Control of antimicrobial peptide synthesis by the agr quorum sensing system in Staphylococcus epidermidis: activity of the lantibiotic epidermin is regulated at the level of precursor peptide processing.
The accessory gene regulator (agr) quorum sensing system in staphylococci is responsible for the regulation of surface proteins and exoproteins, including many virulence factors in the pathogenic species Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis. Strain S. epidermidis Tü3298 produces the lantibiotic epidermin. An isogenic agr deletion mutant of this strain showed a strong reduction of epidermin production. Detailed analysis of the impact of agr on epidermin biosynthesis revealed that agr does not interfere with the transcription of epidermin biosynthetic genes, but controls the extracellular processing of the N-terminal leader peptide by the EpiP protease.
Mikrobielle Genetik, Universität Tübingen Waldhäuserstr 70/8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Stefanie
S
Kies
Cuong
C
Vuong
Matthias
M
Hille
Andreas
A
Peschel
Cornelia
C
Meyer
Friedrich
F
Götz
Michael
M
Otto
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001430:Bacteriocins; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; C050558:epidermin