AraC-Type Regulator Rsp Adapts Staphylococcus aureus Gene Expression to Acute Infection.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that can cause two categories of severe infections. Acute infections are characterized by pronounced toxin production, while chronic infections often involve biofilm formation. However, it is poorly understood how S. aureus controls the expression of genes associated with acute versus biofilm-associated virulence. We here identified an AraC-type transcriptional regulator, Rsp, that promotes the production of key toxins while repressing major biofilm-associated genes and biofilm formation. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis and modeling of regulatory networks indicated that upregulation of the accessory gene regulator (Agr) and downregulation of the ica operon coding for the biofilm exopolysaccharide polysaccharide intercellular adhesin

SUBMITTER: Li T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4771356 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature