151
|
Römling U, Balsalobre C. Biofilm infections, their resilience to therapy and innovative treatment strategies. J Intern Med 2012; 272:541-61. [PMID: 23025745 DOI: 10.1111/joim.12004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 546] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Biofilm formation of microorganisms causes persistent tissue and foreign body infections resistant to treatment with antimicrobial agents. Up to 80% of human bacterial infections are biofilm associated; such infections are most frequently caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli. The accurate diagnosis of biofilm infections is often difficult, which prevents the appropriate choice of treatment. As biofilm infections significantly contribute to patient morbidity and substantial healthcare costs, novel strategies to treat these infections are urgently required. Nucleotide second messengers, c-di-GMP, (p)ppGpp and potentially c-di-AMP, are major regulators of biofilm formation and associated antibiotic tolerance. Consequently, different components of these signalling networks might be appropriate targets for antibiofilm therapy in combination with antibiotic treatment strategies. In addition, cyclic di-nucleotides are microbial-associated molecular patterns with an almost universal presence. Their conserved structures sensed by the eukaryotic host have a widespread effect on the immune system. Thus, cyclic di-nucleotides are also potential immunotherapeutic agents to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- U Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | |
Collapse
|
152
|
Mehne FMP, Gunka K, Eilers H, Herzberg C, Kaever V, Stülke J. Cyclic di-AMP homeostasis in bacillus subtilis: both lack and high level accumulation of the nucleotide are detrimental for cell growth. J Biol Chem 2012. [PMID: 23192352 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.395491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of the Gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis encodes three potential diadenylate cyclases that may synthesize the signaling nucleotide cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP). These enzymes are expressed under different conditions in different cell compartments, and they localize to distinct positions in the cell. Here we demonstrate the diadenylate cyclase activity of the so far uncharacterized enzymes CdaA (previously known as YbbP) and CdaS (YojJ). Our work confirms that c-di-AMP is essential for the growth of B. subtilis and shows that an excess of the molecule is also harmful for the bacteria. Several lines of evidence suggest that the diadenylate cyclase CdaA is part of the conserved essential cda-glm module involved in cell wall metabolism. In contrast, the CdaS enzyme seems to provide c-di-AMP for spores. Accumulation of large amounts of c-di-AMP impairs the growth of B. subtilis and results in the formation of aberrant curly cells. This phenotype can be partially suppressed by elevated concentrations of magnesium. These observations suggest that c-di-AMP interferes with the peptidoglycan synthesis machinery. The activity of the diadenylate cyclases is controlled by distinct molecular mechanisms. CdaA is stimulated by a regulatory interaction with the CdaR (YbbR) protein. In contrast, the activity of CdaS seems to be intrinsically restricted, and a single amino acid substitution is sufficient to drastically increase the activity of the enzyme. Taken together, our results support the idea of an important role for c-di-AMP in B. subtilis and suggest that the levels of the nucleotide have to be tightly controlled.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix M P Mehne
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
153
|
Shanahan CA, Strobel SA. The bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP: probing interactions with protein and RNA binding partners using cyclic dinucleotide analogs. Org Biomol Chem 2012; 10:9113-29. [PMID: 23108253 DOI: 10.1039/c2ob26724a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to adapt to a changing environment is essential for their survival. One mechanism used to facilitate behavioral adaptations is the second messenger signaling molecule bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP). c-di-GMP is widespread throughout the bacterial domain and plays a vital role in regulating the transition between the motile planktonic lifestyle and the sessile biofilm forming state. This second messenger also controls the virulence response of pathogenic organisms and is thought to be connected to quorum sensing, the process by which bacteria communicate with each other. The intracellular concentration of c-di-GMP is tightly regulated by the opposing enzymatic activities of diguanlyate cyclases and phosphodiesterases, which synthesize and degrade the second messenger, respectively. The change in the intracellular concentration of c-di-GMP is directly sensed by downstream targets of the second messenger, both protein and RNA, which induce the appropriate phenotypic response. This review will summarize our current state of knowledge of c-di-GMP signaling in bacteria with a focus on protein and RNA binding partners of the second messenger. Efforts towards the synthesis of c-di-GMP and its analogs are discussed as well as studies aimed at targeting these macromolecular effectors with chemically synthesized cyclic dinucleotide analogs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carly A Shanahan
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
154
|
Kalia D, Merey G, Nakayama S, Zheng Y, Zhou J, Luo Y, Guo M, Roembke BT, Sintim HO. Nucleotide, c-di-GMP, c-di-AMP, cGMP, cAMP, (p)ppGpp signaling in bacteria and implications in pathogenesis. Chem Soc Rev 2012; 42:305-41. [PMID: 23023210 DOI: 10.1039/c2cs35206k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 261] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
For an organism to survive, it must be able to sense its environment and regulate physiological processes accordingly. Understanding how bacteria integrate signals from various environmental factors and quorum sensing autoinducers to regulate the metabolism of various nucleotide second messengers c-di-GMP, c-di-AMP, cGMP, cAMP and ppGpp, which control several key processes required for adaptation is key for efforts to develop agents to curb bacterial infections. In this review, we provide an update of nucleotide signaling in bacteria and show how these signals intersect or integrate to regulate the bacterial phenotype. The intracellular concentrations of nucleotide second messengers in bacteria are regulated by synthases and phosphodiesterases and a significant number of these metabolism enzymes had been biochemically characterized but it is only in the last few years that the effector proteins and RNA riboswitches, which regulate bacterial physiology upon binding to nucleotides, have been identified and characterized by biochemical and structural methods. C-di-GMP, in particular, has attracted immense interest because it is found in many bacteria and regulate both biofilm formation and virulence factors production. In this review, we discuss how the activities of various c-di-GMP effector proteins and riboswitches are modulated upon c-di-GMP binding. Using V. cholerae, E. coli and B. subtilis as models, we discuss how both environmental factors and quorum sensing autoinducers regulate the metabolism and/or processing of nucleotide second messengers. The chemical syntheses of the various nucleotide second messengers and the use of analogs thereof as antibiofilm or immune modulators are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimpy Kalia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
155
|
Luo Y, Helmann JD. A σD-dependent antisense transcript modulates expression of the cyclic-di-AMP hydrolase GdpP in Bacillus subtilis. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2012; 158:2732-2741. [PMID: 22956758 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.062174-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is an essential second messenger in Bacillus subtilis, and depletion leads to defects in the integrity of the cell wall. Levels of c-di-AMP are regulated by both the rates of synthesis (by diadenylate cyclases) and the rates of degradation (by the GdpP phosphodiesterase, formerly YybT). Little is known about the regulation of gdpP expression or GdpP activity, but mutations that inactivate GdpP lead to high-level resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. Here we demonstrate that expression of gdpP is regulated by a cis-acting antisense RNA (gdpP(as)) in vivo. Transcription of this antisense RNA is initiated in the middle of the gdp gene and is dependent on an alternative sigma factor, σ(D), previously associated with the expression of late flagellar genes, chemotaxis proteins and cell wall autolytic enzymes. Changes in σ(D) activity can modulate GdpP protein levels by ~2.5-fold, which may provide a mechanism for the cell to upregulate c-di-AMP levels in coordination with the activation of autolytic enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Luo
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| |
Collapse
|
156
|
Heat resistance and salt hypersensitivity in Lactococcus lactis due to spontaneous mutation of llmg_1816 (gdpP) induced by high-temperature growth. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:7753-9. [PMID: 22923415 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02316-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During construction of several gene deletion mutants in Lactococcus lactis MG1363 which involved a high-temperature (37.5°C) incubation step, additional spontaneous mutations were observed which resulted in stable heat resistance and in some cases salt-hypersensitive phenotypes. Whole-genome sequencing of one strain which was both heat resistant and salt hypersensitive, followed by PCR and sequencing of four other mutants which shared these phenotypes, revealed independent mutations in llmg_1816 in all cases. This gene encodes a membrane-bound stress signaling protein of the GdpP family, members of which exhibit cyclic dimeric AMP (c-di-AMP)-specific phosphodiesterase activity. Mutations were predicted to lead to single amino acid substitutions or protein truncations. An independent llmg_1816 mutant (Δ1816), created using a suicide vector, also displayed heat resistance and salt hypersensitivity phenotypes which could be restored to wild-type levels following plasmid excision. L. lactis Δ1816 also displayed improved growth in response to sublethal concentrations of penicillin G. High-temperature incubation of a wild-type industrial L. lactis strain also resulted in spontaneous mutation of llmg_1816 and heat-resistant and salt-hypersensitive phenotypes, suggesting that this is not a strain-specific phenomenon and that it is independent of a plasmid integration event. Acidification of milk by the llmg_1816-altered strain was inhibited by lower salt concentrations than the parent strain. This study demonstrates that spontaneous mutations can occur during high-temperature growth of L. lactis and that inactivation of llmg_1816 leads to temperature resistance and salt hypersensitivity.
