A novel putrescine utilization pathway involves gamma-glutamylated intermediates of Escherichia coli K-12

Mechanisms of protection against irreversible oxidation of the catalytic cysteine of ALDH enzymes: Possible role of vicinal cysteines

The catalytic mechanism of the NAD(P)⁺-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) involves the nucleophilic attack of the essential cysteine (Cys302, mature HsALDH2 numbering) on the aldehyde substrate. Although oxidation of Cys302 will inactivate these enzymes, it is not yet well understood how this oxidation is prevented. In this work we explore possible mechanisms of protection by systematically analyzing the reported three-dimensional structures and amino acid sequences of the enzymes of the ALDH superfamily. Specifically, we considered the Cys302 conformational space, the structure and residues conservation of the catalytic loop where Cys302 is located, the observed oxidation states of Cys302, the ability of physiological reductants to revert its oxidation, and the presence of vicinal Cys in the catalytic loop. Our analyses suggested that: 1) In the apo-enzyme, the thiol group of Cys302 is quite resistant to oxidation by ambient O₂ or mild oxidative conditions, because the protein environment promotes its high pK_a. 2) NAD(P)⁺ bound in the "hydride transfer" conformation afforded total protection against Cys302 oxidation by an unknown mechanism. 3) If formed, the Cys302-sulfenic acid is protected against irreversible oxidation. 4) Of the physiological reductant agents, the dithiol lipoic acid could reduce a sulfenic or a disulfide bond in the ALDHs active site; glutathione cannot because its thiol group cannot reach Cys302, and other physiological monothiols may be ineffective in those ALDHs where their active site cannot sterically accommodate two molecules of the monothiols. 5) Formation of the disulfides Cys301-Cys302, Cys302-Cys304, Cys302-Cys305 and Cys-302-Cys306 in those ALDHs that have these Cys residues is not probable, because of the permitted Cys conformers as well as the conserved structure and low flexibility of the catalytic loop. 6) Only in some ALDH2, ALDH9, ALDH16 and ALDH23 enzymes, Cys303, alone or in conjunction with Cys301, allows disulfide formation. Interestingly, several of these enzymes are mitochondrial.

A Novel Putrescine Exporter SapBCDF of Escherichia coli

Recent research has suggested that polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) in the intestinal tract impact the health of animals either negatively or positively. The concentration of polyamines in the intestinal tract results from the balance of uptake and export of the intestinal bacteria. However, the mechanism of polyamine export from bacterial cells to the intestinal lumen is still unclear. In Escherichia coli, PotE was previously identified as a transporter responsible for putrescine excretion in an acidic growth environment. We observed putrescine concentration in the culture supernatant was increased from 0 to 50 μm during growth of E. coli under neutral conditions. Screening for the unidentified putrescine exporter was performed using a gene knock-out collection of E. coli, and deletion of sapBCDF significantly decreased putrescine levels in the culture supernatant. Complementation of the deletion mutant with the sapBCDF genes restored putrescine levels in the culture supernatant. Additionally, the ΔsapBCDF strain did not facilitate uptake of putrescine from the culture supernatant. Quantification of stable isotope-labeled putrescine derived from stable isotope-labeled arginine supplemented in the medium revealed that SapBCDF exported putrescine from E. coli cells to the culture supernatant. It was previously reported that SapABCDF of Salmonella enterica sv. typhimurium and Haemophilus influenzae conferred resistance toantimicrobial peptides; however, the E. coli ΔsapBCDF strain did not affect resistance to antimicrobial peptide LL-37. These results strongly suggest that the natural function of the SapBCDF proteins is the export of putrescine.

Functional Identification of Putrescine C- and N-Hydroxylases

The small polyamine putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane) is ubiquitously and abundantly found in all three domains of life. It is a precursor, through N-aminopropylation or N-aminobutylation, for biosynthesis of the longer polyamines spermidine, sym-homospermidine, spermine, and thermospermine and longer and branched chain polyamines. Putrescine is also biochemically modified for purposes of metabolic regulation and catabolism, e.g. N-acetylation and N-glutamylation, and for incorporation into specialized metabolites, e.g. N-methylation, N-citrylation, N-palmitoylation, N-hydroxylation, and N-hydroxycinnamoylation. Only one example is known where putrescine is modified on a methylene carbon: the formation of 2-hydroxyputrescine by an unknown C-hydroxylase. Here, we report the functional identification of a previously undescribed putrescine 2-hydroxylase, a Rieske-type nonheme iron sulfur protein from the β-proteobacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica and Ralstonia solanacearum. Identification of the putrescine 2-hydroxylase will facilitate investigation of the physiological functions of 2-hydroxyputrescine. One known role of 2-hydroxyputrescine has direct biomedical relevance: its role in the biosynthesis of the cyclic hydroxamate siderophore alcaligin, a potential virulence factor of the causative agent of whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis. We also report the functional identification of a putrescine N-hydroxylase from the γ-proteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis, which is homologous to FAD- and NADPH-dependent ornithine and lysine N-monooxygenases involved in siderophore biosynthesis. Heterologous expression of the putrescine N-hydroxylase in E. coli produced free N-hydroxyputrescine, never detected previously in a biological system. Furthermore, the putrescine C- and N-hydroxylases identified here could contribute new functionality to polyamine structural scaffolds, including C-H bond functionalization in synthetic biology strategies.

Proteome Remodeling in Response to Sulfur Limitation in "Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique"

The alphaproteobacterium "Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique" strain HTCC1062 and most other members of the SAR11 clade lack genes for assimilatory sulfate reduction, making them dependent on organosulfur compounds that occur naturally in seawater. To investigate how these cells adapt to sulfur limitation, batch cultures were grown in defined medium containing either limiting or nonlimiting amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) as the sole sulfur source. Protein and mRNA expression were measured before, during, and after the transition from exponential growth to stationary phase. Two distinct responses were observed, one as DMSP became exhausted and another as the cells acclimated to a sulfur-limited environment. The first response was characterized by increased transcription and translation of all "Ca. Pelagibacter ubique" genes downstream from the previously confirmed S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) riboswitches bhmT, mmuM, and metY. The proteins encoded by these genes were up to 33 times more abundant as DMSP became limiting. Their predicted function is to shunt all available sulfur to methionine. The secondary response, observed during sulfur-limited stationary phase, was a 6- to 10-fold increase in the transcription of the heme c shuttle-encoding gene ccmC and two small genes of unknown function (SAR11_1163 and SAR11_1164). This bacterium's strategy for coping with sulfur stress appears to be intracellular redistribution to support methionine biosynthesis rather than increasing organosulfur import. Many of the genes and SAM riboswitches involved in this response are located in a hypervariable genome region (HVR). One of these HVR genes, ordL, is located downstream from a conserved motif that evidence suggests is a novel riboswitch. IMPORTANCE "Ca. Pelagibacter ubique" is a key driver of marine biogeochemistry cycles and a model for understanding how minimal genomes evolved in free-living anucleate organisms. This study explores the unusual sulfur acquisition strategy that has evolved in these cells, which lack assimilatory sulfate reduction and instead rely on reduced sulfur compounds found in oxic marine environments to meet their cellular quotas. Our findings demonstrate that the sulfur acquisition systems are constitutively expressed but the enzymatic steps leading to the essential sulfur-containing amino acid methionine are regulated by a unique array of riboswitches and genes, many of which are encoded in a rapidly evolving genome region. These findings support mounting evidence that streamlined cells have evolved regulatory mechanisms that minimize transcriptional switching and, unexpectedly, localize essential sulfur acquisition genes in a genome region normally associated with adaption to environmental variation.

