Coordinated Expression of acrAB-tolC and Eight Other Functional Efflux Pumps Through Activating ramA and marA in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

The aim of this study was to determine the expression of eight other functional transporter genes upon acrAB inactivation and also the expression of acrAB when the function of eight other transporters are impaired in Salmonella enterica. We used single- or multigene deletion mutants (i.e., acrA, acrB, tolC, acrAB, acrEF, acrD, mdsABC, mdtABC, emrAB, macAB, mdfA, mdtK, acrABramA, acrABmarA, and acrABsoxS) and real time (RT)-PCR to quantify the expression of different pump and regulator genes; infection ability was characterized by adhesion and invasion assays. The expression of acrAB operon was increased upon acrB inactivation. Single deletion of acrA or tolC also increased expression of acrB. The deletion of acrAB increased expression of eight other functional efflux pumps genes and vice versa, in which increased expression of ramA and marA was also detected. Mutants containing single deletions of functional pump genes were attenuated in cells. In conclusion, there is a feedback mechanism that coordinates regulation of AcrAB-TolC and eight other functional efflux pumps through the global transcriptional regulators ramA and marA in S. enterica serovar Typhimurium.