Mutagenesis of a Bordetella Virulence Protein

Pertussis is a highly contagious human respiratory illness caused by the bacterial pathogen Bordetella pertussis. In animals, Bordetella bronchiseptica causes kennel cough, a similar respiratory illness. B. bronchiseptica is routinely used as a model system in pertussis research because it is easier to culture and does not typically cause illness in humans. Bordetella Type III Secretion System Effector A (BteA) is a virulence protein produced by members of the genus Bordetella. The BteA protein rapidly kills a wide range of mammalian cells, and appears to be important in the pathogenesis, yet the mechanism of cytotoxicity is presently unknown. The objective of this project is to perform mutagenesis of the gene to determine which regions of the bteA gene are responsible for cell killing. Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates expressing mutagenized bteA will be screened for the non-cytotoxic phenotype. An enhanced understanding of BteA may lead to more effective therapies and vaccines