Reduced glutathione levels in <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> trigger metabolic and transcriptional compensatory adjustments during iron exposure.

ABSTRACT: Enterococcus faecalis, a facultative anaerobic pathogen and common constituent of the gastrointestinal microbiota, must navigate varying iron levels within the host. This study explores its response to iron supplementation in a glutathione-deficient mutant strain (Δgsh). We examined the transcriptomic and metabolic responses of a glutathione synthetase mutant strain (Δgsh) exposed to iron supplementation, integrating these data into a genome-scale metabolic model (GSMM). Our results show that under glutathione deficiency, E. faecalis reduces intracellular iron levels and shifts its transcriptional response to prioritize energy production genes. Notably, basal metabolites, including arginine, increase. The GSMM highlights the importance of arginine metabolism, pa

SUBMITTER: Aliaga-Tobar V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12817896 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature