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CodY, a master integrator of metabolism and virulence in Gram-positive bacteria

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Abstract

A growing body of evidence points to CodY, a global regulator in Gram-positive bacteria, as a critical link between microbial physiology and pathogenesis in diverse environments. Recent studies uncovering graded regulation of CodY gene targets reflect the true nature of this transcription factor controlled by ligands and reveal nutrient availability as a potentially critical factor in modulating pathogenesis. This review will serve to update the status of the field and raise new questions to be answered.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Linc Sonenshein and Boris Belitsky for critical comments on the manuscript. Research in the Brinsmade lab is supported by an NIH Pathway to Independence Award (GM099893) and startup funds from Georgetown University.

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  1. Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Shaun R. Brinsmade

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Correspondence to Shaun R. Brinsmade.

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Communicated by M. Kupiec.

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Brinsmade, S.R. CodY, a master integrator of metabolism and virulence in Gram-positive bacteria. Curr Genet 63, 417–425 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-016-0656-5

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