Recombinant Francisella tularensis subsp. mediasiatica Phosphatidylserine decarboxylase proenzyme (psd)
Description
Absence of Francisella tularensis subsp. mediasiatica in Reviewed Sources
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Limited Research on Subsp. mediasiatica: This subspecies may not be a priority in current Francisella research due to its lower virulence or ecological niche.
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Taxonomic Ambiguity: The subspecies designation may require clarification, as some sources group Francisella strains into broader clades rather than subspecies .
No Evidence of Psd Enzyme in Francisella tularensis
Phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (Psd) is an enzyme responsible for converting phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine. While Francisella spp. have been studied for lipid metabolism , no studies mention the psd gene or its recombinant form in any subspecies. Key findings from related literature include:
No Psd-related studies were identified in these datasets, suggesting that this enzyme is either:
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Not critical to Francisella pathogenesis or metabolism.
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Unstudied, potentially due to limited genomic annotation or functional redundancy.
Potential Methodological Challenges
If psd exists in Francisella, its recombinant production would require:
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Genomic Identification: Confirming the presence of the psd gene in subsp. mediasiatica.
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Heterologous Expression: Cloning the gene into vectors compatible with Francisella (e.g., pFNLTP or pMP plasmids) .
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Functional Characterization: Assessing enzymatic activity via biochemical assays (e.g., phosphatidylserine-to-phosphatidylethanolamine conversion).
Current Gaps in Tools:
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Lack of Subsp. mediasiatica Genomic Data: No publicly available genome assemblies for this subspecies were identified in the reviewed sources.
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Limitations in Genetic Manipulation: Francisella genetic tools are optimized for tularensis and holarctica strains, with challenges in transforming other subspecies .
Recommendations for Further Research
To address this knowledge gap, researchers could:
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Sequence Subsp. mediasiatica Genomes: Perform whole-genome sequencing to identify psd homologs.
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Compare with Other Francisella spp.: Investigate whether psd is conserved across the genus using pan-genomic analyses .
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Explore Functional Roles: Use CRISPR-Cas9 or transposon mutagenesis to study psd knockout mutants in Francisella models (e.g., F. novicida or F. tularensis LVS) .
Product Specs
Target Background
KEGG: ftm:FTM_0539
