Transport systems encoded by bacterial plasmids

Arsenic efflux in Enterobacter cloacae RSN3 isolated from arsenic-rich soil

In the present study, bacterial isolates were screened for arsenic resistance efficiency. Environmental isolates were isolated from arsenic-rich soil samples (i.e., from Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh state, India). Amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene revealed that the isolates were of Bacillus firmus RSN1, Brevibacterium senegalense RSN2, Enterobacter cloacae RSN3, Stenotrophomonas pavanii RSN6, Achromobacter mucicolens RSN7, and Ochrobactrum intermedium RSN10. Arsenite efflux gene (arsB) was successfully amplified in E. cloacae RSN3. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis showed an absorption of 32.22% arsenic by the RSN3 strain. Furthermore, results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological variations revealed an initial increase in the cell size at 1 mM sodium arsenate; however, it was decreased at 10 mM concentration in comparison to control. This change of the cell size in different metal concentrations was due to the uptake and expulsion of the metal from the cell, which also confirmed the arsenite efflux system.

Role of arsenic and its resistance in nature

Contamination of the environment with heavy metals has increased drastically over the last few decades. The heavy metals that are toxic include mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and selenium. Of these heavy metals, arsenic is one of the most important global environmental pollutants and is a persistent bioaccumulative carcinogen. It is a toxic metalloid that exists in two major inorganic forms: arsenate and arsenite. Arsenite disrupts enzymatic functions in cells, while arsenate behaves as a phosphate analog and interferes with phosphate uptake and utilization. Despite its toxicity, arsenic may be actively sequestered in plant and animal tissues. Various microbes interact with this metal and have shown resistance to arsenic exposure, and they appear to possess the ars operon for arsenic resistance consisting of three to five genes, i.e., arsRBC or arsRDABC, organized into a single transcriptional unit; some microbes even use it for respiration. Microbial interactions with metals may have several implications for the environment. Microbes may play a role in cycling of toxic heavy metals and in remediation of metal-contaminated sites. There is a correlation between tolerance to heavy metals and antibiotic resistance, a global problem currently threatening the treatment of infections in plants, animals, and humans. The purpose of this review is to highlight the nature and role of toxic arsenic in bacterial systems and to discuss the various genes responsible for this heavy-metal resistance in nature and the mechanisms to detoxify this element.

Microbial multidrug resistance

Multiresistance plasmids and transposons, the integrons, the co-amplification of several resistance genes or finally the accumulation of independent mutations can lead to microorganisms resistant to multiple drugs. On the other hand multidrug resistance is due to an efflux pump conferring resistance to unrelated drugs. These microbial efflux pumps are belonging to various transporter families and are often encoded in microbial genomes. There is mounting evidence that these efflux systems are responsible for clinical multidrug resistance in bacteria, yeasts and parasites.

Cloning and expression of cadD, a new cadmium resistance gene of Staphylococcus aureus

A cadmium resistance gene, designated cadD, has been identified in and cloned from the Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pRW001. The gene is part of a two-component operon which contains the resistance gene cadD and an inactive regulatory gene, cadX*. A high degree of sequence similarity was observed between cadD and the cadB-like gene from S. lugdunensis, but no significant similarity was found with either cadA or cadB from the S. aureus plasmids pI258 and pII147. The positive regulatory gene cadX* is identical to cadX from pLUG10 over a stretch of 78 codons beginning at the N terminus, but it is truncated at this point and inactive. Sequence analysis showed that the cadmium resistance operon resides on a 3,972-bp element that is flanked by direct repeats of IS257. The expression of cadD in S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis resulted in low-level resistance to cadmium; in contrast, cadA and cadB from S. aureus induced higher level resistance. However, when the truncated version of cadX contained in pRW001 is complemented in trans with cadX from plasmid pLUG10, resistance increased approximately 10-fold suggesting that the cadmium resistance operons from pRW001 and pLUG10 are evolutionarily related. Moreover, the truncated version of cadX contained in pRW001 is nonfunctional and may have been generated by deletion during recombination to acquire the cadmium resistance element.

Putative evolutionary origin of plasmids carrying the genes involved in leucine biosynthesis in Buchnera aphidicola (endosymbiont of aphids)

An 8.5-kb plasmid encoding genes (leuABCD) involved in leucine biosynthesis and a small plasmid of 1.74 kb of yet unknown function were found in the intracellular symbiont, Buchnera aphidicola, of two divergent aphid species, Thelaxes suberi and Tetraneura caerulescens, respectively. The leuABCD-carrying plasmid (pBTs1) was amplified from total aphid DNA by inverse long PCR, using outwardly oriented oligonucleotide primers specific to leuA. The resulting 8.2-kb PCR fragment as well as the 1.74-kb plasmid (pBTc1) were cloned and sequenced. pBTs1 differed from a previously described B. aphidicola plasmid (pRPE) of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi by the presence of a small heat shock gene (ibp) and in the order of the leuABCD and repA genes. Comparison of both leucine plasmids to the small plasmid pBTc1 revealed extensive similarity with respect to putative replication functions as well as in the presence of a highly conserved open reading frame that was found to be homologous to Escherichia coli YqhA and Haemophilus influenzae HI0507 and which may encode an integral membrane protein. The three B. aphidicola plasmids most likely evolved from a common ancestral replicon, which in turn may be distantly related to IncFII plasmids. Phylogenetic affiliations of the B. aphidicola strains of the two aphid species were assessed by sequencing of their 16S rRNA genes. Evaluation of the distribution of the leuABCD-encoding plasmids within a phylogenetic framework suggests independent origins for pBTs1 and pRPE from an ancestral replicon resembling pBTc1. The implications for symbiotic essential amino acid biosynthesis and provisioning are discussed.

The ars operon of Escherichia coli confers arsenical and antimonial resistance

The chromosomally encoded arsenical resistance (ars) operon subcloned into a multicopy plasmid was found to confer a moderate level of resistance to arsenite and antimonite in Escherichia coli. When the operon was deleted from the chromosome, the cells exhibited hypersensitivity to arsenite, antimonite, and arsenate. Expression of the ars genes was inducible by arsenite. By Southern hybridization, the operon was found in all strains of E. coli examined but not in Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Bacillus subtilis.

Resistance mechanisms to arsenicals and antimonials

Salts and organic derivatives of arsenic and antimony are quite toxic. Living organisms have adapted to this toxicity by the evolution of resistance mechanisms. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells develop resistance when exposed to arsenicals or antimonials. In the case of bacteria resistance is conferred by plasmid-encoded arsenical resistance (ars) operons. The genes and gene products of the ars operon of the clinically-isolated conjugative R-factor R773 have been identified and their mechanism of action elucidated. The operon encodes an ATP-driven pump that extrudes arsenite and antimonite from the cells. The lowering of their intracellular concentration results in resistance. Arsenate resistance results from the action of the plasmid-encoded arsenate reductase that reduces arsenate to arsenite, which is then pumped out of the cell.

High level arsenite resistance in Leishmania tarentolae is mediated by an active extrusion system

Leishmania tarentolae cells selected for resistance to the oxyanions pentavalent or trivalent antimonials or to trivalent arsenicals exhibited cross-resistance to the other oxyanions. The basis for resistance in these mutants was studied by transport experiments using radioactive arsenite. All mutants exhibiting high level resistance to arsenite showed a marked decrease in the steady-state accumulation of arsenite. Decreased accumulation was also observed in antimonials-resistant mutants cross-resistant to various concentrations of arsenite. Cells depleted of endogenous energy reserves with metabolic inhibitors were loaded with radioactive arsenite; following addition of glucose, rapid efflux of arsenite was observed from arsenite mutant cells. Mutants resistant to high levels of arsenicals exhibited amplification of the P-glycoprotein related gene ltpgpA or of a linear amplicon of unknown function. However, the efflux-mediated arsenite resistance did not correlate with the amplification of the ltpgpA gene or with the presence of the linear amplicon. The calcium channel blocker verapamil and arsenite act in synergy in cells exhibiting the efflux system. Overall the oxyanion efflux system in Leishmania shares several properties with other resistance efflux systems mediated by transporters.

ATPase activity and ATP/ADP-induced conformational change in the soluble domain of the bacterial protein translocator HlyB

The haemolysin exporter HlyB and its homologues are central to the unconventional signal-peptide-independent secretion of toxins, proteases and nodulation proteins by bacteria. HlyB is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) or traffic ATPase superfamily, and resembles closely in structure and function mammalian exporters such as the multidrug-resistance P-glycoprotein, combining both integral membrane and cytosolic domains. Overproduction of the HlyB cytoplasmic domain as a C-terminal peptide fused to glutathione S-transferase allowed the direct affinity purification and concentration of 30-50 mg ml-1 of soluble protein (GST-Bctp) in an apparently dimeric form possessing both transferase and ATPase activity. GST-Bctp bound to ADP-agarose and was eluted specifically by ATP and ADP, affinity behaviour which was confirmed in both the full-length HlyB and the unfused HlyB cytoplasmic domain synthesized in vitro. The stoichiometry of binding to MgATP and MgADP was close to equimolar and both ligands induced substantial conformational change in the protein. Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase activity of GST-Bctp (Vmax 1 mumol min-1 mg-1, Km 0.2 mM) was comparable with the activity of the bacterial importer MalK and human P-glycoprotein reconstituted into proteoliposomes, and over an order of magnitude higher than in vitro measurements of disaggregated MalK purified from inclusion bodies. Activity was unaffected by inhibitors of F- and V-type ATPases, non-hydrolysable ATP analogues, or translocation substrate, but was severely inhibited by inhibitors of E1E2 (P-type) ATPases, and the acidic phospholipid phosphatidyl glycerol.

Efflux-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Transport processes are used by all organisms to obtain essential nutrients and to expel wastes and other potentially harmful substances from cells. Such processes are important means by which resistance to selected antimicrobial agents in bacteria is achieved. The recently described Staphylococcus aureus norA gene encodes a membrane-associated protein that mediates active efflux of fluoroquinolones from cells. SA-1199B is a fluoroquinolone-resistant strain of S. aureus from which we cloned an allele of norA (norA1199). Similar to that of norA, the protein product of norA1199 preferentially mediates efflux of hydrophilic fluoroquinolones in both S. aureus and an Escherichia coli host, a process driven by the proton motive force. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of norA1199 revealed an encoded 388-amino-acid hydrophobic polypeptide 95% homologous with the norA-encoded protein. Significant homology with other proteins involved in transport processes also exists, but especially with tetracycline efflux proteins and with the Bacillus subtilis Bmr protein that mediates active efflux of structurally unrelated compounds, including fluoroquinolones. In S. aureus, the norA1199-encoded protein also appears to function as a multidrug efflux transporter. Southern hybridization studies indicated that norA1199 (or an allele of it) is a naturally occurring S. aureus gene and that related sequences are present in the S. epidermidis genome. The nucleotide sequence of the wild-type allele of norA1199, cloned from the fluoroquinolone-susceptible parent strain of SA-1199B, did not differ from that of norA1199 throughout the coding region. Northern (RNA) and Southern hybridization studies showed that increased transcription, and not gene amplification, of norA1199 is the basis for fluoroquinolone resistance in SA-1199B.

Reduction of arsenate to arsenite by the ArsC protein of the arsenic resistance operon of Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258

The arsenic resistance operon of Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258 consists of three genes, arsR (encoding the repressor regulatory protein), arsB (the determinant of the membrane efflux protein that confers resistance by pumping arsenic from the cells), and arsC (the small gene whose protein product is required for arsenate resistance only, not for arsenite resistance). ArsC has now been shown to be an arsenate reductase, converting intracellular arsenate [As(V)] to arsenite [As(III)], which is then exported from the cells by an energy-dependent efflux process. The arsenate reductase activity was found in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction in Escherichia coli (and not associated with the periplasmic fraction or the sedimentable cell envelope). Purified ArsC protein coupled in vitro with thioredoxin plus dithiothreitol (but not 2-mercaptoethanol or reduced glutathione) to reduce arsenate to arsenite.

