Characterization of the oxygen-responsive NreABC regulon of Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: Here, we investigate the functionality of the oxygen-responsive nitrogen regulation system NreABC in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and evaluate its role in anaerobic gene regulation and virulence factor expression. Deletion of nreABC resulted in severe impairment of dissimilatory nitrate and nitrite reduction and led to a small-colony phenotype in the presence of nitrate during anaerobic growth. For characterization of the NreABC regulon, comparative DNA microarray and proteomic analyses between the wild type and nreABC mutant were performed under anoxic conditions in the absence and presence of nitrate. A reduced expression of virulence factors was not observed in the mutant. However, both the transcription of genes involved in nitrate and nitrite reduction and the accumulation

SUBMITTER: Schlag S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2583599 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature