title: Identification and characterization of bicistronic speB and prsA gene expression in the group A Streptococcus.
abstract: Severe, invasive group A streptococcal infections have reemerged worldwide, and extracellular toxins, including streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B (SpeB), have been implicated in pathogenesis. The genetic regulation of SpeB is not fully understood, and the mechanisms involved in the processing of the protoxin to its enzymatically active form have not been definitively established. The present work demonstrated that the genes encoding SpeB (speB) and a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (prsA) constitute an operon with transcription initiated from two promoters upstream of speB. Further, the speB-prsA operon was transcribed as a bicistronic mRNA. This finding is in contrast to the generally accepted notion that speB is transcribed only as a monocistronic gene. In addition, prsA has its own promoter, and transcription from this promoter starts in early log phase, prior to the transcription of speB. Genomic disruption of prsA decreased the production of enzymatically active SpeB but not the level of the pro-SpeB zymogen. Taken together, these results demonstrate that prsA is required for production of fully mature, enzymatically active SpeB.
authors.affiliation: Research & Development Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 500 West Fort St., Bldg 45, Boise, ID 83702, USA. yongsheng.ma@va.gov
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Dan B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Salmi
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hayes-Schroer
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McIndoo
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aldape
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009876:Operon; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005098:Exotoxins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C027951:erythrogenic toxin; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase