The two-component system ArlRS is essential for wall teichoic acid glycoswitching in Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is among the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections. Critical to S. aureus biology and pathogenesis are the cell wall-anchored glycopolymers wall teichoic acids (WTA). Approximately one-third of S. aureus isolates decorates WTA with a mixture of 1,4- and {beta}1,4-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), which requires the dedicated glycosyltransferases TarM and TarS, respectively. Environmental conditions, such as high salt concentrations, affect the abundance and ratio of 1,4- and {beta}1,4-GlcNAc WTA decorations, thereby impacting biological properties such as antibody binding and phage infection. To identify regulatory mechanisms underlying WTA glycoswitching, we screened 1,920 S. aureus mutants (Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library) by immunoblotting for differential expression of WTA-linked 1,4- or {beta}1,4-GlcNAc using specific monoclonal antibody Fab fragments. Three two-component systems (TCS), GraRS, ArlRS, and AgrCA, were among the 230 potential hits. Using isogenic TCS mutants, we demonstrated that ArlRS is essential for WTA {beta}1,4-GlcNAc decoration through regulation of tarM but not tarS. ArlRS regulated tarM expression through the transcriptional regulator MgrA, which was responsive to Mg2+, but not Na+. Importantly, ArlRS-mediated regulation of WTA glycosylation affected S. aureus interaction with the innate receptor langerin and lysis by {beta}1,4-GlcNAc-dependent phages. Since WTA represents a promising target for future immune-based treatments and vaccines, our findings provide important insight to align targeting strategies with the S. aureus WTA glycosylation patterns during infection. ImportanceStaphylococcus aureus is a common colonizer of mucosal surfaces, but is also a frequent cause of severe infections in humans. Development of antibiotic resistance complicates treatment of S. aureus infections, increasing the need for antibiotic alternatives such as vaccines and therapies with bacterial viruses also known as phages. Wall teichoic acids (WTA) are abundantly-expressed glycosylated structures of the S. aureus cell wall that have gained attention as a promising target for new treatments. Importantly, WTA glycosylation patterns show variation depending on environmental conditions, thereby impacting phage binding and interaction with host factors, such as antibodies and innate pattern-recognition receptors. Here, we show that the two-component system ArlRS through its effector MgrA is involved in regulation of WTA glycosylation by responding to environmental changes in Mg2+ concentration. These findings may support the design of new treatment strategies that target WTA glycosylation patterns of S. aureus during infection.