The Streptococcus agalactiae Stringent Response Enhances Virulence and Persistence in Human Blood.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus [GBS]) causes serious infections in neonates. We previously reported a transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) system for performing genomewide assessment of gene fitness in GBS. In order to identify molecular mechanisms required for GBS to transition from a mucosal commensal lifestyle to bloodstream invasion, we performed Tn-seq on GBS strain A909 with human whole blood. Our analysis identified 16 genes conditionally essential for GBS survival in blood, of which 75% were members of the capsular polysaccharide (cps) operon. Among the non-cps genes identified as conditionally essential was relA, which encodes an enzyme whose activity is central to the bacterial stringent response-a conserved adaptation to environmenta

SUBMITTER: Hooven TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5736797 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature