The ClpCP Complex Modulates Respiratory Metabolism in Staphylococcus aureus and Is Regulated in a SrrAB-Dependent Manner

Abstract

Oxygen is used as a substrate to derive energy by the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus during infection; however, S. aureus can also grow fermentatively in the absence of oxygen. To successfully cause infection, S. aureus must tailor its metabolism to take advantage of respiratory activity. Different proteins are required for growth in the presence or absence of oxygen; therefore, when cells transition between these conditions, several proteins would be expected to become unnecessary. In this report, we show that regulated proteolysis is used to modulate energy metabolism in S. aureus . We report that the ClpCP protein complex is involved in specifically modulating aerobic respiratory growth but is dispensable for fermentative growth.