Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1993 Apr;61(4):1581–1585. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.4.1581-1585.1993

High sodium chloride concentrations inhibit staphylococcal enterotoxin C gene (sec) expression at the level of sec mRNA.

L B Regassa 1, M J Betley 1
PMCID: PMC281406  PMID: 8454367

Abstract

Expression of the staphylococcal enterotoxin type C gene (sec) is regulated in response to both high NaCl concentrations (osmolarity) and the accessory gene regulator (agr). agr is a global regulator that alters the expression of many genes in Staphylococcus aureus. In this report, we have demonstrated that osmoregulation of sec occurs at the level of mRNA independently of an intact agr allele. Northern (RNA) and Western blot (immunoblot) analyses of samples from cultures grown in low- (0 M NaCl) and high-osmotic-strength (1.2 M NaCl) media revealed that the low-osmotic-strength culture contained approximately 16-fold more SEC and sec mRNA than the high-osmotic-strength culture. sec expression in high-osmotic-strength medium was enhanced when osmoprotective compounds were added. Osmoregulation of sec expression in Agr- strains was also examined; SEC and sec mRNA levels decreased in response to high osmolarity in a manner similar to that seen in the Agr+ strains.

Full text

PDF
1584

Images in this article

1582Image
on p.1582
1583Image
on p.1583
1583Image
on p.1583

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson C. B., Witter L. D. Glutamine and proline accumulation by Staphylococcus aureus with reduction in water activity. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1982 Jun;43(6):1501–1503. doi: 10.1128/aem.43.6.1501-1503.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bae J. H., Miller K. J. Identification of two proline transport systems in Staphylococcus aureus and their possible roles in osmoregulation. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Feb;58(2):471–475. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.2.471-475.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bohach G. A., Fast D. J., Nelson R. D., Schlievert P. M. Staphylococcal and streptococcal pyrogenic toxins involved in toxic shock syndrome and related illnesses. Crit Rev Microbiol. 1990;17(4):251–272. doi: 10.3109/10408419009105728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Csonka L. N. Physiological and genetic responses of bacteria to osmotic stress. Microbiol Rev. 1989 Mar;53(1):121–147. doi: 10.1128/mr.53.1.121-147.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Genigeorgis C., Foda M. S., Mantis A., Sadler W. W. Effect of sodium chloride and pH on enterotoxin C production. Appl Microbiol. 1971 May;21(5):862–866. doi: 10.1128/am.21.5.862-866.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Genigeorgis C., Sadler W. W. Effect of sodium chloride and pH on enterotoxin B production. J Bacteriol. 1966 Nov;92(5):1383–1387. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.5.1383-1387.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Graham J. E., Wilkinson B. J. Staphylococcus aureus osmoregulation: roles for choline, glycine betaine, proline, and taurine. J Bacteriol. 1992 Apr;174(8):2711–2716. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.8.2711-2716.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Humphreys H., Keane C. T., Hone R., Pomeroy H., Russell R. J., Arbuthnott J. P., Coleman D. C. Enterotoxin production by Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cases of septicaemia and from healthy carriers. J Med Microbiol. 1989 Mar;28(3):163–172. doi: 10.1099/00222615-28-3-163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Janzon L., Löfdahl S., Arvidson S. Identification and nucleotide sequence of the delta-lysin gene, hld, adjacent to the accessory gene regulator (agr) of Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Gen Genet. 1989 Nov;219(3):480–485. doi: 10.1007/BF00259623. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Koujima I., Hayashi H., Tomochika K., Okabe A., Kanemasa Y. Adaptational change in proline and water content of Staphylococcus aureus after alteration of environmental salt concentration. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Mar;35(3):467–470. doi: 10.1128/aem.35.3.467-470.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Markus Z. H., Silverman G. J. Factors affecting the secretion of staphylococcal enterotoxin A. Appl Microbiol. 1970 Sep;20(3):492–496. doi: 10.1128/am.20.3.492-496.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Measures J. C. Role of amino acids in osmoregulation of non-halophilic bacteria. Nature. 1975 Oct 2;257(5525):398–400. doi: 10.1038/257398a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mekalanos J. J. Environmental signals controlling expression of virulence determinants in bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1992 Jan;174(1):1–7. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.1.1-7.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. O'Toole P. W., Foster T. J. Nucleotide sequence of the epidermolytic toxin A gene of Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1987 Sep;169(9):3910–3915. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.9.3910-3915.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Recsei P., Kreiswirth B., O'Reilly M., Schlievert P., Gruss A., Novick R. P. Regulation of exoprotein gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus by agar. Mol Gen Genet. 1986 Jan;202(1):58–61. doi: 10.1007/BF00330517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Regassa L. B., Betley M. J. Alkaline pH decreases expression of the accessory gene regulator (agr) in Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1992 Aug;174(15):5095–5100. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.15.5095-5100.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Regassa L. B., Couch J. L., Betley M. J. Steady-state staphylococcal enterotoxin type C mRNA is affected by a product of the accessory gene regulator (agr) and by glucose. Infect Immun. 1991 Mar;59(3):955–962. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.3.955-962.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Regassa L. B., Novick R. P., Betley M. J. Glucose and nonmaintained pH decrease expression of the accessory gene regulator (agr) in Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Immun. 1992 Aug;60(8):3381–3388. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.8.3381-3388.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. SCOTT W. J. Water relations of Staphylococcus aureus at 30 degrees C. Aust J Biol Sci. 1953 Nov;6(4):549–564. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Schroeder C. J., Pattee P. A. Transduction analysis of transposon Tn551 insertions in the trp-thy region of the Staphylococcus aureus chromosome. J Bacteriol. 1984 Feb;157(2):533–537. doi: 10.1128/jb.157.2.533-537.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sheehan B. J., Foster T. J., Dorman C. J., Park S., Stewart G. S. Osmotic and growth-phase dependent regulation of the eta gene of Staphylococcus aureus: a role for DNA supercoiling. Mol Gen Genet. 1992 Mar;232(1):49–57. doi: 10.1007/BF00299136. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Shortridge V. D., Lazdunski A., Vasil M. L. Osmoprotectants and phosphate regulate expression of phospholipase C in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Microbiol. 1992 Apr;6(7):863–871. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1992.tb01537.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tompkin R. B., Ambrosino J. M., Stozek S. K. Effect of pH, sodium chloride, and sodium nitrite on enterotoxin A production. Appl Microbiol. 1973 Dec;26(6):833–837. doi: 10.1128/am.26.6.833-837.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Townsend D. E., Wilkinson B. J. Proline transport in Staphylococcus aureus: a high-affinity system and a low-affinity system involved in osmoregulation. J Bacteriol. 1992 Apr;174(8):2702–2710. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.8.2702-2710.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Troller J. A. Effect of water activity on enterotoxin A production and growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Sep;24(3):440–443. doi: 10.1128/am.24.3.440-443.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Troller J. A. Effect of water activity on enterotoxin B production and growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Appl Microbiol. 1971 Mar;21(3):435–439. doi: 10.1128/am.21.3.435-439.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Troller J. A., Stinson J. V. Influence of water activity on the production of extracellular enzymes by Staphylococcus aureus. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Mar;35(3):521–526. doi: 10.1128/aem.35.3.521-526.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES