Hai-Qin Yan

Apr 3, 2023 | elifesciences.org | Xiao-Peng Guo |Wenhui Yang |Zhe Yin |Hai-Qin Yan

Multiple genetic changes in the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis have driven the emergence of Yesinia pestis, the arthropod-borne, etiological agent of plague. These include developing the capacity for biofilm-dependent blockage of the flea foregut to enable transmission by flea bite. Previously, we showed that pseudogenisation of rcsA, encoding a component of the Rcs signalling pathway, is an important evolutionary step facilitating Y. pestis flea-borne transmission.