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Identification of a Novel Virulence-Related Gene in Streptococcus suis Type 2 Strains

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Abstract

The trag is a novel infection-related factor identified using in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT) from SS2 expression libraries with swine convalescent sera. PCR-based studies of various S. suis strains collected from different sources revealed that the trag gene was present in all the virulent SS2 strains, but absent in the avirulent T15 strain. PCR and Southern hybridization analyses of a trag-knockout strain created through homologous recombination confirmed the coding sequence of trag replaced by spc R cassette in the ∆trag mutant. Zebrafish was used to identify the role of trag in SS2 virulence. The reduction of virulence in the trag mutant compared to the wild-type in animal model systems, laid the foundation for further studies.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (2006CB504403), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30771605), and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents (NCET) in University (No. NCET-08-0794) of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Lab Animal Disease Diagnostic and Immunology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

    Hui Zhang, Hongjie Fan & Chenping Lu

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  1. Hui Zhang
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  2. Hongjie Fan
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  3. Chenping Lu
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Correspondence to Hongjie Fan.

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Zhang, H., Fan, H. & Lu, C. Identification of a Novel Virulence-Related Gene in Streptococcus suis Type 2 Strains. Curr Microbiol 61, 494–499 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9643-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9643-0

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