The Abi-domain protein Abx1 interacts with the CovS histidine kinase to control virulence gene expression in group B Streptococcus.

Arnaud Firon (1) , Asmaa Tazi (2, 3) , Violette Da Cunha (4) , Sophie Brinster (3) , Elisabeth Sauvage (1, 5) , Shaynoor Dramsi (1) , Douglas T Golenbock (6) , Philippe Glaser (1, 5) , Claire Poyart (1, 2, 3) , Patrick Trieu-Cuot (1)

1 Biologie des Bactéries pathogènes à Gram-positif
2 Centre national de Référence des Streptocoques (CNR)
3 IC UM3 (UMR 8104 / U1016) - Institut Cochin
4 Biologie des Bactéries Pathogènes à Gram-positif
5 UMR 3525 - Génétique des génomes - Genetics of Genomes
6 Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a common commensal of the female genital tract, is the leading cause of invasive infections in neonates. Expression of major GBS virulence factors, such as the hemolysin operon cyl, is regulated directly at the transcriptional level by the CovSR two-component system. Using a random genetic approach, we identified a multi-spanning transmembrane protein, Abx1, essential for the production of the GBS hemolysin. Despite its similarity to eukaryotic CaaX proteases, the Abx1 function is not involved in a post-translational modification of the GBS hemolysin. Instead, we demonstrate that Abx1 regulates transcription of several virulence genes, including those comprising the hemolysin operon, by a CovSR-dependent mechanism. By combining genetic analyses, transcriptome profiling, and site-directed mutagenesis, we showed that Abx1 is a regulator of the histidine kinase CovS. Overexpression of Abx1 is sufficient to activate virulence gene expression through CovS, overcoming the need for an additional signal. Conversely, the absence of Abx1 has the opposite effect on virulence gene expression consistent with CovS locked in a kinase-competent state. Using a bacterial two-hybrid system, direct interaction between Abx1 and CovS was mapped specifically to CovS domains involved in signal processing. We demonstrate that the CovSR two-component system is the core of a signaling pathway integrating the regulation of CovS by Abx1 in addition to the regulation of CovR by the serine/threonine kinase Stk1. In conclusion, our study reports a regulatory function for Abx1, a member of a large protein family with a characteristic Abi-domain, which forms a signaling complex with the histidine kinase CovS in GBS.

Domains: Bacteriology

Arnaud Firon, Asmaa Tazi, Violette Da Cunha, Sophie Brinster, Elisabeth Sauvage, et al.. The Abi-domain protein Abx1 interacts with the CovS histidine kinase to control virulence gene expression in group B Streptococcus.. PLoS Pathogens, 2013, 9 (2), pp.e1003179. ⟨10.1371/journal.ppat.1003179⟩. ⟨pasteur-01300159⟩