A polar flagella operon (flg) of Aeromonas hydrophila contains genes required for lateral flagella expression

Abstract

Aeromonas spp. are pathogens of both humans and poikilothermic animals, causing a variety of diseases. Certain strains are able to produce two distinct types of flagella; polar flagella for swimming in liquid and lateral flagella for swarming over surfaces. Although, both types of flagella have been associated as colonisation factors, little is known about their organisation and expression. Here we characterised a complete flagellar locus of Aeromonas hydrophila (flg) containing 16 genes, this was analogous to region 1 of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus polar flagellum, with the difference that no flagellin genes were found on A. hydrophila while V. parahaemolyticus showed three flagellin genes. The flg region was present in all Aeromonas strain tested. Defined insertion mutants in flgL, were unable to swim, had a drastic reduction in swarming, lateral flagella, HEp-2 cell adhesion and biofilm formation. Mutations in flgN caused a drastic reduction in lateral flagella, inability to swarm, but these strains were still able to swim. Whereas the cheV mutants still produced both types of flagella and were able to swim and swarm. These results suggest that FlgN is required for lateral flagella formation and swarming motility, but not for polar flagellum-mediated swimming.