The axe-txe complex of Enterococcus faecium presents a multilayered mode of toxin-antitoxin gene expression regulation.

ABSTRACT: Multidrug-resistant variants of human pathogens from the genus Enterococcus represent a significant health threat as leading agents of nosocomial infections. The easy acquisition of plasmid-borne genes is intimately involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance in enterococci. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems play a major role in both maintenance of mobile genetic elements that specify antibiotic resistance, and in bacterial persistence and virulence. Expression of toxin and antitoxin genes must be in balance as inappropriate levels of toxin can be dangerous to the host. The controlled production of toxin and antitoxin is usually achieved by transcriptional autoregulation of TA operons. One of the most prevalent TA modules in enterococcal species is axe-txe which is detected in a majority of

SUBMITTER: Boss L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3760812 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature