Searching for small sB-regulated genes in Staphylococcus aureus

Jesper S. Nielsen; Mie H.G. Christiansen; Mette  Bonde; Sanne Gottschalk; Dorte Frees; Line Elnif Thomsen; Birgitte H. Kallipolitis

doi:10.1007/s00203-010-0641-1

Searching for small s^B-regulated genes in Staphylococcus aureus

Jesper S. Nielsen, Mie H.G. Christiansen, Mette Bonde, Sanne Gottschalk, Dorte Frees, Line Elnif Thomsen, Birgitte H. Kallipolitis

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In recent years, small RNAs (sRNAs) have been identified as important regulators of gene expression in bacteria. Most sRNAs are encoded from intergenic regions and are only expressed under highly specific growth conditions. In Staphylococcus aureus, the alternative sigma factor, σ^B, is known to contribute to the overall stress response, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. The σ^B regulon in S. aureus is well described and comprises approximately 200 annotated genes, including several genes encoding virulence factors. In the present study, we have identified three novel σ^B-dependent transcripts encoded from genomic regions previously annotated as intergenic. All three transcripts, named SbrA, SbrB, and SbrC, are highly conserved in S. aureus, and we confirmed their presence in four different isolates (SH1000, Newman, COL, and UAMS-1). Curiously, two of these genes (sbrA and sbrB) were found to contain open reading frames encoding small, highly basic peptides that are conserved among Staphylococci. The third transcript (SbrC) did not contain any likely open reading frame and thus constitute a genuine non-coding sRNA. The functions of these genes are currently unknown but are likely to be important for the σ^B-mediated response of S. aureus to adverse conditions.

Original language	English
Journal	Archives of Microbiology
Volume	193
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	23-34
Number of pages	12
ISSN	0302-8933
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-010-0641-1
Publication status	Published - Jan 2011

Keywords

Former LIFE faculty

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10.1007/s00203-010-0641-1

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@article{af44a689a35f4c8782e291205558addf,

title = "Searching for small sB-regulated genes in Staphylococcus aureus",

abstract = "In recent years, small RNAs (sRNAs) have been identified as important regulators of gene expression in bacteria. Most sRNAs are encoded from intergenic regions and are only expressed under highly specific growth conditions. In Staphylococcus aureus, the alternative sigma factor, σB, is known to contribute to the overall stress response, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. The σB regulon in S. aureus is well described and comprises approximately 200 annotated genes, including several genes encoding virulence factors. In the present study, we have identified three novel σB-dependent transcripts encoded from genomic regions previously annotated as intergenic. All three transcripts, named SbrA, SbrB, and SbrC, are highly conserved in S. aureus, and we confirmed their presence in four different isolates (SH1000, Newman, COL, and UAMS-1). Curiously, two of these genes (sbrA and sbrB) were found to contain open reading frames encoding small, highly basic peptides that are conserved among Staphylococci. The third transcript (SbrC) did not contain any likely open reading frame and thus constitute a genuine non-coding sRNA. The functions of these genes are currently unknown but are likely to be important for the σB-mediated response of S. aureus to adverse conditions.",

keywords = "Former LIFE faculty, S. aureus, sRNA, sigmaB",

author = "Nielsen, {Jesper S.} and Christiansen, {Mie H.G.} and Mette Bonde and Sanne Gottschalk and Dorte Frees and Thomsen, {Line Elnif} and Kallipolitis, {Birgitte H.}",

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AU - Nielsen, Jesper S.

AU - Christiansen, Mie H.G.

AU - Bonde, Mette

AU - Gottschalk, Sanne

AU - Frees, Dorte

AU - Thomsen, Line Elnif

AU - Kallipolitis, Birgitte H.

PY - 2011/1

Y1 - 2011/1

N2 - In recent years, small RNAs (sRNAs) have been identified as important regulators of gene expression in bacteria. Most sRNAs are encoded from intergenic regions and are only expressed under highly specific growth conditions. In Staphylococcus aureus, the alternative sigma factor, σB, is known to contribute to the overall stress response, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. The σB regulon in S. aureus is well described and comprises approximately 200 annotated genes, including several genes encoding virulence factors. In the present study, we have identified three novel σB-dependent transcripts encoded from genomic regions previously annotated as intergenic. All three transcripts, named SbrA, SbrB, and SbrC, are highly conserved in S. aureus, and we confirmed their presence in four different isolates (SH1000, Newman, COL, and UAMS-1). Curiously, two of these genes (sbrA and sbrB) were found to contain open reading frames encoding small, highly basic peptides that are conserved among Staphylococci. The third transcript (SbrC) did not contain any likely open reading frame and thus constitute a genuine non-coding sRNA. The functions of these genes are currently unknown but are likely to be important for the σB-mediated response of S. aureus to adverse conditions.

AB - In recent years, small RNAs (sRNAs) have been identified as important regulators of gene expression in bacteria. Most sRNAs are encoded from intergenic regions and are only expressed under highly specific growth conditions. In Staphylococcus aureus, the alternative sigma factor, σB, is known to contribute to the overall stress response, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. The σB regulon in S. aureus is well described and comprises approximately 200 annotated genes, including several genes encoding virulence factors. In the present study, we have identified three novel σB-dependent transcripts encoded from genomic regions previously annotated as intergenic. All three transcripts, named SbrA, SbrB, and SbrC, are highly conserved in S. aureus, and we confirmed their presence in four different isolates (SH1000, Newman, COL, and UAMS-1). Curiously, two of these genes (sbrA and sbrB) were found to contain open reading frames encoding small, highly basic peptides that are conserved among Staphylococci. The third transcript (SbrC) did not contain any likely open reading frame and thus constitute a genuine non-coding sRNA. The functions of these genes are currently unknown but are likely to be important for the σB-mediated response of S. aureus to adverse conditions.

KW - Former LIFE faculty

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KW - sRNA

KW - sigmaB

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DO - 10.1007/s00203-010-0641-1

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