Project description:PrfA activity was studied in L. monocytogenes strain EGD and in an isogenic prfA deletion mutant (EGDΔprfA) carrying multiple copies of the wild-type prfA or the mutant prfA* gene (strains EGDΔprfApPrfA and EGDΔprfApPrfA*) after growth in brain heart infusion (BHI), Luria-Bertani broth (LB) or a defined minimal medium (MM) supplemented either with one of the three PTS-carbohydrates, glucose, mannose and cellobiose, or the non-PTS carbon source glycerol. Low PrfA activity was observed in the wild-type EGD strain in BHI and LB with either of these carbon sources, while PrfA activity was high in minimal medium in presence of glycerol but significantly reduced in presence of cellobiose. The strains expressing the prfA and prfA* gene under the prfA promoters, P1 and P2, produced equally large amounts of PrfA protein and high PrfA activity was observed in strain EGDΔprfApPrfA* under all growth conditions. In contrast, high PrfA activity in strain EGDΔprfApPrfA was only observed when this strain was cultured in BHI but not in LB or MM (in presence of either carbon source). A ptsH mutant (lacking a functional HPr) was able to grow in BHI suggesting that growth of L. monocytogenes in this culture medium is supported by carbon sources whose uptake and metabolism are independent of the PTS pathway. However, this mutant was unable to grow in LB and MM regardless which of the four carbon sources was added, suggesting that uptake of the used carbohydrates and the catabolism of glycerol depend fully on the functional common PTS pathway. Furthermore, the growth rates of L. monocytogenes are strongly reduced in presence of large amounts of PrfA protein when growing MM but less in LB and only slightly in BHI. The expression profiles of the genes encoding PTS permeases were determined in the three strains under various growth conditions. The data suggest that PrfA activity correlates with the expression level and the phosphorylation state of specific PTS permeases. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Project description:Transcriptional profile of prfA, the dependent genes and the PTS genes after growth in MM (minimal medium (Premaratne et al. 2001) supplemented with 50 mM glucose, cellobiose or glycerol. Keywords: prfA overexpressing strains
Project description:PrfA activity was studied in L. monocytogenes strain EGD and in an isogenic prfA deletion mutant (EGDΔprfA) carrying multiple copies of the wild-type prfA or the mutant prfA* gene (strains EGDΔprfApPrfA and EGDΔprfApPrfA*) after growth in brain heart infusion (BHI), Luria-Bertani broth (LB) or a defined minimal medium (MM) supplemented either with one of the three PTS-carbohydrates, glucose, mannose and cellobiose, or the non-PTS carbon source glycerol. Low PrfA activity was observed in the wild-type EGD strain in BHI and LB with either of these carbon sources, while PrfA activity was high in minimal medium in presence of glycerol but significantly reduced in presence of cellobiose. The strains expressing the prfA and prfA* gene under the prfA promoters, P1 and P2, produced equally large amounts of PrfA protein and high PrfA activity was observed in strain EGDΔprfApPrfA* under all growth conditions. In contrast, high PrfA activity in strain EGDΔprfApPrfA was only observed when this strain was cultured in BHI but not in LB or MM (in presence of either carbon source). A ptsH mutant (lacking a functional HPr) was able to grow in BHI suggesting that growth of L. monocytogenes in this culture medium is supported by carbon sources whose uptake and metabolism are independent of the PTS pathway. However, this mutant was unable to grow in LB and MM regardless which of the four carbon sources was added, suggesting that uptake of the used carbohydrates and the catabolism of glycerol depend fully on the functional common PTS pathway. Furthermore, the growth rates of L. monocytogenes are strongly reduced in presence of large amounts of PrfA protein when growing MM but less in LB and only slightly in BHI. The expression profiles of the genes encoding PTS permeases were determined in the three strains under various growth conditions. The data suggest that PrfA activity correlates with the expression level and the phosphorylation state of specific PTS permeases. This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE12143: Listeria monocytogenes EGD after growth BHI vs. LB vs. MM GSE12145: Listeria monocytogenes EGDΔprfApPrfA and EGDΔprfApPrfA* compared to the wild type strain EGD GSE12146: Listeria monocytogenes EGD and EGD-e
Project description:Transcriptional profile of prfA, the dependent genes and the PTS genes after growth in BHI (brain-heart-infusion), LB (Luria Bertani broth) and MM (minimal medium (Premaratne et al. 2001) (each supplemented with 50 mM Glucose). Keywords: media comparison
Project description:Phosphopeptides were identified in Listeria monocytogesn strain constitutivally expressing PrfA. Also, the phosphoproteins and proteins were identified that are overexpressed/underextressed in response to PrfA.
