Campylobacter jejuni transcriptional response during growth in media with low and high viscosity

Increasing viscosity of media to physiological levels present in lower intestinal mucus has been observed to increase growth and swimming velocity of WT C. jejuni. Two mutants (DflgV) and (DvidC; DCjj81176_1732) that lack components of the C. jejuni flagellar motor were identified that do not properly modulate swimming velocity in a viscosity-dependent manner.

These mutants also have growth and viability defects when grown in standing broth cultures composed of Mueller-Hinton broth at low viscosity (1 cP; no methycellulose) or higher viscosity (40 cP; with methylcellulse). The transcriptome of WT C. jejuni and two mutants lacking FlgV or VidC were analyzed and compared after growth in standing Mueller-Hinton broth cultures of 1 or 40 cP.