Microevolution of group A streptococci in vivo: capturing regulatory networks engaged in sociomicrobiology, niche adaptation, and hypervirulence.

ABSTRACT: The onset of infection and the switch from primary to secondary niches are dramatic environmental changes that not only alter bacterial transcriptional programs, but also perturb their sociomicrobiology, often driving minor subpopulations with mutant phenotypes to prevail in specific niches. Having previously reported that M1T1 Streptococcus pyogenes become hypervirulent in mice due to selection of mutants in the covRS regulatory genes, we set out to dissect the impact of these mutations in vitro and in vivo from the impact of other adaptive events. Using a murine subcutaneous chamber model to sample the bacteria prior to selection or expansion of mutants, we compared gene expression dynamics of wild type (WT) and previously isolated animal-passaged (AP) covS mutant bacteria both in vitro

SUBMITTER: Aziz RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2854683 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature