Inactivation of the Gene of Induces Biofilm Formation and Affects Bacterial Pathogenicity.

Biofilm formation is a significant cause for the environmental persistence of foodborne pathogens. This phenomenon remains misunderstood in whose pathogenicity is mainly associated with the virulence plasmid pWR100. Sequence analysis of the latter predicts a putative lipopolysaccharides (LPS) glycosyltransferase (Gtr) encoded by , which is the second gene of the locus.

Characterization of SfPgdA, a Shigella flexneri peptidoglycan deacetylase required for bacterial persistence within polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

Peptidoglycan deacetylases protect the Gram-positive bacteria cell wall from host lysozymes by deacetylating peptidoglycan. Sequence analysis of the genome of Shigella flexneri predicts a putative polysaccharide deacetylase encoded by the plasmidic gene orf185, renamed here SfpgdA. We demonstrated a peptidoglycan deacetylase (PGD) activity with the purified SfPgdA in vitro.