Collapse
|
157
|
Su YC, Tu ZL, Yang CY, Chin KH, Chuah MLC, Liang ZX, Chou SH. Crystallization studies of the murine c-di-GMP sensor protein STING. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2012; 68:906-10. [PMID: 22869119 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309112024372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The innate immune response is the first defence system against pathogenic microorganisms, and cytosolic detection of pathogen-derived DNA is believed to be one of the major mechanisms of interferon production. Recently, the mammalian ER membrane protein STING (stimulator of IFN genes; also known as MITA, ERIS, MPYS and TMEM173) has been found to be the master regulator linking the detection of cytosolic DNA to TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and its downstream transcription factor IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). In addition, STING itself was soon discovered to be a direct sensor of bacterial cyclic dinucleotides such as c-di-GMP or c-di-AMP. However, structural studies of apo STING and its complexes with these cyclic dinucleotides and with other cognate binding proteins are essential in order to fully understand the roles played by STING in these crucial signalling pathways. In this manuscript, the successful crystallization of the C-terminal domain of murine STING (STING-CTD; residues 138-344) is reported. Native and SeMet-labelled crystals were obtained and diffracted to moderate resolutions of 2.39 and 2.2 Å, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Che Su
- Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
158
|
Bai Y, Yang J, Zhou X, Ding X, Eisele LE, Bai G. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3586 (DacA) is a diadenylate cyclase that converts ATP or ADP into c-di-AMP. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35206. [PMID: 22529992 PMCID: PMC3328451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 03/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) and cyclic diadenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) are recently identified signaling molecules. c-di-GMP has been shown to play important roles in bacterial pathogenesis, whereas information about c-di-AMP remains very limited. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3586 (DacA), which is an ortholog of Bacillus subtilis DisA, is a putative diadenylate cyclase. In this study, we determined the enzymatic activity of DacA in vitro using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (MS) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Our results showed that DacA was mainly a diadenylate cyclase, which resembles DisA. In addition, DacA also exhibited residual ATPase and ADPase in vitro. Among the potential substrates tested, DacA was able to utilize both ATP and ADP, but not AMP, pApA, c-di-AMP or GTP. By using gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation, we further demonstrated that DacA existed as an octamer, with the N-terminal domain contributing to tetramerization and the C-terminal domain providing additional dimerization. Both the N-terminal and the C-terminal domains were essential for the DacA's enzymatically active conformation. The diadenylate cyclase activity of DacA was dependent on divalent metal ions such as Mg2+, Mn2+ or Co2+. DacA was more active at a basic pH rather than at an acidic pH. The conserved RHR motif in DacA was essential for interacting with ATP, and mutation of this motif to AAA completely abolished DacA's diadenylate cyclase activity. These results provide the molecular basis for designating DacA as a diadenylate cyclase. Our future studies will explore the biological function of this enzyme in M. tuberculosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yinlan Bai
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Jun Yang
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Xin Zhou
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Xinxin Ding
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Leslie E. Eisele
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Guangchun Bai
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: .
| |
Collapse
|
159
|
Davies BW, Bogard RW, Young TS, Mekalanos JJ. Coordinated regulation of accessory genetic elements produces cyclic di-nucleotides for V. cholerae virulence. Cell 2012; 149:358-70. [PMID: 22500802 PMCID: PMC3620040 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2011] [Revised: 12/08/2011] [Accepted: 01/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The function of the Vibrio 7(th) pandemic island-1 (VSP-1) in cholera pathogenesis has remained obscure. Utilizing chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing to map the regulon of the master virulence regulator ToxT, we identify a TCP island-encoded small RNA that reduces the expression of a previously unrecognized VSP-1-encoded transcription factor termed VspR. VspR modulates the expression of several VSP-1 genes including one that encodes a novel class of di-nucleotide cyclase (DncV), which preferentially synthesizes a previously undescribed hybrid cyclic AMP-GMP molecule. We show that DncV is required for efficient intestinal colonization and downregulates V. cholerae chemotaxis, a phenotype previously associated with hyperinfectivity. This pathway couples the actions of previously disparate genomic islands, defines VSP-1 as a pathogenicity island in V. cholerae, and implicates its occurrence in 7(th) pandemic strains as a benefit for host adaptation through the production of a regulatory cyclic di-nucleotide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan W. Davies
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ryan W. Bogard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Travis S. Young
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - John J. Mekalanos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| |
Collapse
|
160
|
Luo Y, Helmann JD. Analysis of the role of Bacillus subtilis σ(M) in β-lactam resistance reveals an essential role for c-di-AMP in peptidoglycan homeostasis. Mol Microbiol 2012; 83:623-39. [PMID: 22211522 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07953.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The Bacillus subtilis extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factor σ(M) is inducible by, and confers resistance to, several cell envelope-acting antibiotics. Here, we demonstrate that σ(M) is responsible for intrinsic β-lactam resistance, with σ(X) playing a secondary role. Activation of σ(M) upregulates several cell wall biosynthetic enzymes including one, PBP1, shown here to be a target for the beta-lactam cefuroxime. However, σ(M) still plays a major role in cefuroxime resistance even in cells lacking PBP1. To better define the role of σ(M) in β-lactam resistance, we characterized suppressor mutations that restore cefuroxime resistance to a sigM null mutant. The most frequent suppressors inactivated gdpP (yybT) which encodes a cyclic-di-AMP phosphodiesterase (PDE). Intriguingly, σ(M) is a known activator of disA encoding one of three paralogous diadenylate cyclases (DAC). Overproduction of the GdpP PDE greatly sensitized cells to β-lactam antibiotics. Conversely, genetic studies indicate that at least one DAC is required for growth with depletion leading to cell lysis. These findings support a model in which c-di-AMP is an essential signal molecule required for cell wall homeostasis. Other suppressors highlight the roles of ECF σ factors in counteracting the deleterious effects of autolysins and reactive oxygen species in β-lactam-treated cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Luo
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
161
|
Higgins D, Dworkin J. Recent progress in Bacillus subtilis sporulation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2011; 36:131-48. [PMID: 22091839 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2011.00310.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2011] [Revised: 08/25/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis can initiate the process of sporulation under conditions of nutrient limitation. Here, we review some of the last 5 years of work in this area, with a particular focus on the decision to initiate sporulation, DNA translocation, cell-cell communication, protein localization and spore morphogenesis. The progress we describe has implications not only just for the study of sporulation but also for other biological systems where homologs of sporulation-specific proteins are involved in vegetative growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Higgins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
162
|
Suzuki N, Oyama KI, Tsukamoto M. Practical Synthesis of Cyclic Bis(3′–5′)diadenylic Acid (c-di-AMP). CHEM LETT 2011. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.2011.1113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
|
163
|
Corrigan RM, Abbott JC, Burhenne H, Kaever V, Gründling A. c-di-AMP is a new second messenger in Staphylococcus aureus with a role in controlling cell size and envelope stress. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002217. [PMID: 21909268 PMCID: PMC3164647 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 331] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell wall is a vital and multi-functional part of bacterial cells. For Staphylococcus aureus, an important human bacterial pathogen, surface proteins and cell wall polymers are essential for adhesion, colonization and during the infection process. One such cell wall polymer, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), is crucial for normal bacterial growth and cell division. Upon depletion of this polymer bacteria increase in size and a misplacement of division septa and eventual cell lysis is observed. In this work, we describe the isolation and characterization of LTA-deficient S. aureus suppressor strains that regained the ability to grow almost normally in the absence of this cell wall polymer. Using a whole genome sequencing approach, compensatory mutations were identified and revealed that mutations within one gene, gdpP (GGDEF domain protein containing phosphodiesterase), allow both laboratory and clinical isolates of S. aureus to grow without LTA. It was determined that GdpP has phosphodiesterase activity in vitro and uses the cyclic dinucleotide c-di-AMP as a substrate. Furthermore, we show for the first time that c-di-AMP is produced in S. aureus presumably by the S. aureus DacA protein, which has diadenylate cyclase activity. We also demonstrate that GdpP functions in vivo as a c-di-AMP-specific phosphodiesterase, as intracellular c-di-AMP levels increase drastically in gdpP deletion strains and in an LTA-deficient suppressor strain. An increased amount of cross-linked peptidoglycan was observed in the gdpP mutant strain, a cell wall alteration that could help bacteria compensate for the lack of LTA. Lastly, microscopic analysis of wild-type and gdpP mutant strains revealed a 13–22% reduction in the cell size of bacteria with increased c-di-AMP levels. Taken together, these data suggest a function for this novel secondary messenger in controlling cell size of S. aureus and in helping bacteria to cope with extreme membrane and cell wall stress. Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that colonizes the nares and skin of both sick and healthy individuals and causes a variety of infections ranging from superficial skin to invasive infections. The ability of this bacterium to cause disease depends on many factors and is, in part, due to multi-functional cell surface structures. One such structure is lipoteichoic acid (LTA), which is crucial for bacterial growth. In this study we show that LTA is also important for growth of a clinically relevant community-acquired methicillin resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) strain and not only for laboratory strains as previously described. We set out to investigate if S. aureus can find a way to survive without LTA and identified strains that can grow and divide almost normally in its absence. Using a whole genome sequencing approach, we found that alterations in one gene, gdpP, allow these strains to grow in the absence of LTA. We show that this mutation causes an increase in the recently identified signaling molecule, c-di-AMP, within the cell. Therefore, with this study we provide information on one of the first functions of this novel secondary messenger, which is in helping bacteria to cope with extreme cell wall stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - James C. Abbott
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heike Burhenne
- Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Volkhard Kaever
- Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Angelika Gründling
- Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|