The pneumococcal two-component system SirRH is linked to enhanced intracellular survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae in influenza-infected pneumocytes.

ECHENIQUE, J

PLOS PATHOGENS

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2020

1553-7366

he virus-bacterial synergism implicated in secondary bacterial infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae following infection with epidemic or pandemic influenza A virus (IAV) is well documented. However, the molecular mechanisms behind such synergism remain largely ill-defined. In A549 pneumocytes infected with influenza A virus, subsequent infection with S. pneumoniae leads to enhanced pneumococcal intracellular survival. The pneumococcal two-component system TCS01, herein named SirRH, appears essential for such enhanced survival. Through comparative transcriptomic analysis between the ∆sirR and wt strains, a list of 179 differentially expressed genes was defined. Among those, the clpL protein chaperone gene and the psaB Mn+2 transporter gene, which are involved in the stress response, are important in enhancing S. pneumoniae survival in influenza-infected cells. The ∆sirR, ∆clpL and ∆psaB deletion mutants display increased susceptibility to acidic and ox