The two-component signal transduction system RR06/HK06 regulates expression of cbpA in Streptococcus pneumonia
Date
2005
Authors
Standish, A.
Stroeher, U.
Paton, J.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2005; 102(21):7701-7706
Statement of Responsibility
Alistair J. Standish, Uwe H. Stroeher, and James C. Paton
Conference Name
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae encounters a number of environmental niches in the body, including the nasopharynx, lungs, blood, middle ear, and brain. Recent studies have identified 13 putative two-component signal-transduction systems in S. pneumoniae, which are likely to be important for gene regulation in response to external stimuli. Here, we present conclusive evidence for the regulation of choline binding protein A (CbpA), a major pneumococcal virulence factor and protective antigen, by one of these two-component signal-transduction systems. We have demonstrated divergent expression of cbpA in unmarked hk06 and rr06 deletion mutants relative to wild-type S. pneumoniae D39 by using Western immunoblotting and real-time RT-PCR. Electrophoretic mobility-shift and solid-phase binding assays have demonstrated the binding of RR06 to the promoter region of cbpA, suggesting that RR06/HK06 directly regulates cbpA transcription. We have also shown that this system is important for the ability of the pneumococcus to adhere to epithelial cells in vitro and to survive and proliferate in an in vivo mouse model. Thus, the RR06/HK06 system has a significant role in pathogenesis, both in colonization and invasive disease.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
© 2005 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA