Stress responses in Streptococcus species and their effects on the host.
Streptococci cause a variety of diseases, such as dental caries, pharyngitis, meningitis, pneumonia, bacteremia, endocarditis, erysipelas, and necrotizing fasciitis. The natural niche of this genus of bacteria ranges from the mouth and nasopharynx to the skin, indicating that the bacteria will inevitably be subjected to environmental changes during invasion into the host, where it is exposed to the host immune system. Thus, the Streptococcus-host interaction determines whether bacteria are cleared by the host's defenses or whether they survive after invasion to cause serious diseases. If this interaction was to be deciphered, it could aid in the development of novel preventive and therapeutic agents. Streptococcus species possess many virulent factors, such as peroxidases and heat-shock proteins (HSPs), which play key roles in protecting the bacteria from hostile host environments. This review will discuss insights into the mechanism(s) by which streptococci adapt to host environments. Additionally, we will address how streptococcal infections trigger host stress responses; however, the mechanism by which bacterial components modulate host stress responses remains largely unknown.
School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Su-Won, 16419, Republic of Korea.
Cuong Thach
CT
Nguyen
School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Su-Won, 16419, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Sang
SS
Park
School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Su-Won, 16419, Republic of Korea. dkrhee@skku.edu.
Dong-Kwon
DK
Rhee
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000502:physiology
D037521:Virulence Factors
Streptococcus; antibiotic-induced stress; heat-shock stress; host environment; oxidative stress; two-component system