Yamin Shen,Yue Li,Yingying Quan,Wenjie Jin,Yuxin Wang,Baobao Liu,Yang Wang
s Streptococcus suis ( S. suis ) represents a significant bacterial pathogen, with its zoonotic transmission from infected or deceased pigs to humans posing a serious threat to public health. The type IV secretion system (T4SS), a critical virulence factor of S. suis , is tightly regulated by diverse environmental conditions. This study explores the influence of environmental variables, including temperature, incubation duration, monosaccharides, and metal ions, on the regulation of T4SS in S. suis and its associated pathogenicity. Results revealed that T4SS expression peaked during the stabilization phase at 37 °C, with galactose markedly enhancing T4SS expression relative to glucose. Zinc ions specifically enhanced the expression of the T4SS effector SspA among various metal ions. Moreover, zinc exposure significantly augmented both T4SS and virulence gene expression capabilities in S. suis . Zinc-treated S. suis exhibited enhanced adhesion, invasion, and colonization capacity in Hep-2 cells, Raw264.7 cells, and mouse models. These findings provide a deeper comprehension of the environmental modulation of T4SS in S. suis , paving the way for advanced studies into its mechanisms of pathogenicity.
Introduction: Brucellosis, a significant zoonotic infectious disease, poses a global health threat. Accurate and efficient diagnosis is crucial for prevention, control, and treatment of brucellosis. VirB proteins, components of the Type IV secretion system (T4SS) in Brucella, play a pivotal role in bacterial virulence and pathogenesis but have been understudied for their diagnostic potential.Methods: Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) proteomics technology was utilized to identify highly expressed VirB proteins from wild-type Brucella strains. Recombinant T4SS proteins were prepared, and an indirect ELISA method was established for serological diagnosis of human brucellosis.Results: Seven T4SS proteins (rVirB3, rVirB4, rVirB9, rBMEII0036, rVirB8, rVirB11, and rVirB10) were expressed used to construct the indirect ELISA method which showed high diagnostic accuracy. Sensitivity and specificity of the proteins exceeded 0.9100 and 0.9167, respectively, demonstrating good performance comparable to traditional LPS and Rose Bengal Ag antigens. Cross-reactivity was observed in a limited number of serum samples from febrile patients without brucellosis.Conclusions: The study highlights the potential of VirB proteins as novel diagnostic antigens for human brucellosis. Future research can further optimize the use of VirB proteins in diagnostic assays and explore their applications in vaccine development.