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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Feb 3.
Published in final edited form as: Chembiochem. 2019 Oct 15;21(3):340–345. doi: 10.1002/cbic.201900365

Figure 1. The competence regulon QS circuitry in S. pneumoniae.

Figure 1.

The prepeptide ComC is being processed and secreted by the ComAB transporter as the mature CSP signal. At high concentration, CSP activates the transmembrane histidine kinase receptor ComD. Activated ComD phosphorylates ComE, which then autoactivates the competence QS circuit and upregulates the expression of genes involved in attaining genetic competence, virulence factor production and biofilm formation through ComX. The sequences of CSP1 and CSP2 are shown at the top.