Stress-Triggered Signaling Affecting Survival or Suicide of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

CORTES PR; PIÑAS GE; CIAN MB; YANDAR, N.; ECHENIQUE J

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY (PRINT)

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2015 vol. 305 p. 157 - 157

1438-4221

treptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that can survive to stress conditions, such as the acidic environment of inflammatory foci, and tolerates lethal pH through a mechanism known as the acid tolerance response. We previously described that S. pneumoniae activates acidic-stress induced lysis in response to acidified environments, favoring the release of cell wall compounds, DNA and virulence factors. Here, we demonstrate that F0F1-ATPase is involved in the response to acidic stress. Chemical inhibitors (DCCD, optochin) of this proton pump repressed the ATR induction, but caused an increased ASIL. Confirming these findings, mutants of the subunit c of this enzyme showed the same phenotypes as inhibitors. Importantly, we demonstrated that F0F1-ATPase and ATR are necessary for the intracellular survival of the pneumococcus in macrophages. Alternatively, a screening of two-component system (TCS) mutants showed that ATR and survival in pneumocytes were controlled in contrasting