Identification of a novel two-component regulatory system that acts in global regulation of virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: We have previously demonstrated that the presence of oxygen is necessary for the production of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) by Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. To investigate the mechanism by which oxygen might regulate toxin production, we identified homologs in S. aureus of the Bacillus subtilis resDE genes. The two-component regulatory system encoded by resDE, ResD-ResE, has been implicated in the global regulation of aerobic and anaerobic respiratory metabolism in B. subtilis. We have designated the S. aureus homologs srrAB (staphylococcal respiratory response). The effects of srrAB expression on expression of RNAIII (the effector molecule of the agr locus) and on production of TSST-1 (an exotoxin) and protein A (a surface-associated virulence factor) were investigated. Express

SUBMITTER: Yarwood JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC94983 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature