A two-component system regulating suilysin production in ST1 serotype 2 Streptococcus suis

IF 2.8 2区农林科学 Q3 MICROBIOLOGY

Veterinary microbiology Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-09 DOI:10.1016/j.vetmic.2026.110878

Michelle Wiebe, Angelo Antiguas, Sashi Kant, Michael Beck, Raksha Tiwari, Philip R. Hardwidge, Luchang Zhu

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Abstract

Streptococcus suis is a major zoonotic bacterial pathogen that poses significant challenges to both the swine industry and human health. Suilysin, a secreted cytotoxin produced by S. suis, is a critical virulence factor that facilitates bacterial invasion, dissemination, and disruption of the blood-brain barrier. However, the regulation of suilysin production remains incompletely understood. This study demonstrates that the Ihk/Irr two-component system regulates suilysin expression in highly virulent ST1 serotype 2 S. suis strains. Deletion of the ihk and irr genes resulted in significant reductions in suilysin transcript levels and protein abundance. Furthermore, loss of the Ihk/Irr system decreased bacterial cytotoxicity to a level comparable to that observed in a suilysin deletion mutant. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis revealed that, in addition to suilysin, this two-component system regulates a broad array of genes, including those encoding transcriptional regulators, ABC transporters, and putative virulence factors such as the surface antigen Sao and the cell wall endopeptidase PepO. Overall, this work identifies new regulatory targets of the Ihk/Irr system in S. suis, providing deeper insight into how this pathogen coordinates the expression of its virulence factors.

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调节ST1血清2型猪链球菌分泌胰溶素的双组分系统

猪链球菌是一种主要的人畜共患性细菌病原体，对养猪业和人类健康都构成了重大挑战。Suilysin是猪链球菌分泌的一种细胞毒素，是促进细菌入侵、传播和破坏血脑屏障的关键毒力因子。然而，对胰溶素产生的调控仍不完全了解。本研究表明，Ihk/Irr双组分系统调控高毒力ST1血清2型猪链球菌中溶素的表达。ihk和irr基因的缺失导致了suilysin转录水平和蛋白丰度的显著降低。此外，Ihk/Irr系统的缺失降低了细菌的细胞毒性，其水平与在sulysin缺失突变体中观察到的水平相当。全基因组转录组学分析显示，除了尿素外，这个双组分系统还调节一系列基因，包括编码转录调节因子、ABC转运蛋白和推定的毒力因子，如表面抗原Sao和细胞壁内多肽酶PepO。总的来说，这项工作确定了猪链球菌Ihk/Irr系统的新调控靶点，为该病原体如何协调其毒力因子的表达提供了更深入的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Veterinary microbiology 农林科学-兽医学

CiteScore

5.90

自引率

6.10%

发文量

221

审稿时长

52 days

期刊介绍： Veterinary Microbiology is concerned with microbial (bacterial, fungal, viral) diseases of domesticated vertebrate animals (livestock, companion animals, fur-bearing animals, game, poultry, fish) that supply food, other useful products or companionship. In addition, Microbial diseases of wild animals living in captivity, or as members of the feral fauna will also be considered if the infections are of interest because of their interrelation with humans (zoonoses) and/or domestic animals. Studies of antimicrobial resistance are also included, provided that the results represent a substantial advance in knowledge. Authors are strongly encouraged to read - prior to submission - the Editorials (''Scope or cope'' and ''Scope or cope II'') published previously in the journal. The Editors reserve the right to suggest submission to another journal for those papers which they feel would be more appropriate for consideration by that journal. Original research papers of high quality and novelty on aspects of control, host response, molecular biology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of microbial diseases of animals are published. Papers dealing primarily with immunology, epidemiology, molecular biology and antiviral or microbial agents will only be considered if they demonstrate a clear impact on a disease. Papers focusing solely on diagnostic techniques (such as another PCR protocol or ELISA) will not be published - focus should be on a microorganism and not on a particular technique. Papers only reporting microbial sequences, transcriptomics data, or proteomics data will not be considered unless the results represent a substantial advance in knowledge. Drug trial papers will be considered if they have general application or significance. Papers on the identification of microorganisms will also be considered, but detailed taxonomic studies do not fall within the scope of the journal. Case reports will not be published, unless they have general application or contain novel aspects. Papers of geographically limited interest, which repeat what had been established elsewhere will not be considered. The readership of the journal is global.