Evidence that COG0325 proteins are involved in PLP homeostasis

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is an essential cofactor for nearly 60 Escherichia coli enzymes but is a highly reactive molecule that is toxic in its free form. How PLP levels are regulated and how PLP is delivered to target enzymes are still open questions. The COG0325 protein family belongs to the fold-type III class of PLP enzymes and binds PLP but has no known biochemical activity although it occurs in all kingdoms of life. Various pleiotropic phenotypes of the E. coli COG0325 (yggS) mutant have been reported, some of which were reproduced and extended in this study. Comparative genomic, genetic and metabolic analyses suggest that these phenotypes reflect an imbalance in PLP homeostasis. The E. coli yggS mutant accumulates the PLP precursor pyridoxine 5'-phosphate (PNP) and is sensitive to an excess of pyridoxine but not of pyridoxal. The pyridoxine toxicity phenotype is complemented by the expression of eukaryotic yggS orthologs. It is also suppressed by the presence of amino acids, specifically isoleucine, threonine and leucine, suggesting the PLP-dependent enzyme transaminase B (IlvE) is affected. These genetic results lay a foundation for future biochemical studies of the role of COG0325 proteins in PLP homeostasis.

Amides in Nature and Biocatalysis

Amides are widespread in biologically active compounds with a broad range of applications in biotechnology, agriculture and medicine. Therefore, as alternative to chemical synthesis the biocatalytic amide synthesis is a very interesting field of research. As usual, Nature can serve as guide in the quest for novel biocatalysts. Several mechanisms for carboxylate activation involving mainly acyl-adenylate, acyl-phosphate or acyl-enzyme intermediates have been discovered, but also completely different pathways to amides are found. In addition to ribosomes, selected enzymes of almost all main enzyme classes are able to synthesize amides. In this review we give an overview about amide synthesis in Nature, as well as biotechnological applications of these enzymes. Moreover, several examples of biocatalytic amide synthesis are given.

Substrate specificity and function of acetylpolyamine amidohydrolases from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative, aerobic coccobacillus bacterium is an opportunistic human pathogen and worldwide the fourth most common cause of hospital-acquired infections which are often high mortality such as ventilator-associated pneumoniae. The polyamine metabolism of P. aeruginosa and particularly the deacetylation of acetylpolyamines has been little studied up to now. Results with other bacterial pathogens e.g., Y. pestis suggest that polyamines may be involved in the formation of biofilms or confer resistance against certain antibiotics.

Results

To elucidate the role of acetylpolyamines and their enzymatic deacetylation in more detail, all three putative acetylpolyamine amidohydrolases (APAHs) from P. aeruginosa have been expressed in enzymatic active form. The APAHs PA0321 and PA1409 are shown to be true polyamine deacetylases, whereas PA3774 is not able to deacetylate acetylated polyamines. Every APAH can hydrolyze trifluoroacetylated lysine-derivatives, but only PA1409 and much more efficiently PA3774 can also process the plain acetylated lysine substrate. P. aeruginosa is able to utilize acetylcadaverine and acetylputrescine as a carbon source under glucose starvation. If either the PA0321 or the PA1409 but not the PA3774 gene is disrupted, the growth of P. aeruginosa is reduced and delayed. In addition, we were able to show that the APAH inhibitors SAHA and SATFMK induce biofilm formation in both PA14 and PAO1 wildtype strains.

Conclusions

P. aeruginosa has two functional APAHs, PA0321 and PA1409 which enable the utilization of acetylpolyamines for the metabolism of P. aeruginosa. In contrast, the physiological role of the predicted APAH, PA3774, remains to be elucidated. Its ability to deacetylate synthetic acetylated lysine substrates points to a protein deacetylation functionality with yet unknown substrates.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12858-016-0063-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The many roles of glutamate in metabolism

The amino acid glutamate is a major metabolic hub in many organisms and as such is involved in diverse processes in addition to its role in protein synthesis. Nitrogen assimilation, nucleotide, amino acid, and cofactor biosynthesis, as well as secondary natural product formation all utilize glutamate in some manner. Glutamate also plays a role in the catabolism of certain amines. Understanding glutamate's role in these various processes can aid in genome mining for novel metabolic pathways or the engineering of pathways for bioremediation or chemical production of valuable compounds.

Metabolic signatures of bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by shifts in the vaginal microbiota from Lactobacillus dominant to a microbiota with diverse anaerobic bacteria. Few studies have linked specific metabolites with bacteria found in the human vagina. Here, we report dramatic differences in metabolite compositions and concentrations associated with BV using a global metabolomics approach. We further validated important metabolites using samples from a second cohort of women and a different platform to measure metabolites. In the primary study, we compared metabolite profiles in cervicovaginal lavage fluid from 40 women with BV and 20 women without BV. Vaginal bacterial representation was determined using broad-range PCR with pyrosequencing and concentrations of bacteria by quantitative PCR. We detected 279 named biochemicals; levels of 62% of metabolites were significantly different in women with BV. Unsupervised clustering of metabolites separated women with and without BV. Women with BV have metabolite profiles marked by lower concentrations of amino acids and dipeptides, concomitant with higher levels of amino acid catabolites and polyamines. Higher levels of the signaling eicosanoid 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), a biomarker for inflammation, were noted in BV. Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus jensenii exhibited similar metabolite correlation patterns, which were distinct from correlation patterns exhibited by BV-associated bacteria. Several metabolites were significantly associated with clinical signs and symptoms (Amsel criteria) used to diagnose BV, and no metabolite was associated with all four clinical criteria. BV has strong metabolic signatures across multiple metabolic pathways, and these signatures are associated with the presence and concentrations of particular bacteria.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common but highly enigmatic condition that is associated with adverse outcomes for women and their neonates. Small molecule metabolites in the vagina may influence host physiology, affect microbial community composition, and impact risk of adverse health outcomes, but few studies have comprehensively studied the metabolomics profile of BV. Here, we used mass spectrometry to link specific metabolites with particular bacteria detected in the human vagina by PCR. BV was associated with strong metabolic signatures across multiple pathways affecting amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism, highlighting the profound metabolic changes in BV. These signatures were associated with the presence and concentrations of particular vaginal bacteria, including some bacteria yet to be cultivated, thereby providing clues as to the microbial origin of many metabolites. Insights from this study provide opportunities for developing new diagnostic markers of BV and novel approaches for treatment or prevention of BV.

Experimental strategies for functional annotation and metabolism discovery: targeted screening of solute binding proteins and unbiased panning of metabolomes

The rate at which genome sequencing data is accruing demands enhanced methods for functional annotation and metabolism discovery. Solute binding proteins (SBPs) facilitate the transport of the first reactant in a metabolic pathway, thereby constraining the regions of chemical space and the chemistries that must be considered for pathway reconstruction. We describe high-throughput protein production and differential scanning fluorimetry platforms, which enabled the screening of 158 SBPs against a 189 component library specifically tailored for this class of proteins. Like all screening efforts, this approach is limited by the practical constraints imposed by construction of the library, i.e., we can study only those metabolites that are known to exist and which can be made in sufficient quantities for experimentation. To move beyond these inherent limitations, we illustrate the promise of crystallographic- and mass spectrometric-based approaches for the unbiased use of entire metabolomes as screening libraries. Together, our approaches identified 40 new SBP ligands, generated experiment-based annotations for 2084 SBPs in 71 isofunctional clusters, and defined numerous metabolic pathways, including novel catabolic pathways for the utilization of ethanolamine as sole nitrogen source and the use of d-Ala-d-Ala as sole carbon source. These efforts begin to define an integrated strategy for realizing the full value of amassing genome sequence data.

