Lipid II: a central component in bacterial cell wall synthesis and a target for antibiotics

Elucidation of the Teixobactin Pharmacophore

This paper elucidates the teixobactin pharmacophore by comparing the arginine analogue of teixobactin Arg10-teixobactin to seven homologues with varying structure and stereochemistry. The roles of the guanidinium group at position 10, the stereochemistry of the macrolactone ring, and the "tail" comprising residues 1-5 are investigated. The guanidinium group is not necessary for activity; Lys10-teixobactin is more active than Arg10-teixobactin against Gram-positive bacteria in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. The relative stereochemistry of the macrolactone ring is important. Diastereomer l-Thr8,Arg10-teixobactin is inactive, and diastereomer d-allo-Ile11,Arg10-teixobactin is less active. The macrolactone ring is critical; seco-Arg10-teixobactin is inactive. The absolute stereochemistry is not important; the enantiomer ent-Arg10-teixobactin is comparable in activity. The hydrophobic N-terminal tail is important. Truncation of residues 1-5 results in loss of activity, and replacement of residues 1-5 with a dodecanoyl group partially restores activity. These findings pave the way for developing simpler homologues of teixobactin with enhanced pharmacological properties.

New Found Hope for Antibiotic Discovery: Lipid II Inhibitors

Research into antibacterial agents has recently gathered pace in light of the disturbing crisis of antimicrobial resistance. The development of modern tools offers the opportunity of reviving the fallen era of antibacterial discovery through uncovering novel lead compounds that target vital bacterial cell components, such as lipid II. This paper provides a summary of the role of lipid II as well as an overview and insight into the structural features of macrocyclic peptides that inhibit this bacterial cell wall component. The recent discovery of teixobactin, a new class of lipid II inhibitor has generated substantial research interests. As such, the significant progress that has been achieved towards its development as a promising antibacterial agent is discussed.

Efficacy of Lantibiotic Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Skin Infections, Monitored by In Vivo Bioluminescent Imaging

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterial pathogen responsible for the majority of skin and soft tissue infections. Antibiotics are losing their efficacy as treatment for skin and soft tissue infections as a result of increased resistance in a variety of pathogens, including S. aureus It is thus imperative to explore alternative antimicrobial treatments to ensure future treatment options for skin and soft tissue infections. A select few lantibiotics, a group of natural defense peptides produced by bacteria, inhibit the growth of numerous clinical S. aureus isolates, including methicillin-resistant strains. In this study, the antimicrobial activities of nisin, clausin, and amyloliquecidin, separately administered, were compared to that of a mupirocin-based ointment, which is commonly used as treatment for S. aureus-induced skin infections. Full-thickness excisional wounds, generated on the dorsal surfaces of mice, were infected with a bioluminescent strain of S. aureus (strain Xen 36). The infections were monitored in real time using in vivo bioluminescent imaging. Lantibiotic treatments significantly reduced the bioluminescence of S. aureus Xen 36 to a level similar to that recorded with mupirocin treatment. Wound closure, however, was more pronounced during lantibiotic treatment. Lantibiotics thus have the potential to be used as an alternative treatment option for S. aureus-induced skin infections.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal the Conformational Flexibility of Lipid II and Its Loose Association with the Defensin Plectasin in the Staphylococcus aureus Membrane

Lipid II is critical for peptidoglycan synthesis, which is the main component of the bacterial cell wall. Lipid II is a relatively conserved and important part of the cell wall biosynthesis pathway and is targeted by antibiotics such as the lantibiotics, which achieve their function by disrupting the biosynthesis of the cell wall. Given the urgent need for development of novel antibiotics to counter the growing threat of bacterial infection resistance, it is imperative that a thorough molecular-level characterization of the molecules targeted by antibiotics be achieved. To this end, we present a molecular dynamics simulation study of the conformational dynamics of Lipid II within a detailed model of the Staphylococcus aureus cell membrane. We show that Lipid II is able to adopt a range of conformations, even within the packed lipidic environment of the membrane. Our simulations also reveal dimerization of Lipid II mediated by cations. In the presence of the defensin peptide plectasin, the conformational lability of Lipid II allows it to form loose complexes with the protein, via a number of different binding modes.

New Structural Templates for Clinically Validated and Novel Targets in Antimicrobial Drug Research and Development

The development of bacterial resistance against current antibiotic drugs necessitates a continuous renewal of the arsenal of efficacious drugs. This imperative has not been met by the output of antibiotic research and development of the past decades for various reasons, including the declining efforts of large pharma companies in this area. Moreover, the majority of novel antibiotics are chemical derivatives of existing structures that represent mostly step innovations, implying that the available chemical space may be exhausted. This review negates this impression by showcasing recent achievements in lead finding and optimization of antibiotics that have novel or unexplored chemical structures. Not surprisingly, many of the novel structural templates like teixobactins, lysocin, griselimycin, or the albicidin/cystobactamid pair were discovered from natural sources. Additional compounds were obtained from the screening of synthetic libraries and chemical synthesis, including the gyrase-inhibiting NTBI's and spiropyrimidinetrione, the tarocin and targocil inhibitors of wall teichoic acid synthesis, or the boronates and diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane as novel β-lactamase inhibitors. A motif that is common to most clinically validated antibiotics is that they address hotspots in complex biosynthetic machineries, whose functioning is essential for the bacterial cell. Therefore, an introduction to the biological targets-cell wall synthesis, topoisomerases, the DNA sliding clamp, and membrane-bound electron transport-is given for each of the leads presented here.

A stepwise dechlorination/cross-coupling strategy to diversify the vancomycin 'in-chloride'

In an effort to rapidly access vancomycin analogues bearing diverse functionality at the 6c-Cl (the 'in-chloride') position, a two-step dechlorination/cross-coupling protocol was developed. Conditions for efficient cross-coupling of the relatively unreactive 6c-Cl group were found that ensure high conversion with minimal product decomposition. A set of 2c-dechloro-6c-functionalized vancomycin derivatives was prepared, and antibiotic activities of the compounds were evaluated against a panel of vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible strains. Results from biological testing further underscore the steric sensitivity of vancomycin's binding pocket.

Hit 'em where it hurts: The growing and structurally diverse family of peptides that target lipid-II

Understanding the mode of action of antibiotics is becoming more and more important in the time that microorganisms start to develop resistance. One very well validated target of several classes of antibiotics is the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II. In this review different classes of lipid II targeting antibiotics will be discussed in detail, including the lantibiotics, human invertebrate defensins and the recently discovered teixobactin. By hitting bacteria where it hurts, at the level of lipid II, we expect to be able to develop efficient antibacterial agents in the future. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Antimicrobial peptides edited by Karl Lohner and Kai Hilpert.

Copsin, a novel peptide-based fungal antibiotic interfering with the peptidoglycan synthesis

Fungi and bacteria compete with an arsenal of secreted molecules for their ecological niche. This repertoire represents a rich and inexhaustible source for antibiotics and fungicides. Antimicrobial peptides are an emerging class of fungal defense molecules that are promising candidates for pharmaceutical applications. Based on a co-cultivation system, we studied the interaction of the coprophilous basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea with different bacterial species and identified a novel defensin, copsin. The polypeptide was recombinantly produced in Pichia pastoris, and the three-dimensional structure was solved by NMR. The cysteine stabilized α/β-fold with a unique disulfide connectivity, and an N-terminal pyroglutamate rendered copsin extremely stable against high temperatures and protease digestion. Copsin was bactericidal against a diversity of Gram-positive bacteria, including human pathogens such as Enterococcus faecium and Listeria monocytogenes. Characterization of the antibacterial activity revealed that copsin bound specifically to the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II and therefore interfered with the cell wall biosynthesis. In particular, and unlike lantibiotics and other defensins, the third position of the lipid II pentapeptide is essential for effective copsin binding. The unique structural properties of copsin make it a possible scaffold for new antibiotics.

