The small RNA SprY controls RNAIII function and affects Staphylococcus aureus virulence
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Staphylococcus aureus
PROVIDER: GSE166499 | GEO | 2021/02/10
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:The small RNA SprY controls RNAIII function and affects Staphylococcus aureus virulence
| PRJNA701059 | ENA
Project description:Small RNAs (sRNAs) remain an understudied class of regulatory molecules in bacteria. Hundreds of sRNAs have been identified in the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus; however, only a few have been characterized in detail. In this study we investigate the role of the sRNA Teg41 in S. aureus virulence. We demonstrate that Teg41, an sRNA divergently transcribed from the locus that encodes the cytolytic alpha phenol soluble modulin (αPSM) peptides, plays a critical role in αPSM production. Overproduction of Teg41 leads to an increase in αPSM levels and a corresponding increase in hemolytic activity from S. aureus cells and cell-free culture supernatants. We demonstrate that the increase in αPSM production is post-transcriptional, as expression of the αPSM transcript is unaltered upon Teg41 overproduction. To identify regions of Teg41 important for its function we performed an in silico RNA:RNA interaction analysis which predicted an interaction between the 3’ end of Teg41 and the αPSM transcript. Deleting a 24-nucleotide region from the S. aureus genome, corresponding to the 3’ end of Teg41, led to a 10-fold reduction in αPSM-dependent hemolytic activity and attenuation of virulence in a murine abscess model of infection. Together these results demonstrate, for the first time, post-transcriptional regulation of the αPSM peptides by an sRNA in S. aureus.
2019-01-01 | GSE108336 | GEO
Project description:The Staphylococcus aureus accessory gene regulator (agr) is a prototype quorum-sensing system in Gram-positive bacteria and a paradigmatic example of gene regulation by a small regulatory RNA, RNAIII. Using genome-wide transcriptional profiling in the community-associated methicillin-resistant (CA-MRSA) strain MW2, we demonstrate here that in contrast to the current model of target gene regulation by agr, a large subset of agr-regulated genes is controlled independently of RNAIII. This group comprised predominantly metabolism genes, whereas virulence factors were mostly controlled by RNAIII. Remarkably, the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) leukocidin genes were the only virulence determinants under RNAIII-independent control, emphasizing their exceptional role in S. aureus physiology and pathogenesis. Of note, PSM promoters bound the AgrA response regulator protein, previously believed to interact exclusively with agr promoters, explaining the exceptionally strict control of PSMs by agr. Our results suggest that virulence factor control is a secondary acquisition of the agr regulon, which evolved by development of RNAIII around the mRNA of the PSM d-toxin, exemplifying how gene control via a small regulatory RNA may be linked to a pre-established regulatory circuit. In addition to elucidating agr control in CA-MRSA, which revealed features potentially crucial for CA-MRSA pathogenesis, our study establishes a novel two-level model of cell-density dependent gene regulation in S. aureus and gives important insight into the connection of metabolism and virulence control in this leading opportunistic pathogen. Keywords: Wild type control vs mutant Wild type in triplicate is compared to mutant in triplicate totalling 27 samples
2010-05-14 | E-GEOD-10165 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The Staphylococcus aureus accessory gene regulator (agr) is a prototype quorum-sensing system in Gram-positive bacteria and a paradigmatic example of gene regulation by a small regulatory RNA, RNAIII. Using genome-wide transcriptional profiling in the community-associated methicillin-resistant (CA-MRSA) strain MW2, we demonstrate here that in contrast to the current model of target gene regulation by agr, a large subset of agr-regulated genes is controlled independently of RNAIII. This group comprised predominantly metabolism genes, whereas virulence factors were mostly controlled by RNAIII. Remarkably, the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) leukocidin genes were the only virulence determinants under RNAIII-independent control, emphasizing their exceptional role in S. aureus physiology and pathogenesis. Of note, PSM promoters bound the AgrA response regulator protein, previously believed to interact exclusively with agr promoters, explaining the exceptionally strict control of PSMs by agr. Our results suggest that virulence factor control is a secondary acquisition of the agr regulon, which evolved by development of RNAIII around the mRNA of the PSM d-toxin, exemplifying how gene control via a small regulatory RNA may be linked to a pre-established regulatory circuit. In addition to elucidating agr control in CA-MRSA, which revealed features potentially crucial for CA-MRSA pathogenesis, our study establishes a novel two-level model of cell-density dependent gene regulation in S. aureus and gives important insight into the connection of metabolism and virulence control in this leading opportunistic pathogen. Keywords: Wild type control vs mutant
2009-01-05 | GSE10165 | GEO
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a formidable human pathogen that uses secreted cytolytic factors such as hemolysins, leukocidins and cytolytic peptides to injure immune cells and promote infection of its host. Of these secreted molecules, the bicomponent family of pore-forming leukocidins are a potent class of cytolytic proteins with critical contributions to S. aureus pathogenesis. The regulatory mechanisms governing the expression of these toxins are incompletely defined. In this work, we performed a screen to identify transcriptional regulators involved in leukocidin expression in S. aureus USA300. We discovered that a metabolic sensor regulator, RpiRc, is a potent and selective repressor of two leukocidins, LukED and LukSF-PV. Whole genome transcriptomics, S. aureus exoprotein proteomics and metabolomic analyses revealed that RpiRc influences the expression and production of disparate virulence factors, in addition to altering metabolic fluxes in the TCA cycle, glycolysis and amino acid metabolism. Using mutational analyses, we confirmed that RpiRc signals through the accessory gene regulatory quorum-sensing system (Agr) in USA300. Specifically, in wildtype USA300, RpiRc represses the rnaIII promoter resulting in increased production of the repressor of toxins –Rot, which in turn represses leukocidin expression. In fact, deletion of rpiRc phenocopied deletion of rot. We show that RpiRc-mediated regulation of virulence factors is critical for killing of primary human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and for the pathogenesis of bloodstream infection in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that S. aureus senses metabolic shifts by RpiRc to differentially regulate the expression of leukocidins thereby promoting invasive disease.
