METHOD OF REDUCING MOTILITY IN BACTERIA BY OVEREXPRESSION OF A GENE OF OI-1 GENOMIC ISLAND

摘要

Z0021 was identified as a gene within the O-Island 1 (OI-1) genomic island of verocyto-toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7. The gene negatively regulates swimming motility and this decreased motility is the result of a reduction in surface expression of flagella. Overexpression of Z0021 suppresses the motility and surface expression of flagella in E. coli O157:H7, as well as in other Enterobacteriaceae including E. coli K12 and S. typhimurium SL1344. Disclosed is a method of reducing motility in bacterium by increasing the level of the peptide having the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID No:2 which is encoded by the Z0021 gene having the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID No: 1.