Staphylococcus aureus
Research ArticleσB Inhibits Poly-N-Acetylglucosamine Exopolysaccharide Synthesis and Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureusDue to its multifaceted lifestyle, Staphylococcus aureus needs a complex regulatory network to connect environmental signals with cellular physiology. One particular transcription factor, named σB (SigB), is involved in the general stress response and the expression of virulence factors. For many years, great confusion has existed about the role of σB...
Research ArticleThe Response of nor and nos Contributes to Staphylococcus aureus Virulence and MetabolismStaphylococcus aureus can cause disease at most body sites, and illness spans asymptomatic infection to death. The variety of clinical presentations is due to the diversity of strains, which are grouped into distinct clonal complexes (CCs) based on genetic differences. The ability of S. aureus CC30...
Research ArticleDNA Binding and Sensor Specificity of FarR, a Novel TetR Family Regulator Required for Induction of the Fatty Acid Efflux Pump FarE in Staphylococcus aureusHere, we describe the DNA binding and sensor specificity of FarR, a novel TetR family regulator (TFR) in Staphylococcus aureus. Unlike the majority of TFRs that have been characterized, which function to repress a divergently transcribed gene, we find that FarR is needed to promote expression of the divergently transcribed farE gene, encoding a resistance-...
Research Article | SpotlightInactivation of the Monofunctional Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase SgtB Allows Staphylococcus aureus To Survive in the Absence of Lipoteichoic AcidThe bacterial cell wall acts as a primary defense against environmental insults such as changes in osmolarity. It is also a vulnerable structure, as defects in its synthesis can lead to growth arrest or cell death. The important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus has a typical Gram-positive cell wall, which consists of peptidoglycan and the anionic polymers LTA and...
CommentaryGetting Our Fingers on the Pulse of Slow-Growing Bacteria in Hard-To-Reach PlacesChronic infections with slow-growing pathogens have plagued humans throughout history. However, assessing the identities and growth rates of bacteria in an infection has remained an elusive goal.
Research ArticleRefining the Application of Microbial Lipids as Tracers of Staphylococcus aureus Growth Rates in Cystic Fibrosis SputumIn chronic lung infections, populations of microbial pathogens change and mature in ways that are often unknown, which makes it challenging to identify appropriate treatment options. A promising tool to better understand the physiology of microorganisms in a patient is stable-isotope probing, which we previously developed to estimate the growth rates of S. aureus in...
Research ArticleLong Noncoding RNA SSR42 Controls Staphylococcus aureus Alpha-Toxin Transcription in Response to Environmental StimuliStaphylococcus aureus is a major cause of life-threatening infections. The bacterium expresses alpha-toxin, a hemolysin and cytotoxin responsible for many of the pathologies of S. aureus. Alpha-toxin production is enhanced by subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. Here, we show that this...
Research Article | SpotlightEssH Peptidoglycan Hydrolase Enables Staphylococcus aureus Type VII Secretion across the Bacterial Cell Wall EnvelopeGene clusters encoding WXG-like proteins and FtsK/SpoIIIE-like P loop ATPases in Firmicutes encode type 7b secretion systems (T7bSS) for the transport of select protein substrates. The Staphylococcus aureus T7bSS assembles in the bacterial membrane and promotes the secretion of WXG-like proteins and...
- Research ArticleRepression of Capsule Production by XdrA and CodY in Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus employs a complex regulatory network to coordinate the expression of various virulence genes to achieve successful infections. How virulence genes are coordinately regulated is still poorly understood. We have been studying capsule regulation as a model system to explore regulatory networking in...
- Research ArticleMsaB and CodY Interact To Regulate Staphylococcus aureus Capsule in a Nutrient-Dependent Manner
Findings from this study define the mechanism of regulation of capsule production in Staphylococcus aureus. Specifically, we show that two key regulators, MsaB and CodY, coordinate their functions to control the expression of capsule in response to nutrients. S. aureus fine-tunes the production of...