High-affinity manganese coordination by human calprotectin is calcium-dependent and requires the histidine-rich site formed at the dimer interface

Zebrafish do not have calprotectin

The protein heterodimer calprotectin and its component proteins, S100A8 and S100A9, play important antibacterial and proinflammatory roles in the mammalian innate immune response. Gaining mechanistic insights into the regulation and biological function of calprotectin will help facilitate patient diagnostics and therapy and further our understanding of the host-microbe interface. Recent literature has identified zebrafish s100a10b as zebrafish calprotectin based on sequence similarity, genomic context, and transcriptional upregulation during the immune response to bacterial infections. The field would benefit from expanding the breadth of calprotectin studies into a zebrafish innate immunity model. Here, we carefully evaluated the possibility that zebrafish possess a calprotectin. We found that zebrafish do not possess an ortholog of mammalian S100A8 or S100A9. We then identified four zebrafish s100 proteins- including s100a10b-that are expressed in immune cells and upregulated during the immune response. We recombinantly expressed and purified these proteins and measured the antimicrobial and proinflammatory characteristics. We found that none of the zebrafish proteins exhibited activity comparable to mammalian calprotectin. Our work demonstrates conclusively that zebrafish have no ortholog of calprotectin, and the most plausible candidate proteins have not convergently evolved similar functions.

Metal Ions Can Modulate the Self-Assembly and Activity of Catalytic Peptide Amyloids

Rational design of peptides has become a powerful tool to produce self-assembled nanostructures with the ability to catalyze different chemical reactions, paving the way to develop minimalistic enzyme-like nanomaterials. Catalytic amyloid-like assemblies have emerged among the most versatile and active, but they often require additional factors for activity. Elucidating how these factors influence the structure and activity is key for the design. Here, we showed that biologically relevant metal ions can guide and modulate the self-assembly of a small peptide into diverse amyloid architectures. The morphology and catalytic activity of the resulting fibrils were tuned by the specific metal ion decorating the surface, whereas X-ray structural analysis of the amyloids showed ion-dependent shape sizes. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the metals can strongly affect the local conformational space, which can trigger major rearrangements of the fibrils. Our results demonstrate that the conformational landscape of catalytic amyloids is broad and tunable by external factors, which can be critical for future design strategies.

Iron Sequestration by Murine Calprotectin Induces Starvation Responses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pathogen sensing by the mammalian host induces a pro-inflammatory response that involves release of the antimicrobial metal-sequestering protein calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 heterooligomer, MRP8/MRP14 heterooligomer) from neutrophils. Biochemical investigations on human CP (hCP) have informed the molecular basis of how this protein sequesters metal ions. Murine models of infection have provided invaluable insights into the ability of murine CP (mCP) to compete with bacterial pathogens for essential metal nutrients. Despite this extensive work, our knowledge of how mCP sequesters metals from bacterial pathogens and its impacts on bacterial physiology is limited. Moreover, whether mCP sequesters iron and induces iron-starvation responses in bacterial pathogens has not been evaluated. Here, we examine the ability of mCP to withhold iron from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes severe infections in immunocompromised individuals and cystic fibrosis patients. We demonstrate that mCP prevents iron uptake and induces iron-starvation responses in P. aeruginosa laboratory strains PA14 and PAO1 and the JSRI-1 clinical isolate from a cystic fibrosis patient. We also show that mCP prevents iron uptake and induces an iron-starvation response in the Gram-positive bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The His6 site of mCP is the iron-sequestering site; it exhibits Ca(II)-dependent Fe(II) affinity and binds Fe(II) with subpicomolar affinity in the presence of excess Ca(II) ions. This work is important for understanding the structure, function, and physiological consequences of mCP and how the mammalian host and bacterial pathogens compete for essential metal nutrients.

Spectroscopic and computational investigations of Cobalt(II) binding to the innate immune protein human calprotectin

Human calprotectin (CP) is an innate immune protein that participates in the metal-withholding response to infection by sequestering essential metal nutrients from invading microbial pathogens. CP is comprised of S100A8 (α subunit, 10.8 kDa) and S100A9 (β subunit, 13.2 kDa). Two transition-metal binding sites of CP form at the S100A8/S100A9 dimer interface. Site 1 is a His3Asp motif comprised of His83 and His87 from the S100A8 subunit and His20 and Asp30 from the S100A9 subunit. Site 2 is an unusual hexahistidine motif composed of S100A8 residues His17 and His27 and S100A9 residues His91, His95, His103, and His105. In the present study, the His3Asp and His6 sites of CP were further characterized by utilizing Co2+ as a spectroscopic probe. Magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy was employed in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory computations to characterize the Co2+-bound S100A8(C42S)/S100A9(C3S) CP-Ser variant and six site variants that allowed the His3Asp and His6 sites to be further probed. Our results provide new insight into the metal-binding sites of CP-Ser and the effect of amino acid substitutions on the structure of site 2.

Physiology of intracellular calcium buffering

Calcium signaling underlies much of physiology. Almost all the Ca2+ in the cytoplasm is bound to buffers, with typically only ∼1% being freely ionized at resting levels in most cells. Physiological Ca2+ buffers include small molecules and proteins, and experimentally Ca2+ indicators will also buffer calcium. The chemistry of interactions between Ca2+ and buffers determines the extent and speed of Ca2+ binding. The physiological effects of Ca2+ buffers are determined by the kinetics with which they bind Ca2+ and their mobility within the cell. The degree of buffering depends on factors such as the affinity for Ca2+, the Ca2+ concentration, and whether Ca2+ ions bind cooperatively. Buffering affects both the amplitude and time course of cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals as well as changes of Ca2+ concentration in organelles. It can also facilitate Ca2+ diffusion inside the cell. Ca2+ buffering affects synaptic transmission, muscle contraction, Ca2+ transport across epithelia, and the killing of bacteria. Saturation of buffers leads to synaptic facilitation and tetanic contraction in skeletal muscle and may play a role in inotropy in the heart. This review focuses on the link between buffer chemistry and function and how Ca2+ buffering affects normal physiology and the consequences of changes in disease. As well as summarizing what is known, we point out the many areas where further work is required.

The role of manganese in morphogenesis and pathogenesis of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans

Metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn are essential trace nutrients for all kingdoms of life, including microbial pathogens and their hosts. During infection, the mammalian host attempts to starve invading microbes of these micronutrients through responses collectively known as nutritional immunity. Nutritional immunity for Zn, Fe and Cu has been well documented for fungal infections; however Mn handling at the host-fungal pathogen interface remains largely unexplored. This work establishes the foundation of fungal resistance against Mn associated nutritional immunity through the characterization of NRAMP divalent metal transporters in the opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Here, we identify C. albicans Smf12 and Smf13 as two NRAMP transporters required for cellular Mn accumulation. Single or combined smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ mutations result in a 10-80 fold reduction in cellular Mn with an additive effect of double mutations and no losses in cellular Cu, Fe or Zn. As a result of low cellular Mn, the mutants exhibit impaired activity of mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) and cytosolic Mn-Sod3 but no defects in cytosolic Cu/Zn-Sod1 activity. Mn is also required for activity of Golgi mannosyltransferases, and smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ mutants show a dramatic loss in cell surface phosphomannan and in glycosylation of proteins, including an intracellular acid phosphatase and a cell wall Cu-only Sod5 that is key for oxidative stress resistance. Importantly, smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ mutants are defective in formation of hyphal filaments, a deficiency rescuable by supplemental Mn. In a disseminated mouse model for candidiasis where kidney is the primary target tissue, we find a marked loss in total kidney Mn during fungal invasion, implying host restriction of Mn. In this model, smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ C. albicans mutants displayed a significant loss in virulence. These studies establish a role for Mn in Candida pathogenesis.

Current progress on innate immune evasion mediated by Npro protein of pestiviruses

Interferon (IFN), the most effective antiviral cytokine, is involved in innate and adaptive immune responses and is essential to the host defense against virus invasion. Once the host was infected by pathogens, the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) were recognized by the host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which activates interferon regulatory transcription factors (IRFs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signal transduction pathway to induce IFN expression. Pathogens have acquired many strategies to escape the IFN-mediated antiviral immune response. Pestiviruses cause massive economic losses in the livestock industry worldwide every year. The immune escape strategies acquired by pestiviruses during evolution are among the major difficulties in its control. Previous experiments indicated that Erns, as an envelope glycoprotein unique to pestiviruses with RNase activity, could cleave viral ss- and dsRNAs, therefore inhibiting the host IFN production induced by viral ss- and dsRNAs. In contrast, Npro, the other envelope glycoprotein unique to pestiviruses, mainly stimulates the degradation of transcription factor IRF-3 to confront the IFN response. This review mainly summarized the current progress on mechanisms mediated by Npro of pestiviruses to antagonize IFN production.

A Manganese-independent Aldolase Enables Staphylococcus aureus To Resist Host-imposed Metal Starvation

The preferred carbon source of Staphylococcus aureus and many other pathogens is glucose, and its consumption is critical during infection. However, glucose utilization increases the cellular demand for manganese, a nutrient sequestered by the host as a defense against invading pathogens. Therefore, bacteria must balance glucose metabolism with the increasing demand that metal-dependent processes, such as glycolysis, impose upon the cell. A critical regulator that enables S. aureus to resist nutritional immunity is the ArlRS two-component system. This work revealed that ArlRS regulates the expression of FdaB, a metal-independent fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. Further investigation revealed that when S. aureus is metal-starved by the host, FdaB functionally replaces the metal-dependent isozyme FbaA, thereby allowing S. aureus to resist host-imposed metal starvation in culture. Although metal-dependent aldolases are canonically zinc-dependent, this work uncovered that FbaA requires manganese for activity and that FdaB protects S. aureus from manganese starvation. Both FbaA and FdaB contribute to the ability of S. aureus to cause invasive disease in wild-type mice. However, the virulence defect of a strain lacking FdaB was reversed in calprotectin-deficient mice, which have defects in manganese sequestration, indicating that this isozyme contributes to the ability of this pathogen to overcome manganese limitation during infection. Cumulatively, these observations suggest that the expression of the metal-independent aldolase FdaB allows S. aureus to alleviate the increased demand for manganese that glucose consumption imposes, and highlights the cofactor flexibility of even established metalloenzyme families. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogens consume glucose during infection. Glucose utilization increases the demand for transition metals, such as manganese, a nutrient that the host limits as a defense mechanism against invading pathogens. Therefore, pathogenic bacteria must balance glucose and manganese requirements during infection. The two-component system ArlRS is an important regulator that allows S. aureus to adapt to both glucose and manganese starvation. Among the genes regulated by ArlRS is the metal-independent fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase fdaB, which functionally substitutes for the metal-dependent isoenzyme FbaA and enables S. aureus to survive host-imposed manganese starvation. Unexpectedly, and differing from most characterized metal-dependent aldolases, FbaA requires manganese for activity. Cumulatively, these findings reveal a new mechanism for overcoming nutritional immunity as well as the cofactor plasticity of even well-characterized metalloenzyme families.

Post-translational modifications on the metal-sequestering protein calprotectin

Human calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 oligomer) is an abundant neutrophil protein that contributes to innate immunity by sequestering nutrient metal ions in the extracellular space. This process starves invading microbial pathogens of essential metal nutrients, which can inhibit growth and colonization. Over the past decade, fundamental and clinical studies have revealed that the S100A8 and S100A9 subunits of CP exhibit a variety of post-translational modifications (PTMs). This review summarizes PTMs on the CP subunits that have been detected and highlights two recent studies that evaluated the structural and functional consequences of methionine and cysteine oxidation on CP. Collectively, these investigations indicate that the molecular speciation of extracellular CP is complex and composed of multiple proteoforms. Moreover, PTMs may impact biological function and the lifetime of the protein. It is therefore important that post-translationally modified CP species receive consideration and integration into the current working model for how CP functions in nutritional immunity.

Fungal Zinc Homeostasis and Its Potential as an Antifungal Target: A Focus on the Human Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic airborne fungus that causes severe invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. Zinc is an essential micronutrient for the growth of A. fumigatus and even for all microorganisms. An increasing number of studies have reported that fungal zinc acquisition ability plays a key role in fungal survival in hosts with an extremely zinc-limited microenvironment. The ability to fight scarcity and excess of zinc are tightly related to fungal virulence and may be used as new potential targets. Because the regulation of zinc homeostasis is important, a thorough understanding of the functional genes involved in the regulatory network for zinc homeostasis is required for fungal pathogens. The current mini-review summarized potential zinc homeostasis regulators in A. fumigatus and classified these regulators according to localization and function, which were identified or predicted based on A. fumigatus or deduced from homologs in model yeasts. Future perspectives for zinc homeostasis regulators as potential antifungal targets to treat invasive aspergillosis are also discussed.

Clinical evaluation of the OC-Sensor Pledia calprotectin assay

Objectives

Faecal calprotectin (f-Cal) and faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) are important tests for evaluation of gastrointestinal disease. Samples for measurement of f-Hb are taken by the patient directly into a specimen collection device containing stabilising buffer, which can be placed directly onto the analyser in the laboratory. Samples for f-Cal are usually sent in screw top pots and often require time-consuming extraction procedures prior to analysis. OC-FCa calprotectin is a new assay which uses the same specimen collection device and analyser as our current f-Hb assay. Analytical evaluation has already shown it to perform well but to have a positive bias. This study was a clinical evaluation to investigate the diagnostic test performance and cut-off suitable for its use in the diagnosis of IBD.

Methods

OC-FCa calprotectin was measured in a convenience sample of 603 patients in whom f-Hb had been requested and was found to be ≥10 μg/g. Clinical outcomes were obtained from notes, radiological reports and endoscopy and histology reports.

Results

A total of 425 patients completed clinical investigations; IBD was diagnosed in 49 and other colorectal pathology in 161. Median f-Cal in patients with IBD was 1,660 μg/g, significantly different (p<0.01) from those with other colorectal pathology (192 μg/g) or normal findings (157 μg/g). ROC curve analysis showed AUC of 0.898 with sensitivity of 91.8% and specificity of 79.3% at a cut-off of 600 μg/g.

Conclusions

The new OC-FCa calprotectin assay performed well for the diagnosis of IBD using a cut-off of 600 μg/g.

Dynamic regulation of Zn(II) sequestration by calgranulin C

Calgranulin C performs antimicrobial activity in the human immune response by sequestering Zn(II). This biological function is afforded with the aid of two structurally distinct Ca(II)-binding EF hand motifs, wherein one of which bears an unusual amino acid sequence. Here, we utilize solution state NMR relaxation measurements to investigate the mechanism of Ca(II)-modulated enhancement of Zn(II) sequestration by calgranulin C. Using C13 /N15 CPMG dispersion experiments we have measured pH-dependent major and minor state populations exchanging on micro-to-millisecond timescale. This conformational exchange takes place exclusively in the Ca(II)-bound state and can be mapped to residues located in the EF-I loop and the linker between the tandem EF hands. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations spanning nano-to-microsecond timescale offer insights into the role of pH-dependent electrostatic interactions in EF-hand dynamics. Our results suggest a pH-regulated dynamic equilibrium of conformations that explore a range of "closed" and partially "open" sidechain configurations within the Zn(II) binding site. We propose a novel mechanism by which Ca(II) binding to a non-canonical EF loop regulates its flexibility and tunes the antimicrobial activity of calgranulin C.

Manganese Utilization in Salmonella Pathogenesis: Beyond the Canonical Antioxidant Response

The metal ion manganese (Mn²⁺) is equally coveted by hosts and bacterial pathogens. The host restricts Mn²⁺ in the gastrointestinal tract and Salmonella-containing vacuoles, as part of a process generally known as nutritional immunity. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium counteract Mn²⁺ limitation using a plethora of metal importers, whose expression is under elaborate transcriptional and posttranscriptional control. Mn²⁺ serves as cofactor for a variety of enzymes involved in antioxidant defense or central metabolism. Because of its thermodynamic stability and low reactivity, bacterial pathogens may favor Mn²⁺-cofactored metalloenzymes during periods of oxidative stress. This divalent metal catalyzes metabolic flow through lower glycolysis, reductive tricarboxylic acid and the pentose phosphate pathway, thereby providing energetic, redox and biosynthetic outputs associated with the resistance of Salmonella to reactive oxygen species generated in the respiratory burst of professional phagocytic cells. Combined, the oxyradical-detoxifying properties of Mn²⁺ together with the ability of this divalent metal cation to support central metabolism help Salmonella colonize the mammalian gut and establish systemic infections.

