Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales

Bacillales is an order of Gram-positive bacteria comprising well-known genera such as Staphylococcus, Listeria, and Bacillus. Staphylococcus aureus has been shown to cause various types of tissue and systemic infections in humans and livestock. Some isolates can be highly resistant to antibiotics he...

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Main Authors: Sirirak Supa-amornkul, Ramita Chalearmchutidath, Nichaporn Nattawut, Phimkanya Liu, Soraya Chaturongakul
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Cellular Microbiology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/cmi/2175797
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author Sirirak Supa-amornkul
Ramita Chalearmchutidath
Nichaporn Nattawut
Phimkanya Liu
Soraya Chaturongakul
author_facet Sirirak Supa-amornkul
Ramita Chalearmchutidath
Nichaporn Nattawut
Phimkanya Liu
Soraya Chaturongakul
author_sort Sirirak Supa-amornkul
collection DOAJ
description Bacillales is an order of Gram-positive bacteria comprising well-known genera such as Staphylococcus, Listeria, and Bacillus. Staphylococcus aureus has been shown to cause various types of tissue and systemic infections in humans and livestock. Some isolates can be highly resistant to antibiotics hence the need to identify better drugs and drug targets. Previous studies have shown that (E)-N-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-phenylethene sulfonamide (FPSS) could inhibit activities of a bacteria-specific transcription factor sigma B. Sigma B regulons in Bacillus subtilis and in Listeria monocytogenes, including virulence factor genes in L. monocytogenes, were decreased. Since sigma B is also presented in S. aureus, we initially postulated the use of FPSS to target S. aureus sigma B activity and to attenuate its virulence gene expression. Surprisingly, qRT-PCR results revealed that FPSS induced the expression of sigma B-dependent gene asp23. RNAseq results showed 39 S. aureus genes were affected by FPSS (37 genes were upregulated and two genes were downregulated). FPSS had no effect on expression of sigB operon in S. aureus. Therefore, we hypothesized that the effects of FPSS on sigma B regulons in L. monocytogenes, B. subtilis, and S. aureus were different. FPSS may target the expression of upstream regulators of sigma B (Rsbs), particularly the stressosome proteins which are lacking in S. aureus. Indeed, in L. monocytogenes, FPSS significantly increased the rsbR expression and could, thereby, dampen the sigma B activity and downregulate the expression of sigma B-dependent virulence genes in L. monocytogenes. This study proposes a narrower spectrum of FPSS application to listerial infections, and not staphylococcal infections.
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spelling doaj-art-38637f0c30ac4e539ccb05f69c0ebc842025-08-20T02:24:58ZengWileyCellular Microbiology1462-58222025-01-01202510.1155/cmi/2175797Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive BacillalesSirirak Supa-amornkul0Ramita Chalearmchutidath1Nichaporn Nattawut2Phimkanya Liu3Soraya Chaturongakul4Department of Oral MicrobiologyMahidol International Dental SchoolMahidol International Dental SchoolMahidol International Dental SchoolCenter for Advanced TherapeuticsBacillales is an order of Gram-positive bacteria comprising well-known genera such as Staphylococcus, Listeria, and Bacillus. Staphylococcus aureus has been shown to cause various types of tissue and systemic infections in humans and livestock. Some isolates can be highly resistant to antibiotics hence the need to identify better drugs and drug targets. Previous studies have shown that (E)-N-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-phenylethene sulfonamide (FPSS) could inhibit activities of a bacteria-specific transcription factor sigma B. Sigma B regulons in Bacillus subtilis and in Listeria monocytogenes, including virulence factor genes in L. monocytogenes, were decreased. Since sigma B is also presented in S. aureus, we initially postulated the use of FPSS to target S. aureus sigma B activity and to attenuate its virulence gene expression. Surprisingly, qRT-PCR results revealed that FPSS induced the expression of sigma B-dependent gene asp23. RNAseq results showed 39 S. aureus genes were affected by FPSS (37 genes were upregulated and two genes were downregulated). FPSS had no effect on expression of sigB operon in S. aureus. Therefore, we hypothesized that the effects of FPSS on sigma B regulons in L. monocytogenes, B. subtilis, and S. aureus were different. FPSS may target the expression of upstream regulators of sigma B (Rsbs), particularly the stressosome proteins which are lacking in S. aureus. Indeed, in L. monocytogenes, FPSS significantly increased the rsbR expression and could, thereby, dampen the sigma B activity and downregulate the expression of sigma B-dependent virulence genes in L. monocytogenes. This study proposes a narrower spectrum of FPSS application to listerial infections, and not staphylococcal infections.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/cmi/2175797
spellingShingle Sirirak Supa-amornkul
Ramita Chalearmchutidath
Nichaporn Nattawut
Phimkanya Liu
Soraya Chaturongakul
Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales
Cellular Microbiology
title Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales
title_full Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales
title_fullStr Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales
title_full_unstemmed Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales
title_short Diverse Effects of Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide (FPSS) on Transcription Factor Sigma B Regulons in Gram-Positive Bacillales
title_sort diverse effects of fluoro phenyl styrene sulfonamide fpss on transcription factor sigma b regulons in gram positive bacillales
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/cmi/2175797
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