The essential tacF gene is responsible for the choline-dependent growth phenotype of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae has an absolute nutritional requirement for choline, and the choline molecules are known to incorporate exclusively into the cell wall and membrane teichoic acids of the bacterium. We describe here the isolation of a mutant of strain R6 in which a single G-->T point mutation in the gene tacF (formerly designated spr1150) is responsible for generating a choline-independent phenotype. The choline-independent phenotype could be transferred to the laboratory strain R6 and to the encapsulated strain D39 by genetic transformation with a PCR product or with a plasmid carrying the mutated tacF gene. The tacF gene product belongs to the protein family of polysaccharide transmembrane transporters (flippases). A model is presented in which TacF is required for the transport o

SUBMITTER: Damjanovic M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2045221 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature