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Moonlighting bacteriophage proteins derepress staphylococcal pathogenicity islands

Author

Listed:
  • María Ángeles Tormo-Más

    (Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (CITA-IVIA), Apdo. 187, Segorbe, Castellón 12400, Spain)

  • Ignacio Mir

    (Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (CITA-IVIA), Apdo. 187, Segorbe, Castellón 12400, Spain)

  • Archana Shrestha

    (Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0678, USA)

  • Sandra M. Tallent

    (Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0678, USA)

  • Susana Campoy

    (Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • Íñigo Lasa

    (Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra 31006, Spain)

  • Jordi Barbé

    (Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • Richard P. Novick

    (New York University Medical Center, 540 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA)

  • Gail E. Christie

    (Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0678, USA)

  • José R. Penadés

    (Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (CITA-IVIA), Apdo. 187, Segorbe, Castellón 12400, Spain
    Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, Moncada, Valencia 46113, Spain)

Abstract

Moonlighting Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, potentially fatal illness that can be caused by the release of toxins from Staphylococcus bacteria. The toxic particles are encoded by discrete genetic units called pathogenicity islands, which reside passively in the host chromosome, under the control of the global repressor Stl, unless activated by a helper phage. It is now shown that a non-essential and specific protein from the helper phage 80α is responsible for de-repression of the pathogenicity island, thereby providing the mechanism for the first step of its mobilization. The proteins involved are 'moonlighters', because they have two different and genetically distinct activities. Through a remarkable evolutionary adaptation, various related pathogenicity islands co-opt entirely unrelated phage proteins to aid in their mobilization.

Suggested Citation

  • María Ángeles Tormo-Más & Ignacio Mir & Archana Shrestha & Sandra M. Tallent & Susana Campoy & Íñigo Lasa & Jordi Barbé & Richard P. Novick & Gail E. Christie & José R. Penadés, 2010. "Moonlighting bacteriophage proteins derepress staphylococcal pathogenicity islands," Nature, Nature, vol. 465(7299), pages 779-782, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:465:y:2010:i:7299:d:10.1038_nature09065
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09065
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohammed A. Thabet & José R. Penadés & Andreas F. Haag, 2023. "The ClpX protease is essential for inactivating the CI master repressor and completing prophage induction in Staphylococcus aureus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.

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