Beta-lactam antibiotics induce the SOS response and horizontal transfer of virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus

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Date
2006Author
Version
Acceso abierto / Sarbide irekia
Type
Artículo / Artikulua
Version
Versión publicada / Argitaratu den bertsioa
Impact
|
10.1128/jb.188.7.2726-2729.2006
Abstract
Antibiotics that interfere with DNA replication and cell viability activate the SOS response. In Staphylococcus
aureus, the antibiotic-induced SOS response promotes replication and high-frequency horizontal transfer of
pathogenicity island-encoded virulence factors. Here we report that β-lactams induce a bona fide SOS response
in S. aureus, characterized by the activation of the RecA and LexA ...
[++]
Antibiotics that interfere with DNA replication and cell viability activate the SOS response. In Staphylococcus
aureus, the antibiotic-induced SOS response promotes replication and high-frequency horizontal transfer of
pathogenicity island-encoded virulence factors. Here we report that β-lactams induce a bona fide SOS response
in S. aureus, characterized by the activation of the RecA and LexA proteins, the two master regulators of the
SOS response. Moreover, we show that β-lactams are capable of triggering staphylococcal prophage induction
in S. aureus lysogens. Consequently, and as previously described for SOS induction by commonly used
fluoroquinolone antibiotics, β-lactam-mediated phage induction also resulted in replication and high-frequency
transfer of the staphylococcal pathogenicity islands, showing that such antibiotics may have the
unintended consequence of promoting the spread of bacterial virulence factors. [--]
Subject
Beta-lactams,
Staphylococcus aureus,
SOS response,
Horizontal transfer,
Virulence factors
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Published in
Journal of Bacteriology, Apr. 2006, Vol. 188, No. 7, p. 2726–2729
Departament
IdAB - Instituto de Agrobiotecnología / Agrobioteknologiako Institutua
Publisher version
Sponsorship
This work was supported by grants BIO2002-04542-C02-01 and
BIO2005-08399-C02-02 from the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia
y Tecnología (C.I.C.Y.T.), grants from the Cardenal Herrera-CEU
University, the Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca i Alimentació (CAPiA), and
the Generalitat Valenciana (CTIDIA/2002/62, CTESPP/2003/027, and
AE04-8) to J.R.P., and a grant from the MEC (AGL2005-03574/GAN) to
J.B. Fellowship support for C.U. from CAPiA and for E.M. from the
Cardenal Herrera-CEU University is gratefully acknowledged.