Internal medicine

Streptococcus agalactiae

Pathogenesis

Bacteria

Biology

Microbiology

Gene

Hemolysin

Immunology

Streptococcus

Group B

Streptococcus pyogenes

Staphylococcus aureus

Wound healing

Group A

Genetics

Virulence

Medicine

Immune system

Science Advances

Diabetic wounds have poor healing outcomes due to the presence of numerous pathogens and a dysregulated immune response. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is commonly isolated from diabetic wound infections, but the mechanisms of GBS virulence during these infections have not been investigated. Here, we develop a murine model of GBS diabetic wound infection and, using dual RNA sequencing, demonstrate that GBS infection triggers an inflammatory response. GBS adapts to this hyperinflammatory environment by up-regulating virulence factors including those known to be regulated by the two-component system covRS, such as the surface protein pbsP, and the cyl operon, which is responsible for hemolysin/pigmentation production. We recover hyperpigmented/hemolytic GBS colonies from the murine diabetic wound, which we determined encode mutations in covR. We further demonstrate that GBS mutants in cylE and pbsP are attenuated in the diabetic wound. This foundational study provides insight into the pathogenesis of GBS diabetic wound infections.

Group B<i>Streptococcus</i>adaptation promotes survival in a hyperinflammatory diabetic wound environment

Group BStreptococcusadaptation promotes survival in a hyperinflammatory diabetic wound environment