Transcriptional activator GmrA, encoded in genomic Island OI-29, controls the motility of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major human enteric pathogen capable of causing large outbreaks of severe infections that induce bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Its genome contains 177 unique O islands (OIs) including those carrying the main virulence elements, Shiga toxin-converting phages (OI-45 and OI-93) and locus for enterocyte effacement (OI-148). However, many of these islands harbor only genes of unknown function. Here, we demonstrate that OI-29 encodes a newly discovered transcriptional activator, Z0639 (named GmrA), that is required for motility and flagellar synthesis in O157:H7. GmrA directly binds to the promoter of fliA, an RNA polymerase sigma factor, and thereby regulates flagellar genes controlled by FliA. Expression of gmrA is maximal under host conditions (37°C, neutral pH, and physiological osmolarity), and in the presence of host epithelial cells, indicative of a role of this gene in infection by promoting motility. Finally, GmrA was found to be a widespread regulator of bacterial motility and flagellar synthesis in different pathotypes of E. coli. Our work largely enriches our understanding of bacterial motility control, and provides another example of regulators acquired laterally that mediate flagellar synthesis.