Genomic Analyses Identify Manganese Homeostasis as a Driver of Group B Streptococcal Vaginal Colonization

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is associated with severe infections in utero and in newborn populations, including pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. GBS vaginal colonization of the pregnant mother is an important prerequisite for transmission to the newborn and the development of neonatal invasive disease; however, our understanding of the factors required for GBS persistence and ascension in the female reproductive tract (FRT) remains limited. Here, we utilized a GBS mariner transposon (Krmit) mutant library previously developed by our group and identified underrepresented mutations in 535 genes that contribute to survival within the vaginal lumen and colonization of vaginal, cervical, and uterine tissues. From these mutants, we identified 47 genes that were underrepresented in all samples collected, including mtsA, a component of the mtsABC locus, encoding a putative manganese (Mn²⁺)-dependent ATP-binding cassette transporter. RNA sequencing analysis of GBS recovered from the vaginal tract also revealed a robust increase of mtsA expression during vaginal colonization. We engineered an ΔmtsA mutant strain and found by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry that it exhibited decreased concentrations of intracellular Mn²⁺, confirming its involvement in Mn²⁺ acquisition. The ΔmtsA mutant was significantly more susceptible to the metal chelator calprotectin and to oxidative stressors, including both H₂O₂ and paraquat, than wild-type (WT) GBS. We further observed that the ΔmtsA mutant strain exhibited a significant fitness defect in comparison to WT GBS in vivo by using a murine model of vaginal colonization. Taken together, these data suggest that Mn²⁺ homeostasis is an important process contributing to GBS survival in the FRT.

Managing Manganese: The Role of Manganese Homeostasis in Streptococcal Pathogenesis

Pathogenic streptococci require manganese for survival in the host. In response to invading pathogens, the host recruits nutritional immune effectors at infection sites to withhold manganese from the pathogens and control bacterial growth. The manganese scarcity impairs several streptococcal processes including oxidative stress defenses, de novo DNA synthesis, bacterial survival, and virulence. Emerging evidence suggests that pathogens also encounter manganese toxicity during infection and manganese excess impacts streptococcal virulence by manganese mismetallation of non-cognate molecular targets involved in bacterial antioxidant defenses and cell division. To counter host-imposed manganese stress, the streptococcal species employ a sophisticated sensory system that tightly coordinates manganese stress-specific molecular strategies to negate host induced manganese stress and proliferate in the host. Here we review the molecular details of host-streptococcal interactions in the battle for manganese during infection and the significance of streptococcal effectors involved to bacterial pathophysiology.

Zinc sequestration by human calprotectin facilitates manganese binding to the bacterial solute-binding proteins PsaA and MntC

Zinc is an essential transition metal nutrient for bacterial survival and growth but may become toxic when present at elevated levels. The Gram-positive bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae is sensitive to zinc poisoning, which results in growth inhibition and lower resistance to oxidative stress. Streptococcus pneumoniae has a relatively high manganese requirement, and zinc toxicity in this pathogen has been attributed to the coordination of Zn(II) at the Mn(II) site of the solute-binding protein (SBP) PsaA, which prevents Mn(II) uptake by the PsaABC transport system. In this work, we investigate the Zn(II)-binding properties of pneumococcal PsaA and staphylococcal MntC, a related SBP expressed by another Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, which contributes to Mn(II) uptake. X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies demonstrate that both SBPs harbor Zn(II) sites best described as five-coordinate, and metal-binding studies in solution show that both SBPs bind Zn(II) reversibly with sub-nanomolar affinities. Moreover, both SBPs exhibit a strong thermodynamic preference for Zn(II) ions, which readily displace bound Mn(II) ions from these proteins. We also evaluate the Zn(II) competition between these SBPs and the human S100 protein calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 oligomer), an abundant host-defense protein that is involved in the metal-withholding innate immune response. CP can sequester Zn(II) from PsaA and MntC, which facilitates Mn(II) binding to the SBPs. These results demonstrate that CP can inhibit Zn(II) poisoning of the SBPs and provide molecular insight into how S100 proteins may inadvertently benefit bacterial pathogens rather than the host.

Neutrophil-associated responses to Vibrio cholerae infection in a natural host model

Vibrio cholerae , the cause of human cholera, is an aquatic bacterium found in association with a variety of animals in the environment, including many teleost fish species. V. cholerae infection induces a pro-inflammatory response followed by a non-inflammatory convalescent phase. Neutrophils are integral to this early immune response. However, the relationship between the neutrophil-associated protein calprotectin and V. cholerae has not been investigated, nor have the effects of limiting transition metals on V. cholerae growth. Zebrafish are useful as a natural V. cholerae model as the entire infectious cycle can be recapitulated in the presence of an intact intestinal microbiome and mature immune responses. Here, we demonstrate that zebrafish produce a significant neutrophil, IL-8, and calprotectin response following V. cholerae infection. Bacterial growth was completely inhibited by purified calprotectin protein or the chemical chelator TPEN, but growth was recovered by addition of transition metals zinc and manganese. Expression of downstream calprotectin targets also significantly increased in the zebrafish. These findings illuminate the role of host calprotectin in combating V. cholerae infection. Inhibition of V. cholerae growth through metal limitation may provide new approaches in the development of anti- V. cholerae therapeutics. This study also establishes a major role for calprotectin in combating infectious diseases in zebrafish.

Molecular Basis of Ca(II)-Induced Tetramerization and Transition-Metal Sequestration in Human Calprotectin

Human calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 oligomer, MRP8/MRP14 oligomer) is an abundant innate immune protein that contributes to the host metal-withholding response. Its ability to sequester transition metal nutrients from microbial pathogens depends on a complex interplay of Ca(II) binding and self-association, which converts the αβ heterodimeric apo protein into a Ca(II)-bound (αβ)2 heterotetramer that displays enhanced transition metal affinities, antimicrobial activity, and protease stability. A paucity of structural data on the αβ heterodimer has hampered molecular understanding of how Ca(II) binding enables CP to exert its metal-sequestering innate immune function. We report solution NMR data that reveal how Ca(II) binding affects the structure and dynamics of the CP αβ heterodimer. These studies provide a structural model in which the apo αβ heterodimer undergoes conformational exchange and switches between two states, a tetramerization-incompetent or "inactive" state and a tetramerization-competent or "active" state. Ca(II) binding to the EF-hands of the αβ heterodimer causes the active state to predominate, resulting in self-association and formation of the (αβ)2 heterotetramer. Moreover, Ca(II) binding causes local and allosteric ordering of the His3Asp and His6 metal-binding sites. Ca(II) binding to the noncanonical EF-hand of S100A9 positions (A9)D30 and organizes the His3Asp site. Remarkably, Ca(II) binding causes allosteric effects in the C-terminal region of helix αIV of S100A9, which stabilize the α-helicity at positions H91 and H95 and thereby organize the functionally versatile His6 site. Collectively, this study illuminates the molecular basis for how CP responds to high extracellular Ca(II) concentrations, which enables its metal-sequestering host-defense function.

Yersiniabactin contributes to overcoming zinc restriction during Yersinia pestis infection of mammalian and insect hosts

Yersinia pestis causes human plague and colonizes both a mammalian host and a flea vector during its transmission cycle. A key barrier to bacterial infection is the host's ability to actively sequester key biometals (e.g., iron, zinc, and manganese) required for bacterial growth. This is referred to as nutritional immunity. Mechanisms to overcome nutritional immunity are essential virulence factors for bacterial pathogens. Y. pestis produces an iron-scavenging siderophore called yersiniabactin (Ybt) that is required to overcome iron-mediated nutritional immunity and cause lethal infection. Recently, Ybt has been shown to bind to zinc, and in the absence of the zinc transporter ZnuABC, Ybt improves Y. pestis growth in zinc-limited medium. These data suggest that, in addition to iron acquisition, Ybt may also contribute to overcoming zinc-mediated nutritional immunity. To test this hypothesis, we used a mouse model defective in iron-mediated nutritional immunity to demonstrate that Ybt contributes to virulence in an iron-independent manner. Furthermore, using a combination of bacterial mutants and mice defective in zinc-mediated nutritional immunity, we identified calprotectin as the primary barrier for Y. pestis to acquire zinc during infection and that Y. pestis uses Ybt to compete with calprotectin for zinc. Finally, we discovered that Y. pestis encounters zinc limitation within the flea midgut, and Ybt contributes to overcoming this limitation. Together, these results demonstrate that Ybt is a bona fide zinc acquisition mechanism used by Y. pestis to surmount zinc limitation during the infection of both the mammalian and insect hosts.

A Protein-Based Biosensor for Detecting Calcium by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Calcium-responsive contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer a promising approach for noninvasive brain-wide monitoring of neural activity at any arbitrary depth. Current examples of MRI-based calcium probes involve synthetic molecules and nanoparticles, which cannot be used to examine calcium signaling in a genetically encoded form. Here, we describe a new MRI sensor for calcium, based entirely on a naturally occurring calcium-binding protein known as calprotectin. Calcium-binding causes calprotectin to sequester manganese ions, thereby limiting Mn²⁺ enhanced paramagnetic relaxation of nearby water molecules. We demonstrate that this mechanism allows calprotectin to alter T₁ and T₂ based MRI signals in response to biologically relevant calcium concentrations. The resulting response amplitude, i.e., change in relaxation time, is comparable to existing MRI-based calcium sensors as well as other reported protein-based MRI sensors. As a preliminary demonstration of its biological applicability, we used calprotectin to detect calcium in a lysed hippocampal cell preparation as well as in intact Chinese hamster ovary cells treated with a calcium ionophore. Calprotectin thus represents a promising path toward noninvasive imaging of calcium signaling by combining the molecular and cellular specificity of genetically encodable tools with the ability of MRI to image through scattering tissue of any size and depth.

Nutritional immunity: targeting fungal zinc homeostasis

Transition metals, such as Zn²⁺, are essential dietary constituents of all biological life, including mammalian hosts and the pathogens that infect them. Therefore, to thrive and cause infection, pathogens must successfully assimilate these elements from the host milieu. Consequently, mammalian immunity has evolved to actively restrict and/or pool metals to toxic concentrations in an effort to attenuate microbial pathogenicity - a process termed nutritional immunity. Despite host-induced Zn²⁺ nutritional immunity, pathogens such as Candida albicans, are still capable of causing disease and thus must be equipped with robust Zn²⁺ sensory, uptake and detoxification machinery. This review will discuss the strategies employed by mammalian hosts to limit Zn²⁺ during infection, and the subsequent fungal interventions that counteract Zn²⁺ nutritional immunity.

Antimicrobial Peptides and Copper(II) Ions: Novel Therapeutic Opportunities

The emergence of new pathogens and multidrug resistant bacteria is an important public health issue that requires the development of novel classes of antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising platform with great potential for the identification of new lead compounds that can combat the aforementioned pathogens due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and relatively low rate of resistance emergence. AMPs of multicellular organisms made their debut four decades ago thanks to ingenious researchers who asked simple questions about the resistance to bacterial infections of insects. Questions such as "Do fruit flies ever get sick?", combined with pioneering studies, have led to an understanding of AMPs as universal weapons of the immune system. This review focuses on a subclass of AMPs that feature a metal binding motif known as the amino terminal copper and nickel (ATCUN) motif. One of the metal-based strategies of hosts facing a pathogen, it includes wielding the inherent toxicity of copper and deliberately trafficking this metal ion into sites of infection. The sudden increase in the concentration of copper ions in the presence of ATCUN-containing AMPs (ATCUN-AMPs) likely results in a synergistic interaction. Herein, we examine common structural features in ATCUN-AMPs that exist across species, and we highlight unique features that deserve additional attention. We also present the current state of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms behind their antimicrobial activity and the methods available to study this promising class of AMPs.

Identification of Zinc-Dependent Mechanisms Used by Group B Streptococcus To Overcome Calprotectin-Mediated Stress

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) asymptomatically colonizes the female reproductive tract but is a common causative agent of meningitis. GBS meningitis is characterized by extensive infiltration of neutrophils carrying high concentrations of calprotectin, a metal chelator. To persist within inflammatory sites and cause invasive disease, GBS must circumvent host starvation attempts. Here, we identified global requirements for GBS survival during calprotectin challenge, including known and putative systems involved in metal ion transport. We characterized the role of zinc import in tolerating calprotectin stress in vitro and in a mouse model of infection. We observed that a global zinc uptake mutant was less virulent than the parental GBS strain and found calprotectin knockout mice to be equally susceptible to infection by wild-type (WT) and mutant strains. These findings suggest that calprotectin production at the site of infection results in a zinc-limited environment and reveals the importance of GBS metal homeostasis to invasive disease.

Nutritional immunity is an elegant host mechanism used to starve invading pathogens of necessary nutrient metals. Calprotectin, a metal-binding protein, is produced abundantly by neutrophils and is found in high concentrations within inflammatory sites during infection. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonizes the gastrointestinal and female reproductive tracts and is commonly associated with severe invasive infections in newborns such as pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. Although GBS infections induce robust neutrophil recruitment and inflammation, the dynamics of GBS and calprotectin interactions remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that disease and colonizing isolate strains exhibit susceptibility to metal starvation by calprotectin. We constructed a mariner transposon (Krmit) mutant library in GBS and identified 258 genes that contribute to surviving calprotectin stress. Nearly 20% of all underrepresented mutants following treatment with calprotectin are predicted metal transporters, including known zinc systems. As calprotectin binds zinc with picomolar affinity, we investigated the contribution of GBS zinc uptake to overcoming calprotectin-imposed starvation. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed a significant upregulation of genes encoding zinc-binding proteins, adcA, adcAII, and lmb, following calprotectin exposure, while growth in calprotectin revealed a significant defect for a global zinc acquisition mutant (ΔadcAΔadcAIIΔlmb) compared to growth of the GBS wild-type (WT) strain. Furthermore, mice challenged with the ΔadcAΔadcAIIΔlmb mutant exhibited decreased mortality and significantly reduced bacterial burden in the brain compared to mice infected with WT GBS; this difference was abrogated in calprotectin knockout mice. Collectively, these data suggest that GBS zinc transport machinery is important for combatting zinc chelation by calprotectin and establishing invasive disease.

Metal-Templated Design of Chemically Switchable Protein Assemblies with High-Affinity Coordination Sites

To mimic a hypothetical pathway for protein evolution, we previously tailored a monomeric protein (cyt cb₅₆₂ ) for metal-mediated self-assembly, followed by re-design of the resulting oligomers for enhanced stability and metal-based functions. We show that a single hydrophobic mutation on the cyt cb₅₆₂ surface drastically alters the outcome of metal-directed oligomerization to yield a new trimeric architecture, (TriCyt1)_3. This nascent trimer was redesigned into second and third-generation variants (TriCyt2)₃ and (TriCyt3)₃ with increased structural stability and preorganization for metal coordination. The three TriCyt variants combined furnish a unique platform to 1) provide tunable coupling between protein quaternary structure and metal coordination, 2) enable the construction of metal/pH-switchable protein oligomerization motifs, and 3) generate a robust metal coordination site that can coordinate all mid-to-late first-row transition-metal ions with high affinity.

Calcium Binding to the Innate Immune Protein Human Calprotectin Revealed by Integrated Mass Spectrometry

Although knowledge of the coordination chemistry and metal-withholding function of the innate immune protein human calprotectin (hCP) has broadened in recent years, understanding of its Ca²⁺-binding properties in solution remains incomplete. In particular, the molecular basis by which Ca²⁺ binding affects structure and enhances the functional properties of this remarkable transition-metal-sequestering protein has remained enigmatic. To achieve a molecular picture of how Ca²⁺ binding triggers hCP oligomerization, increases protease stability, and enhances antimicrobial activity, we implemented a new integrated mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach that can be readily generalized to study other protein-metal and protein-ligand interactions. Three MS-based methods (hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS kinetics; protein-ligand interactions in solution by MS, titration, and H/D exchange (PLIMSTEX); and native MS) provided a comprehensive analysis of Ca²⁺ binding and oligomerization to hCP without modifying the protein in any way. Integration of these methods allowed us to (i) observe the four regions of hCP that serve as Ca²⁺-binding sites, (ii) determine the binding stoichiometry to be four Ca²⁺ per CP heterodimer and eight Ca²⁺ per CP heterotetramer, (iii) establish the protein-to-Ca²⁺ molar ratio that causes the dimer-to-tetramer transition, and (iv) calculate the binding affinities associated with the four Ca²⁺-binding sites per heterodimer. These quantitative results support a model in which hCP exists in its heterodimeric form and is at most half-bound to Ca²⁺ in the cytoplasm of resting cells. With release into the extracellular space, hCP encounters elevated Ca²⁺ concentrations and binds more Ca²⁺ ions, forming a heterotetramer that is poised to compete with microbial pathogens for essential metal nutrients.

Group A Streptococcus AdcR Regulon Participates in Bacterial Defense against Host-Mediated Zinc Sequestration and Contributes to Virulence

Colonization by pathogenic bacteria depends on their ability to overcome host nutritional defenses and acquire nutrients. The human pathogen group A streptococcus (GAS) encounters the host defense factor calprotectin (CP) during infection. CP inhibits GAS growth in vitro by imposing zinc (Zn) limitation. However, GAS counterstrategies to combat CP-mediated Zn limitation and the in vivo relevance of CP-GAS interactions to bacterial pathogenesis remain unknown. Here, we report that GAS upregulates the AdcR regulon in response to CP-mediated Zn limitation. The AdcR regulon includes genes encoding Zn import (adcABC), Zn sparing (rpsN.2), and Zn scavenging systems (adcAII, phtD, and phtY). Each gene in the AdcR regulon contributes to GAS Zn acquisition and CP resistance. The ΔadcC and ΔrpsN.2 mutant strains were the most susceptible to CP, whereas the ΔadcA, ΔadcAII, and ΔphtD mutant strains displayed less CP sensitivity during growth in vitro However, the ΔphtY mutant strain did not display an increased CP sensitivity. The varied sensitivity of the mutant strains to CP-mediated Zn limitation suggests distinct roles for individual AdcR regulon genes in GAS Zn acquisition. GAS upregulates the AdcR regulon during necrotizing fasciitis infection in WT mice but not in S100a9-/- mice lacking CP. This suggests that CP induces Zn deficiency in the host. Finally, consistent with the in vitro results, several of the AdcR regulon genes are critical for GAS virulence in WT mice, whereas they are dispensable for virulence in S100a9-/- mice, indicating the direct competition for Zn between CP and proteins encoded by the GAS AdcR regulon during infection.

Iron Acquisition by Bacterial Pathogens: Beyond Tris-Catecholate Complexes

Sequestration of the essential nutrient iron from bacterial invaders that colonize the vertebrate host is a central feature of nutritional immunity and the "fight over transition metals" at the host-pathogen interface. The iron quota for many bacterial pathogens is large, as iron enzymes often make up a significant share of the metalloproteome. Iron enzymes play critical roles in respiration, energy metabolism, and other cellular processes by catalyzing a wide range of oxidation-reduction, electron transfer, and oxygen activation reactions. In this Concept article, we discuss recent insights into the diverse ways that bacterial pathogens acquire this essential nutrient, beyond the well-characterized tris-catecholate FeIII complexes, in competition and cooperation with significant host efforts to cripple these processes. We also discuss pathogen strategies to adapt their metabolism to less-than-optimal iron concentrations, and briefly speculate on what might be an integrated adaptive response to the concurrent limitation of both iron and zinc in the infected host.

Metal Sequestration and Antimicrobial Activity of Human Calprotectin Are pH-Dependent

Human calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 oligomer) is an abundant innate immune protein that sequesters transition metal ions in the extracellular space to limit nutrient availability and the growth of invading microbial pathogens. Our current understanding of the metal-sequestering ability of CP is based on biochemical and functional studies performed at neutral or near-neutral pH. Nevertheless, CP can be present throughout the human body and is expressed at infection and inflammation sites that tend to be acidic. Here, we evaluate the metal binding and antimicrobial properties of CP in the pH range of 5.0-7.0. We show that Ca(II)-induced tetramerization, an important process for the extracellular functions of CP, is perturbed by acidic conditions. Moreover, a low pH impairs the antimicrobial activity of CP against some bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. At a mildly acidic pH, CP loses the ability to deplete Mn from microbial growth medium, indicating that Mn(II) sequestration is attenuated under acidic conditions. Evaluation of the Mn(II) binding properties of CP at pH 5.0-7.0 indicates that mildly acidic conditions decrease the Mn(II) binding affinity of the His₆ site. Lastly, CP is less effective at preventing capture of Mn(II) by the bacterial solute-binding proteins MntC and PsaA at low pH. These results indicate that acidic conditions compromise the ability of CP to sequester Mn(II) and starve microbial pathogens of this nutrient. This work highlights the importance of considering the local pH of biological sites when describing the interplay between CP and microbes in host-pathogen interactions.

Molecular Insight into TdfH-Mediated Zinc Piracy from Human Calprotectin by Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The dramatic rise in antimicrobial resistance among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates over the last few decades, paired with dwindling treatment options and the lack of a protective vaccine, has prompted increased interest in identifying new bacterial targets for the treatment and, ideally, prevention of gonococcal disease. TonB-dependent transporters are a conserved set of proteins that serve crucial functions for bacterial survival within the host. In this study, binding between the gonococcal transporter, TdfH, and calprotectin was determined to be of high affinity and host restricted. The current study identified a preferential TdfH interaction at the calprotectin dimer interface. An antigonococcal therapeutic could potentially block this site on calprotectin, interrupting Zn uptake by N. gonorrhoeae and thereby prohibiting continued bacterial growth. We describe protein-protein interactions between TdfH and calprotectin, and our findings provide the building blocks for future therapeutic or prophylactic targets.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, responsible for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, is an obligate human pathogen exquisitely adapted for survival on mucosal surfaces of humans. This host-pathogen relationship has resulted in evolution by N. gonorrhoeae of pathways that enable the use of host metalloproteins as required nutrients through the deployment of outer membrane-bound TonB-dependent transporters (TdTs). Recently, a TdT called TdfH was implicated in binding to calprotectin (CP) and in removal of the bound zinc (Zn), enabling gonococcal growth. TdfH is highly conserved among the pathogenic Neisseria species, making it a potentially promising candidate for inclusion into a gonococcal vaccine. Currently, the nature and specificity of the TdfH-CP interaction have not been determined. In this study, we found that TdfH specifically interacted with human calprotectin (hCP) and that growth of the gonococcus was supported in a TdfH-dependent manner only when hCP was available as a sole zinc source and not when mouse CP was provided. The binding interactions between TdfH and hCP were assessed using isothermal titration calorimetry where we observed a multistate model having both high-affinity and low-affinity sites of interaction. hCP has two Zn binding sites, and gonococcal growth assays using hCP mutants deficient in one or both of the Zn binding sites revealed that TdfH exhibited a site preference during Zn piracy and utilization. This report provides the first insights into the molecular mechanism of Zn piracy by neisserial TdfH and further highlights the obligate human nature of N. gonorrhoeae and the high-affinity interactions occurring between TdTs and their human ligands during pathogenesis.

Calcium Regulates S100A12 Zinc Sequestration by Limiting Structural Variations

Antimicrobial proteins such as S100A12 and S100A8/A9 are highly expressed and secreted by neutrophils during infection and participate in human immune response by sequestering transition metals. At neutral pH, S100A12 sequesters Zn2+ with nanomolar affinity, which is further enhanced upon calcium binding. We investigated the pH dependence of human S100A12 zinc sequestration by using Co2+ as a surrogate. Apo-S100A12 exhibits strong Co2+ binding between pH 7.0 and 10.0 that progressively diminishes as the pH is decreased to 5.3. Ca2+ -S100A12 can retain nanomolar Co2+ binding up to pH 5.7. NMR spectroscopic measurements revealed that calcium binding does not alter the side-chain protonation of the Co2+ /Zn2+ binding histidine residues. Instead, the calcium-mediated modulation is achieved by restraining pH-dependent conformational changes to EF loop 1, which contains Co2+ /Zn2+ binding Asp25. This calcium-induced enhancement of Co2+ /Zn2+ binding might assist in the promotion of antimicrobial activities in humans by S100 proteins during neutrophil activation under subneutral pH conditions.

