164076 20260119151009.0 doi 10.1016/j.micres.2025.128354 sideral 146205 ART-2026-146205 eng García, Carla Universidad de Zaragoza Identification of ShgH as a dual histidine/glutamine transporter component essential for Streptococcus suis virulence and biofilm modulation 2026 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that affects pigs and humans. In this study, we characterised ShgH, a predicted substrate-binding component of an ABC transporter. Immunoassays confirmed that ShgH is expressed, secreted and surface-exposed in S. suis, in agreement with its proposed transporter function. Isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated that ShgH binds glutamine and histidine, with a higher affinity for histidine. Deletion of the shgH gene significantly impaired uptake of both radiolabelled amino acids confirming its role as part of a transporter. Functional analysis revealed that shgH deletion results in a marked reduction in virulence in a murine infection model, while host colonization remained unaffected. ShgH contributes to infection by facilitating evasion of phagocytosis and resistance to oxidative stress through impaired nutrient acquisition and reduced capsule production. In addition, ShgH regulates biofilm formation and architecture. Notably, ShgH is highly conserved among pathogenic streptococci, suggesting a broader functional relevance. Altogether, our findings identify ShgH as a dual glutamine/histidine- binding protein essential for nutrient uptake and virulence in S. suis, and a promising target for future therapeutic interventions. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN AEI PID2020-114617RB-100 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Saralegui, Luis Universidad de Zaragoza Morales, Beatriz Jurado, Paula Bes, M. Teresa Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-8181-2689 Marín, Clara (orcid)0000-0002-1974-9025 Arenas, Jesús Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-8134-0693 1009 773 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Patología Animal Área Sanidad Animal 1002 060 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Bioq.Biolog.Mol. Celular Área Bioquímica y Biolog.Mole. 302 (2026), 128354 [14 pp.] Microbiol. res. MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH 0944-5013 7162522 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/164076/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2592956 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/164076/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:164076 articulos driver 2026-01-19-15:09:32 ARTICLE