Dataset Information

Gene Regulation by the LiaSR Two-Component System in Streptococcus mutans.

ABSTRACT: The LiaSR two-component signal transduction system regulates cellular responses to several environmental stresses, including those that induce cell envelope damages. Downstream regulons of the LiaSR system have been implicated in tolerance to acid, antibiotics and detergents. In the dental pathogen Streptococcus mutans, the LiaSR system is necessary for tolerance against acid, antibiotics, and cell wall damaging stresses during growth in the oral cavity. To understand the molecular mechanisms by which LiaSR regulates gene expression, we created a mutant LiaR in which the conserved aspartic acid residue (the phosphorylation site), was changed to alanine residue (D58A). As expected, the LiaR-D58A variant was unable to acquire the phosphate group and bind to target promoters. We also noted that the predicted LiaR-binding motif upstream of the lia operon does not appear to be well conserved. Consistent with this observation, we found that LiaR was unable to bind to the promoter region of lia; however, we showed that LiaR was able to bind to the promoters of SMU.753, SMU.2084 and SMU.1727. Based on sequence analysis and DNA binding studies we proposed a new 25-bp conserved motif essential for LiaR binding. Introducing alterations at fully conserved positions in the 25-bp motif affected LiaR binding, and the binding was dependent on the combination of positions that were altered. By scanning the S. mutans genome for the occurrence of the newly defined LiaR binding motif, we identified the promoter of hrcA (encoding a key regulator of the heat shock response) that contains a LiaR binding motif, and we showed that hrcA is negatively regulated by the LiaSR system. Taken together our results suggest a putative role of the LiaSR system in heat shock responses of S. mutans.

SUBMITTER: Shankar M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4447274 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Gene Regulation by the LiaSR Two-Component System in Streptococcus mutans.

Shankar Manoharan M Mohapatra Saswat S SS Biswas Saswati S Biswas Indranil I

PloS one 20150528 5

The LiaSR two-component signal transduction system regulates cellular responses to several environmental stresses, including those that induce cell envelope damages. Downstream regulons of the LiaSR system have been implicated in tolerance to acid, antibiotics and detergents. In the dental pathogen Streptococcus mutans, the LiaSR system is necessary for tolerance against acid, antibiotics, and cell wall damaging stresses during growth in the oral cavity. To understand the molecular mechanisms by ...[more]

PMID: 26020679

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Project description:The abilities of Streptococcus mutans to form biofilms and to survive acidic pH are regarded as two important virulence determinants in the pathogenesis of dental caries. Environmental stimuli are thought to regulate the expression of several genes associated with virulence factors through the activity of two-component signal transduction systems. Yet, little is known of the involvement of these systems in the physiology and pathogenicity of S. mutans. In this study, we describe a two-component regulatory system and its involvement in biofilm formation and acid resistance in S. mutans. By searching the S. mutans genome database with tblastn with the HK03 and RR03 protein sequences from S. pneumoniae as queries, we identified two genes, designated hk11 and rr11, that encode a putative histidine kinase and its cognate response regulator. To gain insight into their function, a PCR-mediated allelic-exchange mutagenesis strategy was used to create the hk11 (Em(r)) and rr11 (Em(r)) deletion mutants from S. mutans wild-type NG8 named SMHK11 and SMRR11, respectively. The mutants were examined for their growth rates, genetic competence, ability to form biofilms, and resistance to low-pH challenge. The results showed that deletion of hk11 or rr11 resulted in defects in biofilm formation and resistance to acidic pH. Both mutants formed biofilms with reduced biomass (50 to 70% of the density of the parent strain). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the biofilms formed by the mutants had sponge-like architecture with what appeared to be large gaps that resembled water channel-like structures. The mutant biofilms were composed of longer chains of cells than those of the parent biofilm. Deletion of hk11 also resulted in greatly diminished resistance to low pH, although we did not observe the same effect when rr11 was deleted. Genetic competence was not affected in either mutant. The results suggested that the gene product of hk11 in S. mutans might act as a pH sensor that could cross talk with one or more response regulators. We conclude that the two-component signal transduction system encoded by hk11 and rr11 represents a new regulatory system involved in biofilm formation and acid resistance in S. mutans.

Project description:BackgroundThe S. mutans LrgA/B holin-like proteins have been shown to affect biofilm formation and oxidative stress tolerance, and are regulated by oxygenation, glucose levels, and by the LytST two-component system. In this study, we sought to determine if LytST was involved in regulating lrgAB expression in response to glucose and oxygenation in S. mutans.ResultsReal-time PCR revealed that growth phase-dependent regulation of lrgAB expression in response to glucose metabolism is mediated by LytST under low-oxygen conditions. However, the effect of LytST on lrgAB expression was less pronounced when cells were grown with aeration. RNA expression profiles in the wild-type and lytS mutant strains were compared using microarrays in early exponential and late exponential phase cells. The expression of 40 and 136 genes in early-exponential and late exponential phase, respectively, was altered in the lytS mutant. Although expression of comYB, encoding a DNA binding-uptake protein, was substantially increased in the lytS mutant, this did not translate to an effect on competence. However, a lrgA mutant displayed a substantial decrease in transformation efficiency, suggestive of a previously-unknown link between LrgA and S. mutans competence development. Finally, increased expression of genes encoding antioxidant and DNA recombination/repair enzymes was observed in the lytS mutant, suggesting that the mutant may be subjected to increased oxidative stress during normal growth. Although the intracellular levels of reaction oxygen species (ROS) appeared similar between wild-type and lytS mutant strains after overnight growth, challenge of these strains with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) resulted in increased intracellular ROS in the lytS mutant.ConclusionsOverall, these results: (1) Reinforce the importance of LytST in governing lrgAB expression in response to glucose and oxygen, (2) Define a new role for LytST in global gene regulation and resistance to H2O2, and (3) Uncover a potential link between LrgAB and competence development in S. mutans.

Project description:Global transcriptional analysis of acid-inducible genes in Streptococcus mutans: multiple two-component systems involved in acid adaptation pH is a major environmental factor that regulates gene expression in many bacteria. Streptococcus mutans in dental biofilms is regularly exposed to cycles of acidic pH during the ingestion of fermentable dietary carbohydrates. The ability of S. mutans to tolerate low pH is crucial for its virulence and the pathogenesis in dental caries. To better understand its acid tolerance mechanisms, we used DNA microarray to perform genome-wide transcriptional analysis of S. mutans in response to acidic pH. The results showed that adaptation of S. mutans to pH 5.5 for 2 hrs induced differential expression of nearly 14% of genes in the genome, including 169 up-regulated genes and 108 down-regulated genes, largely categorized into six groups. Especially, we found that the genes encoding multiple two-component systems, including CiaHR, LevSR, LiaSR, ScnKR, HK/RR07 and ComDE, were up-regulated during acid adaptation. These findings were further confirmed by real time qRT-PCR and phenotypic assays of the gene deletion mutants. The results support that the multiple two-component systems are required for S. mutans to orchestrate its signal transduction networks for optimal adaptation to acidic pH. Total RNAs were isolated from S. mutans UA159 cells (0.6 at OD600) grown in a TYG broth (3% tryptone, 0.3% yeast extract and 20 mM glucose) at either pH 5.5 or pH 7.5. The RNAs were treated with RNase-free DNase 1 and purified by Qiagen RNeasy mini columns. The purified RNAs were used to generate cDNA probes by an indirect labeling method based on the protocol from TIGR. The cDNAs were coupled with AlexaFluor 555 or AlexaFluor 647 (Invitrogen). The labeled cDNA probes from three different cultures of UA159 were hybridized to the S. mutans microarray slides obtained from PFGRC (http://pfgrc.tigr.org). Array hybridization was conducted using a protocol from the PFGRC with minor modification. After hybridization, washes and dried, the array slides were scanned by ScanArray 5000XL Reader (Perkin Elmer, Boston, MA). After the array slides were scanned, the resulting images were loaded into TIGR Spotfinder software (http://www.tigr.org/software/) and overlaid. A spot grid was created according to TIGR specifications and manually adjusted to fit all spots within the grid, and the intensity values of each spot were determined. Signal intensities of individual channels from an array slide were averaged and normalized using an array data analysis software (MIDAS) by using LOWESS and iterative log mean centering with default settings, followed by in-slide replicate analysis. A t-test was used to determine the consistency of ratios across replicate hybridizations. Only genes whose ratios were â¥ 2-fold changes (either increase or decrease) with 99% confidence interval (P â¤ 0.01) were considered statistically significant.

Dataset Information

Gene Regulation by the LiaSR Two-Component System in Streptococcus mutans.

Publications

Gene Regulation by the LiaSR Two-Component System in Streptococcus mutans.

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