Intracellular Accumulation of Staphylopine Can Sensitize Staphylococcus aureus to Host-Imposed Zinc Starvation by Chelation-Independent Toxicity

The host restricts the availability of zinc to prevent infection. To overcome this defense, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa rely on zincophore-dependent zinc importers. Synthesis of the zincophore staphylopine by S. aureus and its import are both necessary for the bacterium to cause infection. In this study, we sought to elucidate how loss of zincophore efflux impacts bacterial resistance to host-imposed zinc starvation. In culture and during infection, mutants lacking CntE, the staphylopine efflux pump, were more sensitive to zinc starvation imposed by the metal-binding immune effector calprotectin than those lacking the ability to import staphylopine. However, disruption of staphylopine synthesis reversed the enhanced sensitivity phenotype of the ΔcntE mutant to calprotectin, indicating that intracellular toxicity of staphylopine is more detrimental than the impaired ability to acquire zinc. Unexpectedly, intracellular accumulation of staphylopine does not increase the expression of metal importers or alter cellular metal concentrations, suggesting that, contrary to prevailing models, the toxicity associated with staphylopine is not strictly due to intracellular chelation of metals. As P. aeruginosa and other pathogens produce zincophores with similar chemistry, our observations on the crucial importance of zincophore efflux are likely to be broadly relevant.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus and many other bacterial pathogens rely on metal-binding small molecules to obtain the essential metal zinc during infection. In this study, we reveal that export of these small molecules is critical for overcoming host-imposed metal starvation during infection and prevents toxicity due to accumulation of the metal-binding molecule within the cell. Surprisingly, we found that intracellular toxicity of the molecule is not due to chelation of cellular metals.

Evolution of multifunctionality through a pleiotropic substitution in the innate immune protein S100A9

Multifunctional proteins are evolutionary puzzles: how do proteins evolve to satisfy multiple functional constraints? S100A9 is one such multifunctional protein. It potently amplifies inflammation via Toll-like receptor four and is antimicrobial as part of a heterocomplex with S100A8. These two functions are seemingly regulated by proteolysis: S100A9 is readily degraded, while S100A8/S100A9 is resistant. We take an evolutionary biochemical approach to show that S100A9 evolved both functions and lost proteolytic resistance from a weakly proinflammatory, proteolytically resistant amniote ancestor. We identify a historical substitution that has pleiotropic effects on S100A9 proinflammatory activity and proteolytic resistance but has little effect on S100A8/S100A9 antimicrobial activity. We thus propose that mammals evolved S100A8/S100A9 antimicrobial and S100A9 proinflammatory activities concomitantly with a proteolytic 'timer' to selectively regulate S100A9. This highlights how the same mutation can have pleiotropic effects on one functional state of a protein but not another, thus facilitating the evolution of multifunctionality.

The Manganese-Responsive Transcriptional Regulator MumR Protects Acinetobacter baumannii from Oxidative Stress

Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that primarily infects critically ill patients in nosocomial settings. Because of its rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance, infections caused by A. baumannii have become extremely difficult to treat, underlying the importance of identifying new antimicrobial targets for this pathogen. Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient metal required for a number of bacterial processes, including the response to oxidative stress. Here, we show that exogenous Mn can restore A. baumannii viability in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This restoration is not dependent on the high-affinity Nramp family Mn transporter, MumT, as a ΔmumT mutant is no more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) killing than wild-type A. baumannii However, mumR, which encodes the transcriptional regulator of mumT, is critical for growth and survival in the presence of H₂O₂, suggesting that MumR regulates additional genes that contribute to H₂O₂ resistance. RNA sequencing revealed a role for mumR in regulating the activity of a number of metabolic pathways, including two pathways, phenylacetate and gamma-aminobutyric acid catabolism, which were found to be important for resisting killing by H₂O₂ Finally, ΔmumR exhibited reduced fitness in a murine model of pneumonia, indicating that MumR-regulated gene products are crucial for protection against the host immune response. In summary, these results suggest that MumR facilitates resistance to the host immune response by activating a transcriptional program that is critical for surviving both Mn starvation and oxidative stress.

Avian MRP126 Restricts Microbial Growth through Ca(II)-Dependent Zn(II) Sequestration

The calgranulins form a class of S100 proteins in higher vertebrates that innate-immune cells release in abundance at infection sites. These proteins function by binding transition metal ions to prevent microbial pathogens from obtaining those essential nutrients. Mammals express three distinct members of this family: S100A8 (calgranulin A), S100A9 (calgranulin B, which heterooligomerizes with S100A8 to form calprotectin), and S100A12 (calgranulin C), that exhibit Ca(II)-dependent transition metal binding properties. Human calprotectin effectively sequesters Mn(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II), whereas human S100A12 selectively sequesters Zn(II) over these other metal ions. Birds and reptiles express a single calgranulin homologue named MRP126, which we reasoned could have properties more similar to those of either calprotectin or S100A12. Here we present the purification and biophysical characterization of recombinant chicken MRP126 and, to the best of our knowledge, provide the first assessment of the metal binding and antimicrobial properties of an avian MRP126. We show that MRP126 is a homodimer that selectively sequesters Zn(II) and restricts the growth of certain microbes. MRP126 binds Zn(II) at two canonical His₃Asp sites. The presence of excess Ca(II) increases the affinity of the His₃Asp sites from the low-nanomolar to the low-picomolar range, thereby enhancing antimicrobial activity. Chicken MRP126 also binds additional Zn(II) equivalents with low-nanomolar affinity at two nonconserved dicysteine sites and with high-nanomolar affinity using a histidine-rich C-terminal tail that is a hallmark of this clade of calgranulins. Our results with chicken MRP126 suggest that Ca(II)-dependent Zn(II) sequestration was a role of the last common ancestor of calgranulin proteins, with mammalian calprotectin subsequently evolving a broader metal binding repertoire.

Antimicrobial action of calprotectin that does not involve metal withholding

Calprotectin is a potent antimicrobial that inhibits the growth of pathogens by tightly binding transition metals such as Mn and Zn, thereby preventing their uptake and utilization by invading microbes. At sites of infection, calprotectin is abundantly released from neutrophils, but calprotectin is also present in non-neutrophil cell types that may be relevant to infections. We show here that in patients infected with the Lyme disease pathogen Borreliella (Borrelia) burgdorferi, calprotectin is produced in neutrophil-free regions of the skin, in both epidermal keratinocytes and in immune cells infiltrating the dermis, including CD68 positive macrophages. In culture, B. burgdorferi's growth is inhibited by calprotectin, but surprisingly, the mechanism does not involve the classical withholding of metal nutrients. B. burgdorferi cells exposed to calprotectin cease growth with no reduction in intracellular Mn and no loss in activity of Mn enzymes including the SodA superoxide dismutase. Additionally, there is no obvious loss in intracellular Zn. Rather than metal depletion, we find that calprotectin inhibits B. burgdorferi growth through a mechanism that requires physical association of calprotectin with the bacteria. By comparison, calprotectin inhibited E. coli growth without physically interacting with the microbe, and calprotectin effectively depleted E. coli of intracellular Mn and Zn. Our studies with B. burgdorferi demonstrate that the antimicrobial capacity of calprotectin is complex and extends well beyond simple withholding of metal micronutrients.

Disruption of Glycolysis by Nutritional Immunity Activates a Two-Component System That Coordinates a Metabolic and Antihost Response by Staphylococcus aureus

During infection, bacteria use two-component signal transduction systems to sense and adapt to the dynamic host environment. Despite critically contributing to infection, the activating signals of most of these regulators remain unknown. This also applies to the Staphylococcus aureus ArlRS two-component system, which contributes to virulence by coordinating the production of toxins, adhesins, and a metabolic response that enables the bacterium to overcome host-imposed manganese starvation. Restricting the availability of essential transition metals, a strategy known as nutritional immunity, constitutes a critical defense against infection. In this work, expression analysis revealed that manganese starvation imposed by the immune effector calprotectin or by the absence of glycolytic substrates activates ArlRS. Manganese starvation imposed by calprotectin also activated the ArlRS system even when glycolytic substrates were present. A combination of metabolomics, mutational analysis, and metabolic feeding experiments revealed that ArlRS is activated by alterations in metabolic flux occurring in the latter half of the glycolytic pathway. Moreover, calprotectin was found to induce expression of staphylococcal leukocidins in an ArlRS-dependent manner. These studies indicated that ArlRS is a metabolic sensor that allows S. aureus to integrate multiple environmental stresses that alter glycolytic flux to coordinate an antihost response and to adapt to manganese starvation. They also established that the latter half of glycolysis represents a checkpoint to monitor metabolic state in S. aureus Altogether, these findings contribute to understanding how invading pathogens, such as S. aureus, adapt to the host during infection and suggest the existence of similar mechanisms in other bacterial species.IMPORTANCE Two-component regulatory systems enable bacteria to adapt to changes in their environment during infection by altering gene expression and coordinating antihost responses. Despite the critical role of two-component systems in bacterial survival and pathogenesis, the activating signals for most of these regulators remain unidentified. This is exemplified by ArlRS, a Staphylococcus aureus global regulator that contributes to virulence and to resisting host-mediated restriction of essential nutrients, such as manganese. In this report, we demonstrate that manganese starvation and the absence of glycolytic substrates activate ArlRS. Further investigations revealed that ArlRS is activated when the latter half of glycolysis is disrupted, suggesting that S. aureus monitors flux through the second half of this pathway. Host-imposed manganese starvation also induced the expression of pore-forming toxins in an ArlRS-dependent manner. Cumulatively, this work reveals that ArlRS acts as a sensor that links nutritional status, cellular metabolism, and virulence regulation.

Metal-independent variants of phosphoglycerate mutase promote resistance to nutritional immunity and retention of glycolysis during infection

The ability of Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogens to consume glucose is critical during infection. However, glucose consumption increases the cellular demand for manganese sensitizing S. aureus to host-imposed manganese starvation. The current investigations were undertaken to elucidate how S. aureus copes with the need to consume glucose when metal-limited by the host. A critical component of host defense is production of the manganese binding protein calprotectin. S. aureus has two variants of phosphoglycerate mutase, one of which is manganese-dependent, GpmI, and another that is manganese-independent, GpmA. Leveraging the ability to impose metal starvation in culture utilizing calprotectin revealed that the loss of GpmA, but not GpmI, sensitized S. aureus to manganese starvation. Metabolite feeding experiments revealed that the growth defect of GpmA when manganese-starved was due to a defect in glycolysis and not gluconeogenesis. Loss of GpmA reduces the ability of S. aureus to cause invasive disease in wild type mice. However, GpmA was dispensable in calprotectin-deficient mice, which have defects in manganese sequestration, indicating that this isozyme contributes to the ability of S. aureus to overcome manganese limitation during infection. Cumulatively, these observations suggest that expressing a metal-independent variant enables S. aureus to consume glucose while mitigating the negative impact that glycolysis has on the cellular demand for manganese. S. aureus is not the only bacterium that expresses manganese-dependent and -independent variants of phosphoglycerate mutase. Similar results were also observed in culture with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mutants lacking the metal-independent isozyme. These similar observations in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens suggest that expression of metal-independent glycolytic isozymes is a common strategy employed by bacteria to survive in metal-limited environments, such as the host.

Pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella species, must be able to consume glucose in order to cause infection. However, glycolysis can increase the need for manganese and sensitize invaders to the manganese-withholding defense of the host, known as nutritional immunity. How pathogens manage these conflicting pressures is currently unknown. The current investigations revealed that a second metal-independent variant of phosphoglycerate mutase possessed by both S. aureus and Salmonella enables them to grow and consume glycolytic substrates in the presence of the manganese-binding immune effector calprotectin. Infection experiments revealed that the manganese-independent isozyme critically contributes to the ability of S. aureus to overcome manganese starvation during infection. Together, these results suggest that using metal-independent isozymes to enable the consumption of sugars within the host or other metal-limited environments is a common strategy employed by diverse bacteria.

Distant Non-Obvious Mutations Influence the Activity of a Hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus furiosus Phosphoglucose Isomerase

The cupin-type phosphoglucose isomerase (PfPGI) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus catalyzes the reversible isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate to fructose-6-phosphate. We investigated PfPGI using protein-engineering bioinformatics tools to select functionally-important residues based on correlated mutation analyses. A pair of amino acids in the periphery of PfPGI was found to be the dominant co-evolving mutation. The position of these selected residues was found to be non-obvious to conventional protein engineering methods. We designed a small smart library of variants by substituting the co-evolved pair and screened their biochemical activity, which revealed their functional relevance. Four mutants were further selected from the library for purification, measurement of their specific activity, crystal structure determination, and metal cofactor coordination analysis. Though the mutant structures and metal cofactor coordination were strikingly similar, variations in their activity correlated with their fine-tuned dynamics and solvent access regulation. Alternative, small smart libraries for enzyme optimization are suggested by our approach, which is able to identify non-obvious yet beneficial mutations.

Murine Calprotectin Coordinates Mn(II) at a Hexahistidine Site with Ca(II)-Dependent Affinity

Manganese is an essential metal ion that bacterial pathogens need to acquire from the vertebrate host during infection. In the mammalian nutritional immunity strategy to combat bacterial infection, the host restricts bacterial access to Mn(II) by sequestering this metal nutrient using the protein calprotectin (CP). The role of murine calprotectin (mCP) in Mn(II) sequestration has been demonstrated in vivo, but the molecular basis of this function has not been evaluated. Herein, biochemical assays and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy are employed to characterize the Mn(II) binding properties of mCP. We report that mCP has one high-affinity Mn(II) binding site. This site is a His₆ site composed of His17 and His27 of mS100A8 and His92, His97, His105, and His107 of mS100A9. Similar to the human ortholog (hCP), Ca(II) binding to the EF-hand domains of mCP enhances the Mn(II) affinity of the protein; however, this effect requires ≈10-fold more Ca(II) than was previously observed for hCP. Mn(II) coordination to the His₆ site also promotes self-association of two mCP heterodimers to form a heterotetramer. Low-temperature X-band EPR spectroscopy revealed a nearly octahedral Mn(II) coordination sphere for the Mn(II)-His₆ site characterized by the zero-field splitting parameters D = 525 MHz and E/D = 0.3. Further electron-nuclear double resonance studies with globally ¹⁵N-labeled mCP provided hyperfine couplings from the coordinating ε-nitrogen atoms of the His ligands (a_iso = 4.3 MHz) as well as the distal δ-nitrogen atoms (a_iso = 0.25 MHz). Mn(II) competition assays between mCP and two bacterial Mn(II) solute-binding proteins, staphylococcal MntC and streptococcal PsaA, showed that mCP outcompetes both proteins for Mn(II) under conditions of excess Ca(II). In total, this work provides the first coordination chemistry study of mCP and reveals striking similarities in the Mn(II) coordination sphere as well as notable differences in the Ca(II) sensitivity and oligomerization behavior between hCP and mCP.

An efficient, step-economical strategy for the design of functional metalloproteins

The bottom-up design and construction of functional metalloproteins remains a formidable task in biomolecular design. Although numerous strategies have been used to create new metalloproteins, pre-existing knowledge of the tertiary and quaternary protein structure is often required to generate suitable platforms for robust metal coordination and activity. Here we report an alternative and easily implemented approach (metal active sites by covalent tethering or MASCoT) in which folded protein building blocks are linked by a single disulfide bond to create diverse metal coordination environments within evolutionarily naive protein-protein interfaces. Metalloproteins generated using this strategy uniformly bind a wide array of first-row transition metal ions (MnII, FeII, CoII, NiII, CuII, ZnII and vanadyl) with physiologically relevant thermodynamic affinities (dissociation constants ranging from 700 nM for MnII to 50 fM for CuII). MASCoT readily affords coordinatively unsaturated metal centres-including a penta-His-coordinated non-haem Fe site-and well-defined binding pockets that can accommodate modifications and enable coordination of exogenous ligands such as nitric oxide to the interfacial metal centre.

Ca(II) and Zn(II) Cooperate To Modulate the Structure and Self-Assembly of S100A12

S100A12 is a member of the Ca²⁺ binding S100 family of proteins that functions within the human innate immune system. Zinc sequestration by S100A12 confers antimicrobial activity when the protein is secreted by neutrophils. Here, we demonstrate that Ca²⁺ binding to S100A12's EF-hand motifs and Zn²⁺ binding to its dimeric interface cooperate to induce reversible self-assembly of the protein. Solution and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on apo-, Ca²⁺-, Zn²⁺-, and Ca²⁺,Zn²⁺-S100A12 shows that significant metal binding-induced chemical shift perturbations, indicative of conformational changes, occur throughout the polypeptide chain. These perturbations do not originate from changes in the secondary structure of the protein, which remains largely preserved. While the overall structure of S100A12 is dominated by Ca²⁺ binding, Zn²⁺ binding to Ca²⁺-S100A12 introduces additional structural changes to helix II and the hinge domain (residues 38-53). The hinge domain of S100A12 is involved in the molecular interactions that promote chemotaxis for human monocyte, acute inflammatory responses and generates edema. In Ca²⁺-S100A12, helix II and the hinge domain participate in binding with the C-type immunoglobulin domain of the receptor for advanced glycation products (RAGE). We discuss how the additional conformational changes introduced to these domains upon Zn²⁺ binding may also impact the interaction of S100A12 and target proteins such as RAGE.

Oxidative cross-linking of calprotectin occurs in vivo, altering its structure and susceptibility to proteolysis

Calprotectin, the major neutrophil protein, is a critical alarmin that modulates inflammation and plays a role in host immunity by strongly binding trace metals essential for bacterial growth. It has two cysteine residues favourably positioned to act as a redox switch. Whether their oxidation occurs in vivo and affects the function of calprotectin has received little attention. Here we show that in saliva from healthy adults, and in lavage fluid from the lungs of patients with respiratory diseases, a substantial proportion of calprotectin was cross-linked via disulfide bonds between the cysteine residues on its S100A8 and S100A9 subunits. Stimulated human neutrophils released calprotectin and subsequently cross-linked it by myeloperoxidase-dependent production of hypochlorous acid. The myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants hypochlorous acid, taurine chloramine, hypobromous acid, and hypothiocyanous acid, all at 10 μM, cross-linked calprotectin (5 μM) via reversible disulfide bonds. Hypochlorous acid generated A9-A9 and A8-A9 cross links. Hydrogen peroxide (10 μM) did not cross-link the protein. Purified neutrophil calprotectin existed as a non-covalent heterodimer of A8/A9 which was converted to a heterotetramer - (A8/A9)₂ - with excess calcium ions. Low level oxidation of calprotectin with hypochlorous acid produced substantial proportions of high order oligomers, whether oxidation occurred before or after addition of calcium ions. At high levels of oxidation the heterodimer could not form tetramers with calcium ions, but prior addition of calcium ions afforded some protection for the heterotetramer. Oxidation and formation of the A8-A9 disulfide cross link enhanced calprotectin's susceptibility to proteolysis by neutrophil proteases. We propose that reversible disulfide cross-linking of calprotectin occurs during inflammation and affects its structure and function. Its increased susceptibility to proteolysis will ultimately result in a loss of function.

Interactions Between the Gut Microbiota and the Host Innate Immune Response Against Pathogens

The mammalian intestine is colonized by over a trillion microbes that comprise the "gut microbiota," a microbial community which has co-evolved with the host to form a mutually beneficial relationship. Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota participates in immune system maturation and also plays a central role in host defense against pathogens. Here we review some of the mechanisms employed by the gut microbiota to boost the innate immune response against pathogens present on epithelial mucosal surfaces. Antimicrobial peptide secretion, inflammasome activation and induction of host IL-22, IL-17, and IL-10 production are the most commonly observed strategies employed by the gut microbiota for host anti-pathogen defense. Taken together, the body of evidence suggests that the host gut microbiota can elicit innate immunity against pathogens.

The role of metal ions in the virulence and viability of bacterial pathogens

Metal ions fulfil a plethora of essential roles within bacterial pathogens. In addition to acting as necessary cofactors for cellular proteins, making them indispensable for both protein structure and function, they also fulfil roles in signalling and regulation of virulence. Consequently, the maintenance of cellular metal ion homeostasis is crucial for bacterial viability and pathogenicity. It is therefore unsurprising that components of the immune response target and exploit both the essentiality of metal ions and their potential toxicity toward invading bacteria. This review provides a brief overview of the transition metal ions iron, manganese, copper and zinc during infection. These essential metal ions are discussed in the context of host modulation of bioavailability, bacterial acquisition and efflux, metal-regulated virulence factor expression and the molecular mechanisms that contribute to loss of viability and/or virulence during host-imposed metal stress.

The human innate immune protein calprotectin induces iron starvation responses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Most microbial pathogens have a metabolic iron requirement, necessitating the acquisition of this nutrient in the host. In response to pathogen invasion, the human host limits iron availability. Although canonical examples of nutritional immunity are host strategies that limit pathogen access to Fe(III), little is known about how the host restricts access to another biologically relevant oxidation state of this metal, Fe(II). This redox species is prevalent at certain infection sites and is utilized by bacteria during chronic infection, suggesting that Fe(II) withholding by the host may be an effective but unrecognized form of nutritional immunity. Here, we report that human calprotectin (CP; S100A8/S100A9 or MRP8/MRP14 heterooligomer) inhibits iron uptake and induces an iron starvation response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells by sequestering Fe(II) at its unusual His₆ site. Moreover, under aerobic conditions in which the Fe(III) oxidation state is favored, Fe(II) withholding by CP was enabled by (i) its ability to stabilize this redox state in solution and (ii) the production and secretion of redox-active, P. aeruginosa-produced phenazines, which reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II). Analyses of the interplay between P. aeruginosa secondary metabolites and CP indicated that Fe(II) withholding alters P. aeruginosa physiology and expression of virulence traits. Lastly, examination of the effect of CP on cell-associated metal levels in diverse human pathogens revealed that CP inhibits iron uptake by several bacterial species under aerobic conditions. This work implicates CP-mediated Fe(II) sequestration as a component of nutritional immunity in both aerobic and anaerobic milieus during P. aeruginosa infection.

Preparation and Iron Redox Speciation Study of the Fe(II)-Binding Antimicrobial Protein Calprotectin

Calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 heterooligomer) is an abundant metal-sequestering host-defense protein expressed by neutrophils, other white blood cells, and epithelial cells. The apoprotein is a S100A8/S100A9 heterodimer that contains two sites for transition metal binding at the S100A8/S100A9 interface: a His₃Asp motif (site 1) and a His₆ motif (site 2). In this chapter, we provide a step-by-step protocol for the overexpression and purification of the human and murine orthologues of CP that affords each apo heterodimer in high yield and purity. In these procedures, the S100A8 and S100A9 subunits are overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and each apo heterodimer is obtained following cell lysis, folding, column chromatography, and dialysis against Chelex resin to reduce metal contamination. Recent studies demonstrated that human CP coordinates Fe(II) and that the protein affects the redox speciation of Fe in solution. An Fe redox speciation assay employing ferrozine is described that demonstrates the ability of both the human and murine orthologues of CP to shift the redox speciation of Fe from the ferric to the ferrous oxidation state over time.

Synergy between Nutritional Immunity and Independent Host Defenses Contributes to the Importance of the MntABC Manganese Transporter during Staphylococcus aureus Infection

During infection, the host utilizes a diverse array of processes to combat invaders, including the restriction of availability of essential nutrients such as manganese. Similarly to many other pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus possesses two manganese importers, MntH and MntABC. Several infection models have revealed a critical role for MntABC during staphylococcal infection. However, culture-based studies have suggested parity between the two transporters when cells are resisting manganese starvation imposed by the manganese binding immune effector calprotectin. In this investigation, initial elemental analysis revealed that MntABC is the primary transporter responsible for obtaining manganese in culture in the presence of calprotectin. MntABC was also necessary to maintain wild-type levels of manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase activity in the presence of calprotectin. Building on this framework, we investigated if MntABC enabled S. aureus to resist the synergistic actions of nutritional immunity and other host defenses. This analysis revealed that MntABC critically contributes to staphylococcal growth when S. aureus is subjected to manganese limitations and exposed to oxidative stress. This transporter was also important for growth in manganese-limited environments when S. aureus was forced to consume glucose as an energy source, which occurs when it encounters nitric oxide. MntABC also expanded the pH range conducive for S. aureus growth under conditions of manganese scarcity. Collectively, the data presented in this work provide a robust molecular basis for the crucial role of MntABC in staphylococcal virulence. Further, this work highlights the importance of synergy between host defenses and the necessity of evaluating the contribution of virulence factors to pathogenesis in the presence of multiple stressors.