H Pylori
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2003. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 15, 2003; 9(10): 2251-2257
Published online Oct 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i10.2251
Deletion of Helicobacter pylori vacuolating cytotoxin gene by introduction of directed mutagenesis
Jian-Ping Yuan, Tao Li, Xiao-Dong Shi, Bao-Yu Hu, Gui-Zhen Yang, Shan-Qing Tong, Xiao-Kui Guo
Jian-Ping Yuan, Tao Li, Xiao-Dong Shi, Bao-Yu Hu, Gui-Zhen Yang, Shan-Qing Tong, Xiao -Kui Guo, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200025, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by Ministry of Education Research Foundation for Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars Abroad (2001) 498
Correspondence to: Xiao-Kui Guo, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Shanghai Second Medical University, 280 Chongqingnan Road, Shanghai 200025, China. xkguo@shsmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-21-64671226 Fax: +86-21-64671226
Received: March 2, 2003
Revised: May 9, 2003
Accepted: May 16, 2003
Published online: October 15, 2003
Abstract

AIM: To construct a vacA-knockout Helicobacter pylori mutant strain, whose only difference from the wild strain is its disrupted vacA gene.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A clone containing kanamycin resistance gene used for homologous recombination was constructed in a directional cloning procedure into pBluescript II SK, and then transformed into vacA+H pylori by electroporation. Colonies growing on the selective media containing kanamycin were harvested for chromosomal DNA extraction, and the allelic exchange was determined by polymerase chain reactions and sequencing. Loss of vacuolating activity of the vacA-knockout strain was confirmed by examining the gastric cells co-cultured with cell-free supernatants from H pylori wild strain or the mutant.

CONCLUSION: We constructed a vacA-knockout strain of H pylori through direct mutagenesis, which creates an important precondition for the future research on virulence comparison with gene expression analysis.

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