Quorum-sensing agr system of Staphylococcus aureus primes gene expression for protection from lethal oxidative stress

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.89098.3
• Publication Date: 2024-03-23T13:25:33Z
• Authors: Magdalena Podkowik; Andrew I. Perault; Gregory Putzel; Andrew Pountain; Jisun Kim; Ashley Dumont; Erin Zwack; Robert J. Ulrich; Theodora K. Karag...; Chunyi Zhou; Andreas F. Haag; Julia Shenderovich; Gregory A. Wasserman; Junbeom Kwon; John Chen; Anthony R. Richar...; Jeffrey N. Weiser; Carla R. Nowosad; Desmond S. Lun; Dane Parker; Alejandro Pironti; Xilin Zhao; Karl Drlica; Itai Yanai; Victor J. Torres; Bo Shopsin
• Keywords: Wild type; Alternative oxidase

The agr quorum-sensing system links Staphylococcus aureus metabolism to virulence, in part by increasing bacterial survival during exposure lethal concentrations of H 2 O , a crucial host defense against S. . We now report that protection surprisingly extends beyond post-exponential growth the exit from stationary phase when is no longer turned on. Thus, can be considered constitutive protective factor. Deletion increased both respiration and fermentation but decreased ATP levels growth, suggesting Δ cells assume hyperactive metabolic state response reduced efficiency. As expected respiratory gene expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated more mutant than wild-type cells, thereby explaining elevated susceptibility strains doses. Increased required sodA which detoxifies superoxide. Additionally, pretreatment with respiration-reducing menadione protected killing genetic deletion pharmacologic experiments indicate helps control endogenous ROS, providing resilience exogenous ROS. long-lived “memory” -mediated protection, uncoupled activation kinetics, hematogenous dissemination certain tissues sepsis ROS-producing, mice not ROS-deficient (Nox2 −/− ) mice. These results demonstrate importance anticipates impending ROS-mediated immune attack. ubiquity quorum sensing suggests it protects many oxidative damage.