SifR is an Rrf2-family quinone sensor associated with catechol iron uptake in Streptococcus pneumoniae D39

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a Gram-positive commensal and human respiratory pathogen. How this bacterium satisfies its nutritional iron (Fe) requirement in the context of endogenously produced hydrogen peroxide is not well understood. Here, we characterize a novel virulence-associated Rrf2-family transcriptional repressor that we term SifR (streptococcal IscR-like family transcriptional repressor) encoded by spd_1448 and conserved in Streptococci. Global transcriptomic analysis of a ΔsifR strain defines the SifR regulon as genes encoding a candidate catechol dioxygenase CatE, an uncharacterized oxidoreductase YwnB, a candidate flavin-dependent ferric reductase YhdA, a candidate heme-based ferric reductase domain–containing protein and the Piu (pneumococcus iron uptake) Fe transporter (piuBCDA). Previous work established that membrane-anchored PiuA binds Fe(III)–bis-catechol or monocatechol complexes with high affinity, including the human catecholamine stress hormone, norepinephrine. We demonstrate that SifR senses quinone via a single conserved cysteine that represses its regulon when in the reduced form. Upon reaction with catechol-derived quinones, we show that SifR dissociates from the DNA leading to regulon derepression, allowing the pneumococcus to access a catechol-derived source of Fe while minimizing reactive electrophile stress induced by quinones. Consistent with this model, we show that CatE is an Fe(II)-dependent 2,3-catechol dioxygenase with broad substrate specificity, YwnB is an NAD(P)H-dependent quinone reductase capable of reducing the oxidized and cyclized norepinephrine, adrenochrome, and YhdA is capable of reducing a number of Fe(III) complexes, including PiuA-binding transport substrates. These findings are consistent with a model where Fe(III)–catechol complexes serve as significant nutritional Fe sources in the host.