Bioinformatic analysis of a PLP-dependent enzyme superfamily suitable for biocatalytic applications

In this review we analyse structure/sequence-function relationships for the superfamily of PLP-dependent enzymes with special emphasis on class III transaminases. Amine transaminases are highly important for applications in biocatalysis in the synthesis of chiral amines. In addition, other enzyme activities such as racemases or decarboxylases are also discussed. The substrate scope and the ability to accept chemically different types of substrates are shown to be reflected in conserved patterns of amino acids around the active site. These findings are condensed in a sequence-function matrix, which facilitates annotation and identification of biocatalytically relevant enzymes and protein engineering thereof.

Structure of putrescine aminotransferase from Escherichia coli provides insights into the substrate specificity among class III aminotransferases

YgjG is a putrescine aminotransferase enzyme that transfers amino groups from compounds with terminal primary amines to compounds with an aldehyde group using pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP) as a cofactor. Previous biochemical data show that the enzyme prefers primary diamines, such as putrescine, over ornithine as a substrate. To better understand the enzyme's substrate specificity, crystal structures of YgjG from Escherichia coli were determined at 2.3 and 2.1 Å resolutions for the free and putrescine-bound enzymes, respectively. Sequence and structural analyses revealed that YgjG forms a dimer that adopts a class III PLP-dependent aminotransferase fold. A structural comparison between YgjG and other class III aminotransferases revealed that their structures are similar. However, YgjG has an additional N-terminal helical structure that partially contributes to a dimeric interaction with the other subunit via a helix-helix interaction. Interestingly, the YgjG substrate-binding site entrance size and charge distribution are smaller and more hydrophobic than other class III aminotransferases, which suggest that YgjG has a unique substrate binding site that could accommodate primary aliphatic diamine substrates, including putrescine. The YgjG crystal structures provide structural clues to putrescine aminotransferase substrate specificity and binding.

Elimination of polyamine N-acetylation and regulatory engineering improved putrescine production by Corynebacterium glutamicum

Corynebacterium glutamicum has been engineered for production of the polyamide monomer putrescine or 1,4-diaminobutane. Here, N-acetylputrescine was shown to be a significant by-product of putrescine production by recombinant putrescine producing C. glutamicum strains. A systematic gene deletion approach of 18 (putative) N-acetyltransferase genes revealed that the cg1722 gene product was responsible for putrescine acetylation. The encoded enzyme was purified and characterized as polyamine N-acetyltransferase. The enzyme accepted acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA as donors for acetylation of putrescine and other diamines as acceptors, but showed highest catalytic efficiency with the triamine spermidine and the tetraamine spermine and, hence, was named SnaA. Upon deletion of snaA in the putrescine producing strain PUT21, no acteylputrescine accumulated, but about 41% more putrescine as compared to the parent strain. Moreover, a transcriptome approach identified increased expression of the cgmAR operon encoding a putative permease and a transcriptional TetR-family repressor upon induction of putrescine production in C. glutamicum PUT21. CgmR is known to bind to cgmO upstream of cgmAR and gel mobility shift experiments with purified CgmR revealed that putrescine and other diamines perturbed CgmR-cgmO complex formation, but not migration of free cgmO DNA. Deletion of the repressor gene cgmR resulted in expression changes of a number of genes and increased putrescine production of C. glutamicum PUT21 by 19% as compared to the parent strain. Overexpression of the putative transport gene cgmA increased putrescine production by 24% as compared to the control strain. However, cgmA overexpression in PUT21ΔsnaA did not further improve putrescine production, hence, the beneficial effects of both targets were not synergistic at the highest described yield of 0.21 g g(-1).

Inactivation of agmatinase expressed in vegetative cells alters arginine catabolism and prevents diazotrophic growth in the heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena

Arginine decarboxylase produces agmatine, and arginase and agmatinase are ureohydrolases that catalyze the production of ornithine and putrescine from arginine and agmatine, respectively, releasing urea. In the genome of the filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, ORF alr2310 putatively encodes an ureohydrolase. Cells of Anabaena supplemented with [¹⁴C]arginine took up and catabolized this amino acid generating a set of labeled amino acids that included ornithine, proline, and glutamate. In an alr2310 deletion mutant, an agmatine spot appeared and labeled glutamate increased with respect to the wild type, suggesting that Alr2310 is an agmatinase rather than an arginase. As determined in cell-free extracts, agmatinase activity could be detected in the wild type but not in the mutant. Thus, alr2310 is the Anabaena speB gene encoding agmatinase. The Δalr2310 mutant accumulated large amounts of cyanophycin granule polypeptide, lacked nitrogenase activity, and did not grow diazotrophically. Growth tests in solid media showed that agmatine is inhibitory for Anabaena, especially under diazotrophic conditions, suggesting that growth of the mutant is inhibited by non-metabolized agmatine. Measurements of incorporation of radioactivity from [¹⁴C]leucine into macromolecules showed, however, a limited inhibition of protein synthesis in the Δalr2310 mutant. Analysis of an Anabaena strain producing an Alr2310-GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion showed expression in vegetative cells but much less in heterocysts, implying compartmentalization of the arginine decarboxylation pathway in the diazotrophic filaments of this heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium.

Expression levels of transcription factors in Escherichia coli: growth phase- and growth condition-dependent variation of 90 regulators from six families

The expression pattern of the genome in Escherichia coli is controlled by regulating the utilization of a limited number of RNA polymerases between a total of 4600 genes on its genome. The distribution pattern of RNA polymerase on the genome changes after two steps of protein–protein interaction with seven sigma subunits and about 300 transcription factors (TFs). Based on a systematic search for the regulation target promoters recognized by each TF, we propose two novel concepts: each TF regulates a number of target promoters; and each promoter is regulated by many TFs. In parallel, attempts have been made to determine the intracellular concentrations of all TFs using two systems: quantitative immunoblot analysis using TF-specific antibodies; and reporter assay of TF promoter activities. The direct measurement of TF protein level has so far been published for a set of 60 regulators with known functions. This study describes the determination of growth phase-dependent expression levels of 90 TFs using the reporter assay system. The translational fusion vector was constructed from the TF promoter sequence including an N-terminal proximal TF segment and the reporter GFP. At the beginning of cell growth, high-level expression was observed only for a small number of TFs. In the exponential phase, approximately 80 % TFs are expressed, but the expressed TF species change upon transfer to the stationary phase. Significant changes in the pattern of TF expression were observed between aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The list of intracellular levels of TFs provides further understanding to the transcription regulation of the E. coli genome under various stressful conditions.

Two mechanisms for putrescine-dependent transcriptional expression of the putrescine aminotransferase gene, ygjG, in Escherichia coli

In this study, on evaluating the physiological function and mechanism of putrescine, we found that putrescine supplementation (1 mM) increases transcription of the putrescine aminotransferase gene, ygjG. Putrescine-dependent expression was confirmed by measuring β-galactosidase activity and with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. To understand the role of putrescine in ygjG expression, we genetically characterized and found that a knockout mutation in an alternative sigma factor, rpoS, abolished putrescine-dependent ygjG-lacZ expression. In the rpoS mutant, RpoS overexpression complemented the mutant phenotype. However, RpoS overexpression induced ygjG-lacZ expression with putrescine supplementation but not without supplementation. We also found that the loss of putrescine-dependent ygjG-lacZ expression induced by rpoS was completely restored under nitrogen-starvation conditions. The putrescine-dependent expression of ygjG-lacZ under this condition was clearly dependent on another alternative sigma factor, rpoN, and its cognate activator ntrC. These results show that rpoS is required for putrescine-dependent ygjG-lacZ expression, but the effect of putrescine on this expression is not caused by simple modulation of RpoS synthesis. Putrescine-dependent expression of ygjG-lacZ was controlled by at least two sigma factors: rpoS under excess nitrogen conditions and rpoN under nitrogen-starvation conditions. These results suggest that putrescine plays an important role in the nitrogen regulation system.

Involvement of polyamine binding protein D (PotD) of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in spermidine uptake and excretion

The in vivo function of polyamine binding protein D (PotD) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for the transport of spermidine was investigated using Synechocystis mutant disrupted in potD gene. The growth rate of potD mutant was similar to that of wild-type when grown in BG11 medium. However, the mutant exhibited severely reduced growth compared to the wild-type when BG11 medium was supplemented with 0.5 mM spermidine. The mutant accumulated a higher spermidine level than the wild-type when grown in the medium with or without spermidine. Transport experiments revealed that the mutant had a reduction in both the uptake and the excretion of spermidine. Moreover, [(14)C]spermidine-loaded wild-type and mutant cells showed a decrease of [(14)C]spermidine excretion when the assay medium contained exogenous spermidine. These data suggest that PotD is involved in both the uptake and the excretion of spermidine in Synechocystis cells.

Deletion of potD, encoding a putative spermidine-binding protein, results in a complex phenotype in Legionella pneumophila

L. pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen that replicates in a membrane-bound compartment known as the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). We previously observed that the polyamine spermidine, produced by host cells or added exogenously, enhances the intracellular growth of L. pneumophila. To study this enhancing effect and determine whether polyamines are used as nutrients, we deleted potD from L. pneumophila strain JR32. The gene potD encodes a spermidine-binding protein that in other bacteria is essential for the function of the PotABCD polyamine transporter. Deletion of potD did not affect L. pneumophila growth in vitro in the presence or absence of spermidine and putrescine, suggesting that PotD plays a redundant or no role in polyamine uptake. However, deletion of potD resulted in a puzzlingly complex phenotype that included defects in L. pneumophila's ability to form filaments, tolerate Na(+), associate with macrophages and amoeba, recruit host vesicles to the LCV, and initiate intracellular growth. Moreover, the ΔpotD mutant was completely unable to grow in L929 cells treated with a pharmacological inhibitor of spermidine synthesis. These complex and disparate effects suggest that the L. pneumophila potD encodes either: (i) a multifunctional protein, (ii) a protein that interacts with, or regulates a, multifunctional protein, or (iii) a protein that contributes (directly or indirectly) to a regulatory network. Protein function studies with the L. pneumophila PotD protein are thus warranted.

Upregulation of colonic luminal polyamines produced by intestinal microbiota delays senescence in mice

Prevention of quality of life (QOL) deterioration is associated with the inhibition of geriatric diseases and the regulation of brain function. However, no substance is known that prevents the aging of both body and brain. It is known that polyamine concentrations in somatic tissues (including the brain) decrease with increasing age, and polyamine-rich foods enhance longevity in yeast, worms, flies, and mice, and protect flies from age-induced memory impairment. A main source of exogenous polyamines is the intestinal lumen, where they are produced by intestinal bacteria. We found that arginine intake increased the concentration of putrescine in the colon and increased levels of spermidine and spermine in the blood. Mice orally administered with arginine in combination with the probiotic bifidobacteria LKM512 long-term showed suppressed inflammation, improved longevity, and protection from age-induced memory impairment. This study shows that intake of arginine and LKM512 may prevent aging-dependent declines in QOL via the upregulation of polyamines.

Coordination of microbial metabolism

Beyond fuelling cellular activities with building blocks and energy, metabolism also integrates environmental conditions into intracellular signals. The underlying regulatory network is complex and multifaceted: it ranges from slow interactions, such as changing gene expression, to rapid ones, such as the modulation of protein activity via post-translational modification or the allosteric binding of small molecules. In this Review, we outline the coordination of common metabolic tasks, including nutrient uptake, central metabolism, the generation of energy, the supply of amino acids and protein synthesis. Increasingly, a set of key metabolites is recognized to control individual regulatory circuits, which carry out specific functions of information input and regulatory output. Such a modular view of microbial metabolism facilitates an intuitive understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie cellular decision making.

Use of a phosphonate methyltransferase in the identification of the fosfazinomycin biosynthetic gene cluster

Natural product discovery has been boosted by genome mining approaches, but compound purification is often still challenging. We report an enzymatic strategy for "stable isotope labeling of phosphonates in extract" (SILPE) that facilitates their purification. We used the phosphonate methyltransferase DhpI involved in dehydrophos biosynthesis to methylate a variety of phosphonate natural products in crude spent medium with a mixture of labeled and unlabeled S-adenosyl methionine. Mass-guided fractionation then allowed straightforward purification. We illustrate its utility by purifying a phosphonate that led to the identification of the fosfazinomycin biosynthetic gene cluster. This unusual natural product contains a hydrazide linker between a carboxylic acid and a phosphonic acid. Bioinformatic analysis of the gene cluster provides insights into how such a structure might be assembled.

Function of a glutamine synthetase-like protein in bacterial aniline oxidation via γ-glutamylanilide

Acinetobacter sp. strain YAA has five genes (atdA1 to atdA5) involved in aniline oxidation as a part of the aniline degradation gene cluster. From sequence analysis, the five genes were expected to encode a glutamine synthetase (GS)-like protein (AtdA1), a glutamine amidotransferase-like protein (AtdA2), and an aromatic compound dioxygenase (AtdA3, AtdA4, and AtdA5) (M. Takeo, T. Fujii, and Y. Maeda, J. Ferment. Bioeng. 85:17-24, 1998). A recombinant Pseudomonas strain harboring these five genes quantitatively converted aniline into catechol, demonstrating that catechol is the major oxidation product from aniline. To elucidate the function of the GS-like protein AtdA1 in aniline oxidation, we purified it from recombinant Escherichia coli harboring atdA1. The purified AtdA1 protein produced gamma-glutamylanilide (γ-GA) quantitatively from aniline and l-glutamate in the presence of ATP and MgCl2. This reaction was identical to glutamine synthesis by GS, except for the use of aniline instead of ammonia as the substrate. Recombinant Pseudomonas strains harboring the dioxygenase genes (atdA3 to atdA5) were unable to degrade aniline but converted γ-GA into catechol, indicating that γ-GA is an intermediate to catechol and a direct substrate for the dioxygenase. Unexpectedly, a recombinant Pseudomonas strain harboring only atdA2 hydrolyzed γ-GA into aniline, reversing the γ-GA formation by AtdA1. Deletion of atdA2 from atdA1 to atdA5 caused γ-GA accumulation from aniline in recombinant Pseudomonas cells and inhibited the growth of a recombinant Acinetobacter strain on aniline, suggesting that AtdA2 prevents γ-GA accumulation that is harmful to the host cell.

