The WalKR System Controls Major Staphylococcal Virulence Genes and Is Involved in Triggering the Host Inflammatory Response

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe WalKR two-component system is essential for the viability ofStaphylococcus aureus, playing a central role in controlling cell wall metabolism. We produced a constitutively active form of WalR inS. aureusthrough a phosphomimetic amino acid replacement (WalRc, D55E). The strain displayed significantly increased biofilm formation and alpha-hemolytic activity. Transcriptome analysis was used to determine the full extent of the WalKR regulon, revealing positive regulation of major virulence genes involved in host matrix interactions (efb,emp,fnbA, andfnbB), cytolysis (hlgACB,hla, andhlb), and innate immune defense evasion (scn,chp, andsbi), through activation of the SaeSR two-component system. The impact on pathogenesis of varying cell envelope dynamics was studied using a murine infection model, showing that strains producing constitutively active WalRcare strongly diminished in their virulence due to early triggering of the host inflammatory response associated with higher levels of released peptidoglycan fragments. Indeed, neutrophil recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine production were significantly increased when the constitutively activewalRcallele was expressed, leading to enhanced bacterial clearance. Taken together, our results indicate that WalKR play an important role in virulence and eliciting the host inflammatory response by controlling autolytic activity.