New regulatory component in infectious bacterium discovered

The scientists analyzed a bacterium called Enterococcus faecalis that is found in the gut of most adults. While in healthy people this bacterium is normally benign, certain strains can cause severe disease when they contaminate non-intestinal sites. It is a leading cause of health care-associated infection.

"We are trying to learn more about the interaction between E. faecalis and the host," said Danielle Garsin, Ph.D., co-senior author and associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the UTHealth Medical School. "Our goal is to understand how key genes and processes are regulated in this pathogen."

She added, "This information may lead to the development of novel therapeutics."

Garsin's research focused on a compound called ethanolamine (EA) that is potentially used by E. faecalis to survive in the human body. While the ability of E. faecalis to utilize EA was known, how the bug regulates the genes involved was not completely understood.

The scientists identified a novel regulatory component that was key to turning on the genes involved in EA metabolism under the right conditions. When researchers blocked the regulatory component, the molecular machinery was produced inappropriately.

"Not only does this regulatory component help explain how this particular process is controlled in E. faecalis, its discovery and elucidation increases our understanding of the variety and diversity of regulatory mechanisms in bacteria," Garsin said.