Regulation and expression of the arsenic resistance operon from Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258

The arsenic resistance operon from Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258 was cloned and sequenced. The DNA sequence contains three genes in the order arsR, arsB, and arsC. The predicted amino acid sequences of the gene products are homologous with those of the products of the ars operons of plasmids pSX267 from Staphylococcus xylosus and R773 from Escherichia coli. The cloned staphylococcal ars operon confers resistances to arsenate, arsenite, and antimonite in S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The same operon was also expressed in E. coli and conferred resistance to arsenite but less resistance to arsenate and antimonite. Regulation of the pI258 ars operon was studied by using a translational arsB-blaZ fusion in S. aureus and a transcriptional arsB-luxAB fusion in E. coli. The ars operon was induced by arsenate [As(V)], arsenite [As(III)], and antimonite [Sb(III)], to which the strains were resistant, plus Bi(III) in S. aureus. Only arsenate and arsenite induced the operon in E. coli. Northern (RNA) blot DNA-RNA hybridization analysis showed inducible synthesis of a full-length ars mRNA, about 2.1 kb in size, both in S. aureus and in E. coli. S. aureus ars proteins were expressed in E. coli from the T7 phage promoter under the control of the T7 RNA polymerase. Primer extension (reverse transcriptase) analysis showed that the ars mRNA started at the same position (nucleotides 17 and 18 upstream from the arsR ATG) both in S. aureus and in E. coli. An internal deletion mutation in arsB resulted in decreased resistance to arsenate and total loss of arsenite and antimonite resistances. Partial deletion of 56 bp from the 3' end of the arsC gene resulted in loss of resistance to arsenate; the determinant retained arsenite and antimonite resistances.

A staphylococcal multidrug resistance gene product is a member of a new protein family

The complete nucleotide sequence (321 bp) of smr (staphylococcal multidrug resistance), a gene coding for efflux-mediated multidrug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus, was determined by using two different plasmids as DNA templates. The smr gene product (identical to products of ebr and qacC/D genes) was shown to be homologous to a new family of small membrane proteins found in Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Proteus vulgaris. The smr gene was subcloned and expressed in S. aureus and E. coli and its ability to confer the multidrug resistant phenotype was demonstrated for two different lipophilic cation classes: phosphonium derivatives and quarternary amines. Expression of smr gene leads to the efflux of tetraphenylphosphonium and to a net decrease in the uptake of lipophilic cations. The deduced polypeptide sequence (107 amino acid residues, 11,665 kDa) has 46% hydrophobic residues (Phe, Ile, Leu, and Val) and 20% hydroxylic residues (Ser and Thr). Four transmembrane segments are predicted for smr gene product. Of the charged amino acid residues, only Glu 13 is located in a transmembrane segment. This Glu 13 is conserved in all members of the family of small membrane proteins. We propose a mechanism whereby exchange of protons at the Glu 13 is a key in the efflux of the lipophilic cation. This mechanism includes the idea that protons are transported to the Glu 13 via an appropriate chain of hydroxylic residues in the transmembrane segments of Smr.

Gene regulation of plasmid- and chromosome-determined inorganic ion transport in bacteria

Regulation of chromosomally determined nutrient cation and anion uptake systems shows important similarities to regulation of plasmid-determined toxic ion resistance systems that mediate the outward transport of deleterious ions. Chromosomally determined transport systems result in accumulation of K+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Mn2+, PO4(3-), SO4(2-), and additional trace nutrients, while bacterial plasmids harbor highly specific resistance systems for AsO2-, AsO4(3-), CrO4(2-), Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, SbO2-, TeO3(2-), Zn2+, and other toxic ions. To study the regulation of these systems, we need to define both the trans-acting regulatory proteins and the cis-acting target operator DNA regions for the proteins. The regulation of gene expression for K+ and PO4(3-) transport systems involves two-component sensor-effector pairs of proteins. The first protein responds to an extracellular ionic (or related) signal and then transmits the signal to an intracellular DNA-binding protein. Regulation of Fe3+ transport utilizes the single iron-binding and DNA-binding protein Fur. The MerR regulatory protein for mercury resistance both represses and activates transcription. The ArsR regulatory protein functions as a repressor for the arsenic and antimony(III) efflux system. Although the predicted cadR regulatory gene has not been identified, cadmium, lead, bismuth, zinc, and cobalt induce this system in a carefully regulated manner from a single mRNA start site. The cadA Cd2+ resistance determinant encodes an E1(1)-1E2-class efflux ATPase (consisting of two polypeptides, rather than the one earlier identified). Cadmium resistance is also conferred by the czc system (which confers resistances to zinc and cobalt in Alcaligenes species) via a complex efflux pump consisting of four polypeptides. These two cadmium efflux systems are not otherwise related. For chromate resistance, reduced cellular accumulation is again the resistance mechanism, but the regulatory components are not identified. For other toxic heavy metals (with few exceptions), there exist specific plasmid resistances that remain relatively terra incognita for future exploration of bioinorganic molecular genetics and gene regulation.

Plasmid-encoded resistance to arsenic and antimony

Resistance determinants to the toxic oxyanionic salts of arsenic and antimony are found on plasmids of both gram-negative and gram-positive organisms. In most cases these provide resistance to both the oxyanions of +III oxidation state, antimonite and arsenite, and the +V oxidation state, arsenate. In both gram-positive and -negative bacteria, resistance is correlated with efflux of the anions from cells. The determinant from the plasmid R773, isolated from a gram-negative organism, has been studied in detail. It encodes an oxyanion-translocating ATPase with three subunits, a catalytic subunit, the ArsA protein, a membrane subunit, the ArsB subunit, and a specificity factor, the ArsC protein. The first two form a membrane-bound complex with arsenite-stimulated ATPase activity. The determinants from gram-positive bacteria have only the arsB and arsC genes and encode an efflux system without the participation of an ArsA homologue.

Plasmid chromate resistance and chromate reduction

Compounds of hexavalent chromium (chromates and dichromates) are highly toxic. Plasmid genetic determinants for chromate resistance have been described in several bacterial genera, most notably in Pseudomonas. Resistance to chromate is associated with decreased chromate transport by the resistant cells. The genes for a hydrophobic polypeptide, ChrA, were identified in chromate resistance plasmids of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes eutrophus. ChrA is postulated to be responsible for the outward membrane translocation of chromate anions. Widespread bacterial reduction of hexavalent chromate to the less toxic trivalent chromic ions is also known. Chromate reduction determinants have not, however, been found on bacterial plasmids or transposons. In different bacteria, chromate reduction is either an aerobic or an anaerobic process (but not both) and is carried out either by soluble proteins or by cell membranes. Chromate reduction may also be a mechanism of resistance to chromate, but this has not been unequivocally shown.

A second gene in the Staphylococcus aureus cadA cadmium resistance determinant of plasmid pI258

Two open reading frames on a 3.7-kb BglII-XbaI fragment which encodes the Staphylococcus aureus cadA cadmium (and zinc) resistance determinant of plasmid pI258 were identified (G. Nucifora, L. Chu, T. K. Misra, and S. Silver, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:3544-3548, 1989). The [35S]methionine-labelled protein products of the 727-amino-acid CadA ATPase and of the 122-amino-acid CadC polypeptide in Escherichia coli were identified by using the T7 RNA polymerase-promoter expression system. A truncated CadA polypeptide (402 amino acids) did not confer resistance in S. aureus but was expressed in E. coli under control of the T7 RNA polymerase-promoter. Removal of 678 nucleotides from the 5' end of the published sequence (which includes the cadA promoter) abolished resistance to cadmium, whereas a 146-nucleotide-shorter deletion was without effect. The cadC gene is needed in addition to cadA for full resistance to cadmium in S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis. cadC functions both in cis and in trans.

A plasmid-encoded anion-translocating ATPase

An anion-translocating ATPase has been identified as the product of the arsenical resistance operon of resistance plasmid R773. When expressed in Escherichia coli this ATP-driven oxyanion pump catalyzes extrusion of the oxyanions arsenite, antimonite and arsenate. Maintenance of a low intracellular concentration of oxyanion produces resistance to the toxic agents. The pump is composed of two polypeptides, the products of the arsA and arsB genes. This two-subunit enzyme produces resistance to arsenite and antimonite. A third gene, arsC, expands the substrate specificity to allow for arsenate pumping and resistance.