Modulation of fibronectin adhesins and other virulence factors in a teicoplanin-resistant derivative of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
The impact of glycopeptide resistance on the molecular regulation of Staphylococcus aureus virulence and attachment to host tissues is poorly documented. We compared stable teicoplanin-resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain 14-4 with its teicoplanin-susceptible MRSA parent, strain MRGR3, which exhibits a high degree of virulence in a rat model of chronic foreign body MRSA infection. The levels of fibronectin-mediated adhesion and surface display of fibronectin-binding proteins were higher in teicoplanin-resistant strain 14-4 than in its teicoplanin-susceptible parent or a teicoplanin-susceptible revertant (strain 14-4rev) that spontaneously emerged during tissue cage infection. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) showed four- and twofold higher steady-state levels of fnbA and fnbB transcripts, respectively, in strain 14-4 than in its teicoplanin-susceptible counterparts. Analysis of global regulatory activities by qRT-PCR revealed a strong reduction in the steady-state levels of RNAIII and RNAII in the teicoplanin-resistant strain compared to in its teicoplanin-susceptible counterparts. In contrast, sarA mRNA levels were more than fivefold higher in strain 14-4 than in MRGR3 and 14-4rev. Furthermore, the alternative transcription factor sigma B had a higher level of functional activity in the teicoplanin-resistant strain than in its teicoplanin-susceptible counterparts, as evidenced by significant increases in both the sigma B-dependent asp23 mRNA levels and the sarA P3 promoter-derived transcript levels, as assayed by qRT-PCR and Northern blotting, respectively. These data provide further evidence that the emergence of glycopeptide resistance is linked by still poorly understood molecular pathways with significant pleiotropic changes in the expression and regulation of some major virulence genes. These molecular and phenotypic changes may have a profound impact on the bacterial adhesion and colonization properties of such multiresistant organisms.
Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospitals of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
Adriana
A
Renzoni
Patrice
P
Francois
Dongmei
D
Li
William L
WL
Kelley
Daniel P
DP
Lew
Pierre
P
Vaudaux
Jacques
J
Schrenzel
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005353:Fibronectins; D006680:HLA Antigens; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C079011:SigB protein, Bacteria; D012808:Sigma Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators; D037521:Virulence Factors; C078635:fibronectin-binding proteins, bacterial; D017334:Teicoplanin