Is the Ami-AliA/B oligopeptide permease of Streptococcus pneumoniae involved in sensing environmental conditions?

• Published in: Research in microbiology Vol. 151; no. 6; pp. 457 - 463
• Main Authors: Claverys, Jean-Pierre, Grossiord, Benoît, Alloing, Geneviève
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier SAS 01.07.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: adherence; AliA/B protein; Ami ABC permease; Ami protein; amino acid transport; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - physiology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - physiology; competence; DNA, Bacterial; Environment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Lipoproteins - genetics; Lipoproteins - physiology; methotrexate resistance; Microbiology; Models, Genetic; Mutation; oligopeptide ABC permease; oligopeptide permease; peptide transport; Phenotype; quorum sensing; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Regulon; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae - enzymology; Streptococcus pneumoniae - genetics; oligopeptide ABC permease; competence; methotrexate resistance; quorum sensing; adherence; amino acid transport; Peptides; Enzyme; Review; Uptake; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Regulon; Streptococcaceae; Pleiotropy; Membrane transport; Aminoacid; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Mutation
• ISSN: 0923-2508; 1769-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/S0923-2508(00)00169-8

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a fastidious obligate parasite requiring several amino acids for growth. Oligopeptide uptake mediated by the Ami ABC permease is therefore important for nutrition but this could not account for the highly pleiotropic phenotype exhibited by Ami mutants. The hypothesis that peptide transport plays a pivotal role in sensing environmental conditions and indirectly modulates the expression of several genes is discussed.