The SpxA1-TenA toxin-antitoxin system regulates epigenetic variations of Streptococcus pneumoniae by targeting protein synthesis.

ABSTRACT: Human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae forms multiple epigenetically and phenotypically distinct intra-populations by invertase PsrA-driven inversions of DNA methyltransferase hsdS genes in the colony opacity-determinant (cod) locus. As manifested by phase switch between opaque and transparent colonies, different genome methylation patterns or epigenomes confer pathogenesis-associated traits, but it is unknown how the pathogen controls the hsdS inversion orientations. Here, we report our finding of the SpxA1-TenA toxin-antitoxin (TA) system that regulates the orientations of hsdS inversions, and thereby bacterial epigenome and associated traits (e.g., colony opacity) by targeting pneumococcal protein synthesis. SpxA1 and TenA were found to constitute a highly conserved type II TA system i

SUBMITTER: Wang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11709252 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature