Bj. Hinnebusch et al., ROLE OF THE YERSINIA-PESTIS HEMIN STORAGE (HMS) LOCUS IN THE TRANSMISSION OF PLAGUE BY FLEAS, Science, 273(5273), 1996, pp. 367-370
Yersinia pestis, the cause of bubonic plague, is transmitted by the bi
tes of infected fleas. Biological transmission of plague depends on bl
ockage of the foregut of the flea by a mass of plague bacilli. Blockag
e was found to be dependent on the hemin storage (hms) locus. Yersinia
pestis hms mutants established long-term infection of the flea's midg
ut but failed to colonize the proventriculus, the site in the foregut
where blockage normally develops. Thus, the hms locus markedly alters
the course of Y. pestis infection in its insect vector, leading ro a c
hange in blood-feeding behavior and to efficient transmission of plagu
e.