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The Rgg1518 transcriptional regulator is a necessary facet of sugar metabolism and virulence in Streptococcus pneumoniae
Author(s) -
Shlla Bushra,
Gazioglu Ozcan,
Shafeeq Sulman,
Manzoor Irfan,
Kuipers Oscar P.,
Ulijasz Andrew,
Hiller N. Luisa,
Andrew Peter W.,
Yesilkaya Hasan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/mmi.14788
Subject(s) - biology , regulon , virulence , repressor , streptococcus pneumoniae , mutant , galactose , quorum sensing , microbiology and biotechnology , operon , regulation of gene expression , gene , biochemistry , gene expression , antibiotics
Abstract Rggs are a group of transcriptional regulators with diverse roles in metabolism and virulence. Here, we present work on the Rgg1518/SHP1518 quorum sensing system of Streptococcus pneumoniae . The activity of Rgg1518 is induced by its cognate peptide, SHP1518. In vitro analysis showed that the Rgg1518 system is active in conditions rich in galactose and mannose, key nutrients during nasopharyngeal colonization. Rgg1518 expression is highly induced in the presence of these sugars and its isogenic mutant is attenuated in growth on galactose and mannose. When compared with other Rgg systems, Rgg1518 has the largest regulon on galactose. On galactose it controls up‐ or downregulation of a functionally diverse set of genes involved in galactose metabolism, capsule biosynthesis, iron metabolism, protein translation, as well as other metabolic functions, acting mainly as a repressor of gene expression. Rgg1518 is a repressor of capsule biosynthesis, and binds directly to the capsule regulatory region. Comparison with other Rggs revealed inter‐regulatory interactions among Rggs. Finally, the rgg1518 mutant is attenuated in colonization and virulence in a mouse model of colonization and pneumonia. We conclude that Rgg1518 is a virulence determinant that contributes to a regulatory network composed of multiple Rgg systems.