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Prieto A, Miró L, Margolles Y, Bernabeu M, Salguero D, Merino S, Tomas J, Corbera JA, Perez-Bosque A, Huttener M, Fernández LÁ, Juarez A. Targeting plasmid-encoded proteins that contain immunoglobulin-like domains to combat antimicrobial resistance. eLife 2024; 13:RP95328. [PMID: 39046772 PMCID: PMC11268884 DOI: 10.7554/elife.95328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to human health. Although vaccines have been developed to combat AMR, it has proven challenging to associate specific vaccine antigens with AMR. Bacterial plasmids play a crucial role in the transmission of AMR. Our recent research has identified a group of bacterial plasmids (specifically, IncHI plasmids) that encode large molecular mass proteins containing bacterial immunoglobulin-like domains. These proteins are found on the external surface of the bacterial cells, such as in the flagella or conjugative pili. In this study, we show that these proteins are antigenic and can protect mice from infection caused by an AMR Salmonella strain harboring one of these plasmids. Furthermore, we successfully generated nanobodies targeting these proteins, that were shown to interfere with the conjugative transfer of IncHI plasmids. Considering that these proteins are also encoded in other groups of plasmids, such as IncA/C and IncP2, targeting them could be a valuable strategy in combating AMR infections caused by bacteria harboring different groups of AMR plasmids. Since the selected antigens are directly linked to AMR itself, the protective effect extends beyond specific microorganisms to include all those carrying the corresponding resistance plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Prieto
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Luïsa Miró
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Institut de Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Yago Margolles
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Manuel Bernabeu
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - David Salguero
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Susana Merino
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Joan Tomas
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Juan Alberto Corbera
- Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias (IUIBS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Campus Universitario de ArucasLas PalmasSpain
| | - Anna Perez-Bosque
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Institut de Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Mario Huttener
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Antonio Juarez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
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2
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Vázquez‐Arias A, Vázquez‐Iglesias L, Pérez‐Juste I, Pérez‐Juste J, Pastoriza‐Santos I, Bodelon G. Bacterial surface display of human lectins in Escherichia coli. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14409. [PMID: 38380565 PMCID: PMC10884992 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Lectin-glycan interactions sustain fundamental biological processes involved in development and disease. Owing to their unique sugar-binding properties, lectins have great potential in glycobiology and biomedicine. However, their relatively low affinities and broad specificities pose a significant challenge when used as analytical reagents. New approaches for expression and engineering of lectins are in demand to overcome current limitations. Herein, we report the application of bacterial display for the expression of human galectin-3 and mannose-binding lectin in Escherichia coli. The analysis of the cell surface expression and binding activity of the surface-displayed lectins, including point and deletion mutants, in combination with molecular dynamics simulation, demonstrate the robustness and suitability of this approach. Furthermore, the display of functional mannose-binding lectin in the bacterial surface proved the feasibility of this method for disulfide bond-containing lectins. This work establishes for the first time bacterial display as an efficient means for the expression and engineering of human lectins, thereby increasing the available toolbox for glycobiology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Vázquez‐Arias
- CINBIOUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS‐UVIGOVigoSpain
| | - Lorena Vázquez‐Iglesias
- CINBIOUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS‐UVIGOVigoSpain
| | | | - Jorge Pérez‐Juste
- CINBIOUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS‐UVIGOVigoSpain
- Departamento de Química FísicaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Isabel Pastoriza‐Santos
- CINBIOUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS‐UVIGOVigoSpain
- Departamento de Química FísicaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | - Gustavo Bodelon
- CINBIOUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS‐UVIGOVigoSpain
- Departamento de Biología Funcional y Ciencias de la SaludUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
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3
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Cerdán L, Álvarez B, Fernández LÁ. Massive integration of large gene libraries in the chromosome of Escherichia coli. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14367. [PMID: 37971317 PMCID: PMC10832519 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Large gene libraries are frequently created in Escherichia coli plasmids, which can induce cell toxicity and expression instability due to the high gene dosage. To address these limitations, gene libraries can be integrated in a single copy into the bacterial chromosome. Here, we describe an efficient system for the massive integration (MAIN) of large gene libraries in the E. coli chromosome that generates in-frame gene fusions that are expressed stably. MAIN uses a thermosensitive integrative plasmid that is linearized in vivo to promote extensive integration of the gene library via homologous recombination. Positive and negative selections efficiently remove bacteria lacking gene integration in the target site. We tested MAIN with a library of 107 VHH genes that encode nanobodies (Nbs). The integration of VHH genes into a custom target locus of the E. coli chromosome enabled stable expression and surface display of the Nbs. Next-generation DNA sequencing confirmed that MAIN preserved the diversity of the gene library after integration. Finally, we screened the integrated library to select Nbs that bind a specific antigen using magnetic and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. This allowed us to identify Nbs binding the epidermal growth factor receptor that were not previously isolated in a similar screening of a multicopy plasmid library. Our results demonstrate that MAIN enables large gene library integration into the E. coli chromosome, creating stably expressed in-frame fusions for functional screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Cerdán
- Department of Microbial BiotechnologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Beatriz Álvarez
- Department of Microbial BiotechnologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial BiotechnologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)MadridSpain
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4
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Xing Y, Clark JR, Chang JD, Chirman DM, Green S, Zulk JJ, Jelinski J, Patras KA, Maresso AW. Broad protective vaccination against systemic Escherichia coli with autotransporter antigens. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011082. [PMID: 36800400 PMCID: PMC9937491 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is the leading cause of adult life-threatening sepsis and urinary tract infections (UTI). The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) ExPEC strains result in a considerable amount of treatment failure and hospitalization costs, and contribute to the spread of drug resistance amongst the human microbiome. Thus, an effective vaccine against ExPEC would reduce morbidity and mortality and possibly decrease carriage in healthy or diseased populations. A comparative genomic analysis demonstrated a gene encoding an invasin-like protein, termed sinH, annotated as an autotransporter protein, shows high prevalence in various invasive ExPEC phylogroups, especially those associated with systemic bacteremia and UTI. Here, we evaluated the protective efficacy and immunogenicity of a recombinant SinH-based vaccine consisting of either domain-3 or domains-1,2, and 3 of the putative extracellular region of surface-localized SinH. Immunization of a murine host with SinH-based antigens elicited significant protection against various strains of the pandemic ExPEC sequence type 131 (ST131) as well as multiple sequence types in two distinct models of infection (colonization and bacteremia). SinH immunization also provided significant protection against ExPEC colonization in the bladder in an acute UTI model. Immunized cohorts produced significantly higher levels of vaccine-specific serum IgG and urinary IgG and IgA, findings consistent with mucosal protection. Collectively, these results demonstrate that autotransporter antigens such as SinH may constitute promising ExPEC phylogroup-specific and sequence-type effective vaccine targets that reduce E. coli colonization and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yikun Xing
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Justin R. Clark
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - James D. Chang
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dylan M. Chirman
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sabrina Green
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jacob J. Zulk
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Joseph Jelinski
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kathryn A. Patras
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Anthony W. Maresso
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- TAILOR Labs, Vaccine Development Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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5
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Robledo M, Álvarez B, Cuevas A, González S, Ruano-Gallego D, Fernández L, de la Cruz F. Targeted bacterial conjugation mediated by synthetic cell-to-cell adhesions. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12938-12950. [PMID: 36511856 PMCID: PMC9825185 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic interventions on microbiomes, for clinical or biotechnological purposes, remain challenging. Conjugation-based delivery of genetic cargo is still unspecific and limited by low conjugation rates. Here we report an approach to overcome these problems, based on a synthetic bacterial adhesion system. Mating assemblers consist on a synthetic adhesion formed by the expression on the surface of donor and target cells of specific nanobodies (Nb) and their cognate antigen (Ag). The Nb-Ag bridge increased 1-3 logs transfer of a variety of plasmids, especially in liquid media, confirming that cell-cell docking is a main determinant limiting mating efficiency. Synthetic cell-to-cell adhesion allows efficient conjugation to targeted recipients, enhancing delivery of desired genes to a predefined subset of prey species, or even specific pathogenic strains such as enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), within a bacterial community. The synthetic conjugation enhancer presented here optimizes plasmid delivery by selecting the target hosts with high selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Robledo
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Marta Robledo.
| | - Beatriz Álvarez
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cuevas
- Intergenomics Group, Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Sheila González
- Intergenomics Group, Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - David Ruano-Gallego
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Characterization of novel nuclease and protease activities among Leptospiral immunoglobulin-like proteins. Arch Biochem Biophys 2022; 727:109349. [PMID: 35820644 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial immunoglobulin-like (BIg) domain containing proteins play a variety of biological functions. Leptospiral Immunoglobulin-like (Lig) proteins are well-known virulence factors located on the surface of the pathogenic Leptospira that act during adhesion, invasion, and immune evasion. The Lig proteins have many roles and have been designated as multifaceted proteins. However, the hydrolyzing function of Lig proteins is not yet investigated in detail. Here, we report novel in-vitro nuclease and protease activities in the Ig-like domain of LigA protein. All Ig-like domains were able to cleave DNA in the presence of a divalent ion, but not RNA. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed Mg+2 binding residues in the Ig-like domain of LigA7. The basis of novel nuclease activity may be associated with protein adopting different conformation in the presence of divalent ions and substrate as investigated by change of intrinsic fluorescence. The docking of a stretch of double-strand DNA shows the binding on the positive surface of the protein. In addition, the protein is also observed to cleave a general protease substrate, β-casein, in our experimental condition. Our results proposed that the novel functions may be associated with neutrophil extracellular Trap (NET) evasion. Overall this study enhances the basic knowledge of non-nuclease proteins involved in the DNA cleavage activity and makes the foundation to explore its in-vivo activity in pathogenic Leptospira and other pathogens as well. Moreover, this information may be utilized to develop preventive strategies to interfere with Leptospira immune evasion.
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7
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Pierrat X, Pham A, Wong JPH, Al-Mayyah Z, Persat A. Engineering Agrobacterium tumefaciens Adhesion to Target Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2662-2671. [PMID: 35881049 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen commonly repurposed for genetic modification of crops. Despite its versatility, it remains inefficient at transferring DNA to many hosts, including to animal cells. Like many pathogens, physical contact between A. tumefaciens and host cells promotes infection efficacy. Thus, improving the strength and specificity of A. tumefaciens to target cells has the potential for enhancing DNA transfer for biotechnological and therapeutic purposes. Here, we demonstrate a methodology for engineering genetically encoded exogeneous adhesins at the surface of A. tumefaciens. We identified an autotransporter gene we named Aat that is predicted to show canonical β-barrel and passenger domains. We engineered the β-barrel scaffold and linker (Aatβ) to display synthetic adhesins susceptible to rewire A. tumefaciens to alternative host targets. As a proof of concept, we leveraged the versatility of a VHH domain to rewire A. tumefaciens adhesion to yeast and mammalian hosts displaying a GFP target receptor. Finally, to demonstrate how synthetic A. tumefaciens adhesion can improve transfer to host cells, we showed improved protein translocation into HeLa cells using a sensitive split luciferase reporter system. Engineering A. tumefaciens adhesion has therefore a strong potential in generating complex heterogeneous cellular assemblies and in improving DNA transfer efficiency against non-natural hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Pierrat
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alix Pham
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy P H Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zainebe Al-Mayyah
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Persat
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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8
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Wang L, Zhang J, Wang D, Song C. Membrane contact probability: An essential and predictive character for the structural and functional studies of membrane proteins. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009972. [PMID: 35353812 PMCID: PMC9000120 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the unique traits of membrane proteins is that a significant fraction of their hydrophobic amino acids is exposed to the hydrophobic core of lipid bilayers rather than being embedded in the protein interior, which is often not explicitly considered in the protein structure and function predictions. Here, we propose a characteristic and predictive quantity, the membrane contact probability (MCP), to describe the likelihood of the amino acids of a given sequence being in direct contact with the acyl chains of lipid molecules. We show that MCP is complementary to solvent accessibility in characterizing the outer surface of membrane proteins, and it can be predicted for any given sequence with a machine learning-based method by utilizing a training dataset extracted from MemProtMD, a database generated from molecular dynamics simulations for the membrane proteins with a known structure. As the first of many potential applications, we demonstrate that MCP can be used to systematically improve the prediction precision of the protein contact maps and structures. The distribution of residues on protein surfaces is largely determined by the surrounding environment. For soluble proteins, most of the residues on the outer surface are hydrophilic, and people use the quantity “solvent accessibility” to describe and predict these surface residues. In contrast, for membrane proteins that are embedded in a lipid bilayer, many of their surface residues are hydrophobic and membrane-contacting, but there is yet a widely-accepted quantity for the description or prediction of this characteristic property. Here, we propose a new quantity termed “membrane contact probability (MCP)”, which can be used to describe and predict the membrane-contacting surface residues of proteins. We also propose a machine learning-based method to predict MCP from protein sequences, utilizing the dataset generated by physics-based computer simulations. We demonstrate that a quantity such as MCP is helpful for protein structure prediction, and we believe that it will find broad applications in the structure and function studies of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangguo Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dali Wang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Song
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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9
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Deruelle V, Berry A, Bouillot S, Job V, Maillard AP, Elsen S, Huber P. ExlA Pore-Forming Toxin: Localization at the Bacterial Membrane, Regulation of Secretion by Cyclic-Di-GMP, and Detection In Vivo. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13090645. [PMID: 34564649 PMCID: PMC8472254 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13090645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
ExlA is a highly virulent pore-forming toxin that has been recently discovered in outlier strains from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. ExlA is part of a two-partner secretion system, in which ExlA is the secreted passenger protein and ExlB the transporter embedded in the bacterial outer membrane. In previous work, we observed that ExlA toxicity in a host cell was contact-dependent. Here, we show that ExlA accumulates at specific points of the outer membrane, is likely entrapped within ExlB pore, and is pointing outside. We further demonstrate that ExlA is maintained at the membrane in conditions where the intracellular content of second messenger cyclic-di-GMP is high; lowering c-di-GMP levels enhances ExlB-dependent ExlA secretion. In addition, we set up an ELISA to detect ExlA, and we show that ExlA is poorly secreted in liquid culture, while it is highly detectable in broncho-alveolar lavage fluids of mice infected with an exlA+ strain. We conclude that ExlA translocation is halted at mid-length in the outer membrane and its secretion is regulated by c-di-GMP. In addition, we developed an immunological test able to quantify ExlA in biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Deruelle
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
- Unité de Biochimie des Interactions Macromoléculaires, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, CNRS UMR 3528, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Alice Berry
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
| | - Stéphanie Bouillot
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, CEA, 38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Viviana Job
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, CEA, 38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Antoine P. Maillard
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, CEA, 38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvie Elsen
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, CEA, 38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Huber
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, INSERM, CNRS, 38054 Grenoble, France; (V.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.); (V.J.); (A.P.M.); (S.E.)
- Center for Immunology of Viral, Auto-Immune, Hematological and Bacterial Diseases (IMVA-HB/IDMIT), Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CEA, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Correspondence:
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10
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Fraile S, Briones M, Revenga-Parra M, de Lorenzo V, Lorenzo E, Martínez-García E. Engineering Tropism of Pseudomonas putida toward Target Surfaces through Ectopic Display of Recombinant Nanobodies. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2049-2059. [PMID: 34337948 PMCID: PMC8397431 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are endowed with complex outer membrane (OM) structures that allow them to both interact with other organisms and attach to different physical structures. However, the design of reliable bacterial coatings of solid surfaces is still a considerable challenge. In this work, we report that ectopic expression of a fibrinogen-specific nanobody on the envelope of Pseudomonas putida cells enables controllable formation of a bacterial monolayer strongly bound to an antigen-coated support. To this end, either the wild type or a surface-naked derivative of P. putida was engineered to express a hybrid between the β-barrel of an intimin-type autotransporter inserted in the outer membrane and a nanobody (VHH) moiety that targets fibrinogen as its cognate interaction partner. The functionality of the thereby presented VHH and the strength of the resulting cell attachment to a solid surface covered with the cognate antigen were tested and parametrized with Quartz Crystal Microbalance technology. The results not only demonstrated the value of using bacteria with reduced OM complexity for efficient display of artificial adhesins, but also the potential of this approach to engineer specific bacterial coverings of predetermined target surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Fraile
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Briones
- Departamento de Química Analítica y Análisis
Instrumental, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Revenga-Parra
- Departamento de Química Analítica y Análisis
Instrumental, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Encarnación Lorenzo
- Departamento de Química Analítica y Análisis
Instrumental, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Martínez-García
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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11
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Chatterjee S, Basak AJ, Nair AV, Duraivelan K, Samanta D. Immunoglobulin-fold containing bacterial adhesins: molecular and structural perspectives in host tissue colonization and infection. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 368:6045506. [PMID: 33355339 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunoglobulin (Ig) domains are one of the most widespread protein domains encoded by the human genome and are present in a large array of proteins with diverse biological functions. These Ig domains possess a central structure, the immunoglobulin-fold, which is a sandwich of two β sheets, each made up of anti-parallel β strands, surrounding a central hydrophobic core. Apart from humans, proteins containing Ig-like domains are also distributed in a vast selection of organisms including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, viruses and bacteria where they execute a wide array of discrete cellular functions. In this review, we have described the key structural deviations of bacterial Ig-folds when compared to the classical eukaryotic Ig-fold. Further, we have comprehensively grouped all the Ig-domain containing adhesins present in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Additionally, we describe the role of these particular adhesins in host tissue attachment, colonization and subsequent infection by both pathogenic and non-pathogenic Escherichia coli as well as other bacterial species. The structural properties of these Ig-domain containing adhesins, along with their interactions with specific Ig-like and non Ig-like binding partners present on the host cell surface have been discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruti Chatterjee
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, India
| | - Aditya J Basak
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, India
| | - Asha V Nair
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, India
| | - Kheerthana Duraivelan
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, India
| | - Dibyendu Samanta
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, India
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12
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Hawley KL, Montezuma-Rusca JM, Delgado KN, Singh N, Uversky VN, Caimano MJ, Radolf JD, Luthra A. Structural Modeling of the Treponema pallidum Outer Membrane Protein Repertoire: a Road Map for Deconvolution of Syphilis Pathogenesis and Development of a Syphilis Vaccine. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0008221. [PMID: 33972353 PMCID: PMC8407342 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00082-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Treponema pallidum, an obligate human pathogen, has an outer membrane (OM) whose physical properties, ultrastructure, and composition differ markedly from those of phylogenetically distant Gram-negative bacteria. We developed structural models for the outer membrane protein (OMP) repertoire (OMPeome) of T. pallidum Nichols using solved Gram-negative structures, computational tools, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of selected recombinant periplasmic domains. The T. pallidum "OMPeome" harbors two "stand-alone" proteins (BamA and LptD) involved in OM biogenesis and four paralogous families involved in the influx/efflux of small molecules: 8-stranded β-barrels, long-chain-fatty-acid transporters (FadLs), OM factors (OMFs) for efflux pumps, and T. pallidum repeat proteins (Tprs). BamA (TP0326), the central component of a β-barrel assembly machine (BAM)/translocation and assembly module (TAM) hybrid, possesses a highly flexible polypeptide-transport-associated (POTRA) 1-5 arm predicted to interact with TamB (TP0325). TP0515, an LptD ortholog, contains a novel, unstructured C-terminal domain that models inside the β-barrel. T. pallidum has four 8-stranded β-barrels, each containing positively charged extracellular loops that could contribute to pathogenesis. Three of five FadL-like orthologs have a novel α-helical, presumptively periplasmic C-terminal extension. SAXS and structural modeling further supported the bipartite membrane topology and tridomain architecture of full-length members of the Tpr family. T. pallidum's two efflux pumps presumably extrude noxious small molecules via four coexpressed OMFs with variably charged tunnels. For BamA, LptD, and OMFs, we modeled the molecular machines that deliver their substrates into the OM or external milieu. The spirochete's extended families of OM transporters collectively confer a broad capacity for nutrient uptake. The models also furnish a structural road map for vaccine development. IMPORTANCE The unusual outer membrane (OM) of T. pallidum, the syphilis spirochete, is the ultrastructural basis for its well-recognized capacity for invasiveness, immune evasion, and persistence. In recent years, we have made considerable progress in identifying T. pallidum's repertoire of OMPs. Here, we developed three-dimensional (3D) models for the T. pallidum Nichols OMPeome using structural modeling, bioinformatics, and solution scattering. The OM contains three families of OMP transporters, an OMP family involved in the extrusion of noxious molecules, and two "stand-alone" proteins involved in OM biogenesis. This work represents a major advance toward elucidating host-pathogen interactions during syphilis; understanding how T. pallidum, an extreme auxotroph, obtains a wide array of biomolecules from its obligate human host; and developing a vaccine with global efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L. Hawley
- Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Connecticut Children’s, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jairo M. Montezuma-Rusca
- Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Navreeta Singh
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Melissa J. Caimano
- Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Justin D. Radolf
- Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Immunology, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Amit Luthra
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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13
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Dautin N. Folding Control in the Path of Type 5 Secretion. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:341. [PMID: 34064645 PMCID: PMC8151025 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13050341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The type 5 secretion system (T5SS) is one of the more widespread secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. Proteins secreted by the T5SS are functionally diverse (toxins, adhesins, enzymes) and include numerous virulence factors. Mechanistically, the T5SS has long been considered the simplest of secretion systems, due to the paucity of proteins required for its functioning. Still, despite more than two decades of study, the exact process by which T5SS substrates attain their final destination and correct conformation is not totally deciphered. Moreover, the recent addition of new sub-families to the T5SS raises additional questions about this secretion mechanism. Central to the understanding of type 5 secretion is the question of protein folding, which needs to be carefully controlled in each of the bacterial cell compartments these proteins cross. Here, the biogenesis of proteins secreted by the Type 5 secretion system is discussed, with a focus on the various factors preventing or promoting protein folding during biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Dautin
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Université de Paris, LBPC-PM, CNRS, UMR7099, 75005 Paris, France;
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild pour le Développement de la Recherche Scientifique, 75005 Paris, France
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14
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The extracellular juncture domains in the intimin passenger adopt a constitutively extended conformation inducing restraints to its sphere of action. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21249. [PMID: 33277518 PMCID: PMC7718877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77706-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli are among the most important food-borne pathogens, posing a global health threat. The virulence factor intimin is essential for the attachment of pathogenic E. coli to the intestinal host cell. Intimin consists of four extracellular bacterial immunoglobulin-like (Big) domains, D00–D2, extending into the fifth lectin subdomain (D3) that binds to the Tir-receptor on the host cell. Here, we present the crystal structures of the elusive D00–D0 domains at 1.5 Å and D0–D1 at 1.8 Å resolution, which confirms that the passenger of intimin has five distinct domains. We describe that D00–D0 exhibits a higher degree of rigidity and D00 likely functions as a juncture domain at the outer membrane-extracellular medium interface. We conclude that D00 is a unique Big domain with a specific topology likely found in a broad range of other inverse autotransporters. The accumulated data allows us to model the complete passenger of intimin and propose functionality to the Big domains, D00–D0–D1, extending directly from the membrane.
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15
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Whelan R, McVicker G, Leo JC. Staying out or Going in? The Interplay between Type 3 and Type 5 Secretion Systems in Adhesion and Invasion of Enterobacterial Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4102. [PMID: 32521829 PMCID: PMC7312957 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric pathogens rely on a variety of toxins, adhesins and other virulence factors to cause infections. Some of the best studied pathogens belong to the Enterobacterales order; these include enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., and the enteropathogenic Yersiniae. The pathogenesis of these organisms involves two different secretion systems, a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and type 5 secretion systems (T5SSs). The T3SS forms a syringe-like structure spanning both bacterial membranes and the host cell plasma membrane that translocates toxic effector proteins into the cytoplasm of the host cell. T5SSs are also known as autotransporters, and they export part of their own polypeptide to the bacterial cell surface where it exerts its function, such as adhesion to host cell receptors. During infection with these enteropathogens, the T3SS and T5SS act in concert to bring about rearrangements of the host cell cytoskeleton, either to invade the cell, confer intracellular motility, evade phagocytosis or produce novel structures to shelter the bacteria. Thus, in these bacteria, not only the T3SS effectors but also T5SS proteins could be considered "cytoskeletoxins" that bring about profound alterations in host cell cytoskeletal dynamics and lead to pathogenic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jack C. Leo
- Antimicrobial Resistance, Omics and Microbiota Group, Department of Biosciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK; (R.W.); (G.M.)
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16
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Lomovatskaya LA, Romanenko AS. Secretion Systems of Bacterial Phytopathogens and Mutualists (Review). APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s0003683820020106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Han Y, Wei L, Xiao J, Zhang Y, Wang Q, Zhou M. Identification and study of InV as an inverse autotransporter family representative in Edwardsiella piscicida. Arch Microbiol 2020; 202:1107-1116. [PMID: 32052095 PMCID: PMC7223825 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01804-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Invasins and intimins, members of virulence-related adhesin family which is involved in attachment and adherence to epithelial cells during infection, are found in various pathogens. These pathogens can attach to enterocytes and lead to the formation of a pedestal-like structure. Invasins and intimins belong to type Ve secretion systems, and the N-terminal β-barrel domain acts as a translocation pore to secrete the C-terminal passenger domain. However, the relationship between invasins/intimins and type III secretion system (T3SS) has been poorly studied. Based on the transposon insertion mutant library of Edwardsiella piscicida, we got a transposon insertion mutant with significant T3SS defect and identified the mutated gene ETAE_0323 (named inV later). This gene encoded a protein with 2359 amino acid residues and was predicted to be an invasin. To study the relationship between InV and T3SS, strains with N-terminus or C-terminus deleted InV fragments were made. However, none of them was able to copy the phenotype of the transposon insertion mutant previously identified. The localization of InV in ΔT3SS strain was not significantly different from WT, suggesting that the T3SS defect in the transposon insertion mutant was likely to be caused by polar effect. Nevertheless, depletion of inV still showed dramatic internalization and virulence defect in HeLa cell and zebrafish model, respectively, suggesting InV as a virulence related protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Lifan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jingfan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuanxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Maricultured Animal Vaccines, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiyao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China. .,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China. .,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Maricultured Animal Vaccines, Shanghai, China.
| | - Mian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.
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18
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Abstract
Escherichia coli is one of the most prevalent facultative anaerobes of the human gut. E. coli normally exists as a harmless commensal but can also cause disease following the acquisition of genes that enhance its pathogenicity. Adhesion is an important first step in colonization of the host and is mediated by an array of cell surface components. In E. coli, these include a family of adhesins secreted by the type V secretion system. Here, we identified and characterized new proteins from an emerging subclass of the type V secretion system known as the inverse autotransporters (IATs). We found that IAT-encoding genes are present in a wide range of strains and showed that three novel IATs were localized on the E. coli cell surface and mediated biofilm formation. Overall, this study provides new insight into the prevalence, function, and regulation of IATs in E. coli. Proteins secreted by the type V secretion system possess multiple functions, including the capacity to mediate adhesion, aggregation, and biolfilm formation. The type V secretion system can be divided into five subclasses, one of which is the type Ve system. Proteins of the type Ve secretion system are also referred to as inverse autotransporters (IATs). In this study, we performed an in silico analysis of 126 completely sequenced Escherichia coli genomes available in the NCBI database and identified several distinct IAT-encoding gene families whose distribution varied throughout the E. coli phylogeny. The genes included three characterized IATs (intimin, fdeC, and yeeJ) and four uncharacterized IATs (here named iatA, iatB, iatC, and iatD). The four iat genes were cloned from the completely sequenced environmental E. coli strain SMS-3-5 and characterized. Three of these IAT proteins (IatB, IatC, and IatD) were expressed at the cell surface and possessed the capacity to mediate biofilm formation in a recombinant E. coli K-12 strain. Further analysis of the iatB gene, which showed a unique association with extraintestinal E. coli strains, suggested that its regulation is controlled by the LeuO global regulator. Overall, this study provides new data describing the prevalence, sequence variation, domain structure, function, and regulation of IATs found in E. coli. IMPORTANCEEscherichia coli is one of the most prevalent facultative anaerobes of the human gut. E. coli normally exists as a harmless commensal but can also cause disease following the acquisition of genes that enhance its pathogenicity. Adhesion is an important first step in colonization of the host and is mediated by an array of cell surface components. In E. coli, these include a family of adhesins secreted by the type V secretion system. Here, we identified and characterized new proteins from an emerging subclass of the type V secretion system known as the inverse autotransporters (IATs). We found that IAT-encoding genes are present in a wide range of strains and showed that three novel IATs were localized on the E. coli cell surface and mediated biofilm formation. Overall, this study provides new insight into the prevalence, function, and regulation of IATs in E. coli.
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19
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Leibiger K, Schweers JM, Schütz M. Biogenesis and function of the autotransporter adhesins YadA, intimin and invasin. Int J Med Microbiol 2019; 309:331-337. [PMID: 31176600 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria often express numerous virulence factors. These virulence factors make them successful pathogens, by e.g. mediating attachment to host cells and thereby facilitating persistence or invasion, or by contributing to the evasion of the host immune system to allow proliferation and spread within the host and in the environment. The site of first contact of Gram negative bacteria with the host is the bacterial outer membrane (OM). Consisting of an asymmetrical lipid bilayer with phospholipids forming the inner, and lipopolysaccharides forming the outer leaflet, the OM harbors numerous integral membrane proteins that are almost exclusively β-barrel proteins. One distinct family of OM β-barrel proteins strongly linked to bacterial virulence are the autotransporter (AT) proteins. During the last years huge progress has been made to better understand the mechanisms underlying the insertion of AT proteins into the OM and also AT function for interaction with the host. This review shortly summarizes our current knowledge about outer membrane protein (OMP) and more specifically AT biogenesis and function. We focused on the AT proteins that we haved studied in most detail: i.e. the Yersinia adhesin A (YadA) and invasin of Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) as well as its homolog intimin (Int) expressed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. In addition, this review provides a short outlook about how we could possibly use this knowledge to fight infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolin Leibiger
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonas Malte Schweers
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Monika Schütz
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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20
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Hatlem D, Trunk T, Linke D, Leo JC. Catching a SPY: Using the SpyCatcher-SpyTag and Related Systems for Labeling and Localizing Bacterial Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2129. [PMID: 31052154 PMCID: PMC6539128 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The SpyCatcher-SpyTag system was developed seven years ago as a method for protein ligation. It is based on a modified domain from a Streptococcus pyogenes surface protein (SpyCatcher), which recognizes a cognate 13-amino-acid peptide (SpyTag). Upon recognition, the two form a covalent isopeptide bond between the side chains of a lysine in SpyCatcher and an aspartate in SpyTag. This technology has been used, among other applications, to create covalently stabilized multi-protein complexes, for modular vaccine production, and to label proteins (e.g., for microscopy). The SpyTag system is versatile as the tag is a short, unfolded peptide that can be genetically fused to exposed positions in target proteins; similarly, SpyCatcher can be fused to reporter proteins such as GFP, and to epitope or purification tags. Additionally, an orthogonal system called SnoopTag-SnoopCatcher has been developed from an S. pneumoniae pilin that can be combined with SpyCatcher-SpyTag to produce protein fusions with multiple components. Furthermore, tripartite applications have been produced from both systems allowing the fusion of two peptides by a separate, catalytically active protein unit, SpyLigase or SnoopLigase. Here, we review the current state of the SpyCatcher-SpyTag and related technologies, with a particular emphasis on their use in vaccine development and in determining outer membrane protein localization and topology of surface proteins in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hatlem
- Bacterial Cell Surface Group, Section for Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Thomas Trunk
- Bacterial Cell Surface Group, Section for Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Dirk Linke
- Bacterial Cell Surface Group, Section for Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Jack C Leo
- Bacterial Cell Surface Group, Section for Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
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21
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Abstract
Type V, or "autotransporter," secretion is a term used to refer to several simple protein export pathways that are found in a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria. Autotransporters are generally single polypeptides that consist of an extracellular ("passenger") domain and a β barrel domain that anchors the protein to the outer membrane (OM). Although it was originally proposed that the passenger domain is secreted through a channel formed solely by the covalently linked β barrel domain, experiments performed primarily on the type Va, or "classical," autotransporter pathway have challenged this hypothesis. Several lines of evidence strongly suggest that both the secretion of the passenger domain and the membrane integration of the β barrel domain are catalyzed by the barrel assembly machinery (Bam) complex, a conserved hetero-oligomer that plays an essential role in the assembly of most integral OM proteins. The secretion reaction appears to be driven at least in part by the folding of the passenger domain in the extracellular space. Although many aspects of autotransporter biogenesis remain to be elucidated, it will be especially interesting to determine whether the different classes of proteins that fall under the type V rubric-most of which have not been examined in detail-are assembled by the same basic mechanism as classical autotransporters.
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22
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Dilworth MV, Piel MS, Bettaney KE, Ma P, Luo J, Sharples D, Poyner DR, Gross SR, Moncoq K, Henderson PJF, Miroux B, Bill RM. Microbial expression systems for membrane proteins. Methods 2018; 147:3-39. [PMID: 29656078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite many high-profile successes, recombinant membrane protein production remains a technical challenge; it is still the case that many fewer membrane protein structures have been published than those of soluble proteins. However, progress is being made because empirical methods have been developed to produce the required quantity and quality of these challenging targets. This review focuses on the microbial expression systems that are a key source of recombinant prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane proteins for structural studies. We provide an overview of the host strains, tags and promoters that, in our experience, are most likely to yield protein suitable for structural and functional characterization. We also catalogue the detergents used for solubilization and crystallization studies of these proteins. Here, we emphasize a combination of practical methods, not necessarily high-throughput, which can be implemented in any laboratory equipped for recombinant DNA technology and microbial cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin V Dilworth
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Mathilde S Piel
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Kim E Bettaney
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Pikyee Ma
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Ji Luo
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David Sharples
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David R Poyner
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Stephane R Gross
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
| | - Karine Moncoq
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Peter J F Henderson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Bruno Miroux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Roslyn M Bill
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
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23
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Design of ultra-swollen lipidic mesophases for the crystallization of membrane proteins with large extracellular domains. Nat Commun 2018; 9:544. [PMID: 29416037 PMCID: PMC5803273 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02996-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In meso crystallization of membrane proteins from lipidic mesophases is central to protein structural biology but limited to membrane proteins with small extracellular domains (ECDs), comparable to the water channels (3–5 nm) of the mesophase. Here we present a strategy expanding the scope of in meso crystallization to membrane proteins with very large ECDs. We combine monoacylglycerols and phospholipids to design thermodynamically stable ultra-swollen bicontinuous cubic phases of double-gyroid (Ia3d), double-diamond (Pn3m), and double-primitive (Im3m) space groups, with water channels five times larger than traditional lipidic mesophases, and showing re-entrant behavior upon increasing hydration, of sequences Ia3d→Pn3m→Ia3d and Pn3m→Im3m→Pn3m, unknown in lipid self-assembly. We use these mesophases to crystallize membrane proteins with ECDs inaccessible to conventional in meso crystallization, demonstrating the methodology on the Gloeobacter ligand-gated ion channel (GLIC) protein, and show substantial modulation of packing, molecular contacts and activation state of the ensued proteins crystals, illuminating a general strategy in protein structural biology. In meso crystallization of membrane proteins is limited to proteins with small extracellular domains (ECDs). Here, authors combine monoacylglycerols and phospholipids to design stable ultra-swollen bicontinuous cubic phases that allow in meso crystallization of proteins with large ECDs.
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Satheeshkumar PK, Anu PV, Junaida MI, Madanan MG, Jebasingh T, Nair AJ, Nair GA, Nair GPM, Sudhakaran PR. Expression of Leptospira membrane proteins Signal Peptidase (SP) and Leptospira Endostatin like A (Len A) in BL-21(DE3) is toxic to the host cells. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2018; 16:393-398. [PMID: 30733752 PMCID: PMC6353657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgeb.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Heterologous expression of Integral Membrane Proteins (IMPs) is reported to be toxic to the host system in many studies. Even though there are reports on various concerns like transformation efficiency, growth properties, protein toxicity, inefficient expression and protein degradation in IMP overexpression, no studies so far addressed these issues in a comprehensive way. In the present study, two transmembrane proteins of the pathogen Leptospira interrogans, namely Signal peptidase (SP), and Leptospira Endostatin like A (Len-A) were taken along with a cytosolic protein Hydrolase (HYD) to assess the differences in transformation efficiency, protein toxicity, and protein stability when over expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Bioinformatics analysis to predict the transmembrane localization indicated that both SP and Len are targeted to the membrane. The three proteins were expressed in full length in the E. coli expression strain, BL 21 (DE3). Significant changes were observed for the strains transformed with IMP genes under the parameters analysed such as, the transformation efficiency, survival of colonies on IPTG-plate, culture growth kinetics and protein expression compared to the strain harbouring the cytosolic protein gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padikara K Satheeshkumar
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Prasannan V Anu
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Mohmed I Junaida
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | | | | | - Ananthakrishnan J Nair
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Gangaprasad A Nair
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Govinda Pillai M Nair
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Perumana R Sudhakaran
- Interuniversity Centre for Genomics and Gene Technology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
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Salema V, Fernández LÁ. Escherichia coli surface display for the selection of nanobodies. Microb Biotechnol 2017; 10:1468-1484. [PMID: 28772027 PMCID: PMC5658595 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies (Nbs) are the smallest functional antibody fragments known in nature and have multiple applications in biomedicine or environmental monitoring. Nbs are derived from the variable segment of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies, known as VHH. For selection, libraries of VHH gene segments from naïve, immunized animals or of synthetic origin have been traditionally cloned in E. coli phage display or yeast display systems, and clones binding the target antigen recovered, usually from plastic surfaces with the immobilized antigen (phage display) or using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS; yeast display). This review briefly describes these conventional approaches and focuses on the distinct properties of an E. coli display system developed in our laboratory, which combines the benefits of both phage display and yeast display systems. We demonstrate that E. coli display using an N-terminal domain of intimin is an effective platform for the surface display of VHH libraries enabling selection of high-affinity Nbs by magnetic cell sorting and direct selection on live mammalian cells displaying the target antigen on their surface. Flow cytometry analysis of E. coli bacteria displaying the Nbs on their surface allows monitoring of the selection process, facilitates screening, characterization of antigen-binding clones, specificity, ligand competition and estimation of the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Valencio Salema
- Department of Microbial BiotechnologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial BiotechnologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)MadridSpain
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Albenne C, Ieva R. Job contenders: roles of the β-barrel assembly machinery and the translocation and assembly module in autotransporter secretion. Mol Microbiol 2017; 106:505-517. [PMID: 28887826 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In Gram-negative bacteria, autotransporters secrete effector protein domains that are linked to virulence. Although they were once thought to be simple and autonomous secretion machines, mounting evidence reveals that multiple factors of the bacterial envelope are necessary for autotransporter assembly. Secretion across the outer membrane of their soluble effector "passenger domain" is promoted by the assembly of an outer membrane-spanning "β-barrel domain". Both reactions require BamA, an essential component of the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM complex) that catalyzes the final reaction step by which outer membrane proteins are integrated into the lipid bilayer. A large amount of data generated in the last decade has shed key insights onto the mechanistic coordination of autotransporter β-barrel domain assembly and passenger domain secretion. These results, together with the recently solved structures of the BAM complex, offer an unprecedented opportunity to discuss a detailed model of autotransporter assembly. Importantly, some autotransporters benefit from the presence of an additional machinery, the translocation and assembly module (TAM), a two-membrane spanning complex, which contains a BamA-homologous subunit. Although it remains unclear how the BAM complex and the TAM cooperate, it is evident that multiple preparatory steps are necessary for efficient autotransporter biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Albenne
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Raffaele Ieva
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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Martinez-Gil M, Goh KGK, Rackaityte E, Sakamoto C, Audrain B, Moriel DG, Totsika M, Ghigo JM, Schembri MA, Beloin C. YeeJ is an inverse autotransporter from Escherichia coli that binds to peptidoglycan and promotes biofilm formation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11326. [PMID: 28900103 PMCID: PMC5595812 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10902-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli is a commensal or pathogenic bacterium that can survive in diverse environments. Adhesion to surfaces is essential for E. coli colonization, and thus it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms that promote this process in different niches. Autotransporter proteins are a class of cell-surface factor used by E. coli for adherence. Here we characterized the regulation and function of YeeJ, a poorly studied but widespread representative from an emerging class of autotransporter proteins, the inverse autotransporters (IAT). We showed that the yeeJ gene is present in ~40% of 96 completely sequenced E. coli genomes and that YeeJ exists as two length variants, albeit with no detectable functional differences. We demonstrated that YeeJ promotes biofilm formation in different settings through exposition at the cell-surface. We also showed that YeeJ contains a LysM domain that interacts with peptidoglycan and thus assists its localization into the outer membrane. Additionally, we identified the Polynucleotide Phosphorylase PNPase as a repressor of yeeJ transcription. Overall, our work provides new insight into YeeJ as a member of the recently defined IAT class, and contributes to our understanding of how commensal and pathogenic E. coli colonise their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Martinez-Gil
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, CEDEX 15, France
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Kelvin G K Goh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Elze Rackaityte
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, CEDEX 15, France
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chizuko Sakamoto
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, CEDEX 15, France
| | - Bianca Audrain
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, CEDEX 15, France
| | - Danilo G Moriel
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health S.r.l., 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Makrina Totsika
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Jean-Marc Ghigo
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, CEDEX 15, France
| | - Mark A Schembri
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Christophe Beloin
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris, CEDEX 15, France.
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Wrobel A, Ottoni C, Leo JC, Gulla S, Linke D. The repeat structure of two paralogous genes, Yersinia ruckeri invasin (yrInv) and a "Y. ruckeri invasin-like molecule", (yrIlm) sheds light on the evolution of adhesive capacities of a fish pathogen. J Struct Biol 2017; 201:171-183. [PMID: 28888816 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Inverse autotransporters comprise the recently identified type Ve secretion system and are exemplified by intimin from enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli and invasin from enteropathogenic Yersiniae. These proteins share a common domain architecture and promote bacterial adhesion to host cells. Here, we identified and characterized two putative inverse autotransporter genes in the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri NVH_3758, namely yrInv (for Y. ruckeri invasin) and yrIlm (for Y. ruckeri invasin-like molecule). When trying to clone the highly repetitive genes for structural and functional studies, we experienced problems in obtaining PCR products. PCR failures and the highly repetitive nature of inverse autotransporters prompted us to sequence the genome of Y. ruckeri NVH_3758 using PacBio sequencing, which produces some of the longest average read lengths available in the industry at this moment. According to our sequencing data, YrIlm is composed of 2603 amino acids (7812bp) and has a molecular mass of 256.4kDa. Based on the new genome information, we performed PCR analysis on four non-sequenced Y. ruckeri strains as well as the sequenced. Y. ruckeri type strain. We found that the genes are variably present in the strains, and that the length of yrIlm, when present, also varies. In addition, the length of the gene product for all strains, including the type strain, was much longer than expected based on deposited sequences. The internal repeats of the yrInv gene product are highly diverged, but represent the same bacterial immunoglobulin-like domains as in yrIlm. Using qRT-PCR, we found that yrIlm and yrInv are differentially expressed under conditions relevant for pathogenesis. In addition, we compared the genomic context of both genes in the newly sequenced Y. ruckeri strain to all available PacBio-sequenced Y. ruckeri genomes, and found indications of recent events of horizontal gene transfer. Taken together, this study demonstrates and highlights the power of Single Molecule Real-Time technology for sequencing highly repetitive proteins, and sheds light on the genetic events that gave rise to these highly repetitive genes in a commercially important fish pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Wrobel
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Claudio Ottoni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Jack C Leo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Snorre Gulla
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dirk Linke
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
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Deng L, Roose K, Job ER, De Rycke R, Van Hamme E, Gonçalves A, Parthoens E, Cicchelero L, Sanders N, Fiers W, Saelens X. Oral delivery of Escherichia coli persistently infected with M2e-displaying bacteriophages partially protects against influenza A virus. J Control Release 2017; 264:55-65. [PMID: 28842314 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We describe a novel live oral vaccine type. Conceptually, this vaccine is based on a non-lytic, recombinant filamentous bacteriophage that displays an antigen of interest. To provide proof of concept we used the amino-terminal part of a conserved influenza A virus epitope, i.e. matrix protein 2 ectodomain (M2e) residues 2 to 16, as the antigen of interest. Rather than using the phages as purified virus-like particles as a vaccine, these phages were delivered to intestinal Peyer's patches as a live bacterium-phage combination that comprises Escherichia coli cells that conditionally express invasin derived from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Invasin-expressing E. coli cells were internalized by mammalian Hep-2 cells in vitro and adhered to mouse intestinal microfold (M) cells ex vivo. Invasin-expressing E. coli cells were permissive for recombinant filamentous bacteriophage f88 that displays M2e and became persistently infected. Oral administration of the live engineered E. coli-invasin-phage combination to mice induced M2e-specific serum IgG antibodies. Mice that had been immunized with invasin-expressing E. coli cells that carried M2e2-16 displaying fd phages seroconverted to M2e and showed partial protection against challenge with influenza A virus. Oral delivery of a live vaccine comprising a bacterial host that is targeted to Peyer's patches and is persistently infected with an antigen-displaying phage, can thus be exploited as an oral vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Deng
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark, 927, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kenny Roose
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark, 927, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emma R Job
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark, 927, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Riet De Rycke
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium; Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evelien Van Hamme
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Amanda Gonçalves
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eef Parthoens
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laetitia Cicchelero
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Niek Sanders
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Walter Fiers
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark, 927, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Xavier Saelens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Technologiepark, 927, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Ghent, Belgium.
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Guérin J, Bigot S, Schneider R, Buchanan SK, Jacob-Dubuisson F. Two-Partner Secretion: Combining Efficiency and Simplicity in the Secretion of Large Proteins for Bacteria-Host and Bacteria-Bacteria Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:148. [PMID: 28536673 PMCID: PMC5422565 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Initially identified in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, the two-partner secretion (TPS) pathway, also known as Type Vb secretion, mediates the translocation across the outer membrane of large effector proteins involved in interactions between these pathogens and their hosts. More recently, distinct TPS systems have been shown to secrete toxic effector domains that participate in inter-bacterial competition or cooperation. The effects of these systems are based on kin vs. non-kin molecular recognition mediated by specific immunity proteins. With these new toxin-antitoxin systems, the range of TPS effector functions has thus been extended from cytolysis, adhesion, and iron acquisition, to genome maintenance, inter-bacterial killing and inter-bacterial signaling. Basically, a TPS system is made up of two proteins, the secreted TpsA effector protein and its TpsB partner transporter, with possible additional factors such as immunity proteins for protection against cognate toxic effectors. Structural studies have indicated that TpsA proteins mainly form elongated β helices that may be followed by specific functional domains. TpsB proteins belong to the Omp85 superfamily. Open questions remain on the mechanism of protein secretion in the absence of ATP or an electrochemical gradient across the outer membrane. The remarkable dynamics of the TpsB transporters and the progressive folding of their TpsA partners at the bacterial surface in the course of translocation are thought to be key elements driving the secretion process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Guérin
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Bigot
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique UMR 5086-Université Lyon 1, Institute of Biology and Chemistry of ProteinsLyon, France
| | - Robert Schneider
- NMR and Molecular Interactions, Université de Lille, Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8576-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et FonctionnelleLille, France
| | - Susan K Buchanan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD, USA
| | - Françoise Jacob-Dubuisson
- Université de Lille, Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de La Santé et de La Recherche Médicale, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 8204-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de LilleLille, France
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Engineering a Novel Porin OmpGF Via Strand Replacement from Computational Analysis of Sequence Motif. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1859:1180-1189. [PMID: 28341438 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
β-Barrelmembrane proteins (βMPs) form barrel-shaped pores in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Because of the robustness of their barrel structures, βMPs have great potential as nanosensors for single-molecule detection. However, natural βMPs currently employed have inflexible biophysical properties and are limited in their pore geometry, hindering their applications in sensing molecules of different sizes and properties. Computational engineering has the promise to generate βMPs with desired properties. Here we report a method for engineering novel βMPs based on the discovery of sequence motifs that predominantly interact with the cell membrane and appear in more than 75% of transmembrane strands. By replacing β1-β6 strands of the protein OmpF that lack these motifs with β1-β6 strands of OmpG enriched with these motifs and computational verification of increased stability of its transmembrane section, we engineered a novel βMP called OmpGF. OmpGF is predicted to form a monomer with a stable transmembrane region. Experimental validations showed that OmpGF could refold in vitro with a predominant β-sheet structure, as confirmed by circular dichroism. Evidence of OmpGF membrane insertion was provided by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy, and its pore-forming property was determined by a dye-leakage assay. Furthermore, single-channel conductance measurements confirmed that OmpGF function as a monomer and exhibits increased conductance than OmpG and OmpF. These results demonstrated that a novel and functional βMP can be successfully engineered through strand replacement based on sequence motif analysis and stability calculation.
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Zabara A, Meikle TG, Newman J, Peat TS, Conn CE, Drummond CJ. The nanoscience behind the art of in-meso crystallization of membrane proteins. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:754-763. [PMID: 27976759 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr07634c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The structural changes occurring at the nanoscale level within the lipid bilayer and driving the in-meso formation of large well-diffracting membrane protein crystals have been uniquely characterized for a model membrane protein, intimin. Importantly, the order to order transitions taking place within the bilayer and the lipidic nanostructures required for crystal growth have been shown to be general, occurring for both the cubic and the sponge mesophase crystallization pathways. For the first time, a transient fluid lamellar phase has been observed and unambiguously assigned for both crystallization pathways, present at the earliest stages of protein crystallogenesis but no longer observed once the crystals surpass the size of the average lyotropic liquid crystalline domain. The reported time-resolved structural investigation provides a significantly improved and general understanding of the nanostructural changes taking place within the mesophase during in-meso crystallization which is a fundamental advance in the enabling area of membrane protein structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Zabara
- RMIT University, School of Science, College of Science Engineering and Health 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. and Biomedical Manufacturing Program, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 343 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Thomas G Meikle
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Janet Newman
- Biomedical Manufacturing Program, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 343 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Thomas S Peat
- Biomedical Manufacturing Program, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 343 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Charlotte E Conn
- RMIT University, School of Science, College of Science Engineering and Health 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.
| | - Calum J Drummond
- RMIT University, School of Science, College of Science Engineering and Health 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.
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Abstract
Type V secretion denotes a variety of secretion systems that cross the outer membrane in Gram-negative bacteria but that depend on the Sec machinery for transport through the inner membrane. They are possibly the simplest bacterial secretion systems, because they consist only of a single polypeptide chain (or two chains in the case of two-partner secretion). Their seemingly autonomous transport through the outer membrane has led to the term "autotransporters" for various subclasses of type V secretion. In this chapter, we review the structure and function of these transporters and review recent findings on additional factors involved in the secretion process, which have put the term "autotransporter" to debate.
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Salema V, Mañas C, Cerdán L, Piñero-Lambea C, Marín E, Roovers RC, Van Bergen En Henegouwen PMP, Fernández LÁ. High affinity nanobodies against human epidermal growth factor receptor selected on cells by E. coli display. MAbs 2016; 8:1286-1301. [PMID: 27472381 PMCID: PMC5058628 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2016.1216742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most therapeutic antibodies (Abs) target cell surface proteins on tumor and immune cells. Cloning of Ab gene libraries in E. coli and their display on bacteriophages is commonly used to select novel therapeutic Abs binding target antigens, either purified or expressed on cells. However, the sticky nature of bacteriophages renders phage display selections on cells challenging. We previously reported an E. coli display system for expression of VHHs (i.e., nanobodies, Nbs) on the surface of bacteria and selection of high-affinity clones by magnetic cell sorting (MACS). Here, we demonstrate that E. coli display is also an attractive method for isolation of Nbs against cell surface antigens, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), upon direct selection and screening of Ab libraries on live cells. We employ a whole cell-based strategy using a VHH library obtained by immunization with human tumor cells over-expressing EGFR (i.e., A431), and selection of bacterial clones bound to murine fibroblast NIH-3T3 cells transfected with human EGFR, after depletion of non-specific clones on untransfected cells. This strategy resulted in the isolation of high-affinity Nbs binding distinct epitopes of EGFR, including Nbs competing with the ligand, EGF, as characterized by flow cytometry of bacteria displaying the Nbs and binding assays with purified Nbs using surface plasmon resonance. Hence, our study demonstrates that E. coli display of VHH libraries and selection on cells enables efficient isolation and characterization of high-affinity Nbs against cell surface antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valencio Salema
- a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
| | - Carmen Mañas
- a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
| | - Lidia Cerdán
- a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
| | - Carlos Piñero-Lambea
- a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
| | - Elvira Marín
- a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
| | - Rob C Roovers
- b Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands
| | | | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
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35
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Leo JC, Oberhettinger P, Yoshimoto S, Udatha DBRKG, Morth JP, Schütz M, Hori K, Linke D. Secretion of the Intimin Passenger Domain Is Driven by Protein Folding. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:20096-112. [PMID: 27466361 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.731497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Intimin is an essential adhesin of attaching and effacing organisms such as entropathogenic Escherichia coli It is also the prototype of type Ve secretion or inverse autotransport, where the extracellular C-terminal region or passenger is exported with the help of an N-terminal transmembrane β-barrel domain. We recently reported a stalled secretion intermediate of intimin, where the passenger is located in the periplasm but the β-barrel is already inserted into the membrane. Stalling of this mutant is due to the insertion of an epitope tag at the very N terminus of the passenger. Here, we examined how this insertion disrupts autotransport and found that it causes misfolding of the N-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain D00. We could also stall the secretion by making an internal deletion in D00, and introducing the epitope tag into the second Ig-like domain, D0, also resulted in reduced passenger secretion. In contrast to many classical autotransporters, where a proximal folding core in the passenger is required for secretion, the D00 domain is dispensable, as the passenger of an intimin mutant lacking D00 entirely is efficiently exported. Furthermore, the D00 domain is slightly less stable than the D0 and D1 domains, unfolding at ∼200 piconewtons (pN) compared with ∼250 pN for D0 and D1 domains as measured by atomic force microscopy. Our results support a model where the secretion of the passenger is driven by sequential folding of the extracellular Ig-like domains, leading to vectorial transport of the passenger domain across the outer membrane in an N to C direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack C Leo
- From the Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Philipp Oberhettinger
- Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University Clinics Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shogo Yoshimoto
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan, and
| | - D B R K Gupta Udatha
- From the Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Monika Schütz
- Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University Clinics Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katsutoshi Hori
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan, and
| | - Dirk Linke
- From the Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway,
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36
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Heinz E, Stubenrauch CJ, Grinter R, Croft NP, Purcell AW, Strugnell RA, Dougan G, Lithgow T. Conserved Features in the Structure, Mechanism, and Biogenesis of the Inverse Autotransporter Protein Family. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:1690-705. [PMID: 27190006 PMCID: PMC4943183 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell surface proteins intimin and invasin are virulence factors that share a common domain structure and bind selectively to host cell receptors in the course of bacterial pathogenesis. The β-barrel domains of intimin and invasin show significant sequence and structural similarities. Conversely, a variety of proteins with sometimes limited sequence similarity have also been annotated as “intimin-like” and “invasin” in genome datasets, while other recent work on apparently unrelated virulence-associated proteins ultimately revealed similarities to intimin and invasin. Here we characterize the sequence and structural relationships across this complex protein family. Surprisingly, intimins and invasins represent a very small minority of the sequence diversity in what has been previously the “intimin/invasin protein family”. Analysis of the assembly pathway for expression of the classic intimin, EaeA, and a characteristic example of the most prevalent members of the group, FdeC, revealed a dependence on the translocation and assembly module as a common feature for both these proteins. While the majority of the sequences in the grouping are most similar to FdeC, a further and widespread group is two-partner secretion systems that use the β-barrel domain as the delivery device for secretion of a variety of virulence factors. This comprehensive analysis supports the adoption of the “inverse autotransporter protein family” as the most accurate nomenclature for the family and, in turn, has important consequences for our overall understanding of the Type V secretion systems of bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Heinz
- Department of Microbiology, Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J Stubenrauch
- Department of Microbiology, Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Rhys Grinter
- Department of Microbiology, Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan P Croft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Anthony W Purcell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Richard A Strugnell
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Department of Microbiology, Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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37
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Chauhan N, Wrobel A, Skurnik M, Leo JC. Yersinia adhesins: An arsenal for infection. Proteomics Clin Appl 2016; 10:949-963. [PMID: 27068449 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201600012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Yersiniae are a group of Gram-negative coccobacilli inhabiting a wide range of habitats. The genus harbors three recognized human pathogens: Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, which both cause gastrointestinal disease, and Y. pestis, the causative agent of plague. These three organisms have served as models for a number of aspects of infection biology, including adhesion, immune evasion, evolution of pathogenic traits, and retracing the course of ancient pandemics. The virulence of the pathogenic Yersiniae is heavily dependent on a number of adhesin molecules. Some of these, such as the Yersinia adhesin A and invasin of the enteropathogenic species, and the pH 6 antigen of Y. pestis, have been extensively studied. However, genomic sequencing has uncovered a host of other adhesins present in these organisms, the functions of which are only starting to be investigated. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the adhesin molecules present in the Yersiniae, and their functions and putative roles in the infection process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Chauhan
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Agnieszka Wrobel
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Central Hospital Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jack C Leo
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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38
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Ishikawa M, Yoshimoto S, Hayashi A, Kanie J, Hori K. Discovery of a novel periplasmic protein that forms a complex with a trimeric autotransporter adhesin and peptidoglycan. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:394-410. [PMID: 27074146 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Trimeric autotransporter adhesins (TAAs), fibrous proteins on the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria, have attracted attention as virulence factors. However, little is known about the mechanism of their biogenesis. AtaA, a TAA of Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5, confers nonspecific, high adhesiveness to bacterial cells. We identified a new gene, tpgA, which forms a single operon with ataA and encodes a protein comprising two conserved protein domains identified by Pfam: an N-terminal SmpA/OmlA domain and a C-terminal OmpA_C-like domain with a peptidoglycan (PGN)-binding motif. Cell fractionation and a pull-down assay showed that TpgA forms a complex with AtaA, anchoring it to the outer membrane (OM). Isolation of total PGN-associated proteins showed TpgA binding to PGN. Disruption of tpgA significantly decreased the adhesiveness of Tol 5 because of a decrease in surface-displayed AtaA, suggesting TpgA involvement in AtaA secretion. This is reminiscent of SadB, which functions as a specific chaperone for SadA, a TAA in Salmonella species; however, SadB anchors to the inner membrane, whereas TpgA anchors to the OM through AtaA. The genetic organization encoding the TAA-TpgA-like protein cassette can be found in diverse Gram-negative bacteria, suggesting a common contribution of TpgA homologues to TAA biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Ishikawa
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Shogo Yoshimoto
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Ayumi Hayashi
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Junichi Kanie
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Hori
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan
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Striegel DA, Wojtowicz D, Przytycka TM, Periwal V. Correlated rigid modes in protein families. Phys Biol 2016; 13:025003. [PMID: 27063781 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/13/2/025003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A great deal of evolutionarily conserved information is contained in genomes and proteins. Enormous effort has been put into understanding protein structure and developing computational tools for protein folding, and many sophisticated approaches take structure and sequence homology into account. Several groups have applied statistical physics approaches to extracting information about proteins from sequences alone. Here, we develop a new method for sequence analysis based on first principles, in information theory, in statistical physics and in Bayesian analysis. We provide a complete derivation of our approach and we apply it to a variety of systems, to demonstrate its utility and its limitations. We show in some examples that phylogenetic alignments of amino-acid sequences of families of proteins imply the existence of a small number of modes that appear to be associated with correlated global variation. These modes are uncovered efficiently in our approach by computing a non-perturbative effective potential directly from the alignment. We show that this effective potential approaches a limiting form inversely with the logarithm of the number of sequences. Mapping symbol entropy flows along modes to underlying physical structures shows that these modes arise due to correlated compensatory adjustments. In the protein examples, these occur around functional binding pockets.
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40
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Khan TA, Wang X, Maynard JA. Inclusion of an RGD Motif Alters Invasin Integrin-Binding Affinity and Specificity. Biochemistry 2016; 55:2078-90. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b01243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tarik A. Khan
- Departments of Chemical Engineering and ‡Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Xianzhe Wang
- Departments of Chemical Engineering and ‡Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Maynard
- Departments of Chemical Engineering and ‡Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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41
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Pilatti L, Boldrin de Paiva J, Rojas TCG, Leite JL, Conceição RA, Nakazato G, Dias da Silveira W. The virulence factor ychO has a pleiotropic action in an Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain. BMC Microbiol 2016; 16:35. [PMID: 26965678 PMCID: PMC4787180 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-016-0654-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains cause extraintestinal diseases in birds, leading to substantial economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Bacteria that invade cells can overcome the host humoral immune response, resulting in a higher pathogenicity potential. Invasins are members of a large family of outer membrane proteins that allow pathogen invasion into host cells by interacting with specific receptors on the cell surface. Results An in silico analysis of the genome of a septicemic APEC strain (SEPT362) demonstrated the presence of a putative invasin homologous to the ychO gene from E. coli str. K-12 substr. MG1655. In vitro and in vivo assays comparing a mutant strain carrying a null mutation of this gene, a complemented strain, and its counterpart wild-type strain showed that ychO plays a role in the pathogenicity of APEC strain SEPT362. In vitro assays demonstrated that the mutant strain exhibited significant decreases in bacterial adhesiveness and invasiveness in chicken cells and biofilm formation. In vivo assay indicated a decrease in pathogenicity of the mutant strain. Moreover, transcriptome analysis demonstrated that the ychO deletion affected the expression of 426 genes. Among the altered genes, 93.66 % were downregulated in the mutant, including membrane proteins and metabolism genes. Conclusion The results led us to propose that gene ychO contributes to the pathogenicity of APEC strain SEPT362 influencing, in a pleiotropic manner, many biological characteristics, such as adhesion and invasion of in vitro cultured cells, biofilm formation and motility, which could be due to the possible membrane location of this protein. All of these results suggest that the absence of gene ychO would influence the virulence of the APEC strain herein studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Pilatti
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology (P.O.Box: 6109), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (ZIP Code 13083-970), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jacqueline Boldrin de Paiva
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology (P.O.Box: 6109), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (ZIP Code 13083-970), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thaís Cabrera Galvão Rojas
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology (P.O.Box: 6109), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (ZIP Code 13083-970), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Janaína Luisa Leite
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology (P.O.Box: 6109), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (ZIP Code 13083-970), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rogério Arcuri Conceição
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology (P.O.Box: 6109), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (ZIP Code 13083-970), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gerson Nakazato
- Department of Microbiology, Center of Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina (UEL), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Wanderley Dias da Silveira
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology (P.O.Box: 6109), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (ZIP Code 13083-970), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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42
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Huang BY, Gu J, Zhang YF, Zhou JJ, Song XY, Lin Y, Li XM, Li L. Expression, purification, crystallization and crystallographic analysis of the N-terminal domain of translocated intimin receptor. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2016; 72:49-52. [PMID: 26750484 PMCID: PMC4708050 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x15023274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Translocated intimin receptor (Tir) is an Escherichia coli-encoded protein that is transported into the host cell through a sophisticated bacterial type III secretion system (T3SS). Tir anchors the infected cell membrane twice using both its N- and C-termini from inside the host cytoplasm for signalling. It plays a key role in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection, attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions and intracellular signal transduction. Here, the overexpression, purification and crystallization of its N-terminal intracellular domain are reported. The crystal belonged to the orthorhombic space group I4122, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 59.79, c = 183.11 Å. The asymmetric unit contained one molecule, with a solvent content of 51% and a VM of 2.55 Å(3) Da(-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Yang Huang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 306 Hospital, No. 9 Anxiang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiang Gu
- Third Military Medical University, Shapingba District, Chongqing 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan-Fang Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun-Jun Zhou
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 306 Hospital, No. 9 Anxiang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yong Song
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 306 Hospital, No. 9 Anxiang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Lin
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 306 Hospital, No. 9 Anxiang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin-Min Li
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 306 Hospital, No. 9 Anxiang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Li
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 306 Hospital, No. 9 Anxiang North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
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43
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Bodelón G, Marín E, Fernández LÁ. Analyzing the Role of Periplasmic Folding Factors in the Biogenesis of OMPs and Members of the Type V Secretion System. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1329:77-110. [PMID: 26427678 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2871-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of gram-negative bacteria is highly packed with OM proteins (OMPs) and the trafficking and assembly of OMPs in gram-negative bacteria is a subject of intense research. Structurally, OMPs vary in the number of β-strands and in the size and complexity of extra-membrane domains, with extreme examples being the members of the type V protein secretion system (T5SS), such as the autotransporter (AT) and intimin/invasin families of secreted proteins, in which a large extracellular "passenger" domain is linked to a β-barrel that inserts in the OM. Despite their structural and functional diversity, OMPs interact in the periplasm with a relatively small set of protein chaperones that facilitate their transport from the inner membrane (IM) to the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM complex), preventing aggregation and assisting their folding in various aspects including disulfide bond formation. This chapter is focused on the periplasmic folding factors involved in the biogenesis of integral OMPs and members of T5SS in E. coli, which are used as a model system in this field. Background information on these periplasmic folding factors is provided along with genetic methods to generate conditional mutants that deplete these factors from E. coli and biochemical methods to analyze the folding, surface display, disulfide formation and oligomerization state of OMPs/T5SS in these mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Bodelón
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elvira Marín
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
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44
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Hattab G, Warschawski DE, Moncoq K, Miroux B. Escherichia coli as host for membrane protein structure determination: a global analysis. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12097. [PMID: 26160693 PMCID: PMC4498379 DOI: 10.1038/srep12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural biology of membrane proteins (MP) is hampered by the difficulty in producing and purifying them. A comprehensive analysis of protein databases revealed that 213 unique membrane protein structures have been obtained after production of the target protein in E. coli. The primary expression system used was the one based on the T7 RNA polymerase, followed by the arabinose and T5 promoter based expression systems. The C41λ(DE3) and C43λ(DE3) bacterial mutant hosts have contributed to 28% of non E. coli membrane protein structures. A large scale analysis of expression protocols demonstrated a preference for a combination of bacterial host-vector together with a bimodal distribution of induction temperature and of inducer concentration. Altogether our analysis provides a set of rules for the optimal use of bacterial expression systems in membrane protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georges Hattab
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, PSL research university, Paris, France
| | - Dror E Warschawski
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, PSL research university, Paris, France
| | - Karine Moncoq
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, PSL research university, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Miroux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, PSL research university, Paris, France
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45
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Bernstein HD. Looks can be deceiving: recent insights into the mechanism of protein secretion by the autotransporter pathway. Mol Microbiol 2015; 97:205-15. [PMID: 25881492 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Autotransporters are a large superfamily of cell surface proteins produced by Gram-negative bacteria that consist of an N-terminal extracellular domain ('passenger domain') and a C-terminal β-barrel domain that resides in the outer membrane (OM). Although it was originally proposed that the passenger domain is translocated across the OM through a channel formed exclusively by the covalently linked β-barrel domain, this idea has been strongly challenged by a variety of observations. Recent experimental results have suggested a new model in which both the translocation of the passenger domain and the membrane integration of the β-barrel domain are facilitated by the Bam complex, a highly conserved heteroligomer that plays a general role in OM protein assembly. Other factors, including periplasmic chaperones and inner membrane proteins, have also recently been implicated in the biogenesis of at least some members of the autotransporter superfamily. New results have raised intriguing questions about the energetics of the secretion reaction and the relationship between the assembly of autotransporters and the assembly of other classes of OM proteins. Concomitantly, new mechanistic and structural insights have expanded the utility of the autotransporter pathway for the surface display of heterologous peptides and proteins of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris D Bernstein
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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46
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Piñero-Lambea C, Bodelón G, Fernández-Periáñez R, Cuesta AM, Álvarez-Vallina L, Fernández LÁ. Programming controlled adhesion of E. coli to target surfaces, cells, and tumors with synthetic adhesins. ACS Synth Biol 2015; 4:463-73. [PMID: 25045780 PMCID: PMC4410913 DOI: 10.1021/sb500252a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
![]()
In this work we report synthetic
adhesins (SAs) enabling the rational
design of the adhesion properties of E. coli. SAs
have a modular structure comprising a stable β-domain for outer
membrane anchoring and surface-exposed immunoglobulin domains with
high affinity and specificity that can be selected from large repertoires.
SAs are constitutively and stably expressed in an E. coli strain lacking a conserved set of natural adhesins, directing a
robust, fast, and specific adhesion of bacteria to target antigenic
surfaces and cells. We demonstrate the functionality of SAs in vivo, showing that, compared to wild type E.
coli, lower doses of engineered E. coli are
sufficient to colonize solid tumors expressing an antigen recognized
by the SA. In addition, lower levels of engineered bacteria were found
in non-target tissues. Therefore, SAs provide stable and specific
adhesion capabilities to E. coli against target surfaces
of interest for diverse applications using live bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Piñero-Lambea
- Department
of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología
(CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo Bodelón
- Department
of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología
(CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Angel M. Cuesta
- Molecular
Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Majadahonda, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Álvarez-Vallina
- Molecular
Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Majadahonda, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department
of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología
(CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Johnson JL, Entzminger KC, Hyun J, Kalyoncu S, Heaner DP, Morales IA, Sheppard A, Gumbart JC, Maynard JA, Lieberman RL. Structural and biophysical characterization of an epitope-specific engineered Fab fragment and complexation with membrane proteins: implications for co-crystallization. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA. SECTION D, BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY 2015; 71:896-906. [PMID: 25849400 PMCID: PMC4388267 DOI: 10.1107/s1399004715001856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Crystallization chaperones are attracting increasing interest as a route to crystal growth and structure elucidation of difficult targets such as membrane proteins. While strategies to date have typically employed protein-specific chaperones, a peptide-specific chaperone to crystallize multiple cognate peptide epitope-containing client proteins is envisioned. This would eliminate the target-specific chaperone-production step and streamline the co-crystallization process. Previously, protein engineering and directed evolution were used to generate a single-chain variable (scFv) antibody fragment with affinity for the peptide sequence EYMPME (scFv/EE). This report details the conversion of scFv/EE to an anti-EE Fab format (Fab/EE) followed by its biophysical characterization. The addition of constant chains increased the overall stability and had a negligible impact on the antigen affinity. The 2.0 Å resolution crystal structure of Fab/EE reveals contacts with larger surface areas than those of scFv/EE. Surface plasmon resonance, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and size-exclusion chromatography were used to assess Fab/EE binding to EE-tagged soluble and membrane test proteins: namely, the β-barrel outer membrane protein intimin and α-helical A2a G protein-coupled receptor (A2aR). Molecular-dynamics simulation of the intimin constructs with and without Fab/EE provides insight into the energetic complexities of the co-crystallization approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Johnson
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Kevin C. Entzminger
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, MC0400, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeongmin Hyun
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, MC0400, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sibel Kalyoncu
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - David P. Heaner
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Ivan A. Morales
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Aly Sheppard
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - James C. Gumbart
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Maynard
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, MC0400, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Raquel L. Lieberman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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Liu W, Wacker D, Wang C, Abola E, Cherezov V. Femtosecond crystallography of membrane proteins in the lipidic cubic phase. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:20130314. [PMID: 24914147 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent technological advances in heterologous expression, stabilization and crystallization of membrane proteins (MPs), their structural studies remain difficult and require new transformative approaches. During the past two years, crystallization in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) has started gaining a widespread acceptance, owing to the spectacular success in high-resolution structure determination of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and to the introduction of commercial instrumentation, tools and protocols. The recent appearance of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has enabled structure determination from substantially smaller crystals than previously possible with minimal effects of radiation damage, offering new exciting opportunities in structural biology. The unique properties of LCP material have been exploited to develop special protocols and devices that have established a new method of serial femtosecond crystallography of MPs in LCP (LCP-SFX). In this method, microcrystals are generated in LCP and streamed continuously inside the same media across the intersection with a pulsed XFEL beam at a flow rate that can be adjusted to minimize sample consumption. Pioneering studies that yielded the first room temperature GPCR structures, using a few hundred micrograms of purified protein, validate the LCP-SFX approach and make it attractive for structure determination of difficult-to-crystallize MPs and their complexes with interacting partners. Together with the potential of femtosecond data acquisition to interrogate unstable intermediate functional states of MPs, LCP-SFX holds promise to advance our understanding of this biomedically important class of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Marine Drug Research Institute, Huaihai Institute of Technology, Lianyungang 222005, People's Republic of China Department of Integrated Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Daniel Wacker
- Department of Integrated Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Chong Wang
- Department of Integrated Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Enrique Abola
- Department of Integrated Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Integrated Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Caffrey M. A comprehensive review of the lipid cubic phase or in meso method for crystallizing membrane and soluble proteins and complexes. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS 2015; 71:3-18. [PMID: 25615961 PMCID: PMC4304740 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x14026843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive and up-to-date review of the lipid cubic phase or in meso method for crystallizing membrane and soluble proteins and complexes is reported. Recent applications of the method for in situ serial crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons are described. The lipid cubic phase or in meso method is a robust approach for crystallizing membrane proteins for structure determination. The uptake of the method is such that it is experiencing what can only be described as explosive growth. This timely, comprehensive and up-to-date review introduces the reader to the practice of in meso crystallogenesis, to the associated challenges and to their solutions. A model of how crystallization comes about mechanistically is presented for a more rational approach to crystallization. The possible involvement of the lamellar and inverted hexagonal phases in crystallogenesis and the application of the method to water-soluble, monotopic and lipid-anchored proteins are addressed. How to set up trials manually and automatically with a robot is introduced with reference to open-access online videos that provide a practical guide to all aspects of the method. These range from protein reconstitution to crystal harvesting from the hosting mesophase, which is noted for its viscosity and stickiness. The sponge phase, as an alternative medium in which to perform crystallization, is described. The compatibility of the method with additive lipids, detergents, precipitant-screen components and materials carried along with the protein such as denaturants and reducing agents is considered. The powerful host and additive lipid-screening strategies are described along with how samples that have low protein concentration and cell-free expressed protein can be used. Assaying the protein reconstituted in the bilayer of the cubic phase for function is an important element of quality control and is detailed. Host lipid design for crystallization at low temperatures and for large proteins and complexes is outlined. Experimental phasing by heavy-atom derivatization, soaking or co-crystallization is routine and the approaches that have been implemented to date are described. An overview and a breakdown by family and function of the close to 200 published structures that have been obtained using in meso-grown crystals are given. Recommendations for conducting the screening process to give a more productive outcome are summarized. The fact that the in meso method also works with soluble proteins should not be overlooked. Recent applications of the method for in situ serial crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons are described. The review ends with a view to the future and to the bright prospects for the method, which continues to contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of some of nature’s most valued proteinaceous robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Li D, Pye VE, Caffrey M. Experimental phasing for structure determination using membrane-protein crystals grown by the lipid cubic phase method. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA. SECTION D, BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY 2015; 71:104-22. [PMID: 25615865 PMCID: PMC4304691 DOI: 10.1107/s1399004714010360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite the marked increase in the number of membrane-protein structures solved using crystals grown by the lipid cubic phase or in meso method, only ten have been determined by SAD/MAD. This is likely to be a consequence of the technical difficulties associated with handling proteins and crystals in the sticky and viscous hosting mesophase that is usually incubated in glass sandwich plates for the purposes of crystallization. Here, a four-year campaign aimed at phasing the in meso structure of the integral membrane diacylglycerol kinase (DgkA) from Escherichia coli is reported. Heavy-atom labelling of this small hydrophobic enzyme was attempted by pre-labelling, co-crystallization, soaking, site-specific mercury binding to genetically engineered single-cysteine mutants and selenomethionine incorporation. Strategies and techniques for special handling are reported, as well as the typical results and the lessons learned for each of these approaches. In addition, an assay to assess the accessibility of cysteine residues in membrane proteins for mercury labelling is introduced. The various techniques and strategies described will provide a valuable reference for future experimental phasing of membrane proteins where crystals are grown by the lipid cubic phase method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianfan Li
- Membrane Structural and Functional Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Valerie E. Pye
- Membrane Structural and Functional Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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