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

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.

Keywords: Branched-chain amino acids; CodY; Regulation; Virulence.