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NsaRS is a Cell-Envelope-Stress Sensing Two-Component System of Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT: S. aureus possesses 16 two-component systems (TCS), two of which (GraRS & NsaRS) belong to the intramembrane-sensing histidine kinase (IM-HK) family, conserved within the firmicutes. NsaRS has recently been documented as being important for nisin-resistance in S. aureus. In this study we present a detailed characterization of NsaRS and reveal that, as with other IM-HK TCS, it responds to disruptions in cell-wall stability. Analysis using a lacZ reporter-gene fusion demonstrated that nsaRS expression is upregulated by a variety of cell-wall damaging antibiotics, including Phosphomycin, Ampicillin, Nisin and Penicillin G. Additionally; we reveal that NsaRS regulates a downstream transporter, NsaAB, during nisin-induced stress. NsaS mutants also display a 200-fold decreased ability to develop resistance to the cell-wall targetting antibiotic bacitracin. Microarray analysis reveals the transcription of 245 genes is altered in a nsaS mutant, with the vast majority down-regulated. Included within this list are genes involved in transport, drug-resistance, cell-envelope synthesis, transcriptional regulation, amino acid metabolism and virulence. Using ICP-MS we observed a decrease in intracellular divalent metal ions in an nsaS mutant when grown under low affinity conditions. Characterization of cells using electron microscopy reveals that nsaS mutants have alterations in both cell-wall and cell-envelope structure. Finally, a variety of virulence related phenotypes are impaired in nsaS mutants, including biofilm formation, resistance to killing by human macrophages and survival in whole human blood. Thus NsaRS is important in sensing cell-wall instability in S. aureus, and functions to reprogram gene expression to modify cell-envelope architecture, facilitating adaptation and survival.

ORGANISM(S): Staphylococcus aureus

PROVIDER: GSE27061 | GEO | 2011/05/16

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA137603

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:S. aureus possesses 16 two-component systems (TCS), two of which (GraRS & NsaRS) belong to the intramembrane-sensing histidine kinase (IM-HK) family, conserved within the firmicutes. NsaRS has recently been documented as being important for nisin-resistance in S. aureus. In this study we present a detailed characterization of NsaRS and reveal that, as with other IM-HK TCS, it responds to disruptions in cell-wall stability. Analysis using a lacZ reporter-gene fusion demonstrated that nsaRS expression is upregulated by a variety of cell-wall damaging antibiotics, including Phosphomycin, Ampicillin, Nisin and Penicillin G. Additionally; we reveal that NsaRS regulates a downstream transporter, NsaAB, during nisin-induced stress. NsaS mutants also display a 200-fold decreased ability to develop resistance to the cell-wall targetting antibiotic bacitracin. Microarray analysis reveals the transcription of 245 genes is altered in a nsaS mutant, with the vast majority down-regulated. Included within this list are genes involved in transport, drug-resistance, cell-envelope synthesis, transcriptional regulation, amino acid metabolism and virulence. Using ICP-MS we observed a decrease in intracellular divalent metal ions in an nsaS mutant when grown under low affinity conditions. Characterization of cells using electron microscopy reveals that nsaS mutants have alterations in both cell-wall and cell-envelope structure. Finally, a variety of virulence related phenotypes are impaired in nsaS mutants, including biofilm formation, resistance to killing by human macrophages and survival in whole human blood. Thus NsaRS is important in sensing cell-wall instability in S. aureus, and functions to reprogram gene expression to modify cell-envelope architecture, facilitating adaptation and survival. We did four hybridizations for this experiment, including a biological replicate and a dye-swap experiment for each replicate to account for dye-bias. Spots flagged as empty or bad were excluded and the raw data from each slide was normalized using LOWESS method, with background correction. The data from the replicates were combined (using the median value) and a one-sample t-test was performed. The volcano plot was used with a fold change cut-off of >= 2 and a p-value of <0.05, to filter the genes that were differentially expressed.

Project description:The two-component system (TCS) is a specific regulatory system in bacteria and plays an important role in sensing and adapting to the environment. In this study, we evaluated the roles of TCSs in the major cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans in resistance to several types of bacteriocin. In a comprehensive analysis using individual TCS mutants, we found that two novel TCSs were associated with resistance against distinct lantibiotics nisin A (class I type A[I]) and nukacin ISK-1(class I type A[II]). One TCS, SMU.659-660 (designated as NsrRS), was related to resistance against nisin A produced by Lactococcus lactis ATCC 11454. The other TCS, SMU.1146-1145 (designated as LcrRS), was related to resistance against nukacin ISK-1 produced by Staphylococcus warneri ISK-1. NsrRS induced the expression of SMU.658 (designated as NsrX), which constitutes an operon with nsrRS, in response to nisin A. Inactivation of nsrX increased susceptibility to nisin A. Additionally, NsrX expression in S. mutans increased the binding affinity to nisin A compared to a no-expression strain. LcrRS induced the expression of SMU.1148-50 (lctFEG), which encodes an ABC transporter and is located upstream of lcrRS, in response to nukacin ISK-1. Inactivation of lctFEG significantly increased susceptibility to nukacin ISK-1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis revealed that NsrR and LcrR bound directly to regions upstream of nsrX and lctFEG, respectively. This is the first report that two distinct TCSs, NsrRS and LcrRS, are independently involved in resistance to nisin A and nukacin ISK-1 in S. mutans. Total of 14 samples were analyzed. Total RNA from each test strain and control described below were labeled with Alexa FluorÂ® 555 and Alexa FluorÂ® 647, respectively, and were cohybridized on a single array. Labeling and hybridization were performed once or twice independently. UA159 wild type as control vs. UA159 with nisinA or nukacin ISK-1, UA159 wild type with nisinA or nukacin ISK-1 vs. nsrRS or lcrRS deletion mutant in UA159 with nisinA or nukacin ISK-1.

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NsaRS is a Cell-Envelope-Stress Sensing Two-Component System of Staphylococcus aureus

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