Induction of Virulence Gene Expression in Staphylococcus aureus by Pulmonary Surfactant

ABSTRACTWe performed a genomewide analysis using a next-generation sequencer to investigate the effect of pulmonary surfactant on gene expression inStaphylococcus aureus, a clinically important opportunistic pathogen. RNA sequence (RNA-seq) analysis of bacterial transcripts at late log phase revealed 142 genes that were upregulated >2-fold following the addition of pulmonary surfactant to the culture medium. Among these genes, we confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis that mRNA amounts for genes encoding ESAT-6 secretion system C (EssC), an unknown hypothetical protein (NWMN_0246; also called pulmonary surfactant-inducible factor A [PsiA] in this study), and hemolysin gamma subunit B (HlgB) were increased 3- to 10-fold by the surfactant treatment. Among the major constituents of pulmonary surfactant, i.e., phospholipids and palmitate, only palmitate, which is the most abundant fatty acid in the pulmonary surfactant and a known antibacterial substance, stimulated the expression of these three genes. Moreover, these genes were also induced by supplementing the culture with detergents. The induction of gene expression by surfactant or palmitate was not observed in a disruption mutant of thesigBgene, which encodes an alternative sigma factor involved in bacterial stress responses. Furthermore, each disruption mutant of theessC,psiA, andhlgBgenes showed attenuation of both survival in the lung and host-killing ability in a murine pneumonia model. These findings suggest thatS. aureusresists membrane stress caused by free fatty acids present in the pulmonary surfactant through the regulation of virulence gene expression, which contributes to its pathogenesis within the lungs of the host animal.

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18β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid Inhibits Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Survival and Attenuates Virulence Gene Expression

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.01023-12 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 241-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Danyelle R. Long ◽

Julia Mead ◽

Jay M. Hendricks ◽

Michele E. Hardy ◽

Jovanka M. Voyich

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Glycyrrhetinic Acid ◽

Licorice Root ◽

Methicillin Resistant ◽

Content Type ◽

Virulence Gene Expression

ABSTRACTMethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) has become a major source of infection in hospitals and in the community. Increasing antibiotic resistance inS. aureusstrains has created a need for alternative therapies to treat disease. A component of the licorice rootGlycyrrhizaspp., 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA), has been shown to have antiviral, antitumor, and antibacterial activity. This investigation explores thein vitroandin vivoeffects of GRA on MRSA pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) type USA300. GRA exhibited bactericidal activity at concentrations exceeding 0.223 μM. Upon exposure ofS. aureusto sublytic concentrations of GRA, we observed a reduction in expression of key virulence genes, includingsaeRandhla. In murine models of skin and soft tissue infection, topical GRA treatment significantly reduced skin lesion size and decreased the expression ofsaeRandhlagenes. Our investigation demonstrates that at high concentrations GRA is bactericidal to MRSA and at sublethal doses it reduces virulence gene expression inS. aureusbothin vitroandin vivo.

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Differential Expression and Roles of Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Determinants during Colonization and Disease

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.02272-14 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Amy Jenkins ◽

Binh An Diep ◽

Thuy T. Mai ◽

Nhung H. Vo ◽

Paul Warrener ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Nasal Colonization ◽

Virulence Determinants ◽

Content Type ◽

Virulence Gene Expression ◽

Invasive Pathogen ◽

Knockout Mutants ◽

Insight Into

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureusis a Gram-positive, commensal bacterium known to asymptomatically colonize the human skin, nares, and gastrointestinal tract. Colonized individuals are at increased risk for developing S. aureus infections, which range from mild skin and soft tissue infections to more severe diseases, such as endocarditis, bacteremia, sepsis, and osteomyelitis. Different virulence factors are required for S. aureus to infect different body sites. In this study, virulence gene expression was analyzed in two S. aureus isolates during nasal colonization, bacteremia and in the heart during sepsis. These models were chosen to represent the stepwise progression of S. aureus from an asymptomatic colonizer to an invasive pathogen. Expression of 23 putative S. aureus virulence determinants, representing protein and carbohydrate adhesins, secreted toxins, and proteins involved in metal cation acquisition and immune evasion were analyzed. Consistent upregulation ofsdrC,fnbA,fhuD,sstD, andhlawas observed in the shift between colonization and invasive pathogen, suggesting a prominent role for these genes in staphylococcal pathogenesis. Finally, gene expression data were correlated to the roles of the genes in pathogenesis by using knockout mutants in the animal models. These results provide insights into how S. aureus modifies virulence gene expression between commensal and invasive pathogens.IMPORTANCEMany bacteria, such asStaphylococcus aureus, asymptomatically colonize human skin and nasal passages but can also cause invasive diseases, such as bacteremia, pneumonia, sepsis, and osteomyelitis. The goal of this study was to analyze differences in the expression of selected S. aureus genes during a commensal lifestyle and as an invasive pathogen to gain insight into the commensal-to-pathogen transition and how a bacterial pathogen adapts to different environments within a host (e.g., from nasal colonization to invasive pathogen). The gene expression data were also used to select genes for which to construct knockout mutants to assess the role of several proteins in nasal colonization and lethal bacteremia. These results not only provide insight into the factors involved in S. aureus disease pathogenesis but also provide potential therapeutic targets.

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Inhibition of Rho Activity Increases Expression of SaeRS-Dependent Virulence Factor Genes inStaphylococcus aureus, Showing a Link between Transcription Termination, Antibiotic Action, and Virulence

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.01332-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Anna Nagel ◽

Stephan Michalik ◽

Michel Debarbouille ◽

Tobias Hertlein ◽

Manuela Gesell Salazar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Virulence Factors ◽

Transcription Termination ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Antisense Transcription ◽

Termination Factor ◽

Content Type ◽

Virulence Gene Expression ◽

Transcription Termination Factor

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureuscauses various diseases ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to life-threatening infections. Adaptation to the different host niches is controlled by a complex network of transcriptional regulators. Global profiling of condition-dependent transcription revealed adaptation ofS. aureusHG001 at the levels of transcription initiation and termination. In particular, deletion of the gene encoding the Rho transcription termination factor triggered a remarkable overall increase in antisense transcription and gene expression changes attributable to indirect regulatory effects. The goal of the present study was a detailed comparative analysis ofS. aureusHG001 and its isogenicrhodeletion mutant. Proteome analysis revealed significant differences in cellular and extracellular protein profiles, most notably increased amounts of the proteins belonging to the SaeR regulon in the Rho-deficient strain. The SaeRS two-component system acts as a major regulator of virulence gene expression in staphylococci. Higher levels of SaeRS-dependent virulence factors such as adhesins, toxins, and immune evasion proteins in therhomutant resulted in higher virulence in a murine bacteremia model, which was alleviated in arhocomplemented strain. Inhibition of Rho activity by bicyclomycin, a specific inhibitor of Rho activity, also induced the expression of SaeRS-dependent genes, at both the mRNA and protein levels, to the same extent as observed in therhomutant. Taken together, these findings indicate that activation of the Sae system in the absence of Rho is directly linked to Rho’s transcription termination activity and establish a new link between antibiotic action and virulence gene expression inS. aureus.IMPORTANCEThe major human pathogenStaphylococcus aureusis a widespread commensal bacterium but also the most common cause of nosocomial infections. It adapts to the different host niches through a complex gene regulatory network. We show here that the Rho transcription termination factor, which represses pervasive antisense transcription in various bacteria, includingS. aureus, plays a role in controlling SaeRS-dependent virulence gene expression. A Rho-deficient strain produces larger amounts of secreted virulence factorsin vitroand shows increased virulence in mice. We also show that treatment ofS. aureuswith the antibiotic bicyclomycin, which inhibits Rho activity and is effective against Gram-negative bacteria, induces the same changes in the proteome as observed in the Rho-deficient strain. Our results reveal for the first time a link between transcription termination and virulence regulation inS. aureus, which implies a novel mechanism by which an antibiotic can modulate the expression of virulence factors.

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Nutritional Regulation of the Sae Two-Component System by CodY inStaphylococcus aureus

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.00012-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 200 (8) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Kevin D. Mlynek ◽

William E. Sause ◽

Derek E. Moormeier ◽

Marat R. Sadykov ◽

Kurt R. Hill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Virulence Factors ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Nutrient Depletion ◽

Global Regulator ◽

Two Component System ◽

Component System ◽

Content Type ◽

Virulence Gene Expression ◽

Two Component

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureussubverts innate defenses during infection in part by killing host immune cells to exacerbate disease. This human pathogen intercepts host cues and activates a transcriptional response via theS. aureusexoprotein expression (SaeR/SaeS [SaeR/S]) two-component system to secrete virulence factors critical for pathogenesis. We recently showed that the transcriptional repressor CodY adjusts nuclease (nuc) gene expression via SaeR/S, but the mechanism remained unknown. Here, we identified two CodY binding motifs upstream of thesaeP1 promoter, which suggested direct regulation by this global regulator. We show that CodY shares a binding site with the positive activator SaeR and that alleviating direct CodY repression at this site is sufficient to abrogate stochastic expression, suggesting that CodY repressessaeexpression by blocking SaeR binding. Epistasis experiments support a model that CodY also controlssaeindirectly through Agr and Rot-mediated repression of thesaeP1 promoter. We also demonstrate that CodY repression ofsaerestrains production of secreted cytotoxins that kill human neutrophils. We conclude that CodY plays a previously unrecognized role in controlling virulence gene expression via SaeR/S and suggest a mechanism by which CodY acts as a master regulator of pathogenesis by tying nutrient availability to virulence gene expression.IMPORTANCEBacterial mechanisms that mediate the switch from a commensal to pathogenic lifestyle are among the biggest unanswered questions in infectious disease research. Since the expression of most virulence genes is often correlated with nutrient depletion, this implies that virulence is a response to the lack of nourishment in host tissues and that pathogens likeS. aureusproduce virulence factors in order to gain access to nutrients in the host. Here, we show that specific nutrient depletion signals appear to be funneled to the SaeR/S system through the global regulator CodY. Our findings reveal a strategy by whichS. aureusdelays the production of immune evasion and immune-cell-killing proteins until key nutrients are depleted.

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Pathovar Transcriptomes

mSystems ◽

10.1128/msystems.00049-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amy Platenkamp ◽

Jay L. Mellies

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Escherichia Coli ◽

Regulatory Networks ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Model System ◽

Genomic Sequences ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Content Type ◽

Virulence Gene Expression ◽

Link Type

ABSTRACT Archetypal pathogenic bacterial strains are often used to elucidate regulatory networks of an entire pathovar, which encompasses multiple lineages and phylogroups. With enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) as a model system, Hazen and colleagues (mSystems 6:e00024-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00024-17 ) used 9 isolates representing 8 lineages and 3 phylogroups to find that isolates with similar genomic sequences exhibit similarities in global transcriptomes under conditions of growth in medium that induces virulence gene expression, and they found variation among individual isolates. Archetypal pathogenic bacterial strains are often used to elucidate regulatory networks of an entire pathovar, which encompasses multiple lineages and phylogroups. With enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) as a model system, Hazen and colleagues (mSystems 6:e00024-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00024-17 ) used 9 isolates representing 8 lineages and 3 phylogroups to find that isolates with similar genomic sequences exhibit similarities in global transcriptomes under conditions of growth in medium that induces virulence gene expression. They also found variation among individual isolates. Their work illustrates the importance of moving beyond observing regulatory phenomena of a limited number of regulons in a few archetypal strains, with the possibility of correlating clinical symptoms to key transcriptional pathways across lineages and phylogroups.

