Influence of the Alternative Sigma Factor RpoN on Global Gene Expression and Carbon Catabolism in Enterococcus faecalis V583
Erica C. Keffeler, Vijayalakshmi S. Iyer, Srivatsan Parthasarathy, Matthew Ramsey, Matthew J. Gorman, Theresa L. Barke, Sriram Varahan, Sally Olson, Michael S. Gilmore, Zakria H. Abdullahi, Emmaleigh N. Hancock, Lynn E. Hancock
Abstract
Hospital-acquired infections account for 2 billion dollars annually in increased health care expenses and cause more than 100,000 deaths in the United States alone. Enterococci are the second leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. They form biofilms at surgical sites and are often associated with infections of the urinary tract following catheterization. Nutrient uptake and growth are key factors that influence their ability to cause disease. Our research identified a large set of genes that illuminate nutrient uptake pathways in enterococci. Perturbation of the metabolic circuit reduces virulence in a rabbit endocarditis model, as well as in catheter-associated urinary tract infection in mice. Targeting metabolic pathways that are important in infection may lead to new treatments against multidrug-resistant enterococcal infections.