Abstract: Fusobacterium nucleatum is a Gram-negative oral pathogen with strong connections to the onset and progression of infectious diseases, including colorectal cancer. Here we present our methods and analysis of the first completed genomes of multiple pathogenic Fusobacterium species, as well as the first efficient, selectable, markerless, and complementable gene deletion system in the biomedically significant bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum 23726. Our genomic analysis revealed both previously characterized and newly identified virulence factors, and we showcase the power of our genetic system by developing strains containing multiple gene deletions from ~300bp -12kb. In addition, we show the ability to chromosomally complement tagged versions of Fusobacterium proteins. Finally, we combine our newly developed genetic methods with cell biology, microscopy, and biochemistry to characterize multiple virulence factors that could play significant roles in F. nucleatum host-pathogen interactions in colorectal cancer.
Read more about Daniel Slade and the Slade lab here.