Role of Serine/Threonine Phosphatase (SP-STP) in Streptococcus pyogenes Physiology and Virulence*□S

Background:Unlike for eukaryote-type serine/threonine kinase of group A Streptococcus (GAS), significance of its cognate serine/threonine phosphatase (SP-STP) remains elusive. Results: SP-STP is crucial for GAS pathophysiology. Conclusion: SP-STP is not essential for GAS survival, but its optimal concentration is critical for cognately maintained homeostasis within GAS. Significance:This work opens up avenues to understand the role of secretory SP-STP as an important virulence determinant in the host. Reversible phosphorylation is the key mechanism regulating several cellular events in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In pro-karyotes, signal transduction is perceived to occur primarily via the two-component signaling system involving histidine kinases and cognate response regulators. Although an alternative regu-latory pathway controlled by the eukaryote-type serine/threo-nine kinase (Streptococcus pyogenes serine/threonine kinase; SP-STK)has been shown tomodulate bacterial growth, division