Transcriptome study of the covS-regulation of a Group A Streptococcus pyogenes M23ND

We investigated the covS-regulation of S. pyogenes in a hypervirulent M23 strain using RNA-sequencing. The differential gene expression comparison between the covS- mutant and isogenic wild type covS+ identified altered expression of 349 (18%) genes, including a broad spectrum of virulence genes and diverse metabolic genes. The data showed that the strain achieved hypervirulence by enhancing the expression of genes responsible for invasiveness and antiphagocytosis (i.e., hasABC), by abrogating the expression of toxic genes (i.e., speB), and by compromising gene products with dispensable functions (i.e., sfb1). Meanwhile, we found that covS also regulated diverse kinds of metabolic genes that maximized nutrient utilization and energy metabolism during growth and dissemination. From constructing a genome-scale metabolic model, we identified fourteen non-redundant metabolic gene modules, which constitute unique sources for specific nutrients. These genes were probably essential for pathogen growth and virulence. In general, this study provided quantitative transcriptomic signatures of the covS regulation in a hypervirulent S. pyogenes strain and addressed major aspects of the covS-modulated virulent mechanisms. Overall design: Examination of expression profiling of covS- mutant strain and isogenic wild type covS+ at different growth stages.