Molecular characterization of PauR and its role in control of putrescine and cadaverine catabolism through the γ-glutamylation pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 grows on a variety of polyamines as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Catabolism of polyamines is mediated by the γ-glutamylation pathway, which is complicated by the existence of multiple homologous enzymes with redundant specificities toward different polyamines for a more diverse metabolic capacity in this organism. Through a series of markerless gene knockout mutants and complementation tests, specific combinations of pauABCD (polyamine utilization) genes were deciphered for catabolism of different polyamines. Among six pauA genes, expression of pauA1, pauA2, pauA4, and pauA5 was found to be inducible by diamines putrescine (PUT) and cadaverine (CAD) but not by diaminopropane. Activation of these promoters was regulated by the PauR repressor, as evidenced by constitutively active promoters in the pauR mutant. The activities of these promoters were further enhanced by exogenous PUT or CAD in the mutant devoid of all six pauA genes. The recombinant PauR protein with a hexahistidine tag at its N terminus was purified, and specific bindings of PauR to the promoter regions of most pau operons were demonstrated by electromobility shift assays. Potential interactions of PUT and CAD with PauR were also suggested by chemical cross-linkage analysis with glutaraldehyde. In comparison, growth on PUT was more proficient than that on CAD, and this observed growth phenotype was reflected in a strong catabolite repression of pauA promoter activation by CAD but was completely absent as reflected by activation by PUT. In summary, this study clearly establishes the function of PauR in control of pau promoters in response to PUT and CAD for their catabolism through the γ-glutamylation pathway.

Putrescine importer PlaP contributes to swarming motility and urothelial cell invasion in Proteus mirabilis

Previously, we reported that the speA gene, encoding arginine decarboxylase, is required for swarming in the urinary tract pathogen Proteus mirabilis. In addition, this previous study suggested that putrescine may act as a cell-to-cell signaling molecule (Sturgill, G., and Rather, P. N. (2004) Mol. Microbiol. 51, 437-446). In this new study, PlaP, a putative putrescine importer, was characterized in P. mirabilis. In a wild-type background, a plaP null mutation resulted in a modest swarming defect and slightly decreased levels of intracellular putrescine. In a P. mirabilis speA mutant with greatly reduced levels of intracellular putrescine, plaP was required for the putrescine-dependent rescue of swarming motility. When a speA/plaP double mutant was grown in the presence of extracellular putrescine, the intracellular levels of putrescine were greatly reduced compared with the speA mutant alone, indicating that PlaP functioned as the primary putrescine importer. In urothelial cell invasion assays, a speA mutant exhibited a 50% reduction in invasion when compared with wild type, and this defect could be restored by putrescine in a PlaP-dependent manner. The putrescine analog Triamide-44 partially inhibited the uptake of putrescine by PlaP and decreased both putrescine stimulated swarming and urothelial cell invasion in a speA mutant.

Putrescine catabolism is a metabolic response to several stresses in Escherichia coli

Genes whose products degrade arginine and ornithine, precursors of putrescine synthesis, are activated by either regulators of the nitrogen-regulated (Ntr) response or σ(S) -RNA polymerase. To determine if dual control regulates a complete putrescine catabolic pathway, we examined expression of patA and patD, which specify the first two enzymes of one putrescine catabolic pathway. Assays of PatA (putrescine transaminase) activity and β-galactosidase from cells with patA-lacZ transcriptional and translational fusions indicate dual control of patA transcription and putrescine-stimulated patA translation. Similar assays for PatD indicate that patD transcription required σ(S) -RNA polymerase, and Nac, an Ntr regulator, enhanced the σ(S) -dependent transcription. Since Nac activation via σ(S) -RNA polymerase is without precedent, transcription with purified components was examined and the results confirmed this conclusion. This result indicates that the Ntr regulon can intrude into the σ(S) regulon. Strains lacking both polyamine catabolic pathways have defective responses to oxidative stress, high temperature and a sublethal concentration of an antibiotic. These defects and the σ(S) -dependent expression indicate that polyamine catabolism is a core metabolic response to stress.

Systems-level characterization and engineering of oxidative stress tolerance in Escherichia coli under anaerobic conditions

Despite many prior studies on microbial response to oxidative stress, our understanding of microbial tolerance against oxidative stress is currently limited to aerobic conditions, and few engineering strategies have been devised to resolve toxicity issues of oxidative stress under anaerobic conditions. Since biological processes, such as anaerobic fermentation, are frequently hampered by toxicity arising from oxidative stress, increased microbial tolerance against oxidative stress improves the overall productivity and yield of biological processes. Here, we show a systems-level analysis of oxidative stress response of Escherichia coli under anaerobic conditions, and present an engineering strategy to improve oxidative stress tolerance. First, we identified essential cellular mechanisms and regulatory factors underlying oxidative stress response under anaerobic conditions using a transcriptome analysis. In particular, we showed that nitrogen metabolisms and respiratory pathways were differentially regulated in response to oxidative stress under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Further, we demonstrated that among transcription factors with oxidative stress-derived perturbed activity, the deletion of arcA and arcB significantly improved oxidative stress tolerance under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively, whereas fnr was identified as an essential transcription factor for oxidative stress tolerance under anaerobic conditions. Moreover, we showed that oxidative stress increased the intracellular NADH : NAD(+) ratio under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, which indicates a regulatory role of NADH in oxidative stress tolerance. Based on this finding, we demonstrated that increased NADH availability through fdh1 overexpression significantly improved oxidative stress tolerance under aerobic conditions. Our results here provide novel insight into better understanding of cellular mechanisms underlying oxidative stress tolerance under anaerobic conditions, and into developing strain engineering strategies to enhance microbial tolerance against oxidative stress towards improved biological processes.

Structural determinants of substrate specificity in aldehyde dehydrogenases

Within the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) superfamily, proteins belonging to the ALDH9, ALDH10, ALDH25, ALDH26 and ALDH27 families display activity as ω-aminoaldehyde dehydrogenases (AMADHs). These enzymes participate in polyamine, choline and arginine catabolism, as well as in synthesis of several osmoprotectants and carnitine. Active site aromatic and acidic residues are involved in binding the ω-aminoaldehydes in plant ALDH10 enzymes. In order to ascertain the degree of conservation of these residues among AMADHs and to evaluate their possible relevance in determining the aminoaldehyde specificity, we compared the known amino acid sequences of every ALDH family that have at least one member with known crystal structure, as well as the electrostatic potential surface of the aldehyde binding sites of these structures. Our analyses showed that four or three aromatic residues form a similar "aromatic box" in the active site of the AMADH enzymes, being the equivalents to Phe170 and Trp177 (human ALDH2 numbering) strictly conserved in all of them, which supports their relevance in binding the aminoaldehyde by cation-π interactions. In addition, all AMADHs exhibit a negative electrostatic potential surface in the aldehyde-entrance tunnel, due to side-chain carboxyl and hydroxyl groups or main-chain carbonyl groups. In contrast, ALDHs that have non-polar or negatively charged substrates exhibit neutral or positive electrostatic potential surfaces, respectively. Finally, our comparative sequence analyses revealed that the residues equivalent to Asp121 and Phe170 are highly conserved in many ALDH families irrespective of their substrate specificity-suggesting that they perform a role in catalysis additional or different to binding of the substrate-and that the positions Met124, Cys301, and Cys303 are hot spots changed during evolution to confer aldehyde specificity to several ALDH families.

