The SaeRS two-component system regulates virulence gene expression in group B <i>Streptococcus</i> during invasive infection
Group B <i>Streptococcus</i> (or GBS) is a normal inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal and genital tracts that can also cause deadly infections in newborns and elderly people. The transition from a harmless commensal to a dangerous pathogen relies on the timely expression of bacterial molecules necessary for causing disease. In this study, we characterize the two-component system SaeRS as a key regulator of such virulence factors. Our analysis reveals a specialized regulatory system that is activated only during infection to dynamically adjust the production of two virulence factors involved in interactions with host cells. Overall, our findings highlight the critical role of SaeRS in GBS infections and suggest that targeting this system may be useful for developing new antibacterial drugs.
Authors
- Hugo Varet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3980-4463)
- Rachel Legendre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5196-9431)
- Arnaud Firon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5323-5212)
- Odile Sismeiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4113-4606)
- Francesco Coppolino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9672-0824)
- Giulia Barbieri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6622-5876)
- Concetta Beninati (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8305-1337)
- Giuseppe Valerio De Gaetano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9860-8871)
- Giuseppe Teti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6315-8644)
- Angelica Pellegrini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3339-3952)
- Giampiero Pietrocola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7069-8155)
- Agata Famà (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5261-8660)
- Germana Lentini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0572-4476)
- Alessia Berbiglia
- Cosme Claverie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1832-0406)
- Luca Tavella
Institutions
- University of Messina (IT)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- University of Pavia (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- mBio
- Published
- 2024-08-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01975-24
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.26
Funders
- European Commission
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Labex
- Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca