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Updated: May 11, 2026

Monitoring the Assembly of a Secreted Bacterial Virulence Factor Using Site-specific Crosslinking
Published on: December 17, 2013
Enterolyin S, a Polythiazole-containing Hemolytic Peptide from Enterococcus caccae.
Chengyou Shi1,2, Varshal A Patel3, Douglas A Mitchell1,4
1Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
Researchers discovered enterolysin S (ELS), a hemolytic peptide from Enterococcus caccae, structurally similar to streptolysin S (SLS). This finding expands the known family of virulence-promoting linear azol(in)e-containing peptides (LAPs).
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Streptolysin S (SLS) is a key virulence factor in Streptococcus pyogenes, but its structure remains elusive due to challenging physicochemical properties.
- Linear azol(in)e-containing peptides (LAPs) are a class of modified peptides with significant roles in microbial virulence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discover and characterize novel hemolytic peptides analogous to SLS.
- To expand the understanding of LAP structures and their contribution to virulence.
Main Methods:
- Heterologous expression of a novel peptide from Enterococcus caccae.
- Site-directed mutagenesis and chemoselective modification.
- High-resolution mass spectrometry for structural elucidation.
Main Results:
- Discovery and characterization of enterolysin S (ELS), a hemolytic peptide from E. caccae.
- ELS was found to contain a contiguous octathiazole moiety.
- ELS represents a new member of the hemolytic LAP family.
Conclusions:
- Enterolysin S (ELS) is a novel hemolytic LAP, expanding the known diversity of these virulence factors.
- The structural characterization of ELS provides new insights into the LAP family.
- This discovery aids in understanding bacterial virulence mechanisms.
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