RD2-mediated regulation of gene expression following GAS exposure to human plasma

We used RNA-Seq to assess how the presence/absence of the RD2 pathogenicity island influences global gene expression in a serotype M28 GAS isolate following exposure to human plasma for 15 mins and for 60 mins A parental M28 isolate (MGAS6180) and mutant derivative that lacks the RD2 pathogenicity island (M28ΔRD2) were compared. Each strain was grown in triplicate in THY broth to the exponential phase of growth, pelleted by centrifugation, and resuspended in human plasma. Samples were taken and processed for RNA isolation after 15 and 60 minutes of incubation (37 degrees centrigrade) in human plasma.