Deletion of TolC orthologs in Francisella tularensis identifies roles in multidrug resistance and virulence

The Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia. Interest in this zoonotic pathogen has increased due to its classification as a category A agent of bioterrorism, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying its virulence, and especially what secretion systems and virulence factors are present. In this study, we characterized two genes in the F. tularensis genome, tolC and a gene we term ftlC, whose products have high homology with the Escherichia coli TolC protein. TolC functions as the outer membrane channel component for both type I secretion and multidrug efflux systems. We constructed deletion mutations of these genes in the F. tularensis live vaccine strain by allelic replacement. Deletion of either tolC or ftlC caused increased sensitivity to various antibiotics, detergents, and dyes, indicating both genes are involved in the multidrug resistance machinery of F. tularensis. Complementation of the deletion mutations in trans restored drug resistance. Neither tolC nor ftlC was required for replication of the live vaccine strain in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages. However, deletion of tolC, but not ftlC, caused a significant attenuation of virulence in a mouse model of tularemia that could be complemented by addition of tolC in trans. Thus, tolC is a critical virulence factor of F. tularensis in addition to its role in multidrug resistance, which suggests the presence of a functional type I secretion system.