The role of environmental factors in the regulation of virulence-determinant expression in Staphylococcus aureus 8325-4.
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, which produces a variety of virulence determinants. To study environmental regulation of virulence-determinant production, several transcriptional reporter gene fusions were constructed. Chromosomal fusions were made with the staphylococcal accessory regulator (sarA), alpha-haemolysin (hla), surface protein A (spa) and toxic-shock syndrome toxin-1 (tst) genes. The effect of many different environmental conditions on the expression of the fusions was examined. Expression of hla, tst and spa was strongly repressed in the presence of sodium chloride (1 M) or sucrose (20 mM), but sarA was relatively unaffected. The global regulator of expression of virulence-determinant genes, agr (accessory gene regulator) was not involved in the salt or sucrose repression. Novobiocin, a DNA gyrase inhibitor, did not significantly increase the expression of tst in wild-type or agr backgrounds and failed to relieve the salt suppression. Expression of tst was strongly stimulated in several low-metal environments, independently of agr, whilst spa levels were significantly reduced by EGTA. The complex, interactive role of environmental factors in the control of expression of the virulence determinants is discussed.
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of SheffieldFirth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TNUK.
Pan F
PF
Chan
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of SheffieldFirth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TNUK.
Simon J
SJ
Foster
D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004777:Environment; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology; D007763:Lac Operon; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D009675:Novobiocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009675:Novobiocin; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013395:Sucrose; D007501:Iron; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium