Instruct: Identify the main category of Biorxiv papers based on the titles and abstracts
Query: The glutathione import system satisfies the Staphylococcus aureus nutrient sulfur requirement and promotes interspecies competition. Sulfur is an indispensable element for proliferation of bacterial pathogens. Prior studies indicated that the human pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus utilizes glutathione (GSH) as a source of nutrient sulfur; however, mechanisms of GSH acquisition are not defined. Here, we identify a previously uncharacterized five-gene locus comprising a putative ABC-transporter and {gamma}-glutamyl transpeptidase (ggt) that promotes S. aureus proliferation in medium supplemented with either reduced or oxidized GSH (GSSG) as the sole source of nutrient sulfur. Based on these phenotypes, we name this transporter the Glutathione import system (GisABCD). We confirm that Ggt is capable of cleaving GSH and GSSG {gamma}-bonds and that this process is required for their use as nutrient sulfur sources. Additionally, we find that the enzyme is cell associated. Bioinformatic analyses reveal that only Staphylococcus species closely related to S. aureus encode GisABCD-Ggt homologues. Homologues are not detected in Staphylococcus epidermidis. Consequently, we establish that GisABCD-Ggt provides a competitive advantage for S. aureus over S. epidermidis in a GSH-dependent manner. Overall, this study describes the discovery of a nutrient sulfur acquisition system in S. aureus that targets GSH and promotes competition against other staphylococci commonly associated with the human microbiota.
27
The categories of this paper are: pathology
7
The categories of this paper are: ecology
1
The categories of this paper are: bioinformatics
25
The categories of this paper are: bioengineering
31
The categories of this paper are: paleontology
32
The categories of this paper are: zoology
30
The categories of this paper are: scientific
2
The categories of this paper are: biology
18
The categories of this paper are: systems
17
The categories of this paper are: molecular
10
The categories of this paper are: and
4
The categories of this paper are: neuroscience
26
The categories of this paper are: biochemistry
5
The categories of this paper are: cell
21
The categories of this paper are: toxicology
3
The categories of this paper are: evolutionary