Group A Streptococcus transcriptome dynamics during growth in human blood reveals bacterial adaptive and survival strategies.

ABSTRACT: The molecular basis for bacterial responses to host signals during natural infections is poorly understood. The gram-positive bacterial pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes human mucosal, skin, and life-threatening systemic infections. During the transition from a throat or skin infection to an invasive infection, GAS must adapt to changing environments and host factors. To better understand how GAS adapts, we used transcript profiling and functional analysis to investigate the transcriptome of a wild-type serotype M1 GAS strain in human blood. Global changes in GAS gene expression occur rapidly in response to human blood exposure. Increased transcription was observed for many genes that likely enhance bacterial survival, including those encoding superantigens and host-evasion prote

SUBMITTER: Graham MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1602339 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature