein expression and assembly.
  • CssC and CssD play critical roles in CS6-mediated adhesion.
  • Findings support the potential for engineering CS6 surface expression for ETEC vaccine development.

More Related Videos

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues07:10

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues

Published on: February 19, 2019

Mapping Bacterial Functional Networks and Pathways in Escherichia Coli using Synthetic Genetic Arrays14:06

Mapping Bacterial Functional Networks and Pathways in Escherichia Coli using Synthetic Genetic Arrays

Published on: November 12, 2012

Related Concept Videos

Inducible Operons: lac Operon01:25

Inducible Operons: lac Operon

The lac operon in Escherichia coli is a model for understanding inducible gene regulation and metabolic flexibility. It integrates local control by lactose and global regulation through catabolite repression, enabling E. coli to preferentially metabolize glucose when available and switch to lactose utilization when glucose is scarce.Structure and Function of the lac OperonThe lac operon contains three structural genes: lacZ (β-galactosidase), lacY (lactose permease), and lacA (thiogalactoside...
Global Regulatory Systems01:28

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...
Operons02:09

Operons

Prokaryotes can control gene expression through operons—DNA sequences consisting of regulatory elements and clustered, functionally related protein-coding genes. Operons use a single promoter sequence to initiate transcription of a gene cluster (i.e., a group of structural genes) into a single mRNA molecule. The terminator sequence ends transcription. An operator sequence, located between the promoter and structural genes, prohibits the operon’s transcriptional activity if bound by a repressor...
Operons02:09

Operons

Prokaryotes can control gene expression through operons—DNA sequences consisting of regulatory elements and clustered, functionally related protein-coding genes. Operons use a single promoter sequence to initiate transcription of a gene cluster (i.e., a group of structural genes) into a single mRNA molecule. The terminator sequence ends transcription. An operator sequence, located between the promoter and structural genes, prohibits the operon’s transcriptional activity if bound by a repressor...
Prokaryotic Transcriptional Activators and Repressors01:58

Prokaryotic Transcriptional Activators and Repressors

The organization of prokaryotic genes in their genome is notably different from that of eukaryotes. Prokaryotic genes are organized, such that the genes for proteins involved in the same biochemical process or function are located together in groups. This group of genes, along with their regulatory elements, are collectively known as an operon. The functional genes in an operon are transcribed together to give a single strand of mRNA known as polycistronic mRNA.
Transcription of prokaryotic...
Operon Model01:23

Operon Model

The operon model represents a fundamental mechanism of gene regulation in prokaryotes, enabling coordinated expression of genes involved in related metabolic or functional pathways. Operons consist of structural genes, a promoter, and an operator, with transcription regulated by repressors, activators, and small effector molecules.Structure and Function of OperonsAn operon is a cluster of structural genes transcribed together under the control of a single promoter. The promoter region...