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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
06:45
Monitoring Intraspecies Competition in a Bacterial Cell Population by Cocultivation of Fluorescently Labelled Strains
Published on: January 18, 2014
L-fucose utilization provides Campylobacter jejuni with a competitive advantage
Martin Stahl1, Lorna M Friis, Harald Nothaft
1Department of Biochemistry, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Summary
Campylobacter jejuni utilizes L-fucose for growth via a specific genomic island. This metabolic pathway enhances its colonization in a piglet model, indicating a link to virulence.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a significant human gastrointestinal pathogen and a poultry commensal.
- Host colonization involves interaction with intestinal carbohydrates like L-fucose, derived from mucin glycoproteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of a specific genomic island (cj0480c-cj0490) in L-fucose utilization by C. jejuni.
- To determine the impact of L-fucose metabolism on C. jejuni growth and host colonization.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gene expression in the presence of L-fucose and mucin.
- Construction and phenotypic analysis of gene mutants (cj0481, cj0486, cj0487).
- Assessment of fucose uptake and competitive colonization in piglet and poultry models.
Main Results:
- A genomic island (cj0480c-cj0490) is upregulated by L-fucose and mucin, enabling L-fucose utilization for growth.
- Mutations in key genes (cj0481, cj0486, cj0487) abolish L-fucose utilization.
- Mutants in the putative fucose permease (cj0486) show reduced fucose uptake and a competitive disadvantage in piglet colonization, but not in poultry.
Conclusions:
- Identified a novel metabolic pathway for L-fucose utilization in specific C. jejuni strains.
- This pathway is associated with enhanced growth and colonization in a mammalian model, suggesting a role in virulence.
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