4 research outputs found
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Co-infecting microbes dramatically alter pathogen gene essentiality during polymicrobial infection
Identifying genes required by pathogens during infection is critical for antimicrobial development. Here, we used a Monte Carlo simulation-based method to analyze high-throughput transposon sequencing data to determine the role of infection site and co-infecting microbes on the in vivo ‘essential’ genome of Staphylococcus aureus. We discovered that co-infection of murine surgical wounds with Pseudomonas aeruginosa results in conversion of ~25% of the in vivo S. aureus mono-culture essential genes to non-essential. Furthermore, 182 S. aureus genes are uniquely essential during co-infection. These “Community Dependent Essential” (CoDE) genes illustrate the importance of studying pathogen gene essentiality in polymicrobial communities
A Transcriptional Activator of Ascorbic Acid Transport in Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Required for Optimal Growth in Endophthalmitis in a Strain-Dependent Manner
Streptococcus pneumoniae is among the top causes of bacterial endophthalmitis, an infectious disease of the intraocular fluids. The mechanisms by which S. pneumoniae grows and thrives in the intraocular cavity are not well understood. We used a bacterial genome-wide assessment tool (transposon insertion site sequencing) to determine genes essential for S. pneumoniae growth in vitreous humor. The results indicated that an ascorbic acid (AA) transport system subunit was important for growth. We created an isogenic gene deletion mutant of the AA transcriptional activator, ulaR2, in 2 strains of S. pneumoniae. Growth curve analysis indicated that ulaR2 deletion caused attenuated growth in vitro for both strains. However, in vivo vitreous humor infection in rabbits with either strain determined that ulaR2 was necessary for growth in one strain but not the other. These results demonstrate that ulaR2 may be important for fitness during S. pneumoniae endophthalmitis depending on the background of the strain