Quantitation of H. pylori cytotoxin mRNA by real-time RT-PCR shows a wide expression range that does not correlate with promoter sequences

Microb Pathog. 2004 Sep;37(3):163-7. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2004.06.003.

Abstract

Up to 28-fold differences in vacA expression in Helicobacter pylori strains grown in vitro were demonstrated by real time quantitative RT-PCR. These large differences in expression were unrelated to putative -35 and -10 motifs or to other untranslated sequences upstream of the ATG start site. The lack of correlation between promoter sequences and the vacA expression levels suggest the potential existence of a bacterial strain-specific factor, as earlier proposed by others on the basis of reporter gene fusions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cytotoxins / genetics
  • Cytotoxins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Helicobacter pylori / genetics
  • Helicobacter pylori / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cytotoxins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori