Identification and Characterization of Serotype-Specific Variation in Group A Streptococcus Pilus Expression.

ABSTRACT: Isolates of a given bacterial pathogen often display phenotypic variation, and this can negatively impact public health, for example, by reducing the efficacy of preventative measures. Here, we identify that the human pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) expresses pili on its cell surface in a serotype-specific manner. Specifically, we show that serotype M3 GAS isolates, which are nonrandomly associated with causing particularly severe and lethal invasive infections, produce negligible amounts of pili relative to serotype M1 and M49 isolates. Performance of an interserotype transcriptome comparison (serotype M1 versus serotype M3) was instrumental in this discovery. We also identified that the transcriptional regulator Nra positively regulates pilus ex

SUBMITTER: Calfee G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5778356 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature