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Guanosine tetraphosphate relieves the negative regulation of Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 gene transcription exerted by the AT-rich ssrA discriminator region.

ABSTRACT: The repressive activity of ancestral histone-like proteins helps integrate transcription of foreign genes with discrepant AT content into existing regulatory networks. Our investigations indicate that the AT-rich discriminator region located between the -10 promoter element and the transcription start site of the regulatory gene ssrA plays a distinct role in the balanced expression of the Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 (SPI2) type III secretion system. The RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA activates the ssrAB regulon post-transcriptionally, whereas the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) relieves the negative regulation imposed by the AT-rich ssrA discriminator region. An increase in the GC-content of the ssrA discriminator region enhances ssrAB transcription and SsrB translation, thus activating the expression of downstream SPI2 genes. A Salmonella strain expressing a GC-rich ssrA discriminator region is attenuated in mice and grows poorly intracellularly. The combined actions of ppGpp and DksA on SPI2 expression enable Salmonella to grow intracellularly, and cause disease in a murine model of infection. Collectively, these findings indicate that (p)ppGpp relieves the negative regulation associated with the AT-rich discriminator region in the promoter of the horizontally-acquired ssrA gene, whereas DksA activates ssrB gene expression post-transcriptionally. The combined effects of (p)ppGpp and DksA on the ssrAB locus facilitate a balanced SPI2 virulence gene transcription that is essential for Salmonella pathogenesis.

SUBMITTER: Tapscott T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6013443 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Guanosine tetraphosphate relieves the negative regulation of Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 gene transcription exerted by the AT-rich ssrA discriminator region.

Tapscott Timothy T Kim Ju-Sim JS Crawford Matthew A MA Fitzsimmons Liam L Liu Lin L Jones-Carson Jessica J Vázquez-Torres Andrés A

Scientific reports 20180621 1

The repressive activity of ancestral histone-like proteins helps integrate transcription of foreign genes with discrepant AT content into existing regulatory networks. Our investigations indicate that the AT-rich discriminator region located between the -10 promoter element and the transcription start site of the regulatory gene ssrA plays a distinct role in the balanced expression of the Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 (SPI2) type III secretion system. The RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA ...[more]

PMID: 29930310

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Project description:LeuO, initially identified as a leucine regulator in Escherichia coli, has since been identified as a global regulator required for bacterial pathogenicity in a broad range of bacteria, including gram-negative pathogens, such as Salmonella, Shigella, and Vibrio; and gram-positive bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. However, the regulatory roles and targets of LeuO vary among species. In the Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), LeuO represses the transcription of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-1, thus diminishing the ability of the bacteria to invade host cells. However, its regulatory effect on SPI-2, essential for survival within macrophages, remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the regulatory role of LeuO in the intracellular persistence of S. Typhimurium. Overexpression of LeuO repressed the transcription of SPI-2 genes and accordingly decreased its protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed the genome-wide binding sites of LeuO in S. Typhimurium 14028 and identified a distinctive 23-nucleotide motif with high similarity to that previously discovered in E. coli. Notably, multiple LeuO-binding sites were predicted within SPI-2, primarily adjacent to the ssrA and ssrB loci. In vitro binding assays verified the high binding affinity between LeuO and three specific motifs located at positions -35 to -12 (ssrA1),+231 to +254 (ssrA2) near ssrA, and at positions -622 to -599 (ssrB3) near ssrB, relative to their transcription start sites. Furthermore, LeuO overexpression abolished the transcription of lacZ fused to the ssrA promoter containing ssrA1 and ssrA2, suggesting the direct repression of ssrA via LeuO-binding. The absence of LeuO increased the intracellular survival of S. Typhimurium within macrophages, whereas its overexpression attenuated bacterial persistence, which was presumably associated with the downregulation of SPI-2 by LeuO. This study reveals the versatile regulatory mechanisms of LeuO and underscores its pivotal role in modulating SPI-2 expression, thereby providing key insights into the fine tuning of virulence by Salmonella during systemic infection.

Dataset Information

Guanosine tetraphosphate relieves the negative regulation of Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 gene transcription exerted by the AT-rich ssrA discriminator region.

Publications

Guanosine tetraphosphate relieves the negative regulation of Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 gene transcription exerted by the AT-rich ssrA discriminator region.

Similar Datasets

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