2017-01-26 | GSE77301 | GEO
Project description:These cultures were grown to examine the differences in Agr-regulated virulence factor gene expression between wild-type S. aureus FRI1169 and a non-hemolytic variant isolated from a biofilm inoculated with FRI1169. The study is described more thoroughly in the paper "Generation of virulence factor variants in Staphylococcus aureus biofilms", Yarwood et al., J. Bacteriol. 2007. Keywords: Wild-type versus mutant comparison, single time-point
2007-09-01 | GSE8482 | GEO
Project description:The agr quorum-sensing system clearly links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, but little is known about how agr alters metabolism to affect cell survival during severe stress. Recently, we reported that agr activity increases survival of bacteria during treatment with lethal concentrations of H2O2, a crucial host defense against S. aureus. Here we report that protection by agr extends to growth resumption during the exit from stationary phase. The data indicate that the agr functionality of a cell’s ancestor affects stress-resiliency after resuming growth. Protection against killing by H2O2 depended on the agr effector molecule RNAIII and Rot, a transcription factor targeted by RNAIII. Expression data revealed that Δagr strains shift to fermentation, suggesting that agr promotes aerobic respiration. Epistasis between mutation of agr and sortase, which anchors surface proteins to the cell wall, suggested that reduced killing by H2O2 of wild-type agr strains acts through down-regulation of surface proteins that perturb respiration. Respiration generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), moderate amounts of which can protect from subsequent challenge by lethal concentrations, explaining agr-mediated protection against subsequent lethal H2O2 doses. Increased survival of wild-type agr cells in response to H2O2 required sodA, which dismutates O2- to H2O2, suggesting that sodA helps induce the low, protective levels of ROS triggered by agr. Additionally, detrimental effects of the Δagr mutation require ahpC, which functions to decrease the intracellular level of H2O2. Deletion of ahpC or sortase attenuated neutrophil-mediated killing of Δagr strains, demonstrating the importance of priming in anticipation of impending immune attack.
2023-06-20 | GSE206916 | GEO
Project description:The agr quorum-sensing system clearly links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, but little is known about how agr alters metabolism to affect cell survival during severe stress. Recently, we reported that agr activity increases survival of bacteria during treatment with lethal concentrations of H2O2, a crucial host defense against S. aureus. Here we report that protection by agr extends to growth resumption during the exit from stationary phase. The data indicate that the agr functionality of a cell’s ancestor affects stress-resiliency after resuming growth. Protection against killing by H2O2 depended on the agr effector molecule RNAIII and Rot, a transcription factor targeted by RNAIII. Expression data revealed that Δagr strains shift to fermentation, suggesting that agr promotes aerobic respiration. Epistasis between mutation of agr and sortase, which anchors surface proteins to the cell wall, suggested that reduced killing by H2O2 of wild-type agr strains acts through down-regulation of surface proteins that perturb respiration. Respiration generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), moderate amounts of which can protect from subsequent challenge by lethal concentrations, explaining agr-mediated protection against subsequent lethal H2O2 doses. Increased survival of wild-type agr cells in response to H2O2 required sodA, which dismutates O2- to H2O2, suggesting that sodA helps induce the low, protective levels of ROS triggered by agr. Additionally, detrimental effects of the Δagr mutation require ahpC, which functions to decrease the intracellular level of H2O2. Deletion of ahpC or sortase attenuated neutrophil-mediated killing of Δagr strains, demonstrating the importance of priming in anticipation of impending immune attack.
2023-06-20 | GSE206889 | GEO
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus is a major bacterial pathogen that invades and damages host tissue by the expression of devastating toxins. We here performed a phenotypic screen of 35 molecules that were structurally inspired by previous hydroxyamide-based S. aureus virulence inhibitors compiled from commercial sources or designed and synthesized de novo. One of the most potent compounds, AV73, did not only reduce hemolytic alpha-hemolysin expression in S. aureus but also impeded in vitro biofilm formation. The effect of AV73 on bacterial proteomes and extracellular protein levels were analyzed by quantitative proteomics and revealed a significant down-regulation of major virulence and biofilm promoting proteins. To elucidate the mode of action of AV73, target identification was performed using affinity-based protein profiling (AfBPP).
2018-03-05 | PXD008067 | Pride
Project description:Beta-lactones have recently been introduced as the first selective ClpP inhibitors that attenuate virulence of both sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and multiresistant strains (MRSA). Although previous knockout studies showed that ClpP is essential for S. aureus alpha-toxin production a link between beta-lactone inhibition and molecular virulence mechanisms has been lacking so far. We here perform a chemical-proteomic approach to elucidate anti-virulence pathways. First, we demonstrate by gel-free activity-based protein profiling that ClpP is the predominant target of beta-lactones. Only a few off-targets were discovered, which, unlike ClpP, were not involved in the reduction of alpha-toxin expression. Second, in-depth mechanistic insight was provided by a full proteomic comparison between lactone treated and untreated S. aureus cells. Quantitative mass spectrometric analysis revealed a strong up-regulation of Rot and a corresponding down-regulation of alpha-toxin, providing the first direct connection between the lactone-dependent phenotype and a corresponding cellular mechanism. By building up a quantitative virulence regulation network, we visualize the impact of ClpP inhibition in a systems biology context. Interestingly, a lack of in vitro Rot degradation by either ClpXP or ClpCP calls for an indirect mode of action that may involve ClpX-mediated RNA signaling and feed-back circuits.
2017-02-08 | PXD004680 | Pride