Pneumococcal LytR Protein Is Required for the Surface Attachment of Both Capsular Polysaccharide and Teichoic Acids: Essential for Pneumococcal Virulence.

ABSTRACT: The LytR-Cps-Psr family proteins are commonly present in Gram-positive bacteria, which have been shown to implicate in anchoring cell wall-related glycopolymers to the peptidoglycan. Here, we report the cellular function of SPD_1741 (LytR) in Streptococcus pneumoniae and its role in virulence of pneumococci. Pneumococcal ΔlytR mutants have been successfully constructed by replacing the lytR gene with erm cassette. The role of LytR in pneumococcal growth was determined by growth experiments, and surface accessibility of the LytR protein was analyzed using flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunoblotting were used to reveal the changes in capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Dot blot and ELISA were used to quantify the amount of teichoic acids (

SUBMITTER: Ye W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6008509 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature