Fur-mediated regulation of hydrogen sulfide synthesis, stress response, and virulence in Edwardsiella piscicida.

Abstract

The production of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (HS) is an important phenotype of bacteria. HS plays an important role in bacterial resistance to ROS and antibiotics, which significantly contributes to bacterial pathogenicity. Edwardsiella piscicida, the Gram-negative pathogen causing fish edwardsiellosis, has been documented to produce hydrogen sulfide. In the study, we revealed that Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) controlled HS synthesis by activating the expression of phsABC operon. Besides, Fur participated in the bacterial defense against ROS and cationic antimicrobial peptides and modulated T3SS expression. Furthermore, the disruption of fur exhibited a significant in vivo colonization defect. Collectively, our study demonstrated the regulation of Fur in HS synthesis, stress response, and virulence, providing a new perspective for better understanding the pathogenesis of Edwardsiella.