Role of the hprT-ftsH locus in Staphylococcus aureus.
The roles of two adjacent genes in the Staphylococcus aureus chromosome with functions in starvation survival and the response to stressful conditions have been characterized. One of these, hprT, encoding a hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase homologue, was initially identified in a transposon mutagenesis screen. Mutation of hprT affects starvation survival in amino-acid-limiting conditions and the ability of S. aureus to grow in high-salt concentrations. Downstream of hprT is ftsH, which encodes a membrane-bound, ATP- and Zn(2+)-dependent 'AAA'-type protease. Mutation of ftsH in S. aureus leads to pleiotropic defects including slower growth, sensitivity to salt, acid, methyl viologen and potassium tellurite stresses, and reduced survival in amino-acid- or phosphate-limiting conditions. Both hprT-lacZ and ftsH-lacZ gene fusions are expressed maximally in the post-exponential phase of growth. Although secretion of exoproteins is not affected, an ftsH mutant is attenuated in a murine skin lesion model of pathogenicity.
Lithgow
James K
JK
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Ingham
Eileen
E
Department of Microbiology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Foster
Simon J
SJ
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005838:Genotype; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases