A Conserved Streptococcal Virulence Regulator Controls the Expression of a Distinct Class of M-Like Proteins.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (SEZ) are group C streptococci that are important pathogens of economically valuable animals such as horses and pigs. Here, we found that many SEZ isolates bind to a monoclonal antibody that recognizes poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), a polymer that is found as a surface capsule-like structure on diverse microbes. A fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) screen, coupled with whole-genome sequencing, was used to search for genes for PNAG biosynthesis. Surprisingly, mutations in a gene encoding an M-like protein, szM, and the adjacent transcription factor, designated sezV, rendered strains PNAG negative. SezV was required for szM expression and transcriptome analy

SUBMITTER: D'Gama JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6805998 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature