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Raghunandanan S, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Sze CW, Priya R, Luo Y, Lynch MJ, Crane BR, Li C, Yang XF. MCP5, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein regulated by both the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, is required for the immune evasion of Borrelia burgdorferi. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.10.598185. [PMID: 38915556 PMCID: PMC11195095 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.10.598185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Borrelia (or Borreliella) burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a motile and invasive zoonotic pathogen, adept at navigating between its arthropod vector and mammalian host. While motility and chemotaxis are well established as essential for its enzootic cycle, the function of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) in the infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that MCP5, one of the most abundant MCPs in B. burgdorferi, is differentially expressed in response to environmental signals as well as at different stages of the pathogen's enzootic cycle. Specifically, the expression of mcp5 is regulated by the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, which are critical for the spirochete's colonization of the tick vector and mammalian host, respectively. Infection experiments with an mcp5 mutant revealed that spirochetes lacking MCP5 could not establish infections in either C3H/HeN mice or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, which are defective in adaptive immunity, indicating the essential role of MCP5 in mammalian infection. However, the mcp5 mutant could establish infection and disseminate in NOD SCID Gamma (NSG) mice, which are deficient in both adaptive and most innate immune responses, suggesting a crucial role of MCP5 in evading host innate immunity. In the tick vector, the mcp5 mutants survived feeding but failed to transmit to mice, highlighting the importance of MCP5 in transmission. Our findings reveal that MCP5, regulated by the Rrp1 and Rrp2 pathways, is critical for the establishment of infection in mammalian hosts by evading host innate immunity and is important for the transmission of spirochetes from ticks to mammalian hosts, underscoring its potential as a target for intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajith Raghunandanan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Sanitary Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China, 325035
| | - Ching Wooen Sze
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298
| | - Raj Priya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Yongliang Luo
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Sanitary Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China, 325035
| | - Michael J Lynch
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Brian R Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298
| | - X. Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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2
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Matilla MA, Gavira JA, Krell T. Accessing nutrients as the primary benefit arising from chemotaxis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 75:102358. [PMID: 37459734 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
About half of the known bacterial species perform chemotaxis that gains them access to sites that are optimal for growth and survival. The motility apparatus and chemotaxis signaling pathway impose a large energetic and metabolic burden on the cell. There is almost no limit to the type of chemoeffectors that are recognized by bacterial chemoreceptors. For example, they include hormones, neurotransmitters, quorum-sensing molecules, and inorganic ions. However, the vast majority of chemoeffectors appear to be of metabolic value. We review here the experimental evidence indicating that accessing nutrients is the main selective force that led to the evolution of chemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
| | - José A Gavira
- Laboratory of Crystallographic Studies, IACT (CSIC-UGR), Armilla, Spain
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain.
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3
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Yu Z, Zhang W, Yang H, Chou SH, Galperin MY, He J. Gas and light: triggers of c-di-GMP-mediated regulation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad034. [PMID: 37339911 PMCID: PMC10505747 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP is responsible for regulating many important physiological functions such as biofilm formation, motility, cell differentiation, and virulence. The synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP in bacterial cells depend, respectively, on diguanylate cyclases and c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases. Since c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes (CMEs) are often fused to sensory domains, their activities are likely controlled by environmental signals, thereby altering cellular c-di-GMP levels and regulating bacterial adaptive behaviors. Previous studies on c-di-GMP-mediated regulation mainly focused on downstream signaling pathways, including the identification of CMEs, cellular c-di-GMP receptors, and c-di-GMP-regulated processes. The mechanisms of CME regulation by upstream signaling modules received less attention, resulting in a limited understanding of the c-di-GMP regulatory networks. We review here the diversity of sensory domains related to bacterial CME regulation. We specifically discuss those domains that are capable of sensing gaseous or light signals and the mechanisms they use for regulating cellular c-di-GMP levels. It is hoped that this review would help refine the complete c-di-GMP regulatory networks and improve our understanding of bacterial behaviors in changing environments. In practical terms, this may eventually provide a way to control c-di-GMP-mediated bacterial biofilm formation and pathogenesis in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqing Yu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, PR China
| | - Wei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
| | - He Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
| | - Michael Y Galperin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Jin He
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
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4
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Chen HH, Wang YX, Li DF, Liu C, Bi SY, Jiang CY, Liu SJ. Chemoreceptors from the commensal gut Roseburia rectibacter bind to mucin and trigger chemotaxis. Environ Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 36869629 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Chemotaxis is crucial for bacterial adherence and colonization of the host gastrointestinal tract. Previous studies have demonstrated that chemotaxis affects the virulence of causative pathogens and the infection in the host. However, the chemotactic abilities of non-pathogenic and commensal gut bacteria have rarely been explored. We observed that Roseburia rectibacter NSJ-69 exhibited flagella-dependent motility and chemotaxis to a variety of molecules, including mucin and propionate. A genome-wide analysis revealed that NSJ-69 has 28 putative chemoreceptors, 15 of which have periplasmic ligand-binding domains (LBDs). These LBD-coding genes were chemically synthesized and expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli. Intensive screening of ligands revealed four chemoreceptors bound to mucin and two bound to propionate. When expressed in Comamonas testosteroni or E. coli, these chemoreceptors elicited chemotaxis toward mucin and propionate. Hybrid chemoreceptors were constructed, and results showed that the chemotactic responses to mucin and propionate were dependent on the LBDs of R. rectibacter chemoreceptors. Our study identified and characterized R. rectibacter chemoreceptors. These results will facilitate further investigations on the involvement of microbial chemotaxis in host colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-He Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, and Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Shandong University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - De-Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, and Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, and Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Shandong University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang-Yu Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Shandong University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Ying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, and Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang-Jiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, and Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Shandong University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
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5
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Santamaría‐Hernando S, López‐Maroto Á, Galvez‐Roldán C, Munar‐Palmer M, Monteagudo‐Cascales E, Rodríguez‐Herva J, Krell T, López‐Solanilla E. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato infection of tomato plants is mediated by GABA and l-Pro chemoperception. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2022; 23:1433-1445. [PMID: 35689388 PMCID: PMC9452764 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Foliar bacterial pathogens have to penetrate the plant tissue and access the interior of the apoplast in order to initiate the pathogenic phase. The entry process is driven by chemotaxis towards plant-derived compounds in order to locate plant openings. However, information on plant signals recognized by bacterial chemoreceptors is scarce. Here, we show that the perception of GABA and l-Pro, two abundant components of the tomato apoplast, through the PsPto-PscC chemoreceptor drives the entry of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato into the tomato apoplast. The recognition of both compounds by PsPto-PscC caused chemoattraction to both amino acids and participated in the regulation of GABA catabolism. Mutation of the PsPto-PscC chemoreceptor caused a reduced chemotactic response towards these compounds which in turn impaired entry and reduced virulence in tomato plants. Interestingly, GABA and l-Pro levels significantly increase in tomato plants upon pathogen infection and are involved in the regulation of the plant defence response. This is an example illustrating how bacteria respond to plant signals produced during the interaction as cues to access the plant apoplast and to ensure efficient infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saray Santamaría‐Hernando
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas CBGPUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid‐Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/CSIC, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM Pozuelo de AlarcónMadridSpain
| | - Álvaro López‐Maroto
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas CBGPUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid‐Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/CSIC, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM Pozuelo de AlarcónMadridSpain
| | - Clara Galvez‐Roldán
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas CBGPUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid‐Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/CSIC, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM Pozuelo de AlarcónMadridSpain
| | - Martí Munar‐Palmer
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas CBGPUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid‐Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/CSIC, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM Pozuelo de AlarcónMadridSpain
| | - Elizabet Monteagudo‐Cascales
- Departamento de Protección AmbientalEstación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasGranadaSpain
| | - José‐Juan Rodríguez‐Herva
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas CBGPUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid‐Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/CSIC, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM Pozuelo de AlarcónMadridSpain
- Departamento de Biotecnología‐Biología VegetalEscuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Tino Krell
- Departamento de Protección AmbientalEstación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasGranadaSpain
| | - Emilia López‐Solanilla
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas CBGPUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid‐Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/CSIC, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM Pozuelo de AlarcónMadridSpain
- Departamento de Biotecnología‐Biología VegetalEscuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
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6
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Abstract
Bacteria have evolved many different signal transduction systems to sense and respond to changing environmental conditions. Signal integration is mainly achieved by signal recognition at extracytosolic ligand-binding domains (LBDs) of receptors. Hundreds of different LBDs have been reported, and our understanding of their sensing properties is growing. Receptors must function over a range of environmental pH values, but there is little information available on the robustness of sensing as a function of pH. Here, we have used isothermal titration calorimetry to determine the pH dependence of ligand recognition by nine LBDs that cover all major LBD superfamilies, of periplasmic solute-binding proteins, and cytosolic LBDs. We show that periplasmic LBDs recognize ligands over a very broad pH range, frequently stretching over eight pH units. This wide pH range contrasts with a much narrower pH response range of the cytosolic LBDs analyzed. Many LBDs must be dimeric to bind ligands, and analytical ultracentrifugation studies showed that the LBD of the Tar chemoreceptor forms dimers over the entire pH range tested. The pH dependences of Pseudomonas aeruginosa motility and chemotaxis were bell-shaped and centered at pH 7.0. Evidence for pH robustness of signaling in vivo was obtained by Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements of the chemotaxis pathway responses in Escherichia coli. Bacteria have evolved several strategies to cope with extreme pH, such as periplasmic chaperones for protein refolding. The intrinsic pH resistance of periplasmic LBDs appears to be another strategy that permits bacteria to survive under adverse conditions.
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7
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Matilla MA, Velando F, Monteagudo-Cascales E, Krell T. Flagella, Chemotaxis and Surface Sensing. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1386:185-221. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08491-1_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Phylogenetic Analysis with Prediction of Cofactor or Ligand Binding for Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAS and Cache Domains. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0102621. [PMID: 34937179 PMCID: PMC8694187 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01026-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PAS domains are omnipresent building blocks of multidomain proteins in all domains of life. Bacteria possess a variety of PAS domains in intracellular proteins and the related Cache domains in periplasmic or extracellular proteins. PAS and Cache domains are predominant in sensory systems, often carry cofactors or bind ligands, and serve as dimerization domains in protein association. To aid our understanding of the wide distribution of these domains, we analyzed the proteome of the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in silico. The ability of this bacterium to survive under different environmental conditions, to switch between planktonic and sessile/biofilm lifestyle, or to evade stresses, notably involves c-di-GMP regulatory proteins or depends on sensory pathways involving multidomain proteins that possess PAS or Cache domains. Maximum likelihood phylogeny was used to group PAS and Cache domains on the basis of amino acid sequence. Conservation of cofactor- or ligand-coordinating amino acids aided by structure-based comparison was used to inform function. The resulting classification presented here includes PAS domains that are candidate binders of carboxylic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, and heme. These predictions are put in context to previously described phenotypic data, often generated from deletion mutants. The analysis predicts novel functions for sensory proteins and sheds light on functional diversification in a large set of proteins with similar architecture. IMPORTANCE To adjust to a variety of life conditions, bacteria typically use multidomain proteins, where the modular structure allows functional differentiation. Proteins responding to environmental cues and regulating physiological responses are found in chemotaxis pathways that respond to a wide range of stimuli to affect movement. Environmental cues also regulate intracellular levels of cyclic-di-GMP, a universal bacterial secondary messenger that is a key determinant of bacterial lifestyle and virulence. We study Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an organism known to colonize a broad range of environments that can switch lifestyle between the sessile biofilm and the planktonic swimming form. We have investigated the PAS and Cache domains, of which we identified 101 in 70 Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 proteins, and have grouped these by phylogeny with domains of known structure. The resulting data set integrates sequence analysis and structure prediction to infer ligand or cofactor binding. With this data set, functional predictions for PAS and Cache domain-containing proteins are made.
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Abstract
Cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signal transduction systems provide bacteria with the ability to sense changing cell status or environmental conditions and then execute suitable physiological and social behaviors in response. In this review, we provide a comprehensive census of the stimuli and receptors that are linked to the modulation of intracellular c-di-GMP. Emerging evidence indicates that c-di-GMP networks sense light, surfaces, energy, redox potential, respiratory electron acceptors, temperature, and structurally diverse biotic and abiotic chemicals. Bioinformatic analysis of sensory domains in diguanylate cyclases and c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases as well as the receptor complexes associated with them reveals that these functions are linked to a diverse repertoire of protein domain families. We describe the principles of stimulus perception learned from studying these modular sensory devices, illustrate how they are assembled in varied combinations with output domains, and summarize a system for classifying these sensor proteins based on their complexity. Biological information processing via c-di-GMP signal transduction not only is fundamental to bacterial survival in dynamic environments but also is being used to engineer gene expression circuitry and synthetic proteins with à la carte biochemical functionalities.
