Global Regulation of Gene Expression by ArlRS, a Two-Component Signal Transduction Regulatory System of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus expresses various cell wall-associated and extracellular virulence factors, coordinately controlled by different two-component signal transduction systems and transcriptional regulators. In this study, we used microarray technology to identify the genes regulated by ArlR. The microarray data indicate that ArlR functions as a positive regulator and also as a negative repressor to directly and/or indirectly mediate the expression of at least 114 genes involved in different functions, including autolysis, cell division, growth, and pathogenesis.