Project description:Transcriptional profile of prfA, the dependent genes and the PTS genes after growth in MM (minimal medium (Premaratne et al. 2001) supplemented with 50 mM glucose, cellobiose or glycerol. Keywords: prfA overexpressing strains A total of two independently isolated RNA samples from each condition were used for the analysis.
Project description:Listeria monocytogenes is able to efficiently utilize glycerol as carbon source. In a defined minimal medium the growth rate is similar (during balanced growth) in presence of glycerol as in presence of glucose or cellobiose. Comparative transcriptome analyses of L. monocytogenes showed in the presence of glycerol (compared to glucose and/or cellobiose) high transcriptional upregulation of the known genes involved in glycerol uptake and metabolism (glpFK, glpD). Expression of the genes encoding a second putative glycerol uptake facilitator (GlpF-2) and a second putative glycerol kinase (GlpK-2) was less enhanced under these conditions. GlpK-1 but not GlpK-2 was essential for glycerol catabolism in L. monocytogenes under extracellular conditions, while loss of GlpK-1 affected replication in Caco-2 cells less than loss of GlpK-2 and GlpD. Additional genes whose transcription was higher in presence of glycerol than in presence of glucose and cellobiose included those for two dihydroxyacetone (Dha) kinases and many genes that are under carbon catabolite repression (CCR) control. Transcriptional down-regulation in the presence of glycerol (compared to glucose and cellobiose) was observed for several genes and operons that are positively regulated by glucose, including genes involved in glycolysis, N-metabolism and biosynthesis of branched chain amino acids. The highest transcriptional up-regulation was observed for all PrfA-dependent genes during early and late logarithmic growth in glycerol. Under these conditions a low level of HPr-Ser-P and a high level of HPr-His-P was present in the cells, suggesting that all EIIA (B) components of the PTS permeases expressed will be phosphorylated. These and other data reported suggest that the phosphorylation state of PTS permeases correlates with PrfA activity. Keywords: Response of Listeria monocytogenes to different carbon sources
Project description:Transcriptional profile of prfA, the dependent genes and the PTS genes after growth in BHI (brain-heart-infusion), LB (Luria Bertani broth) and MM (minimal medium (Premaratne et al. 2001) (each supplemented with 50 mM Glucose). Keywords: media comparison A total of three independently isolated RNA samples from each condition were used for the analysis.
Project description:External signals are key for bacteria to sense their immediate environment and fine-tune gene expression accordingly. The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes senses a range of environmental cues in order to activate or deactivate the virulence-inducing transcriptional factor PrfA during transition between infectious and saprophytic lifecycles. Chitin is an abundant biopolymer formed from linked β-(1–4)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues associated with fungi, the exoskeleton of insects and often incorporated into foods as a thickener or stabiliser. L. monocytogenes evolved to hydrolyse chitin, presumably, to facilitate nutrient acquisition from competitive environments such as soil where the polymer is abundant. Since mammals do not produce chitin, we reasoned that the polymer could serve as an environmental signal contributing to repression of L. monocytogenes PrfA-dependent expression outside the host. This study shows a significant downregulation of the core PrfA-regulon during virulence-inducing conditions in vitro in the presence of chitin. Our data suggest this phenomenon occurs through a mechanism that differs from PTS-transport of oligosaccharides generated from either degradation or chitinase-mediated hydrolysis of the polymer. Importantly, an indication that chitin can repress virulence expression of a constitutively active PrfA* mutant is shown, possibly mediated via a post-translational modification inhibiting PrfA* activity. To our knowledge, chitin as a molecule with anti-virulence properties against a pathogenic bacterium has not been previously reported. Thus, our findings identify chitin as a signal which may downregulate the virulence potential of the pathogen and may provide an alternative approach towards reducing disease risk.