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Norlichexanthone Reduces Virulence Gene Expression and Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureus

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0168305 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e0168305 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Mara Baldry ◽

Anita Nielsen ◽

Martin S. Bojer ◽

Yu Zhao ◽

Cathrine Friberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Virulence Gene Expression

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Staphylococcus aureus CcpA Affects Virulence Determinant Production and Antibiotic Resistance

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.50.4.1183-1194.2006 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 1183-1194 ◽

Cited By ~ 127

Author(s):

Kati Seidl ◽

Martin Stucki ◽

Martin Ruegg ◽

Christiane Goerke ◽

Christiane Wolz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Capsular Polysaccharide ◽

Protein A ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Exponential Growth Phase ◽

Virulence Determinants ◽

Resistance Level ◽

Virulence Gene Expression ◽

Oxacillin Resistance

ABSTRACT Carbon catabolite protein A (CcpA) is known to function as a major regulator of gene expression in different gram-positive organisms. Deletion of the ccpA homologue (saCOL1786) in Staphylococcus aureus was found to affect growth, glucose metabolization, and transcription of selected virulence determinants. In liquid culture, deletion of CcpA decreased the growth rate and yield; however, the effect was only transient during the exponential-growth phase as long as glucose was present in the medium. Depletion of glucose and production of lactate was delayed, while the level of excretion of acetate was less affected and was even higher in the mutant culture. On solid medium, in contrast, growth of the ΔccpA mutant resulted in smaller colonies containing a lower number of CFU per colony. Deletion of CcpA had an effect on the expression of important virulence factors of S. aureus by down-regulating RNAIII, the effector molecule of the agr locus, and altering the transcription patterns of hla, encoding α-hemolysin, and spa, encoding protein A. CcpA inactivation markedly reduced the oxacillin resistance levels in the highly methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain COLn and the teicoplanin resistance level in a glycopeptide-intermediate-resistant S. aureus strain. The presence of CcpA in the capsular polysaccharide serotype 5 (CP5)-producing strain Newman abolished capsule formation and decreased cap operon transcription in the presence of glucose. The staphylococcal CcpA thus not only is involved in the regulation of carbon metabolism but seems to function as a modulator of virulence gene expression as well.

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Role of BrnQ1 and BrnQ2 in Branched-Chain Amino Acid Transport and Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.02542-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 83 (3) ◽

pp. 1019-1029 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Julienne C. Kaiser ◽

Sameha Omer ◽

Jessica R. Sheldon ◽

Ian Welch ◽

David E. Heinrichs

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Defined Medium ◽

Infection Model ◽

Content Type ◽

Virulence Gene Expression ◽

Branched Chain Amino Acid ◽

Branched Chain

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; Ile, Leu, and Val) not only are important nutrients for the growth ofStaphylococcus aureusbut also are corepressors for CodY, which regulates virulence gene expression, implicating BCAAs as an important link between the metabolic state of the cell and virulence. BCAAs are either synthesized intracellularly or acquired from the environment.S. aureusencodes three putative BCAA transporters, designated BrnQ1, BrnQ2, and BrnQ3; their functions have not yet been formally tested. In this study, we mutated all threebrnQparalogs so as to characterize their substrate specificities and their roles in growthin vitroandin vivo. We demonstrated that in the community-associated, methicillin-resistantS. aureus(CA-MRSA) strain USA300, BrnQ1 is involved in uptake of all three BCAAs, BrnQ2 transports Ile, and BrnQ3 does not have a significant role in BCAA transport under the conditions tested. Of the three, only BrnQ1 is essential for USA300 to grow in a chemically defined medium that is limited for Leu or Val. Interestingly, we observed that abrnQ2mutant grew better than USA300 in media limited for Leu and Val, owing to the fact that this mutation leads to overexpression ofbrnQ1. In a murine infection model, thebrnQ1mutant was attenuated, but in contrast,brnQ2mutants had significantly increased virulence compared to that of USA300, a phenotype we suggest is at least partially linked to enhancedin vivoscavenging of Leu and Val through BrnQ1. These data uncover a hitherto-undiscovered connection between nutrient acquisition and virulence in CA-MRSA.

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