The fluoroquinolone levofloxacin triggers the transcriptional activation of iron transport genes that contribute to cell death in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT: We studied the transcriptomic response of Streptococcus pneumoniae to levofloxacin (LVX) under conditions inhibiting topoisomerase IV but not gyrase. Although a complex transcriptomic response was observed, the most outstanding result was the upregulation of the genes of the fatDCEB operon, involved in iron (Fe(2+) and Fe(3+)) uptake, which were the only genes varying under every condition tested. Although the inhibition of topoisomerase IV by levofloxacin did not have a detectable effect in the level of global supercoiling, increases in general supercoiling and fatD transcription were observed after topoisomerase I inhibition, while the opposite was observed after gyrase inhibition with novobiocin. Since fatDCEB is located in a topological chromosomal domain downregulated by DNA relaxatio

SUBMITTER: Ferrandiz MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3910755 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature