This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McIver, K. S. Articles by Scott, J. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by McIver, K. S. Articles by Scott, J. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., Nov 1995, 6619-6624, Vol 177, No. 22
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Specific binding of the activator Mga to promoter sequences of the emm and scpA genes in the group A streptococcus

KS McIver, AS Heath, BD Green and JR Scott
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rollins Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.

Transcription of the surface-associated virulence factors of the group A streptococcus (GAS) Streptococcus pyogenes, M protein (emm) and the C5a peptidase (scpA), is activated by a protein called Mga (formerly Mry or VirR). To determine whether Mga binds directly to the promoters of the genes it regulates, a protein resulting from the fusion of Mga to the C-terminal end of maltose-binding protein was purified from Escherichia coli. Specific binding to the promoter regions of the scpA and emm alleles of the type M6 GAS strain JRS4 was demonstrated by electrophoresis of the DNA-protein complex. Competition studies showed that the region upstream of scpA bound MBP-Mga with a slightly higher affinity than did the region upstream of emm. DNase I protection experiments identified a single 45-bp binding site immediately upstream of and overlapping the -35 region of both promoters. Sequences homologous to the protected regions were found in the promoters of many emm, scp, and emm-like genes from strains of different serotypes of GAS, and a consensus Mga binding site was deduced.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Joslin, S. N., Hendrixson, D. R. (2008). Analysis of the Campylobacter jejuni FlgR Response Regulator Suggests Integration of Diverse Mechanisms To Activate an NtrC-Like Protein. J. Bacteriol. 190: 2422-2433 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Almengor, A. C., Kinkel, T. L., Day, S. J., McIver, K. S. (2007). The Catabolite Control Protein CcpA Binds to Pmga and Influences Expression of the Virulence Regulator Mga in the Group A Streptococcus. J. Bacteriol. 189: 8405-8416 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Almengor, A. C., Walters, M. S., McIver, K. S. (2006). Mga Is Sufficient To Activate Transcription In Vitro of sof-sfbX and Other Mga-Regulated Virulence Genes in the Group A Streptococcus. J. Bacteriol. 188: 2038-2047 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vahling, C. M., McIver, K. S. (2006). Domains Required for Transcriptional Activation Show Conservation in the Mga Family of Virulence Gene Regulators. J. Bacteriol. 188: 863-873 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vahling, C. M., McIver, K. S. (2005). Identification of Residues Responsible for the Defective Virulence Gene Regulator Mga Produced by a Natural Mutant of Streptococcus pyogenes. J. Bacteriol. 187: 5955-5966 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Almengor, A. C., McIver, K. S. (2004). Transcriptional Activation of sclA by Mga Requires a Distal Binding Site in Streptococcus pyogenes. J. Bacteriol. 186: 7847-7857 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• van der Woude, M. W., Baumler, A. J. (2004). Phase and Antigenic Variation in Bacteria. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 17: 581-611 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Terao, Y., Kawabata, S., Nakata, M., Nakagawa, I., Hamada, S. (2002). Molecular Characterization of a Novel Fibronectin-binding Protein of Streptococcus pyogenes Strains Isolated from Toxic Shock-like Syndrome Patients. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 47428-47435 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Shepard, B. D., Gilmore, M. S. (2002). Differential Expression of Virulence-Related Genes in Enterococcus faecalis in Response to Biological Cues in Serum and Urine. Infect. Immun. 70: 4344-4352 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chaussee, M. S., Sylva, G. L., Sturdevant, D. E., Smoot, L. M., Graham, M. R., Watson, R. O., Musser, J. M. (2002). Rgg Influences the Expression of Multiple Regulatory Loci To Coregulate Virulence Factor Expression in Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect. Immun. 70: 762-770 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kazmi, S. U., Kansal, R., Aziz, R. K., Hooshdaran, M., Norrby-Teglund, A., Low, D. E., Halim, A.-B., Kotb, M. (2001). Reciprocal, Temporal Expression of SpeA and SpeB by Invasive M1T1 Group A Streptococcal Isolates In Vivo. Infect. Immun. 69: 4988-4995 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Beckert, S., Kreikemeyer, B., Podbielski, A. (2001). Group A Streptococcal rofA Gene Is Involved in the Control of Several Virulence Genes and Eukaryotic Cell Attachment and Internalization. Infect. Immun. 69: 534-537 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lukomski, S., Nakashima, K., Abdi, I., Cipriano, V. J., Ireland, R. M., Reid, S. D., Adams, G. G., Musser, J. M. (2000). Identification and Characterization of the scl Gene Encoding a Group A Streptococcus Extracellular Protein Virulence Factor with Similarity to Human Collagen. Infect. Immun. 68: 6542-6553 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fernandez-Espla, M. D., Garault, P., Monnet, V., Rul, F. (2000). Streptococcus thermophilus Cell Wall-Anchored Proteinase: Release, Purification, and Biochemical and Genetic Characterization. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 4772-4778 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rasmussen, M., Eden, A., Bjorck, L. (2000). SclA, a Novel Collagen-Like Surface Protein of Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect. Immun. 68: 6370-6377 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cunningham, M. W. (2000). Pathogenesis of Group A Streptococcal Infections. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 13: 470-511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Raeder, R., Harokopakis, E., Hollingshead, S., Boyle, M. D. P. (2000). Absence of SpeB Production in Virulent Large Capsular Forms of Group A Streptococcal Strain 64. Infect. Immun. 68: 744-751 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vasi, J., Frykberg, L., Carlsson, L. E., Lindberg, M., Guss, B. (2000). M-Like Proteins of Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Infect. Immun. 68: 294-302 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yung, D.-L., McIver, K. S., Scott, J. R., Hollingshead, S. K. (1999). Attenuated Expression of the mga Virulence Regulon in an M Serotype 50 Mouse-Virulent Group A Streptococcal Strain. Infect. Immun. 67: 6691-6694 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• McIver, K. S., Thurman, A. S., Scott, J. R. (1999). Regulation of mga Transcription in the Group A Streptococcus: Specific Binding of Mga within Its Own Promoter and Evidence for a Negative Regulator. J. Bacteriol. 181: 5373-5383 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Navarre, W. W., Schneewind, O. (1999). Surface Proteins of Gram-Positive Bacteria and Mechanisms of Their Targeting to the Cell Wall Envelope. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 63: 174-229 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Barrett, J. F., Hoch, J. A. (1998). Two-Component Signal Transduction as a Target for Microbial Anti-Infective Therapy. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 42: 1529-1536 [Full Text]  
• Berge, A., Rasmussen, M., Bjorck, L. (1998). Identification of an Insertion Sequence Located in a Region Encoding Virulence Factors of Streptococcus pyogenes. Infect. Immun. 66: 3449-3453 [Abstract] [Full Text]