Genome-wide analysis of the Pho regulon in a pstCA mutant of Citrobacter rodentium

The phosphate-specific transport operon, pstSCAB-phoU, of Gram-negative bacteria is an essential part of the Pho regulon. Its key roles are to encode a high-affinity inorganic phosphate transport system and to prevent activation of PhoB in phosphate-rich environments. In general, mutations in pstSCAB-phoU lead to the constitutive expression of the Pho regulon. Previously, we constructed a pstCA deletion mutant of Citrobacter rodentium and found it to be attenuated for virulence in mice, its natural host. This attenuation was dependent on PhoB or PhoB-regulated gene(s) because a phoB mutation restored virulence for mice to the pstCA mutant. To investigate how downstream genes may contribute to the virulence of C. rodentium, we used microarray analysis to investigate global gene expression of C. rodentium strain ICC169 and its isogenic pstCA mutant when grown in phosphate-rich medium. Overall 323 genes of the pstCA mutant were differentially expressed by at least 1.5-fold compared to the wild-type C. rodentium. Of these 145 were up-regulated and 178 were down-regulated. Differentially expressed genes included some involved in phosphate homoeostasis, cellular metabolism and protein metabolism. A large number of genes involved in stress responses and of unknown function were also differentially expressed, as were some virulence-associated genes. Up-regulated virulence-associated genes in the pstCA mutant included that for DegP, a serine protease, which appeared to be directly regulated by PhoB. Down-regulated genes included those for the production of the urease, flagella, NleG8 (a type III-secreted protein) and the tad focus (which encodes type IVb pili in Yersinia enterocolitica). Infection studies using C57/BL6 mice showed that DegP and NleG8 play a role in bacterial virulence. Overall, our study provides evidence that Pho is a global regulator of gene expression in C. rodentium and indicates the presence of at least two previously unrecognized virulence determinants of C. rodentium, namely, DegP and NleG8.

Pathway and enzyme redundancy in putrescine catabolism in Escherichia coli

Putrescine as the sole carbon source requires a novel catabolic pathway with glutamylated intermediates. Nitrogen limitation does not induce genes of this glutamylated putrescine (GP) pathway but instead induces genes for a putrescine catabolic pathway that starts with a transaminase-dependent deamination. We determined pathway utilization with putrescine as the sole nitrogen source by examining mutants with defects in both pathways. Blocks in both the GP and transaminase pathways were required to prevent growth with putrescine as the sole nitrogen source. Genetic and biochemical analyses showed redundant enzymes for γ-aminobutyraldehyde dehydrogenase (PatD/YdcW and PuuC), γ-aminobutyrate transaminase (GabT and PuuE), and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (GabD and PuuC). PuuC is a nonspecific aldehyde dehydrogenase that oxidizes all the aldehydes in putrescine catabolism. A puuP mutant failed to use putrescine as the nitrogen source, which implies one major transporter for putrescine as the sole nitrogen source. Analysis of regulation of the GP pathway shows induction by putrescine and not by a product of putrescine catabolism and shows that putrescine accumulates in puuA, puuB, and puuC mutants but not in any other mutant. We conclude that two independent sets of enzymes can completely degrade putrescine to succinate and that their relative importance depends on the environment.

Mechanism for regulation of the putrescine utilization pathway by the transcription factor PuuR in Escherichia coli K-12

In Escherichia coli, putrescine is metabolized to succinate for use as a carbon and nitrogen source by the putrescine utilization pathway (Puu pathway). One gene in the puu gene cluster encodes a transcription factor, PuuR, which has a helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif. DNA microarray analysis of an E. coli puuR mutant, in which three amino acid residues in the helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif of PuuR were mutated to alanine to eliminate DNA binding of PuuR, suggested that PuuR is a negative regulator of puu genes. Results of gel shift and DNase I footprint analyses suggested that PuuR binds to the promoter regions of puuA and puuD. The binding of wild-type PuuR to a DNA probe containing PuuR recognition sites was diminished with increasing putrescine concentrations in vitro. These results suggest that PuuR regulates the intracellular putrescine concentration by the transcriptional regulation of genes in the Puu pathway, including puuR itself. The puu gene cluster is found in E. coli and closely related enterobacteria, but this gene cluster is uncommon in other bacterial groups. E. coli and related enterobacteria may have gained the Puu pathway as an adaptation for survival in the mammalian intestine, an environment in which polyamines exist at relatively high concentrations.

Metatranscriptomic signature of exogenous polyamine utilization by coastal bacterioplankton

The polyamines putrescine (PUT) and spermidine (SPD) are ubiquitous in seawater, but mechanisms that drive the degradation of these important nitrogen sources by marine bacteria remain unclear. We employed a comparative metatranscriptomics approach to compare gene transcription patterns between coastal bacterioplankton communities with and without amendments of PUT or SPD, in an effort to understand how bacterial communities and their genes shape polyamine biogeochemistry in the ocean. Statistically different transcript categories in the PUT (25 COG groups) and SPD (23 COG groups) samples, relative to controls that received no amendment (CTRL), indicated that genes encoding the cellular translation machinery and the metabolism of organic nitrogen and carbon became enriched in the community transcriptome when polyamine availability increased. Of the three known pathways for bacterial polyamine degradation, only genes in the transamination pathway were enriched in the PUT and SPD libraries, suggesting that this route dominated polyamine degradation. Taxonomic affiliation of significantly enriched diagnostic genes in the PUT and SPD libraries pointed to roseobacter- and SAR11-affiliated bacteria as the predominant taxa driving transformation in this coastal ocean, although other diverse marine bacterioplankton groups (Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes) also contributed to polyamine-related gene transcription.

α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase from infant-associated bifidobacteria belonging to novel glycoside hydrolase family 129 is implicated in alternative mucin degradation pathway

Bifidobacteria inhabit the lower intestine of mammals including humans where the mucin gel layer forms a space for commensal bacteria. We previously identified that infant-associated bifidobacteria possess an extracellular membrane-bound endo-α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (EngBF) that may be involved in degradation and assimilation of mucin-type oligosaccharides. However, EngBF is highly specific for core-1-type O-glycan (Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr), also called T antigen, which is mainly attached onto gastroduodenal mucins. By contrast, core-3-type O-glycans (GlcNAcβ1-3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr) are predominantly found on the mucins in the intestines. Here, we identified a novel α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (NagBb) from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM 1254 that hydrolyzes the Tn antigen (GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr). Sialyl and galactosyl core-3 (Galβ1-3/4GlcNAcβ1-3(Neu5Acα2-6)GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr), a major tetrasaccharide structure on MUC2 mucin primarily secreted from goblet cells in human sigmoid colon, can be serially hydrolyzed into Tn antigen by previously identified bifidobacterial extracellular glycosidases such as α-sialidase (SiaBb2), lacto-N-biosidase (LnbB), β-galactosidase (BbgIII), and β-N-acetylhexosaminidases (BbhI and BbhII). Because NagBb is an intracellular enzyme without an N-terminal secretion signal sequence, it is likely involved in intracellular degradation and assimilation of Tn antigen-containing polypeptides, which might be incorporated through unknown transporters. Thus, bifidobacteria possess two distinct pathways for assimilation of O-glycans on gastroduodenal and intestinal mucins. NagBb homologs are conserved in infant-associated bifidobacteria, suggesting a significant role for their adaptation within the infant gut, and they were found to form a new glycoside hydrolase family 129.

Cytosolic γ-glutamyl peptidases process glutathione conjugates in the biosynthesis of glucosinolates and camalexin in Arabidopsis

The defense-related plant metabolites known as glucosinolates play important roles in agriculture, ecology, and human health. Despite an advanced biochemical understanding of the glucosinolate pathway, the source of the reduced sulfur atom in the core glucosinolate structure remains unknown. Recent evidence has pointed toward GSH, which would require further involvement of a GSH conjugate processing enzyme. In this article, we show that an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant impaired in the production of the γ-glutamyl peptidases GGP1 and GGP3 has altered glucosinolate levels and accumulates up to 10 related GSH conjugates. We also show that the double mutant is impaired in the production of camalexin and accumulates high amounts of the camalexin intermediate GS-IAN upon induction. In addition, we demonstrate that the cellular and subcellular localization of GGP1 and GGP3 matches that of known glucosinolate and camalexin enzymes. Finally, we show that the purified recombinant GGPs can metabolize at least nine of the 10 glucosinolate-related GSH conjugates as well as GS-IAN. Our results demonstrate that GSH is the sulfur donor in the biosynthesis of glucosinolates and establish an in vivo function for the only known cytosolic plant γ-glutamyl peptidases, namely, the processing of GSH conjugates in the glucosinolate and camalexin pathways.

Functional characterization of seven γ-Glutamylpolyamine synthetase genes and the bauRABCD locus for polyamine and β-Alanine utilization in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and many other bacteria can utilize biogenic polyamines, including diaminopropane (DAP), putrescine (Put), cadaverine (Cad), and spermidine (Spd), as carbon and/or nitrogen sources. Transcriptome analysis in response to exogenous Put and Spd led to the identification of a list of genes encoding putative enzymes for the catabolism of polyamines. Among them, pauA1 to pauA6, pauB1 to pauB4, pauC, and pauD1 and pauD2 (polyamine utilization) encode enzymes homologous to Escherichia coli PuuABCD of the γ-glutamylation pathway in converting Put into GABA. A series of unmarked pauA mutants was constructed for growth phenotype analysis. The results revealed that it requires specific combinations of pauA knockouts to abolish utilization of different polyamines and support the importance of γ-glutamylation for polyamine catabolism in P. aeruginosa. Another finding was that the list of Spd-inducible genes overlaps almost completely with that of Put-inducible ones except the pauA3B2 operon and the bauABCD operon (β-alanine utilization). Mutation analysis led to the conclusion that pauA3B2 participate in catabolism of DAP, which is related to the aminopropyl moiety of Spd, and that bauABCD are essential for growth on β-alanine derived from DAP (or Spd) catabolism via the γ-glutamylation pathway. Measurements of the pauA3-lacZ and bauA-lacZ expression indicated that these two promoters were differentially induced by Spd, DAP, and β-alanine but showed no apparent response to Put, Cad, and GABA. Induction of the pauA3 and bauA promoters was abolished in the bauR mutant. The recombinant BauR protein was purified to demonstrate its interactions with the pauA3 and bauA regulatory regions in vitro. In summary, the present study support that the γ-glutamylation pathway for polyamine utilization is evolutionarily conserved in E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. and is further expanded in Pseudomonas to accommodate a more diverse metabolic capacity in this group of microorganisms.

Biotechnological production of polyamines by bacteria: recent achievements and future perspectives

In Bacteria, the pathways of polyamine biosynthesis start with the amino acids L-lysine, L-ornithine, L-arginine, or L-aspartic acid. Some of these polyamines are of special interest due to their use in the production of engineering plastics (e.g., polyamides) or as curing agents in polymer applications. At present, the polyamines for industrial use are mainly synthesized on chemical routes. However, since a commercial market for polyamines as well as an industry for the fermentative production of amino acid exist, and since bacterial strains overproducing the polyamine precursors L-lysine, L-ornithine, and L-arginine are known, it was envisioned to engineer these amino acid-producing strains for polyamine production. Only recently, researchers have investigated the potential of amino acid-producing strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli for polyamine production. This mini-review illustrates the current knowledge of polyamine metabolism in Bacteria, including anabolism, catabolism, uptake, and excretion. The recent advances in engineering the industrial model bacteria C. glutamicum and E. coli for efficient production of the most promising polyamines, putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane), and cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane), are discussed in more detail.

A novel putrescine importer required for type 1 pili-driven surface motility induced by extracellular putrescine in Escherichia coli K-12

Recently, many studies have reported that polyamines play a role in bacterial cell-to-cell signaling processes. The present study describes a novel putrescine importer required for induction of type 1 pili-driven surface motility. The surface motility of the Escherichia coli ΔspeAB ΔspeC ΔpotABCD strain, which cannot produce putrescine and cannot import spermidine from the medium, was induced by extracellular putrescine. Introduction of the gene deletions for known polyamine importers (ΔpotE, ΔpotFGHI, and ΔpuuP) or a putative polyamine importer (ΔydcSTUV) into the ΔspeAB ΔspeC ΔpotABCD strain did not affect putrescine-induced surface motility. The deletion of yeeF, an annotated putative putrescine importer, in the ΔspeAB ΔspeC ΔpotABCD ΔydcSTUV strain abolished surface motility in putrescine-supplemented medium. Complementation of yeeF by a plasmid vector restored surface motility. The surface motility observed in the present study was abolished by the deletion of fimA, suggesting that the surface motility is type 1 pili-driven. A transport assay using the yeeF(+) or ΔyeeF strains revealed that YeeF is a novel putrescine importer. The K(m) of YeeF (155 μM) is 40 to 300 times higher than that of other importers reported previously. On the other hand, the V(max) of YeeF (9.3 nmol/min/mg) is comparable to that of PotABCD, PotFGHI, and PuuP. The low affinity of YeeF for putrescine may allow E. coli to sense the cell density depending on the concentration of extracellular putrescine.

Identification and assays of polyamine transport systems in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Polyamine content in cells is regulated by biosynthesis, degradation, and transport. With regard to transport, uptake and excretion proteins exist in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In E. coli, the uptake systems comprise a spermidine-preferential uptake system consisting of the PotA, B, C, and D proteins, and a putrescine-specific uptake system consisting of the PotF, G, H, and I proteins. Two other proteins, PotE and CadB, each containing 12 transmembrane segments, function as antiporters (putrescine-ornithine and cadaverine-lysine) and are important for cell growth at acidic pH. MdtJI was identified as a spermidine excretion system. When putrescine was used as energy source, PuuP functioned as a putrescine transporter. In S. cerevisiae, DUR3 and SAM3, containing 16 or 12 transmembrane segments, are the major polyamine uptake proteins, whereas TPO1 and TPO5, containing 12 transmembrane segments, are the major polyamine excretion proteins, and UGA4 is a putrescine transporter on the vacuolar membrane. The activities of DUR3 and TPO1 are regulated by phosphorylation of serine/threonine residues. The identification and assay procedures of these transporters are described in this chapter.

Gene cloning and biochemical characterization of a NAD(P)+ -dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase from Bacillus licheniformis

A putative aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene, ybcD (gene locus b1467), was identified in the genome sequence of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 14580. B. licheniformis ALDH (BlALDH) encoded by ybcD consists of 488 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of approximately 52.7 kDa. The coding sequence of ybcD gene was cloned in pQE-31, and functionally expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli M15. BlALDH had a subunit molecular mass of approximately 53 kDa and the molecular mass of the native enzyme was determined to be 220 kDa by FPLC, reflecting that the oilgomeric state of this enzyme is tetrameric. The temperature and pH optima for BlALDH were 37 degrees C and 7.0, respectively. In the presence of either NAD(+) or NADP(+), the enzyme could oxidize a number of aliphatic aldehydes, particularly C3- and C5-aliphatic aldehyde. Steady-state kinetic study revealed that BlALDH had a K (M) value of 0.46 mM and a k (cat) value of 49.38/s when propionaldehyde was used as the substrate. BlALDH did not require metal ions for its enzymatic reaction, whereas the dehydrogenase activity was enhanced by the addition of disulfide reductants, 2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol. Taken together, this study lays a foundation for future structure-function studies with BlALDH, a typical member of NAD(P)(+)-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenases.

Identification and functions of amino acid residues in PotB and PotC involved in spermidine uptake activity

Amino acid residues on PotB and PotC involved in spermidine uptake were identified by random and site-directed mutagenesis. It was found that Trp(8), Tyr(43), Trp(100), Leu(110), and Tyr(261) in PotB and Trp(46), Asp(108), Glu(169), Ser(196), Asp(198), and Asp(199) in PotC were strongly involved in spermidine uptake and that Tyr(160), Glu(172), and Leu(274) in PotB and Tyr(19), Tyr(88), Tyr(148), Glu(160), Leu(195), and Tyr(211) in PotC were moderately involved in spermidine uptake. Among 11 amino acid residues that were strongly involved in spermidine uptake, Trp(8) in PotB was important for insertion of PotB and PotC into membranes. Tyr(43), Trp(100), and Leu(110) in PotB and Trp(46), Asp(108), Ser(196), and Asp(198) in PotC were found to be involved in the interaction with PotD. Leu(110) and Tyr(261) in PotB and Asp(108), Asp(198), and Asp(199) in PotC were involved in the recognition of spermidine, and Trp(100) and Tyr(261) in PotB and Asp(108), Glu(169), and Asp(198) in PotC were involved in ATPase activity of PotA. Accordingly, Trp(100) in PotB was involved in both PotD recognition and ATPase activity, Leu(110) in PotB was involved in both PotD and spermidine recognition, and Tyr(261) in PotB was involved in both spermidine recognition and ATPase activity. Asp(108) and Asp(198) in PotC were involved in PotD and spermidine recognition as well as ATPase activity. These results suggest that spermidine passage from PotD to the cytoplasm is coupled to the ATPase activity of PotA through a structural change of PotA by its ATPase activity.

Global proteomics reveal an atypical strategy for carbon/nitrogen assimilation by a cyanobacterium under diverse environmental perturbations

Cyanobacteria, the only prokaryotes capable of oxygenic photosynthesis, are present in diverse ecological niches and play crucial roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycles. To proliferate in nature, cyanobacteria utilize a host of stress responses to accommodate periodic changes in environmental conditions. A detailed knowledge of the composition of, as well as the dynamic changes in, the proteome is necessary to gain fundamental insights into such stress responses. Toward this goal, we have performed a large-scale proteomic analysis of the widely studied model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under 33 different environmental conditions. The resulting high-quality dataset consists of 22,318 unique peptides corresponding to 1955 proteins, a coverage of 53% of the predicted proteome. Quantitative determination of protein abundances has led to the identification of 1198 differentially regulated proteins. Notably, our analysis revealed that a common stress response under various environmental perturbations, irrespective of amplitude and duration, is the activation of atypical pathways for the acquisition of carbon and nitrogen from urea and arginine. In particular, arginine is catabolized via putrescine to produce succinate and glutamate, sources of carbon and nitrogen, respectively. This study provides the most comprehensive functional and quantitative analysis of the Synechocystis proteome to date, and shows that a significant stress response of cyanobacteria involves an uncommon mode of acquisition of carbon and nitrogen.

A putrescine-inducible pathway comprising PuuE-YneI in which gamma-aminobutyrate is degraded into succinate in Escherichia coli K-12

Gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) is metabolized to succinic semialdehyde by GABA aminotransferase (GABA-AT), and the succinic semialdehyde is subsequently oxidized to succinate by succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH). In Escherichia coli, there are duplicate GABA-ATs (GabT and PuuE) and duplicate SSADHs (GabD and YneI). While GabT and GabD have been well studied previously, the characterization and expression analysis of PuuE and YneI are yet to be investigated. By analyzing the amino acid profiles in cells of DeltapuuE and/or DeltagabT mutants, this study demonstrated that PuuE plays an important role in GABA metabolism in E. coli cells. The similarity of the amino acid sequences of PuuE and GabT is 67.4%, and it was biochemically demonstrated that the catalytic center of GabT is conserved as an amino acid residue important for the enzymatic activity in PuuE as Lys-247. However, the regulation of expression of PuuE is significantly different from that of GabT. PuuE is induced by the addition of putrescine to the medium and is repressed by succinate and low aeration conditions; in contrast, GabT is almost constitutive. Similarly, YneI is induced by putrescine, while GabD is not. For E. coli, PuuE is important for utilization of putrescine as a sole nitrogen source and both PuuE and YneI are important for utilization of putrescine as a sole carbon source. The results demonstrate that the PuuE-YneI pathway was a putrescine-inducible GABA degradation pathway for utilizing putrescine as a nutrient source.

Characteristics of cellular polyamine transport in prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Polyamine content in cells is regulated by biosynthesis, degradation and transport. In Escherichia coli, there are two polyamine uptake systems, namely spermidine-preferential (PotABCD) and putrescine-specific (PotFGHI), which belong to the family of ATP binding cassette transporters. Putrescine-ornithine and cadaverine-lysine antiporters, PotE and CadB, each consisting of 12 transmembrane segments, are important for cell growth at acidic pH. Spermidine excretion protein (MdtJI) was also recently identified. When putrescine was used as energy source, PuuP functioned as a putrescine transporter. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, there are four kinds of polyamine uptake proteins (DUR3, SAM3, GAP1 and AGP2), consisting of either 12 or 16 transmembrane segments. Among them, DUR3 and SAM3 mostly contribute to polyamine uptake. There are also five kinds of polyamine excretion proteins (TPO1-5), consisting of 12 transmembrane segments. Among them, TPO1 and TPO5 are the most active proteins. Since a polyamine metabolizing enzyme, spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase, is not present in yeast, five kinds of excretion proteins may exist. The current status of polyamine transport in mammalian and plant cells are reviewed.