title: Characterization of transcription within sdr region of Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for various infections in humans and animals. It causes localized and systemic infections, such as abscesses, impetigo, cellulitis, sepsis, endocarditis, bone infections, and meningitis. S. aureus virulence factors responsible for the initial contact with host cells (MSCRAMMs-microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules) include three Sdr proteins. The presence of particular sdr genes is correlated with putative tissue specificity. The transcriptional organization of the sdr region remains unclear. We tested expression of the sdrC, sdrD, or sdrE genes in various in vitro conditions, as well as after contact with human blood. In this work, we present data suggesting a separation of the sdr region into three transcriptional units, based on their differential reactions to the environment. Differential reaction of the sdrD transcript to environmental conditions and blood suggests dissimilar functions of the sdr genes. SdrE has been previously proposed to play role in bone infections, whilst our results can indicate that sdrD plays a role in the interactions between the pathogen and human immune system, serum or specifically reacts to nutrients/other factors present in human blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, Warsaw, Poland. isitkiewicz@cls.edu.pl
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sitkiewicz
authors.forename: Ireneusz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Babiak
authors.forename: Waleria
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hryniewicz
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C118508:SdrC protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C115915:SdrD protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C118507:SdrE protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D037521:Virulence Factors