Regulation of sialidase production in Clostridium perfringens by the orphan sensor histidine kinase ReeS

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 4;8(9):e73525. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073525. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens is ubiquitous in nature and is often found as a commensal of the human and animal gastrointestinal tract. It is the primary etiological agent of clostridial myonecrosis, or gas gangrene, a serious infection that results in extensive tissue necrosis due to the action of one or more potent extracellular toxins. α-toxin and perfringolysin O are the major extracellular toxins involved in the pathogenesis of gas gangrene, but histotoxic strains of C. perfringens, such as strain 13, also produce many degradative enzymes such as collagenases, hyaluronidases, sialidases and the cysteine protease, α-clostripain. The production of many of these toxins is regulated either directly or indirectly by the global VirSR two-component signal transduction system. By isolating a chromosomal mutant and carrying out microarray analysis we have identified an orphan sensor histidine kinase, which we have named ReeS (regulator of extracellular enzymes sensor). Expression of the sialidase genes nanI and nanJ was down-regulated in a reeS mutant. Since complementation with the wild-type reeS gene restored nanI and nanJ expression to wild-type levels, as shown by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and sialidase assays we concluded that ReeS positively regulates the expression of these sialidase genes. However, mutation of the reeS gene had no significant effect on virulence in the mouse myonecrosis model. Sialidase production in C. perfringens has been previously shown to be regulated by both the VirSR system and RevR. In this report, we have analyzed a previously unknown sensor histidine kinase, ReeS, and have shown that it also is involved in controlling the expression of sialidase genes, adding further complexity to the regulatory network that controls sialidase production in C. perfringens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Clostridium perfringens / cytology
  • Clostridium perfringens / enzymology
  • Clostridium perfringens / genetics
  • Clostridium perfringens / metabolism*
  • Extracellular Space / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Histidine Kinase
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mutation
  • Neuraminidase / biosynthesis*
  • Neuraminidase / genetics
  • Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Protein Kinases
  • Histidine Kinase
  • Neuraminidase

Grants and funding

This research was funded by a grant from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. TJH was the recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.