THE STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS SCDA GENE - A NOVEL LOCUS THAT AFFECTS CELL-DIVISION AND MORPHOGENESIS

A new Staphylococcus aureus gene termed scdA was found upstream of the autolysis regulatory genes, lytS and lytR, and was shown to potential ly encode a hydrophilic 25 kDa protein, Analysis of scdA transcription revealed that it is transcribed as a monocistronic message and is lyt SR-independent, A role in cell wall metabolism was indicated by examin ation of the scdA mutant S. aureus KB323, which had a grossly aberrant cellular morphology and formed large cell clusters when grown in liqu id culture medium, Furthermore, KB323 exhibited a reduced rate of auto lysis and had increased peptidoglycan cross-linking compared to the pa rental strain, NCTC 8325-4, These data suggest that scdA plays an impo rtant role in staphylococcal cell division.