Journal
CELL REPORTS
Volume 26, Issue 7, Pages 1815-+Publisher
CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.073
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Funding
- Wellcome [WT074020MA]
- BBSRC [BB/J004227/1]
- Swedish Research Council [2015-03607]
- Swedish Research Council [2015-03607] Funding Source: Swedish Research Council
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To optimize fitness, pathogens selectively activate their virulence program upon host entry. Here, we report that the facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes exploits exogenous oligopeptides, a ubiquitous organic N source, to sense the environment and control the activity of its virulence transcriptional activator, PrfA. Using a genetic screen in adsorbent- treated ( PrfA-inducing) medium, we found that PrfA is functionally regulated by the balance between activating and inhibitory nutritional peptides scavenged via the Opp transport system. Activating peptides provide essential cysteine precursor for the PrfA-inducing cofactor glutathione ( GSH). Non-cysteine-containing peptides cause promiscuous PrfA inhibition. Biophysical and co-crystallization studies reveal that peptides inhibit PrfA through steric blockade of the GSH binding site, a regulation mechanism directly linking bacterial virulence and metabolism. L. monocytogenes mutant analysis in macrophages and our functional data support a model in which changes in the balance of antagonistic Oppimported oligopeptides promote PrfA induction intra-cellularly and PrfA repression outside the host.
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