Activation by CcpA-FDP of two key determinants of pneumococcal virulence, capsule production and choline utilization.. Streptococcus pneumoniae

The kinetic behaviour of S. pneumoniae during vaccine production was studied using a dynamic systemic approach. Quantification of key intracellular glycolytic metabolites coupled to global transcriptomic analysis led to an improved knowledge of pneumococcal physiology. In controlled growth conditions, a direct correlation between the accumulation of key glycolytic intermediates and the expression of capsular polysaccharide genes (cps operon encoding the main pneumococcal antigen) was established. Interestingly, the same correlation was confirmed for the genes involved in the assimilation and the modification of choline, an indispensable nutritional requirement for both growth and virulence of S. pneumoniae. Such a correlation suggests a direct or indirect control of the expression of these genes by the global transcriptional regulator CcpA (catabolite control protein A) since putative cre sites upstream of the promoter were identified, even though the exact nature of this regulation remains to be confirmed. Preliminary results indicate that a ccpA mutation provokes a significant decrease in the expression of these genes. The global transcriptomic analysis coupled with motif research has revealed an extended CcpA regulon in S. pneumoniae including genes involved in diverse metabolic functions. Keywords: Capsular polysaccharide industrial production Overall design: One condition experiment examining the transcriptome between two growth phases of the same serotype (slide 1 to slide 4). Thus, cross analysis between the two serotypes during exponential growth was performed in order to complete the analysis