The Escherichia coli Cpx envelope stress response regulates genes of diverse function that impact antibiotic resistance and membrane integrity

Fine-Tuning of the Cpx Envelope Stress Response Is Required for Cell Wall Homeostasis in Escherichia coli

The envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is an essential compartment that constitutes a protective and permeability barrier between the cell and its environment. The envelope also hosts the cell wall, a mesh-like structure made of peptidoglycan (PG) that determines cell shape and provides osmotic protection. Since the PG must grow and divide in a cell-cycle-synchronized manner, its synthesis and remodeling are tightly regulated. Here, we discovered that PG homeostasis is intimately linked to the levels of activation of the Cpx system, an envelope stress response system traditionally viewed as being involved in protein quality control in the envelope. We first show that Cpx is activated when PG integrity is challenged and that this activation provides protection to cells exposed to antibiotics inhibiting PG synthesis. By rerouting the outer membrane lipoprotein NlpE, a known Cpx activator, to a different envelope subcompartment, we managed to manipulate Cpx activation levels. We found that Cpx overactivation leads to aberrant cellular morphologies, to an increased sensitivity to β-lactams, and to dramatic division and growth defects, consistent with a loss of PG homeostasis. Remarkably, these phenotypes were largely abrogated by the deletion of ldtD, a Cpx-induced gene involved in noncanonical PG cross-linkage, suggesting that this transpeptidase is an important link between PG homeostasis and the Cpx system. Altogether our data show that fine-tuning of an envelope quality control system constitutes an important layer of regulation of the highly organized cell wall structure.

The envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is essential for viability. First, it includes the cell wall, a continuous polymer of peptidoglycan (PG) that determines cell morphology and protects against osmotic stress. Moreover, the envelope constitutes a protective barrier between the cell interior and the environment. Therefore, mechanisms called envelope stress response systems (ESRS) exist to monitor and defend envelope integrity against harmful conditions. Cpx is a major ESRS that detects and manages the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the envelope of Escherichia coli. We found that this protein quality control system also plays a fundamental role in the regulation of PG assembly. Strikingly, the level of Cpx response is critical, as an excessive activation leads to phenotypes associated with a loss of cell wall integrity. Thus, by contributing to PG homeostasis, the Cpx system lies at the crossroads between key processes of bacterial life, including cell shape, growth, division, and antibiotic resistance.

Network-Based Analysis of eQTL Data to Prioritize Driver Mutations

In clonal systems, interpreting driver genes in terms of molecular networks helps understanding how these drivers elicit an adaptive phenotype. Obtaining such a network-based understanding depends on the correct identification of driver genes. In clonal systems, independent evolved lines can acquire a similar adaptive phenotype by affecting the same molecular pathways, a phenomenon referred to as parallelism at the molecular pathway level. This implies that successful driver identification depends on interpreting mutated genes in terms of molecular networks. Driver identification and obtaining a network-based understanding of the adaptive phenotype are thus confounded problems that ideally should be solved simultaneously. In this study, a network-based eQTL method is presented that solves both the driver identification and the network-based interpretation problem. As input the method uses coupled genotype-expression phenotype data (eQTL data) of independently evolved lines with similar adaptive phenotypes and an organism-specific genome-wide interaction network. The search for mutational consistency at pathway level is defined as a subnetwork inference problem, which consists of inferring a subnetwork from the genome-wide interaction network that best connects the genes containing mutations to differentially expressed genes. Based on their connectivity with the differentially expressed genes, mutated genes are prioritized as driver genes. Based on semisynthetic data and two publicly available data sets, we illustrate the potential of the network-based eQTL method to prioritize driver genes and to gain insights in the molecular mechanisms underlying an adaptive phenotype. The method is available at http://bioinformatics.intec.ugent.be/phenetic_eqtl/index.html

A 3' UTR-Derived Small RNA Provides the Regulatory Noncoding Arm of the Inner Membrane Stress Response

Small RNAs (sRNAs) from conserved noncoding genes are crucial regulators in bacterial signaling pathways but have remained elusive in the Cpx response to inner membrane stress. Here we report that an alternative biogenesis pathway releasing the conserved mRNA 3' UTR of stress chaperone CpxP as an ∼60-nt sRNA provides the noncoding arm of the Cpx response. This so-called CpxQ sRNA, generated by general mRNA decay through RNase E, acts as an Hfq-dependent repressor of multiple mRNAs encoding extracytoplasmic proteins. Both CpxQ and the Cpx pathway are required for cell survival under conditions of dissipation of membrane potential. Our discovery of CpxQ illustrates how the conversion of a transcribed 3' UTR into an sRNA doubles the output of a single mRNA to produce two factors with spatially segregated functions during inner membrane stress: a chaperone that targets problematic proteins in the periplasm and a regulatory RNA that dampens their synthesis in the cytosol.

In vitro evidence that RNA Polymerase acetylation and acetyl phosphate-dependent CpxR phosphorylation affect cpxP transcription regulation

The central metabolite acetyl phosphate (acP) has long been proposed to influence transcription regulation by directly transferring its phosphoryl group to a number of response regulators in many bacterial species. Here, we provide in vitro evidence for this proposition and demonstrate, using an in vitro transcription system, that acP-dependent phosphorylation of aspartate 51 of CpxR induces transcription of one of its regulon members in E. coli, cpxP. We also used this in vitro transcription system to extend our previously reported in vivo data that hypothesized that acetylation of RNA polymerase (RNAP) influences acP-dependent cpxP transcription, using glutamine as a genetic mimic for acetylated arginine 291 of the carboxy-terminal domain of RNAP α subunit. The data we present here lend strong support to the hypothesis that acP has a direct effect on transcription regulation in E. coli via phosphorylation of CpxR, and that RNAP acetylation can modulate this response.

The Surface Sensor NlpE of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Contributes to Regulation of the Type III Secretion System and Flagella by the Cpx Response to Adhesion

Although the adhesion of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is central to the EHEC-host interaction during infection, it remains unclear how such adhesion regulates virulence factors. Adhesion to abiotic surfaces by E. coli has been reported to be an outer membrane lipoprotein NlpE-dependent activation cue of the Cpx pathway. Therefore, we investigated the role of NlpE in EHEC on the adhesion-mediated expression of virulence genes. NlpE in EHEC contributed to upregulation of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes encoded type III secretion system and to downregulated expression of the flagellin gene by activation of the Cpx pathway during adherence to hydrophobic glass beads and undifferentiated Caco-2 cells. Moreover, LysR homologue A (LrhA) in EHEC was involved in regulating the expression of the LEE genes and flagellin gene in response to adhesion. Gel mobility shift analysis revealed that response regulator CpxR bound to the lrhA promoter region and thereby regulated expressions of the LEE genes and flagellin gene via the transcriptional regulator LrhA in EHEC. Therefore, these results suggest that the sensing of adhesion signals via NlpE is important for regulation of the expression of the type III secretion system and flagella in EHEC during infection.

Regulation of bacterial virulence gene expression by cell envelope stress responses

The bacterial cytoplasm lies within a multilayered envelope that must be protected from internal and external hazards. This protection is provided by cell envelope stress responses (ESRs), which detect threats and reprogram gene expression to ensure survival. Pathogens frequently need these ESRs to survive inside the host, where their envelopes face dangerous environmental changes and attack from antimicrobial molecules. In addition, some virulence genes have become integrated into ESR regulons. This might be because these genes can protect the cell envelope from damage by host molecules, or it might help ESRs to reduce stress by moderating the assembly of virulence factors within the envelope. Alternatively, it could simply be a mechanism to coordinate the induction of virulence gene expression with entry into the host. Here, we briefly describe some of the bacterial ESRs, followed by examples where they control virulence gene expression in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens.

Oxidative stress and metabolic perturbations in Escherichia coli exposed to sublethal levels of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

The chlorophenoxy herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is used extensively worldwide despite its known toxicity and our limited understanding of how it affects non-target organisms. Escherichia coli is a suitable model organism to investigate toxicity and adaptation mechanisms in bacteria exposed to xenobiotic chemicals. We developed a methodical platform that uses atomic force microscopy, metabolomics and biochemical assays to quantify the response of E. coli exposed to sublethal levels of 2,4-D. This herbicide induced a filamentous phenotype in E. coli BL21 and a similar phenotype was observed in a selection of genotypically diverse E. coli strains (A0, A1, B1, and D) isolated from the environment. The filamentous phenotype was observed at concentrations 1000 times below field levels and was reversible upon supplementation with polyamines. Cells treated with 2,4-D had more compliant envelopes, significantly remodeled surfaces that were rougher and altered vital metabolic pathways including oxidative phosphorylation, the ABC transport system, peptidoglycan biosynthesis, amino acid, nucleotide and sugar metabolism. Most of the observed effects could be attributed to oxidative stress, consistent with increases in reactive oxygen species as a function of 2,4-D exposure. This study provides direct evidence that 2,4-D at sublethal levels induces oxidative stress and identifies the associated metabolic changes in E. coli.

The two-component system CpxR/A represses the expression of Salmonella virulence genes by affecting the stability of the transcriptional regulator HilD

Salmonella enterica can cause intestinal or systemic infections in humans and animals mainly by the presence of pathogenicity islands SPI-1 and SPI-2, containing 39 and 44 genes, respectively. The AraC-like regulator HilD positively controls the expression of the SPI-1 genes, as well as many other Salmonella virulence genes including those located in SPI-2. A previous report indicates that the two-component system CpxR/A regulates the SPI-1 genes: the absence of the sensor kinase CpxA, but not the absence of its cognate response regulator CpxR, reduces their expression. The presence and absence of cell envelope stress activates kinase and phosphatase activities of CpxA, respectively, which in turn controls the level of phosphorylated CpxR (CpxR-P). In this work, we further define the mechanism for the CpxR/A-mediated regulation of SPI-1 genes. The negative effect exerted by the absence of CpxA on the expression of SPI-1 genes was counteracted by the absence of CpxR or by the absence of the two enzymes, AckA and Pta, which render acetyl-phosphate that phosphorylates CpxR. Furthermore, overexpression of the lipoprotein NlpE, which activates CpxA kinase activity on CpxR, or overexpression of CpxR, repressed the expression of SPI-1 genes. Thus, our results provide several lines of evidence strongly supporting that the absence of CpxA leads to the phosphorylation of CpxR via the AckA/Pta enzymes, which represses both the SPI-1 and SPI-2 genes. Additionally, we show that in the absence of the Lon protease, which degrades HilD, the CpxR-P-mediated repression of the SPI-1 genes is mostly lost; moreover, we demonstrate that CpxR-P negatively affects the stability of HilD and thus decreases the expression of HilD-target genes, such as hilD itself and hilA, located in SPI-1. Our data further expand the insight on the different regulatory pathways for gene expression involving CpxR/A and on the complex regulatory network governing virulence in Salmonella.

DksA and (p)ppGpp have unique and overlapping contributions to Haemophilus ducreyi pathogenesis in humans

The (p)ppGpp-mediated stringent response is important for bacterial survival in nutrient limiting conditions. For maximal effect, (p)ppGpp interacts with the cofactor DksA, which stabilizes (p)ppGpp's interaction with RNA polymerase. We previously demonstrated that (p)ppGpp was required for the virulence of Haemophilus ducreyi in humans. Here, we constructed an H. ducreyi dksA mutant and showed it was also partially attenuated for pustule formation in human volunteers. To understand the roles of (p)ppGpp and DksA in gene regulation in H. ducreyi, we defined genes potentially altered by (p)ppGpp and DksA deficiency using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). In bacteria collected at stationary phase, lack of (p)ppGpp and DksA altered expression of 28% and 17% of H. ducreyi open reading frames, respectively, including genes involved in transcription, translation, and metabolism. There was significant overlap in genes differentially expressed in the (p)ppGpp mutant relative to the dksA mutant. Loss of (p)ppGpp or DksA resulted in the dysregulation of several known virulence determinants. Deletion of dksA downregulated lspB and rendered the organism less resistant to phagocytosis and increased its sensitivity to oxidative stress. Both mutants had reduced ability to attach to human foreskin fibroblasts; the defect correlated with reduced expression of the Flp adhesin proteins in the (p)ppGpp mutant but not in the dksA mutant, suggesting that DksA regulates the expression of an unknown cofactor(s) required for Flp-mediated adherence. We conclude that both (p)ppGpp and DksA serve as major regulators of H. ducreyi gene expression in stationary phase and have both overlapping and unique contributions to pathogenesis.

The Escherichia coli Envelope Stress Sensor CpxA Responds to Changes in Lipid Bilayer Properties

The Cpx stress response system is induced by various environmental and cellular stimuli. It is also activated in Escherichia coli strains lacking the major phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). However, it is not known whether CpxA directly senses changes in the lipid bilayer or the presence of misfolded proteins due to the lack of PE in their membranes. To address this question, we used an in vitro reconstitution system and vesicles with different lipid compositions to track modulations in the activity of CpxA in different lipid bilayers. Moreover, the Cpx response was validated in vivo by monitoring expression of a PcpxP-gfp reporter in lipid-engineered strains of E. coli. Our combined data indicate that CpxA responds specifically to different lipid compositions.

Development and validation of a high-throughput cell-based screen to identify activators of a bacterial two-component signal transduction system

CpxRA is a two-component signal transduction system (2CSTS) found in many drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. In response to periplasmic stress, CpxA autophosphorylates and donates a phosphoryl group to its cognate response regulator, CpxR. Phosphorylated CpxR (CpxR-P) upregulates genes involved in membrane repair and downregulates multiple genes that encode virulence factors, which are trafficked across the cell membrane. Mutants that constitutively activate CpxRA in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Haemophilus ducreyi are avirulent in mice and humans, respectively. Thus, the activation of CpxRA has high potential as a novel antimicrobial/antivirulence strategy. Using a series of Escherichia coli strains containing a CpxR-P-responsive lacZ reporter and deletions in genes encoding CpxRA system components, we developed and validated a novel cell-based high-throughput screen (HTS) for CpxRA activators. A screen of 36,000 compounds yielded one hit compound that increased reporter activity in wild-type cells. This is the first report of a compound that activates, rather than inhibits, a 2CSTS. The activity profile of the compound against CpxRA pathway mutants in the presence of glucose suggested that the compound inhibits CpxA phosphatase activity. We confirmed that the compound induced the accumulation of CpxR-P in treated cells. Although the hit compound contained a nitro group, a derivative lacking this group retained activity in serum and had lower cytotoxicity than that of the initial hit. This HTS is amenable for the screening of larger libraries to find compounds that activate CpxRA by other mechanisms, and it could be adapted to find activators of other two-component systems.

The CpxRA two-component system is essential for Citrobacter rodentium virulence

Citrobacter rodentium is a murine intestinal pathogen used as a model for the foodborne human pathogens enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and enteropathogenic E. coli. During infection, these pathogens use two-component signal transduction systems to detect and adapt to changing environmental conditions. In E. coli, the CpxRA two-component signal transduction system responds to envelope stress by modulating the expression of a myriad of genes. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that cpxRA was expressed in the colon of C57BL/6J mice infected with C. rodentium. To determine whether CpxRA plays a role during C. rodentium infection, a cpxRA deletion strain was generated and found to have a colonization defect during infection. This defect was independent of an altered growth rate or a defective type III secretion system, and single-copy chromosomal complementation of cpxRA restored virulence. The C. rodentium strains were then tested in C3H/HeJ mice, a lethal intestinal infection model. Mice infected with the ΔcpxRA strain survived infection, whereas mice infected with the wild-type or complemented strains succumbed to infection. Furthermore, we found that the cpxRA expression level was higher during early infection than at a later time point. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the CpxRA two-component signal transduction system is essential for the in vivo virulence of C. rodentium. In addition, these data suggest that fine-tuned cpxRA expression is important for infection. This is the first study that identifies a C. rodentium two-component transduction system required for pathogenesis. This study further indicates that CpxRA is an interesting target for therapeutics against enteric pathogens.

Prediction of antibiotic resistance by gene expression profiles

Although many mutations contributing to antibiotic resistance have been identified, the relationship between the mutations and the related phenotypic changes responsible for the resistance has yet to be fully elucidated. To better characterize phenotype–genotype mapping for drug resistance, here we analyse phenotypic and genotypic changes of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains obtained by laboratory evolution. We demonstrate that the resistances can be quantitatively predicted by the expression changes of a small number of genes. Several candidate mutations contributing to the resistances are identified, while phenotype–genotype mapping is suggested to be complex and includes various mutations that cause similar phenotypic changes. The integration of transcriptome and genome data enables us to extract essential phenotypic changes for drug resistances.

