Publications

Featured Article

Listeria monocytogenes SpxA1 is a global regulator required to activate genes encoding catalase and heme biosynthesis enzymes for aerobic growth.

Cesinger MR, Thomason MK, Edrozo MB, Halsey CR, Reniere ML. April, 2020.

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An imbalance of cellular oxidants and reductants causes redox stress, which must be rapidly detected to restore homeostasis. In bacteria, the Firmicutes encode conserved Spx-family transcriptional regulators that modulate transcription in response to redox stress. SpxA1 is an Spx-family orthologue in the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes that is essential for aerobic growth and pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of SpxA1 in growth and virulence by identifying genes regulated by SpxA1 in broth and during macrophage infection. We found SpxA1-activated genes encoding heme biosynthesis enzymes and catalase (kat) were required for L. monocytogenes aerobic growth in rich medium. An Spx-recognition motif previously defined in Bacillus subtilis was identified in the promoters of SpxA1-activated genes and proved necessary for the proper activation of two genes, indicating this regulation by SpxA1 is likely direct. Together, these findings elucidated the mechanism of spxA1 essentiality in vitro and demonstrated that SpxA1 is required for basal expression of scavenging enzymes to combat redox stress generated in the presence of oxygen.

Molecular Microbiology. 2020 Apr 7;517(7533):170-3. doi: 10.1111/mmi.14508.

Publications  

YjbH requires its thioredoxin active motif for the nitrosative stress response, cell-to-cell spread, and protein-protein interactions in Listeria monocytogenes.

Ruhland BR, Reniere ML. 2020 J Bacteriol. 202(12).

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Listeria monocytogenes SpxA1 is a global regulator required to activate genes encoding catalase and heme biosynthesis enzymes for aerobic growth. 

Cesinger MR, Thomason MK, Edrozo MB, Halsey CR, Reniere ML. 2020 Mol Microbiol.

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Sense and sensor ability: redox-responsive regulators in Listeria monocytogenes.

Ruhland BR, Reniere ML. 2018 Curr Opin Microbiol. 47:20-25.

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Reduce, Induce, Thrive: Bacterial redox sensing during pathogenesis.

Reniere ML. 2018 J Bacteriol. 200(17).

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A redox-responsive transcription factor is critical for pathogenesis and aerobic growth of Listeria monocytogenes.

Whiteley AW, Ruhland BR, Edrozo MB, Reniere ML. 2017 Infect Immun. 85(5).

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An in vivo selection identifies Listeria monocytogenes genes required to sense the intracellular environment and activate virulence gene expression.

Reniere ML, Whiteley AT, Portnoy DA. 2016 PLoS Pathogens, 12(7):e1005741.

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Proteomic analyses of iron-responsive, Clp-dependent changes in Staphylococcus aureus.

Farrand AJ, Friedman DB, Reniere ML, Ingmer H, Frees D, Skaar EP. 2015 Pathog Dis, 73(3).

Glutathione activates virulence gene expression of an intracellular pathogen.

Reniere ML, Whiteley AT, Hamilton KL, John SM, Lauer P, Brennan RG, Portnoy DA. 2015 Nature, 517(7533):170-3.

Selective pharmacologic inhibition of a PASTA kinase increases Listeria monocytogenes susceptibility to B-lactam antibiotics.

Pensinger DA, Aliota MT, Schaenzer AJ, Boldon KM, Ansari IU, Vincent WJ, Knight B, Reniere ML, Striker R, Sauer JD. 2014 Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 58(8):4486-94.

Regulation of host hemoglobin binding by the Staphylococcus aureus Clp proteolytic system.

Farrand AJ, Reniere ML, Ingmer H, Frees D, Skaar EP. 2013 J Bacteriol. 195(22):5041-50.

Two heme-dependent terminal oxidases power Staphylococcus aureus organ-specific colonization of the vertebrate host.

Hammer ND, Reniere ML, Cassat JE, Zhang Y, Hirsch AO, Hood MI, Skaar EP. 2013 MBio, 4(4).

The flexible loop of Staphylococcus aureus IsdG is required for its degradation in the absence of heme.

Reniere ML, Haley KP, Skaar EP. 2011 Biochemistry, 50(31):6730-7.

The IsdG-family of heme oxygenases degrades heme to a novel chromophore.

Reniere ML, Ukpabi GN, Harry SR, Stec DF, Krull R, Wright DW, Bachmann BO, Murphy ME, Skaar EP. 2010 Mol Microbiol, 75(6):1529-38.

Ruffling of metallopopryphyrins bound to IsdG and IsdI, two heme-degrading enzymes in Staphylococcus aureus.

Lee WC, Reniere ML, Skaar EP, Murphy ME. 2008 J Biol Chem, 283(45):30957-63.

Staphylococcus aureus heme oxygenases are differentially regulated by iron and heme.

Reniere ML and Skaar EP. 2008 Mol Microbiol, 69(5):1304-15.

Neutrophil microbicides induce a pathogen survival response in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Palazzolo-Ballance AM, Reniere ML, Braughton KR, Sturdevant DE, Otto M, Kreiswirth BN, Skaar EP, DeLeo FR. 2008 J Immunol, 180(1):500-9.

Intracellular metalloporphyrin metabolism in Staphylococcus aureus.

Reniere ML, Torres VJ, Skaar EP. 2007 Biometals, 20(3-4):333-45.