Consequences of the variability of the CovRS and RopB regulators among Streptococcus pyogenes causing human infections.

ABSTRACT: To evaluate the importance of covRS and ropB mutations in invasive disease caused by Group A Streptococci (GAS), we determined the sequence of the covRS and ropB genes of 191 isolates from invasive infections and pharyngitis, comprising a diverse set of emm types and multilocus sequence types. The production of SpeB and the activity of NAD glycohydrolase (NADase) and streptolysin S (SLS) were evaluated. The results support the acquisition of null covS alleles (predicted to eliminate protein function), resulting in downregulation of SpeB and upregulation of NADase and SLS, as a mechanism possibly contributing to higher invasiveness. Among the isolates tested, this mechanism was found to be uncommon (10% of invasive isolates) and was not more prevalent among clones with enhanced invasiveness

SUBMITTER: Friaes A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4502508 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature