Genetic analysis of the phase variation control of expression of type 1 fimbriae in Escherichia coli

Abstract

Expression of type 1 fimbriae in Escherichia coli exhibits phase variation, whereby individual cells can alternate between states of organelle expression (Fim+) and nonexpression (Fim-). Strains with a fimD-lac operon fusion, in which lac, rather than fimD, expression is under the control of the fimD promoter, undergo Lac+ in equilibrium Lac- phase variation, instead. After positioning a lambda prophage adjacent to the operon fusion, we were able to isolate specialized lambda phage carrying both the fimD-lac fusion and the phase variation control region. Introduction of such phage into an Fim+ strain resulted in construction of a strain with a double, independently switching phenotype (Fim+ in equilibrium Fim- and Lac+ in equilibrium Lac-), demonstrating that the region controlling phase variation is contiguous with the fimD-lac operon fusion and is cis acting. When the specialized lambda phage was propagated on a delta lac delta fim strain, phase variation occurred within the plaques, confirming that the phase variation control region is carried on the specialized transducing phage. All lysogens acquired the Lac+ in equilibrium Lac- phenotype, except for two nonswitching Lac+ recombinants, which acquired Lac+ in equilibrium Lac- phase variation only by trans complementation with fim. Phase variation of type 1 fimbriae, therefore, appears to involve both a cis-active element, which is cloned on a specialized lambda phage, and a trans-active permissive factor, which is not present on the phage, but rather must be supplied by the recipient strain in the transduction.