development of transcriptional fusions to assess leptospira interrogans promoter activity转录的发展融合评估钩端螺旋体interrogans推广活动.pdfVIP

Development of Transcriptional Fusions to Assess Leptospira interrogans Promoter Activity 1 ¤ 1 ´ 1 1 2 Gustavo M. Cerqueira * , Natalie M. Souza , Eduardo R. Araujo , Aline T. Barros , Zenaide M. Morais , ´ 2, Ana L. T. O. Nascimento 1,3 Sılvio A. Vasconcellos ˜ ´ ´ ˜ 1 Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2 Laboratorio de Zoonoses Bacterianas do VPS, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Sao Paulo, ˆ ´ ˜ Brazil, 3 Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Sao Paulo, Brazil Abstract Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease that affects both humans and animals. The existing genetic tools for Leptospira spp. have improved our understanding of the biology of this spirochete as well as the interaction of pathogenic leptospires with the mammalian host. However, new tools are necessary to provide novel and useful information to the field. Methodology and Principal Findings: A series of promoter-probe vectors carrying a reporter gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) were constructed for use in L. biflexa. They were tested by constructing transcriptional fusions between the lipL41, Leptospiral Immunoglobulin-like A (ligA) and Sphingom