Ma Kai, Xu Li, Zhang Sijing, Wu Ziheng, Wang Hui, Xue Ting
School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Virulence. 2025 Dec;16(1):2561827. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2025.2561827. Epub 2025 Sep 17.
() is a major pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections in both community and healthcare settings. Its virulence is orchestrated by a complex regulatory network. SpoVG, a global regulator in , has been shown to play crucial roles in antibiotic tolerance, stress adaptation, and biofilm formation. However, its specific role in virulence regulation has remained poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of SpoVG in the modulation of virulence. The results demonstrate that deletion of significantly increased the hemolytic activity and virulence of the SA3 strain, as evidenced by both in vitro assays and murine infection models. Transcriptomic profiling and RT - qPCR analyses revealed that the inactivation of activated the Agr quorum-sensing system, resulting in upregulating key virulence genes, including , , , and . Further, β-galactosidase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) confirmed that SpoVG directly binds to the promoter regions of , , and , thereby repressing their transcription. Collectively, these findings identify SpoVG as a critical negative regulator of virulence in , acting through direct repression of the Agr system and its downstream effectors. This study provides new mechanistic insights into SpoVG-mediated virulence regulation and highlights SpoVG as a potential target for anti-virulence strategies against infections.
()是一种主要病原体,在社区和医疗机构环境中均可引发多种感染。其毒力由一个复杂的调控网络协调。SpoVG作为()中的一个全局调控因子,已被证明在抗生素耐受性、应激适应和生物膜形成中发挥关键作用。然而,其在毒力调控中的具体作用仍了解甚少。在此,我们研究了SpoVG在调节()毒力中的作用。结果表明,()的缺失显著增加了SA3菌株的溶血活性和毒力,体外试验和小鼠感染模型均证实了这一点。转录组分析和RT-qPCR分析显示,()的失活激活了Agr群体感应系统,导致关键毒力基因上调,包括()、()、()和()。此外,β-半乳糖苷酶报告基因检测和电泳迁移率变动分析(EMSA)证实,SpoVG直接结合()、()和()的启动子区域,从而抑制它们的转录。总的来说,这些发现确定SpoVG是()毒力的关键负调控因子,通过直接抑制Agr系统及其下游效应物发挥作用。本研究为SpoVG介导的毒力调控提供了新的机制见解,并突出了SpoVG作为针对()感染的抗毒力策略的潜在靶点。