Riemerella anatipestifer is a gram-negative bacterium that causes disease in ducks and other birds. Despite being an important pathogen in poultry, the pathogenesis and drug resistance mechanisms of this bacterium are poorly understood. An analysis of our unpublished RNA-Seq data showed that lptD, a gene encoding one of the lipopolysaccharide transport components, is transcribed at higher levels in strain CH-1 than in strain ATCC11845. In addition, strain CH-1 has been shown to display broader drug resistance than strain ATCC11845. Since LptD is involved in LPS biogenesis and drug resistance, we wondered if lptD is associated with increased R. anatipestifer resistance to glutaraldehyde, a disinfectant used in the production industry. In this study, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of glutaraldehyde for strain CH-1 was determined to be 0.125% (vol/vol), whereas an MIC of 0.05% (vol/vol) was observed for strain ATCC11845. Furthermore, the level of lptD transcription in strain CH-1 was consistently 2-fold higher than that observed in strain ATCC11845. Moreover, lptD transcription was upregulated in both strains at a subinhibitory concentration of glutaraldehyde. The role of lptD in R. anatipestifer was further assessed by constructing an ATCC11845 mutant strain with low lptD expression, R. anatipestifer ATCC11845 lptD -. The growth of R. anatipestifer ATCC11845 lptD - was severely impaired, and this strain was more susceptible than the wild-type strain to glutaraldehyde. Moreover, compared to the wild-type strain, R. anatipestifer ATCC11845 lptD - exhibited decreased biofilm formation and was more sensitive to duck serum. Finally, low lptD expression led to decreased colonization in ducklings. These results suggest that LptD is involved in R. anatipestifer glutaraldehyde resistance and pathogenicity.
Keywords: LptD; Riemerella anatipestifer; hydrophobic drug resistance; lipopolysaccharide; membrane permeability.