Transcriptional profiling of target of RNAIII-activating protein, a master regulator of staphylococcal virulence.
Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive bacterium that is part of the normal healthy flora but that can become virulent and cause infections by producing biofilms and toxins. The production of virulence factors is regulated by cell-cell communication (quorum sensing) through the histidine phosphorylation of target of RNAIII-activating protein (TRAP), which is a 21-kDa protein that is highly conserved among staphylococci. Using microarray analysis, we show here that the expression and phosphorylation of TRAP upregulate the expression of most, if not all, toxins known to date, as well as their global regulator agr. In addition, we show here that the expression and phosphorylation of TRAP are also necessary for the expression of genes known to be necessary for the survival of the bacteria in a biofilm, like arc, pyr, and ure. TRAP is thus demonstrated to be a master regulator of staphylococcal pathogenesis.
Korem
Moshe
M
Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Gov
Yael
Y
Kiran
Madanahally D
MD
Balaban
Naomi
N
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000378:metabolism; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C086264:SAR protein, Lycopersicon esculentum; C428446:TRAP protein, Staphylococcus; D015534:Trans-Activators; D012320:RNA Polymerase III; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins