This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chapuy-Regaud, S.
Right arrow Articles by Trombe, M.-C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chapuy-Regaud, S.
Right arrow Articles by Trombe, M.-C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, May 2003, p. 2615-2625, Vol. 71, No. 5
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.5.2615-2625.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

RegR, a Global LacI/GalR Family Regulator, Modulates Virulence and Competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Sabine Chapuy-Regaud,1 A. David Ogunniyi,2 Nicole Diallo,3 Yvette Huet,3 Jean-François Desnottes,3 James C. Paton,2 Sonia Escaich,4 and Marie-Claude Trombe1*

Laboratoire "Interactions et Signalisation Cellulaire: Relation Hôte Pathogène," Institut Louis Bugnard, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Rangueil, Université Paul Sabatier, 31403 Toulouse Cedex,1 Aventis Pharma, 94403 Vitry sur Seine,3 Mutabilis SA, Faculté de Médecine Necker, 75730 Paris Cedex 15, France,4 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia2

Received 22 October 2002/ Returned for modification 27 January 2003/ Accepted 11 February 2003

The homolactic and catalase-deficient pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae is not only tolerant to oxygen but requires the activity of its NADH oxidase, Nox, to develop optimal virulence and competence for genetic transformation. In this work, we show that the global regulator RegR is also involved in these traits. Genetic dissection revealed that RegR regulates competence and the expression of virulence factors, including hyaluronidase. In bacteria grown in vitro, RegR represses hyaluronidase. At neutral pH, it increases adherence to A549 epithelial cells, and at alkaline pH, it acts upstream of the CiaRH two-component signaling system to activate competence. These phenotypes are not associated with changes in antibiotic resistance, central metabolism, and carbohydrate utilization. Although the RegR0 (where 0 indicates the loss of the protein) mutation is sufficient to attenuate experimental virulence of strain 23477 in mice, the introduction of an additional hyl0 (where 0 indicates the loss of function) mutation in the RegR0 strain 23302 dramatically reduces its virulence. This indicates that residual virulence of the RegR0 Hyl+ derivative is due to hyaluronidase and supports the dual role of RegR in virulence. This LacI/GalR regulator, not essential for in vitro growth in rich media, is indeed involved in the adaptive response of the pneumococcus via its control of competence, adherence, and virulence.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Lab. Interactions et Signalisation cellulaire: Relation hôte pathogene, EA3036, IFR31 Inst. Louis Bugnard, Centre Hospitalo-Univ. de Rangueil, Université Paul Sabatier, 31403 Toulouse Cedex, France. Phone: 33 (0)5 61 32 29 74. Fax: 33 (0)5 61 32 26 20. E-mail: trombe{at}cict.fr.

Editor: A. D. O'Brien

Infection and Immunity, May 2003, p. 2615-2625, Vol. 71, No. 5
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.5.2615-2625.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Nobbs, A. H., Lamont, R. J., Jenkinson, H. F. (2009). Streptococcus Adherence and Colonization. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 73: 407-450 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Osaki, M., Arcondeguy, T., Bastide, A., Touriol, C., Prats, H., Trombe, M.-C. (2009). The StkP/PhpP Signaling Couple in Streptococcus pneumoniae: Cellular Organization and Physiological Characterization. J. Bacteriol. 191: 4943-4950 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hendriksen, W. T., Bootsma, H. J., van Diepen, A., Estevao, S., Kuipers, O. P., de Groot, R., Hermans, P. W. M. (2009). Strain-specific impact of PsaR of Streptococcus pneumoniae on global gene expression and virulence. Microbiology 155: 1569-1579 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kerr, A. R., Paterson, G. K., McCluskey, J., Iannelli, F., Oggioni, M. R., Pozzi, G., Mitchell, T. J. (2006). The Contribution of PspC to Pneumococcal Virulence Varies between Strains and Is Accomplished by Both Complement Evasion and Complement-Independent Mechanisms. Infect. Immun. 74: 5319-5324 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Paterson, G. K., Blue, C. E., Mitchell, T. J. (2006). Role of two-component systems in the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae.. J Med Microbiol 55: 355-363 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bergmann, S., Hammerschmidt, S. (2006). Versatility of pneumococcal surface proteins. Microbiology 152: 295-303 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Camilli, R., Pettini, E., Grosso, M. D., Pozzi, G., Pantosti, A., Oggioni, M. R. (2006). Zinc metalloproteinase genes in clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae: association of the full array with a clonal cluster comprising serotypes 8 and 11A. Microbiology 152: 313-321 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Romao, S., Memmi, G., Oggioni, M. R., Trombe, M.-C. (2006). LuxS impacts on LytA-dependent autolysis and on competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Microbiology 152: 333-341 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sebert, M. E., Patel, K. P., Plotnick, M., Weiser, J. N. (2005). Pneumococcal HtrA Protease Mediates Inhibition of Competence by the CiaRH Two-Component Signaling System. J. Bacteriol. 187: 3969-3979 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Echenique, J., Kadioglu, A., Romao, S., Andrew, P. W., Trombe, M.-C. (2004). Protein Serine/Threonine Kinase StkP Positively Controls Virulence and Competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect. Immun. 72: 2434-2437 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Perego, M., Hoch, J. A., Barrett, J. F. (2004). Functional Genomics of Gram-Positive Microorganisms. J. Bacteriol. 186: 903-909 [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»