This Article Full Text 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 Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hava, D. L. Articles by Camilli, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hava, D. L. Articles by Camilli, A.

Transcriptional Regulation in the Streptococcus pneumoniae rlrA Pathogenicity Islet by RlrA

Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111

Received 29 August 2002/ Accepted 28 October 2002

The proper temporal expression of virulence genes during infection is crucial to the infectious life cycle of microbial pathogens, particularly in pathogens that encounter a multitude of environments in eukaryotic hosts. Streptococcus pneumoniae normally colonizes the nasopharynges of healthy adults but can cause a range of diseases at a variety of host sites. Transcriptional regulators that are essential for full virulence of S. pneumoniae in different animal models have been identified. One such regulator, rlrA, is required for colonization of the nasopharynx and lung infection but is dispensable for systemic infection. Previous work has shown that rlrA lies in a 12-kb pathogenicity islet, divergently opposed to three putative sortase-anchored surface proteins and three sortase enzymes. In addition to rlrA, one of the putative surface proteins and one of the sortases have also been shown to be essential for lung infection. In this work, we demonstrate that RlrA is a positive regulator of all seven genes in the rlrA pathogenicity islet, with transcriptional activation occurring at four different promoters in the islet with AT-rich sequences. These promoters direct the expression of rlrA itself, the three sortases, rrgA, and rrgBC. These data are consistent with the model whereby the rlrA pathogenicity islet acts in an autonomous manner to alter the bacterial surface components that interact with the pulmonary and nasopharyngeal environments.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Rosch, J. W., Mann, B., Thornton, J., Sublett, J., Tuomanen, E. (2008). Convergence of Regulatory Networks on the Pilus Locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect. Immun. 76: 3187-3196 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zahner, D., Scott, J. R. (2008). SipA Is Required for Pilus Formation in Streptococcus pyogenes Serotype M3. J. Bacteriol. 190: 527-535 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hendriksen, W. T., Silva, N., Bootsma, H. J., Blue, C. E., Paterson, G. K., Kerr, A. R., de Jong, A., Kuipers, O. P., Hermans, P. W. M., Mitchell, T. J. (2007). Regulation of Gene Expression in Streptococcus pneumoniae by Response Regulator 09 Is Strain Dependent. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1382-1389 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kwinn, L. A., Khosravi, A., Aziz, R. K., Timmer, A. M., Doran, K. S., Kotb, M., Nizet, V. (2007). Genetic Characterization and Virulence Role of the RALP3/LSA Locus Upstream of the Streptolysin S Operon in Invasive M1T1 Group A Streptococcus. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1322-1329 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Obert, C., Sublett, J., Kaushal, D., Hinojosa, E., Barton, T., Tuomanen, E. I., Orihuela, C. J. (2006). Identification of a Candidate Streptococcus pneumoniae Core Genome and Regions of Diversity Correlated with Invasive Pneumococcal Disease.. Infect. Immun. 74: 4766-4777 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• LeMieux, J., Hava, D. L., Basset, A., Camilli, A. (2006). RrgA and RrgB Are Components of a Multisubunit Pilus Encoded by the Streptococcus pneumoniae rlrA Pathogenicity Islet. Infect. Immun. 74: 2453-2456 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Marraffini, L. A., DeDent, A. C., Schneewind, O. (2006). Sortases and the Art of Anchoring Proteins to the Envelopes of Gram-Positive Bacteria. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 70: 192-221 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Barocchi, M. A., Ries, J., Zogaj, X., Hemsley, C., Albiger, B., Kanth, A., Dahlberg, S., Fernebro, J., Moschioni, M., Masignani, V., Hultenby, K., Taddei, A. R., Beiter, K., Wartha, F., von Euler, A., Covacci, A., Holden, D. W., Normark, S., Rappuoli, R., Henriques-Normark, B. (2006). A pneumococcal pilus influences virulence and host inflammatory responses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 2857-2862 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Johnston, J. W., Briles, D. E., Myers, L. E., Hollingshead, S. K. (2006). Mn2+-Dependent Regulation of Multiple Genes in Streptococcus pneumoniae through PsaR and the Resultant Impact on Virulence. Infect. Immun. 74: 1171-1180 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Iyer, R., Baliga, N. S., Camilli, A. (2005). Catabolite Control Protein A (CcpA) Contributes to Virulence and Regulation of Sugar Metabolism in Streptococcus pneumoniae. J. Bacteriol. 187: 8340-8349 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zong, Y., Bice, T. W., Ton-That, H., Schneewind, O., Narayana, S. V. L. (2004). Crystal Structures of Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A and Its Substrate Complex. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 31383-31389 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Comfort, D., Clubb, R. T. (2004). A Comparative Genome Analysis Identifies Distinct Sorting Pathways in Gram-Positive Bacteria. Infect. Immun. 72: 2710-2722 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hemsley, C., Joyce, E., Hava, D. L., Kawale, A., Camilli, A. (2003). MgrA, an Orthologue of Mga, Acts as a Transcriptional Repressor of the Genes within the rlrA Pathogenicity Islet in Streptococcus pneumoniae. J. Bacteriol. 185: 6640-6647 [Abstract] [Full Text]