Copper Intoxication in Group B Streptococcus Triggers Transcriptional Activation of the <i>cop</i> Operon That Contributes to Enhanced Virulence during Acute Infection
Matthew J. Sullivan, Kelvin G. K. Goh, Dean Gosling, Lahiru Katupitiya, Glen C. Ulett
Abstract
Understanding how bacteria manage cellular levels of metal ions, such as copper, helps to explain how microbial cells can survive in different stressful environments. We show the opportunistic pathogen group B streptococcus (GBS) achieve homeostasis of intracellular copper through the activities of the genes that comprise the cop operon, and we describe how this helps GBS survive in stressful environments, including in the mammalian host during systemic disseminated infection.
Topics & Concepts
DerepressionOperonVirulenceBiologyMicrobiologyRepressorBacteriaIntracellularStreptococcusMutantListeria monocytogenesEffluxPathogenGenePsychological repressionCell biologyGeneticsGene expressionNeonatal and Maternal InfectionsStreptococcal Infections and TreatmentsAntibiotic Resistance in Bacteria