Antibiotic development challenges: the various mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides and of bacterial resistance

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural antibiotics produced by various organisms such as mammals, arthropods, plants, and bacteria. In addition to antimicrobial activity, AMPs can induce chemokine production, accelerate angiogenesis, and wound healing and modulate apoptosis in multicellular organisms. Originally, their antimicrobial mechanism of action was thought to consist solely of an increase in pathogen cell membrane permeability, but it has already been shown that several AMPs do not modulate membrane permeability in the minimal lethal concentration. Instead, they exert their effects by inhibiting processes such as protein and cell wall synthesis, as well as enzyme activity, among others. Although resistance to these molecules is uncommon several pathogens developed different strategies to overcome AMPs killing such as surface modification, expression of efflux pumps, and secretion of proteases among others. This review describes the various mechanisms of action of AMPs and how pathogens evolve resistance to them.

The lipid II flippase RodA determines morphology and growth in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Lipid II flippases play an essential role in cell growth and the maintenance of cell shape in many rod-shaped bacteria. The putative lipid II flippase RodA is an integral membrane protein and member of the SEDS (shape, elongation, division and sporulation) protein family. In contrast to its homologues in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis little is known about the role of RodA in actinobacteria. In this study, we describe the localization and function of RodA in Corynebacterium glutamicum, a rod-shaped, apically growing actinobacterium. RodA-GFP localizes exclusively at the cell poles. Surprisingly, time-lapse microscopy revealed that apical cell growth is sustained in a rodA deletion strain. However, growth rates and antibiotic susceptibility are altered. In the absence of RodA, it appears that apical growth is driven by lateral diffusion of lipid II that is likely flipped by the septal flippase, FtsW. Furthermore, we applied a previously described synthetic in vivo system in combination with FRET to identify an interaction between C. glutamicum RodA and the polar growth organizing protein DivIVA.

Lipid-II forms potential "landing terrain" for lantibiotics in simulated bacterial membrane

Bacterial cell wall is targeted by many antibiotics. Among them are lantibiotics, which realize their function via interaction with plasma membrane lipid-II molecule — a chemically conserved part of the cell wall synthesis pathway. To investigate structural and dynamic properties of this molecule, we have performed a series of nearly microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations of lipid-II and some of its analogs in zwitterionic single component and charged mixed simulated phospholipid bilayers (the reference and the mimic of the bacterial plasma membrane, respectively). Extensive analysis revealed that lipid-II forms a unique “amphiphilic pattern” exclusively on the surface of the simulated bacterial membrane (and not in the reference one). We hypothesize that many lantibiotics exploit the conserved features of lipid-II along with characteristic modulation of the bacterial membrane as the “landing site”. This putative recognition mechanism opens new opportunities for studies on lantibiotics action and design of novel armament against resistant bacterial strains.

Conservation of the PTEN catalytic motif in the bacterial undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatase, BacA/UppP

Isoprenoid lipid carriers are essential in protein glycosylation and bacterial cell envelope biosynthesis. The enzymes involved in their metabolism (synthases, kinases and phosphatases) are therefore critical to cell viability. In this review, we focus on two broad groups of isoprenoid pyrophosphate phosphatases. One group, containing phosphatidic acid phosphatase motifs, includes the eukaryotic dolichyl pyrophosphate phosphatases and proposed recycling bacterial undecaprenol pyrophosphate phosphatases, PgpB, YbjB and YeiU/LpxT. The second group comprises the bacterial undecaprenol pyrophosphate phosphatase, BacA/UppP, responsible for initial formation of undecaprenyl phosphate, which we predict contains a tyrosine phosphate phosphatase motif resembling that of the tumour suppressor, phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). Based on protein sequence alignments across species and 2D structure predictions, we propose catalytic and lipid recognition motifs unique to BacA/UppP enzymes. The verification of our proposed active-site residues would provide new strategies for the development of substrate-specific inhibitors which mimic both the lipid and pyrophosphate moieties, leading to the development of novel antimicrobial agents.

Three distinct two-component systems are involved in resistance to the class I bacteriocins, Nukacin ISK-1 and nisin A, in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus uses two-component systems (TCSs) to adapt to stressful environmental conditions. To colonize a host, S. aureus must resist bacteriocins produced by commensal bacteria. In a comprehensive analysis using individual TCS inactivation mutants, the inactivation of two TCSs, graRS and braRS, significantly increased the susceptibility to the class I bacteriocins, nukacin ISK-1 and nisin A, and inactivation of vraSR slightly increased the susceptibility to nukacin ISK-1. In addition, two ABC transporters (BraAB and VraDE) regulated by BraRS and one transporter (VraFG) regulated by GraRS were associated with resistance to nukacin ISK-1 and nisin A. We investigated the role of these three TCSs of S. aureus in co-culture with S. warneri, which produces nukacin ISK-1, and Lactococcus lactis, which produces nisin A. When co-cultured with S. warneri or L. lactis, the braRS mutant showed a significant decrease in its population compared with the wild-type, whereas the graRS and vraSR mutants showed slight decreases. Expression of vraDE was elevated significantly in S. aureus co-cultured with nisin A/nukacin ISK-1-producing strains. These results suggest that three distinct TCSs are involved in the resistance to nisin A and nukacin ISK-1. Additionally, braRS and its related transporters played a central role in S. aureus survival in co-culture with the strains producing nisin A and nukacin ISK-1.

Database-Guided Discovery of Potent Peptides to Combat HIV-1 or Superbugs

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), small host defense proteins, are indispensable for the protection of multicellular organisms such as plants and animals from infection. The number of AMPs discovered per year increased steadily since the 1980s. Over 2,000 natural AMPs from bacteria, protozoa, fungi, plants, and animals have been registered into the antimicrobial peptide database (APD). The majority of these AMPs (>86%) possess 11–50 amino acids with a net charge from 0 to +7 and hydrophobic percentages between 31–70%. This article summarizes peptide discovery on the basis of the APD. The major methods are the linguistic model, database screening, de novo design, and template-based design. Using these methods, we identified various potent peptides against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). While the stepwise designed anti-HIV peptide is disulfide-linked and rich in arginines, the ab initio designed anti-MRSA peptide is linear and rich in leucines. Thus, there are different requirements for antiviral and antibacterial peptides, which could kill pathogens via different molecular targets. The biased amino acid composition in the database-designed peptides, or natural peptides such as θ-defensins, requires the use of the improved two-dimensional NMR method for structural determination to avoid the publication of misleading structure and dynamics. In the case of human cathelicidin LL-37, structural determination requires 3D NMR techniques. The high-quality structure of LL-37 provides a solid basis for understanding its interactions with membranes of bacteria and other pathogens. In conclusion, the APD database is a comprehensive platform for storing, classifying, searching, predicting, and designing potent peptides against pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and cancer cells.

Antimicrobial mechanism of lantibiotics

Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides that commonly target the cell wall precursor lipid II during their antimicrobial mechanism and exert their inhibitory activity by (i) inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis, and (ii) stable pore formation in the target membrane. Type-A(I) (i.e. nisin) and two-component (i.e. lacticin 3147) lantibiotics initially interact with lipid II to stabilize the complex, which then proceeds to inhibit cell wall biosynthesis and pore formation. Type-A(II) (i.e. nukacin ISK-1) and type-B (i.e. mersacidin) lantibiotics also use lipid II as a docking molecule, but can only inhibit cell wall biosynthesis without forming pores. In the present paper, we review the antimicrobial mechanism of different types of lantibiotics, their current progress and future prospect.

Vancomycin: ligand recognition, dimerization and super-complex formation

The antibiotic vancomycin targets lipid II, blocking cell wall synthesis in Gram-positive bacteria. Despite extensive study, questions remain regarding how it recognizes its primary ligand and what is the most biologically relevant form of vancomycin. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation techniques have been used to examine the process of ligand binding and dimerization of vancomycin. Starting from one or more vancomycin monomers in solution, together with different peptide ligands derived from lipid II, the simulations predict the structures of the ligated monomeric and dimeric complexes to within 0.1 nm rmsd of the structures determined experimentally. The simulations reproduce the conformation transitions observed by NMR and suggest that proposed differences between the crystal structure and the solution structure are an artifact of the way the NMR data has been interpreted in terms of a structural model. The spontaneous formation of both back-to-back and face-to-face dimers was observed in the simulations. This has allowed a detailed analysis of the origin of the cooperatively between ligand binding and dimerization and suggests that the formation of face-to-face dimers could be functionally significant. The work also highlights the possible role of structural water in stabilizing the vancomycin ligand complex and its role in the manifestation of vancomycin resistance.

Peptide antimicrobials: cell wall as a bacterial target

Endogenous host defense peptides (HDPs) are among the most ancient immune mediators, constituting a first line of defense against invading pathogens across the evolutionary continuum. Generally, HDPs are small (<10 kDa), cationic, and amphipathic polypeptides, often broadly classified based on structure. In eukaryotes, major HDP classes include disulfide-stabilized (e.g., defensins), and α-helical or extended (e.g., cathelicidins) peptides. Prokaryote HDPs are generally referred to as bacteriocins, colicins, or lantibiotics, many of which undergo extensive posttranslational modifications. One target for prokaryotic and eukaryotic HDPs is the bacterial cell wall, an essential structural feature conserved among broad classes of bacteria. A primary building block of the cell wall is peptidoglycan, a macromolecular complex that arises through a series of reactions including membrane translocation, extracellular anchoring, and side chain cross-linking. Each of these steps represents a potential target for HDP inhibition, leading to bacteriostatic or bactericidal outcomes. Thus, understanding the relationships between HDPs and cell wall targets may shed light on new peptide antimicrobial agents and strategies to meet the daunting challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Localization of new peptidoglycan at poles in Bacillus mycoides, a member of the Bacillus cereus group

Bacillus mycoides is a sporogenic Gram-positive soil bacillus of the B. cereus group. This bacillus, which forms hyphal colonies, is composed of cells connected in filaments that make up bundles and turn clock- or counterclockwise depending on the strain. A thick peptidoglycan wall gives the rod cells of these bacilli strength and shape. One approach used to study peptidoglycan neoformation in Gram positives exploits the binding properties of antibiotics such as vancomycin and ramoplanin to nascent peptidoglycan, whose localization in the cell is monitored by means of a fluorescent tag. When we treated B. mycoides strains with BODIPY-vancomycin, we found the expected accumulation of fluorescence at the midcell septa and localization along the cell sidewall in small foci distributed quite uniformly. Intense fluorescence was also observed at the poles of many cells, more clearly visible at the outer edges of the cell chains. The unusual abundance of peptidoglycan intermediates at the cell poles after cell separation suggests that the construction process of this structure is different from that of B. subtilis, in which the free poles are rarely reactive to vancomycin.

Lantibiotics from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans

The lantibiotic nisin has been used as an effective food preservative to combat food-borne pathogens for over 40 y. Despite this successful use, nisin's stability at pH 7 is limited. Herein, we describe a nisin analog encoded on the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2. This analog termed geobacillin I was obtained by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli and subsequent purification. Extensive NMR characterization demonstrated that geobacillin I contains seven thioether cross-links, two more than the five cross-links found in nisin and the most cross-links found in any lantibiotic to date. The antimicrobial spectrum of geobacillin I was generally similar to that of nisin A, with increased activity against Streptococcus dysgalactiae, one of the causative agents of bovine mastitis. Geobacillin I demonstrated increased stability compared to nisin A. In addition to geobacillin I, the genome of G. thermodenitrificans NG80-2 also contains a class II lantibiotic biosynthetic gene cluster. The corresponding compound was produced in E. coli, and has a ring topology different than that of any known lantibiotic as determined by tandem mass spectrometry. Interestingly, geobacillin II only demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Bacillus strains. Seven Geobacillus strains were screened for production of the geobacillins using whole-cell MALDI-MS and five were shown to produce geobacillin I, but none produced geobacillin II.

At the membrane frontier: a prospectus on the remarkable evolutionary conservation of polyprenols and polyprenyl-phosphates

Long-chain polyprenols and polyprenyl-phosphates are ubiquitous and essential components of cellular membranes throughout all domains of life. Polyprenyl-phosphates, which include undecaprenyl-phosphate in bacteria and the dolichyl-phosphates in archaea and eukaryotes, serve as specific membrane-bound carriers in glycan biosynthetic pathways responsible for the production of cellular structures such as N-linked protein glycans and bacterial peptidoglycan. Polyprenyl-phosphates are the only form of polyprenols with a biochemically-defined role; however, unmodified or esterified polyprenols often comprise significant percentages of the cellular polyprenol pool. The strong evolutionary conservation of unmodified polyprenols as membrane constituents and polyprenyl-phosphates as preferred glycan carriers in biosynthetic pathways is poorly understood. This review surveys the available research to explore why unmodified polyprenols have been conserved in evolution and why polyprenyl-phosphates are universally and specifically utilized for membrane-bound glycan assembly.

Total synthesis of polyprenyl N-glycolyl lipid II as a mycobacterial transglycosylase substrate

A feasible synthetic approach toward the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) N-glycolyl lipid II-like molecule 1 is described. Compound 1 bears pendant undecaprenol and l-lysin moieties instead of the naturally occurring decaprenol and meso-diaminopimelic acid, which are not readily available. Functionalization of 1 with a fluorophore on the peptide side chain gave 14, which was found to be recognized as an Mtb TGase substrate. This result suggests it has tremendous utility for mechanistic studies, the characterization of mycobacterial enzymes, and mycobacterial TGase inhibitor evaluation.

A new synthetic approach toward bacterial transglycosylase substrates, Lipid II and Lipid IV

A new synthetic approach toward the bacterial transglycosylase substrates, Lipid II (1) and Lipid IV (2), is described. The key disaccharide was synthesized using the concept of relative reactivity value (RRV) and elaborated to Lipid II and Lipid IV by conjugation with the appropriate oligopeptides and pyrophosphate lipids. Interestingly, the results from our HPLC-based functional TGase assay suggested Lipid IV has a higher affinity for the enzyme than Lipid II.

NsaRS is a cell-envelope-stress-sensing two-component system of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus possesses 16 two-component systems (TCSs), two of which (GraRS and NsaRS) belong to the intramembrane-sensing histidine kinase (IM-HK) family, which is conserved within the firmicutes. NsaRS has recently been documented as being important for nisin resistance in S. aureus. In this study, we present a characterization of NsaRS and reveal that, as with other IM-HK TCSs, it responds to disruptions in the cell envelope. Analysis using a lacZ reporter-gene fusion demonstrated that nsaRS expression is upregulated by a variety of cell-envelope-damaging antibiotics, including phosphomycin, ampicillin, nisin, gramicidin, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and penicillin G. Additionally, we reveal that NsaRS regulates a downstream transporter NsaAB during nisin-induced stress. NsaS mutants also display a 200-fold decreased ability to develop resistance to the cell-wall-targeting antibiotic bacitracin. Microarray analysis reveals that the transcription of 245 genes is altered in an nsaS mutant, with the vast majority being downregulated. Included within this list are genes involved in transport, drug resistance, cell envelope synthesis, transcriptional regulation, amino acid metabolism and virulence. Using inductively coupled plasma-MS we observed a decrease in intracellular divalent metal ions in an nsaS mutant when grown under low abundance conditions. Characterization of cells using electron microscopy reveals that nsaS mutants have alterations in cell envelope structure. Finally, a variety of virulence-related phenotypes are impaired in nsaS mutants, including biofilm formation, resistance to killing by human macrophages and survival in whole human blood. Thus, NsaRS is important in sensing cell damage in S. aureus and functions to reprogram gene expression to modify cell envelope architecture, facilitating adaptation and survival.

In vitro studies indicate a high resistance potential for the lantibiotic nisin in Staphylococcus aureus and define a genetic basis for nisin resistance

Lantibiotics such as nisin (NIS) are peptide antibiotics that may have a role in the chemotherapy of bacterial infections. A perceived benefit of lantibiotics for clinical use is their low propensity to select resistance, although detailed resistance studies with relevant bacterial pathogens are lacking. Here we examined the development of resistance to NIS in Staphylococcus aureus, establishing that mutants, including small-colony variants, exhibiting substantial (4- to 32-fold) reductions in NIS susceptibility could be selected readily. Comparative genome sequencing of a single NISr mutant exhibiting a 32-fold increase in NIS MIC revealed the presence of only two mutations, leading to the substitutions V229G in the purine operon repressor, PurR, and A208E in an uncharacterized protein encoded by SAOUHSC_02955. Independently selected NISr mutants also harbored mutations in the genes encoding these products. Reintroduction of these mutations into the S. aureus chromosome alone and in combination revealed that SAOUHSC_02955(A208E) made the primary contribution to the resistance phenotype, conferring up to a 16-fold decrease in NIS susceptibility. Bioinformatic analyses suggested that this gene encodes a sensor histidine kinase, leading us to designate it "nisin susceptibility-associated sensor (nsaS)." Doubling-time determinations and mixed-culture competition assays between NISr and NISs strains indicated that NIS resistance had little impact on bacterial fitness, and resistance was stable in the absence of selection. The apparent ease with which S. aureus can develop and maintain NIS resistance in vitro suggests that resistance to NIS and other lantibiotics with similar modes of action would arise in the clinic if these agents are employed as chemotherapeutic drugs.

Screen for inducers of autolysis in Bacillus subtilis

We describe a primary high-throughput screen that uses the reporter strain Bacillus subtilis BAU-102 to identify antibiotics that induce autolysis. The screen measures autolysis in terms of the incipient release of recombinant Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) from the periplasmic space of B. subtilis owing to a loss of integrity of the cell wall. In a model screen, beta-Gal release values for 79 members of a library consisting of antibiotics and related compounds were collected, sorted, and plotted as a function of rank. Inducers of autolysis, which included compounds that inhibit cell wall synthesis and those that do not, were readily differentiated from other members of the library on the basis of their elevated beta-galactosidase release responses. The results of the BAU-102 model screen called attention to the antibacterial activity of drugs normally used in other applications, describable as "repurposed." Thus, the screen independently identified the potential antibacterial properties of the antifungal drug miconazole and of the antileishmaniasis drug miltefosine. Daptomycin-induced release of beta-Gal was also detected and occurred in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner.

Specific interactions of clausin, a new lantibiotic, with lipid precursors of the bacterial cell wall

We investigated the specificity of interaction of a new type A lantibiotic, clausin, isolated from Bacillus clausii, with lipid intermediates of bacterial envelope biosynthesis pathways. Isothermal calorimetry and steady-state fluorescence anisotropy (with dansylated derivatives) identified peptidoglycan lipids I and II, embedded in dodecylphosphocholine micelles, as potential targets. Complex formation with dissociation constants of approximately 0.3 muM and stoichiometry of approximately 2:1 peptides/lipid intermediate was observed. The interaction is enthalpy-driven. For the first time, to our knowledge, we evidenced the interaction between a lantibiotic and C(55)-PP-GlcNAc, a lipid intermediate in the biosynthesis of other bacterial cell wall polymers, including teichoic acids. The pyrophosphate moiety of these lipid intermediates was crucial for the interaction because a strong binding with undecaprenyl pyrophosphate, accounting for 80% of the free energy of binding, was observed. No binding occurred with the undecaprenyl phosphate derivative. The pentapeptide and the N-acetylated sugar moieties strengthened the interaction, but their contributions were weaker than that of the pyrophosphate group. The lantibiotic decreased the mobility of the pentapeptide. Clausin did not interact with the water-soluble UDP-MurNAc- and pyrophosphoryl-MurNAc-pentapeptides, pointing out the importance of the hydrocarbon chain of the lipid target.

Flipping lipids: why an' what's the reason for?

The biosynthesis of glycoconjugates such as N-glycoproteins and GPI-anchored proteins in eukaryotes and cell wall peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide in bacteria requires lipid intermediates to be flipped rapidly across the endoplasmic reticulum or bacterial cytoplasmic membrane (so-called biogenic membranes). Rapid flipping is also required to normalize the number of glycerophospholipids in the two leaflets of the bilayer as the membrane expands in a growing cell. Although lipids diffuse rapidly in the plane of the membrane, the intrinsic rate at which they flip across membranes is very low. Biogenic membranes possess dedicated lipid transporters or flippases to increase flipping to a physiologically sufficient rate. The flippases are "ATP-independent" and facilitate "downhill" transport. Most predicted biogenic membrane flippases have not been identified at the molecular level, and the few flippases that have been identified by genetic approaches have not been biochemically validated. Here we summarize recent progress on this fundamental topic and speculate on the mechanism(s) by which biogenic membrane flippases facilitate transbilayer lipid movement.