| Despite the fact that Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, much is unknown regarding its pathogenicity. Studies on its pathogenesis have been recently aided by the sequencing of the C. jejuni NCTC 11168 genome. This sequence has revealed the presence of a luxS gene homologue, Cj1198 (accession AY078283). In this study, examination of luxS in three C. jejuni strains (NCTC 11168, 17402 and 81-176) revealed that C. jejuni AI-2 can activate luminescence in a V. harveyi reporter strain from both a heterologous host (Escherichia coli DH5alpha) and its natural background. luxS was insertionally inactivated in all three C. jejuni strains and its virulence, in comparison to the wild type counterparts, was examined in the hopes of determining if quorum sensing plays a role in C. jejuni pathogenesis. |