The relationship between mutations and phenotypic changes associated with drug resistance in bacteria remains unclear. Here, the authors use antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains, obtained by laboratory evolution, to show that resistance profiles can be predicted by changes in expression of a few genes.

The Cpx envelope stress response modifies peptidoglycan cross-linking via the L,D-transpeptidase LdtD and the novel protein YgaU

The Cpx envelope stress response mediates a complex adaptation to conditions that cause protein misfolding in the periplasm. A recent microarray study demonstrated that Cpx response activation led to changes in the expression of genes known, or predicted, to be involved in cell wall remodeling. We sought to characterize the changes that the cell wall undergoes during activation of the Cpx pathway in Escherichia coli. Luminescent reporters of gene expression confirmed that LdtD, a putative l,d-transpeptidase; YgaU, a protein of unknown function; and Slt, a lytic transglycosylase, are upregulated in response to Cpx-inducing conditions. Phosphorylated CpxR binds to the upstream regions of these genes, which contain putative CpxR binding sites, suggesting that regulation is direct. We show that the activation of the Cpx response causes an increase in the abundance of diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-DAP cross-links that involves LdtD and YgaU. Altogether, our data indicate that changes in peptidoglycan structure are part of the Cpx-mediated adaptation to envelope stress and indicate a role for the uncharacterized gene ygaU in regulating cross-linking.

A linkage between SmeIJK efflux pump, cell envelope integrity, and σE-mediated envelope stress response in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

Resistance nodulation division (RND) efflux pumps, such as the SmeIJK pump of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, are known to contribute to the multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. However, some RND pumps are constitutively expressed even though no antimicrobial stresses occur, implying that there should be some physical implications for these RND pumps. In this study, the role of SmeIJK in antimicrobials resistance, envelope integrity, and σ^E-mediated envelope stress response (ESR) of S. maltophilia was assessed. SmeIJK was involved in the intrinsic resistance of S. maltophilia KJ to aminoglycosides and leucomycin. Compared with the wild-type KJ, the smeIJK deletion mutant exhibited growth retardation in the MH medium, an increased sensitivity to membrane-damaging agents (MDAs), as well as activation of an σ^E-mediated ESR. Moreover, the expression of smeIJK was further induced by sub-lethal concentrations of MDAs or surfactants in an σ^E-dependent manner. These data collectively suggested an alternative physiological role of smeIJK in cell envelope integrity maintenance and σ^E-mediated ESR beyond the efflux of antibiotics. Because of the necessity of the physiological role of SmeIJK in protecting S. maltophilia from the envelope stress, smeIJK is constitutively expressed, which, in turn, contributes the intrinsic resistance to aminoglycoside and leucomycin. This is the first demonstration of the linkage among RND-type efflux pump, cell envelope integrity, and σ^E-mediated ESR in S. maltophilia.

The Vibrio cholerae Cpx envelope stress response senses and mediates adaptation to low iron

The Cpx pathway, a two-component system that employs the sensor histidine kinase CpxA and the response regulator CpxR, regulates crucial envelope stress responses across bacterial species and affects antibiotic resistance. To characterize the CpxR regulon in Vibrio cholerae, the transcriptional profile of the pandemic V. cholerae El Tor C6706 strain was examined upon overexpression of cpxR. Our data show that the Cpx regulon of V. cholerae is enriched in genes encoding membrane-localized and transport proteins, including a large number of genes known or predicted to be iron regulated. Activation of the Cpx pathway further led to the expression of TolC, the major outer membrane pore, and of components of two RND efflux systems in V. cholerae. We show that iron chelation, toxic compounds, or deletion of specific RND efflux components leads to Cpx pathway activation. Furthermore, mutations that eliminate the Cpx response or members of its regulon result in growth phenotypes in the presence of these inducers that, together with Cpx pathway activation, are partially suppressed by iron. Cumulatively, our results suggest that a major function of the Cpx response in V. cholerae is to mediate adaptation to envelope perturbations caused by toxic compounds and the depletion of iron.

The Cpx envelope stress response regulates and is regulated by small noncoding RNAs

The Escherichia coli genome encodes approximately 30 two-component systems that are required for sensing and responding to a variety of environmental and physiological cues. Recent studies have revealed numerous regulatory connections between two-component systems and small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs), which posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression by base pairing with target mRNAs. In this study, we investigated the role of sRNAs in the CpxAR two-component system, which detects and mediates an adaptive response to potentially lethal protein misfolding in the Gram-negative bacterial envelope. Here, we showed for the first time that sRNAs are members of the Cpx regulon. We found that CpxR binds to the promoter regions and regulates expression of two sRNA genes, cyaR and rprA. We also investigated the roles that these sRNAs play in the Cpx response. Cpx repression of cyaR expression creates a feed-forward loop, in which CpxAR increases expression of the inner membrane protein YqaE both directly at the transcriptional level and indirectly at the translational level. Moreover, we found that RprA exerts negative feedback on the Cpx response, reducing Cpx activity in a manner that is dependent on the response regulator CpxR but independent of all of RprA's previously described targets. sRNAs therefore permit the fine-tuning of Cpx pathway activity and its regulation of target genes, which could assist bacterial survival in the face of envelope stress.

Dynamic interaction between the CpxA sensor kinase and the periplasmic accessory protein CpxP mediates signal recognition in E. coli

Two-component systems, consisting of an inner membrane sensor kinase and a cytosolic response regulator, allow bacteria to respond to changes in the environment. Some two-component systems are additionally orchestrated by an accessory protein that integrates additional signals. It is assumed that spatial and temporal interaction between an accessory protein and a sensor kinase modifies the activity of a two-component system. However, for most accessory proteins located in the bacterial envelope the mechanistic details remain unclear. Here, we analyzed the interaction between the periplasmic accessory protein CpxP and the sensor kinase CpxA in Escherichia coli in dependency of three specific stimuli. The Cpx two-component system responds to envelope stress and plays a pivotal role for the quality control of multisubunit envelope structures, including type three secretion systems and pili of different pathogens. In unstressed cells, CpxP shuts off the Cpx response by a yet unknown mechanism. We show for the first time the physical interaction between CpxP and CpxA in unstressed cells using bacterial two-hybrid system and membrane-Strep-tagged protein interaction experiments. In addition, we demonstrate that a high salt concentration and the misfolded pilus subunit PapE displace CpxP from the sensor kinase CpxA invivo. Overall, this study provides clear evidence that CpxP modulates the activity of the Cpx system by dynamic interaction with CpxA in response to specific stresses.

Unraveling the physiological complexities of antibiotic lethality

We face an impending crisis in our ability to treat infectious disease brought about by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and a decline in the development of new antibiotics. Urgent action is needed. This review focuses on a less well-understood aspect of antibiotic action: the complex metabolic events that occur subsequent to the interaction of antibiotics with their molecular targets and play roles in antibiotic lethality. Independent lines of evidence from studies of the action of bactericidal antibiotics on diverse bacteria collectively suggest that the initial interactions of drugs with their targets cannot fully account for the antibiotic lethality and that these interactions elicit the production of reactive oxidants including reactive oxygen species that contribute to bacterial cell death. Recent challenges to this concept are considered in the context of the broader literature of this emerging area of research. Possible ways that this new knowledge might be exploited to improve antibiotic therapy are also considered.

Haemophilus ducreyi RpoE and CpxRA appear to play distinct yet complementary roles in regulation of envelope-related functions

Haemophilus ducreyi causes the sexually transmitted disease chancroid and a chronic limb ulceration syndrome in children. In humans, H. ducreyi is found in an abscess and overcomes a hostile environment to establish infection. To sense and respond to membrane stress, bacteria utilize two-component systems (TCSs) and extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors. We previously showed that activation of CpxRA, the only intact TCS in H. ducreyi, does not regulate homologues of envelope protein folding factors but does downregulate genes encoding envelope-localized proteins, including many virulence determinants. H. ducreyi also harbors a homologue of RpoE, which is the only ECF sigma factor in the organism. To potentially understand how H. ducreyi responds to membrane stress, here we defined RpoE-dependent genes using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq). We identified 180 RpoE-dependent genes, of which 98% were upregulated; a major set of these genes encodes homologues of envelope maintenance and repair factors. We also identified and validated a putative RpoE promoter consensus sequence, which was enriched in the majority of RpoE-dependent targets. Comparison of RpoE-dependent genes to those controlled by CpxR showed that each transcription factor regulated a distinct set of genes. Given that RpoE activated a large number of genes encoding envelope maintenance and repair factors and that CpxRA represses genes encoding envelope-localized proteins, these data suggest that RpoE and CpxRA appear to play distinct yet complementary roles in regulating envelope homeostasis in H. ducreyi.

Protective role of the RpoE (σE) and Cpx envelope stress responses against gentamicin killing of nongrowing Escherichia coli incubated under aerobic, phosphate starvation conditions

The viability of Escherichia coli starved of nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) decreased by up to seven orders of magnitude during prolonged incubation under aerobic conditions when exposed to high levels of the antibiotic gentamicin, whereas viability of cells starved of carbon (C) was barely affected. However, the initial rate of killing was lower for P-starved cells than for N-starved cells. The transient resistance of P-starved cells was partially dependent upon the expression of the phosphate (Pho) and Cpx responses. Constitutive activity of the Cpx and RpoE (σ(E)) envelope stress regulons increased the resistance of P- and N-starved cells. The level of expression of the RpoE regulon was fourfold higher in P-starved cells than in N-starved cell at the time gentamicin was added. Gentamicin killing of nongrowing cells may thus require ongoing aerobic glucose metabolism and faulty synthesis of structural membrane proteins. However, membrane protein damage induced by gentamicin can be eliminated or repaired by RpoE- and Cpx-dependent mechanisms pre-emptively induced in P-starved cells, which reveals a novel mechanism of resistance to gentamicin that is active in certain circumstances.

Hfq reduces envelope stress by controlling expression of envelope-localized proteins and protein complexes in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Gram-negative bacteria possess several envelope stress responses that detect and respond to damage to this critical cellular compartment. The σ(E) envelope stress response senses the misfolding of outer membrane proteins (OMPs), while the Cpx two-component system is believed to detect the misfolding of periplasmic and inner membrane proteins. Recent studies in several Gram-negative organisms found that deletion of hfq, encoding a small RNA chaperone protein, activates the σ(E) envelope stress response. In this study, we assessed the effects of deleting hfq upon activity of the σ(E) and Cpx responses in non-pathogenic and enteropathogenic (EPEC) strains of Escherichia coli. We found that the σ(E) response was activated in Δhfq mutants of all E. coli strains tested, resulting from the misregulation of OMPs. The Cpx response was activated by loss of hfq in EPEC, but not in E. coli K-12. Cpx pathway activation resulted in part from overexpression of the bundle-forming pilus (BFP) in EPEC Δhfq. We found that Hfq repressed expression of the BFP via PerA, a master regulator of virulence in EPEC. This study shows that Hfq has a more extensive role in regulating the expression of envelope proteins and horizontally acquired virulence genes in E. coli than previously recognized.

Fluctuation of multiple metabolic pathways is required for Escherichia coli in response to chlortetracycline stress

Bacterial antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide challenge with the overuse and misuse of drugs.

Homologs of the yeast Tvp38 vesicle-associated protein are conserved in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria

Vesicle transfer processes in eukaryotes depend on specific proteins, which mediate the selective packing of cargo molecules for subsequent release out of the cells after vesicle fusion to the plasma membrane. The protein Tvp38 is conserved in yeasts and higher eukaryotes and potentially involved in vesicle transfer processes at the Golgi membrane. Members of the so-called "SNARE-associated proteins of the Tvp38-family" have also been identified in prokaryotes and those belong to the DedA protein family. Tvp38/DedA proteins are also conserved in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. While only a single member of this family appears to be present in chloroplasts, cyanobacterial genomes typically encode multiple homologous proteins. Mainly based on our understanding of the DedA-homologous proteins of Escherichia coli, it appears likely that the function of these proteins in chloroplast and cyanobacteria involves stabilizing and organizing the structure of internal membrane systems.

Everything old is new again: an update on current research on the Cpx envelope stress response

The Cpx envelope stress response (ESR) has been linked to proteins that are integrated into and secreted across the inner membrane for several decades. Initial studies of the cpx locus linked it to alterations in the protein content of both the inner and outer membrane, together with changes in proton motive driven transport and conjugation. Since the mid 1990s, the predominant view of the Cpx envelope stress response has been that it serves to detect and respond to secreted, misfolded proteins in the periplasm. Recent studies in Escherichia coli and other Gram negative organisms highlight a role for the Cpx ESR in specifically responding to perturbations that occur at the inner membrane (IM). It is clear that Cpx adaptation involves a broad suite of changes that encompass many functions in addition to protein folding. Interestingly, recent studies have refocused attention on Cpx-regulated phenotypes that were initially published over 30years ago, including antibiotic resistance and transport across the IM. In this review I will focus on the insights and models that have arisen from recent studies and that may help explain some of the originally published Cpx phenotypes. Although the molecular nature of the inducing signal for the Cpx ESR remains enigmatic, recently solved structures of signaling proteins are yielding testable models concerning the molecular mechanisms behind signaling. The identification of connections between the Cpx ESR and other stress responses in the cell reveals a complex web of interactions that involves Cpx-regulated expression of other regulators as well as small proteins and sRNAs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein trafficking and secretion in bacteria. Guest Editors: Anastassios Economou and Ross Dalbey.

Eliminating a set of four penicillin binding proteins triggers the Rcs phosphorelay and Cpx stress responses in Escherichia coli

Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) are responsible for synthesizing and modifying the bacterial cell wall, and in Escherichia coli the loss of several nonessential low-molecular-weight PBPs gives rise to abnormalities in cell shape and division. To determine whether these proteins help connect the flagellar basal body to the peptidoglycan wall, we surveyed a set of PBP mutants and found that motility in an agar migration assay was compromised by the simultaneous absence of four enzymes: PBP4, PBP5, PBP7, and AmpH. A wild-type copy of any one of these restored migration, and complementation depended on the integrity of the PBP active-site serine. However, the migration defect was caused by the absence of flagella instead of improper flagellar assembly. Migration was restored if the flhDC genes were overexpressed or if the rcsB or cpxR genes were deleted. Thus, migration was inhibited because the Rcs and Cpx stress response systems were induced in the absence of these four specific PBPs. Furthermore, in this situation Rcs induction depended on the presence of CpxR. The results imply that small changes in peptidoglycan structure are sufficient to activate these stress responses, suggesting that a specific cell wall fragment may be the signal being sensed. The fact that four PBPs must be inactivated may explain why large perturbations to the envelope are required to induce stress responses.

Activation of CpxRA in Haemophilus ducreyi primarily inhibits the expression of its targets, including major virulence determinants

Haemophilus ducreyi causes chancroid, a genital ulcer disease that facilitates the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. In humans, H. ducreyi is surrounded by phagocytes and must adapt to a hostile environment to survive. To sense and respond to environmental cues, bacteria frequently use two-component signal transduction (2CST) systems. The only obvious 2CST system in H. ducreyi is CpxRA; CpxR is a response regulator, and CpxA is a sensor kinase. Previous studies by Hansen and coworkers showed that CpxR directly represses the expression of dsrA, the lspB-lspA2 operon, and the flp operon, which are required for virulence in humans. They further showed that CpxA functions predominantly as a phosphatase in vitro to maintain the expression of virulence determinants. Since a cpxA mutant is avirulent while a cpxR mutant is fully virulent in humans, CpxA also likely functions predominantly as a phosphatase in vivo. To better understand the role of H. ducreyi CpxRA in controlling virulence determinants, here we defined genes potentially regulated by CpxRA by using RNA-Seq. Activation of CpxR by deletion of cpxA repressed nearly 70% of its targets, including seven established virulence determinants. Inactivation of CpxR by deletion of cpxR differentially regulated few genes and increased the expression of one virulence determinant. We identified a CpxR binding motif that was enriched in downregulated but not upregulated targets. These data reinforce the hypothesis that CpxA phosphatase activity plays a critical role in controlling H. ducreyi virulence in vivo. Characterization of the downregulated genes may offer new insights into pathogenesis.