Stringent Response-Mediated Control of GTP Homeostasis Is Required for Long-Term Viability of Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that often results in difficult-to-treat infections. One mechanism used by S. aureus to enhance survival during infection is the stringent response. This is a stress survival pathway that utilizes the nucleotides (p)ppGpp to reallocate bacterial resources, shutting down growth until conditions improve. Small colony variants (SCVs) of S. aureus are frequently associated with chronic infections, and this phenotype has previously been linked to a hyperactive stringent response. Here, we examine the role of (p)ppGpp in the long-term survival of S. aureus under nutrient-restricted conditions. When starved, a (p)ppGpp-null S. aureus mutant strain ((p)ppGpp⁰) initially had decreased viability. However, after 3 days we observe

SUBMITTER: Carrilero L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10101089 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature