The δ Subunit of RNA Polymerase Guides Promoter Selectivity and Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn Gram-positive bacteria, and particularly theFirmicutes, the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP) complex contains an additional subunit, termed the δ factor, or RpoE. This enigmatic protein has been studied for more than 30 years for various organisms, but its function is still not well understood. In this study, we investigated its role in the major human pathogenStaphylococcus aureus. We showed conservation of important structural regions of RpoE inS. aureusand other species and demonstrated binding to core RNAP that is mediated by the β and/or β′ subunits. To identify the impact of the δ subunit on transcription, we performed transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis and observed 191 differentially expressed genes in therpoEmutant. Ontological analysis revealed, quite strikingly, that many of the downregulated genes were known virulence factors, while several mobile genetic elements (SaPI5 and prophage ϕSA3usa) were strongly upregulated. Phenotypically, therpoEmutant had decreased accumulation and/or activity of a number of key virulence factors, including alpha toxin, secreted proteases, and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). We further observed significantly decreased survival of the mutant in whole human blood, increased phagocytosis by human leukocytes, and impaired virulence in a murine model of infection. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the δ subunit of RNAP is a critical component of theS. aureustranscription machinery and plays an important role during infection.