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J. Bacteriol., 02 1996, 611-618, Vol 178, No. 3
EW Brunskill and KW Bayles
Previously in our laboratory, a PCR-based strategy was used to isolate
potential sensor gene fragments from the Staphyloccus aureus genome. One
DNA fragment was isolated that shared strong sequence similarity to genes
encoding bacterial sensor proteins, indicating that it originated from
within a potential staphylococcal sensor protein gene. In this study, the
DNA surrounding the PCR product origin was cloned and sequenced. This
analysis revealed the presence of two genes, termed lytS and lytR, whose
deduced amino acid sequences were similar to those of members of the
two-component regulatory system family of proteins. S. aureus cells
containing an insertional disruption of lytS exhibited a marked propensity
to form aggregates in liquid culture, suggesting that alterations in cell
surface components exist in this strain. Transmission electron microscopic
examination of these cells revealed that the cell surface was rough and
diffuse and that a large proportion of the cell population had lysed. The
lytS mutant also exhibited increased autolysis and an altered level of
murein hydrolase activity produced compared with the parental strain, NCTC
8325-4. These data suggest that the lytS and lytR gene products control the
rate of autolysis in S. aureus by affecting the intrinsic murein hydrolase
activity associated with the cell.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
Identification and molecular characterization of a putative regulatory locus that affects autolysis in Staphylococcus aureus
Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 21228, USA.
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