Host-glycan metabolism is regulated by a species-conserved two-component system in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT: Pathogens of the Streptococcus genus inhabit many different environmental niches during the course of an infection in a human host and the bacteria must adjust their metabolism according to available nutrients. Despite their lack of the citric-acid cycle, some streptococci proliferate in niches devoid of a readily available carbohydrate source. Instead they rely on carbohydrate scavenging for energy acquisition, which are obtained from the host. Here we discover a two-component system (TCS07) of Streptococcus pneumoniae that responds to glycoconjugated structures on proteins present on the host cells. Using next-generation RNA sequencing we find that the uncharacterized TCS07 regulon encodes proteins important for host-glycan processing and transporters of the released glycans, as well as

SUBMITTER: Andreassen PR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7075642 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature