Involvement of RNA chaperone hfq in the regulation of antibiotic resistance and virulence in Shigella sonnei

The host factor for RNA phage Qb replicase (Hfq) is a crucial post-transcriptional regulator in many bacterial pathogens, facilitating the interaction between small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) and their target mRNAs. Studies have suggested that Hfq plays a role in antibiotic resistance and virulence in bacteria, although its functions in Shigella are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the functional roles of Hfq in Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) by constructing an hfq deletion mutant. Our phenotypic assays showed that the hfq deletion mutant was more sensitivity to antibiotics and had impaired virulence. Transcriptome analyses supported the results concerning the phenotype of the hfq mutant and showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the KEGG pathways two-component system, ABC transporters, ribosome, and Escherichia coli biofilm formation. Additionally, we predicted eleven novel Hfq-dependent sRNAs, which were potentially involved in the regulation of antibiotic resistance and/or virulence in S. sonnei. Our findings suggest that Hfq plays a post-transcriptional role in regulating antibiotic resistance and virulence in S. sonnei, and could provide a basis for future studies on Hfq-sRNAmRNA regulatory networks in this important pathogen.& COPY; 2023 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigated the functional roles of Hfq in Shigella sonnei by constructing an hfq deletion mutant. The results showed that the hfq deletion mutant was more sensitive to antibiotics and had impaired virulence. Transcriptome analyses supported the phenotype of the hfq mutant and predicted eleven novel Hfq-dependent sRNAs potentially involved in the regulation of antibiotic resistance and/or virulence in S. sonnei.