Significance of tagI and mfd genes in the virulence of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae

ABSTRACT

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an opportunist pathogen well adapted to the human upper respiratory tract and responsible for many respiratory diseases. In the human airway, NTHi is exposed to pollutants, such as alkylating agents, that damage its DNA. In this study, we examined the significance of genes involved in the repair of DNA alkylation damage in NTHi virulence. Two knockout mutants, tagI and mfd, encoding N3 methyladenine-DNA glycosylase I and the key protein involved in transcription-coupled repair, respectively, were constructed and their virulence in a BALB/c mice model was examined. This work shows that N3 -methyladenine-DNA glycosylase I is constitutively expressed in NTHi and that it is relevant for its virulence (AU)

RESUMEN

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