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Matilla MA, Velando F, Martín-Mora D, Monteagudo-Cascales E, Krell T. A catalogue of signal molecules that interact with sensor kinases, chemoreceptors and transcriptional regulators. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6356564. [PMID: 34424339 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved many different signal transduction systems that sense signals and generate a variety of responses. Generally, most abundant are transcriptional regulators, sensor histidine kinases and chemoreceptors. Typically, these systems recognize their signal molecules with dedicated ligand-binding domains (LBDs), which, in turn, generate a molecular stimulus that modulates the activity of the output module. There are an enormous number of different LBDs that recognize a similarly diverse set of signals. To give a global perspective of the signals that interact with transcriptional regulators, sensor kinases and chemoreceptors, we manually retrieved information on the protein-ligand interaction from about 1,200 publications and 3D structures. The resulting 811 proteins were classified according to the Pfam family into 127 groups. These data permit a delineation of the signal profiles of individual LBD families as well as distinguishing between families that recognize signals in a promiscuous manner and those that possess a well-defined ligand range. A major bottleneck in the field is the fact that the signal input of many signaling systems is unknown. The signal repertoire reported here will help the scientific community design experimental strategies to identify the signaling molecules for uncharacterised sensor proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Félix Velando
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - David Martín-Mora
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Elizabet Monteagudo-Cascales
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
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11
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Xu Y, Bonizzoni M. Discrimination and Quantitation of Biologically Relevant Carboxylate Anions Using A [Dye•PAMAM] Complex. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21113637. [PMID: 34073712 PMCID: PMC8197244 DOI: 10.3390/s21113637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Carboxylate anions are analytical targets with environmental and biological relevance, whose detection is often challenging in aqueous solutions. We describe a method for discrimination and quantitation of carboxylates in water buffered to pH 7.4 based on their differential interaction with a supramolecular fluorescent sensor, self-assembled from readily available building blocks. A fifth-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM G5), bound to organic fluorophores (calcein or pyranine) through noncovalent interactions, forms a [dye•PAMAM] complex responsive to interaction with carboxylates. The observed changes in absorbance, and in fluorescence emission and anisotropy, were interpreted through linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to differentiate 10 structurally similar carboxylates with a limit of discrimination around 100 μM. The relationship between the analytes’ chemical structures and the system’s response was also elucidated. This insight allowed us to extend the system’s capabilities to the simultaneous identification of the nature and concentration of unknown analytes, with excellent structural identification results and good concentration recovery, an uncommon feat for a pattern-based sensing system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;
| | - Marco Bonizzoni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;
- Alabama Water Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Correspondence:
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12
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Compton KK, Scharf BE. Rhizobial Chemoattractants, the Taste and Preferences of Legume Symbionts. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:686465. [PMID: 34017351 PMCID: PMC8129513 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.686465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The development of host-microbe interactions between legumes and their cognate rhizobia requires localization of the bacteria to productive sites of initiation on the plant roots. This end is achieved by the motility apparatus that propels the bacterium and the chemotaxis system that guides it. Motility and chemotaxis aid rhizobia in their competitiveness for space, resources, and nodulation opportunities. Here, we examine studies on chemotaxis of three major model rhizobia, namely Sinorhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum, and Bradyrhizobium japonicum, cataloging their range of attractant molecules and correlating this in the context of root and seed exudate compositions. Current research areas will be summarized, gaps in knowledge discussed, and future directions described.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Birgit E. Scharf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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13
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Ehrhardt MKG, Gerth ML, Johnston JM. Structure of a double CACHE chemoreceptor ligand-binding domain from Pseudomonas syringae provides insights into the basis of proline recognition. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 549:194-199. [PMID: 33721671 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.02.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemotaxis is the process of sensing chemical gradients and navigating towards favourable conditions. Bacterial chemotaxis is mediated by arrays of trans-membrane chemoreceptor proteins. The most common class of chemoreceptors have periplasmic ligand-binding domains (LBDs) that detect extracellular chemical signs and transduce these signals to the downstream chemotaxis machinery. The repertoire of chemoreceptor proteins in a bacterium determines the range of environmental signals to which it can respond. Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a plant pathogen which causes bacterial canker of kiwifruit (Actinidia sp.). Compared to many other bacteria, Psa has a large number of chemoreceptors encoded in its genome (43) and most of these remain uncharacterized. A previous study identified PscC as a potential chemoreceptor for l-proline and other amino acid ligands. Here, we have characterized the interaction of PscC-LBD with l-proline using a combination of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and X-ray crystallography. ITC confirmed direct binding of l-proline to PscC-LBD with KD value of 5.0 μM. We determined the structure of PscC-LBD in complex with l-proline. Our structural analysis showed that PscC-LBD adopts similar double-CACHE fold to several other amino acid chemoreceptors. A comparison of the PscC-LDB to other dCACHE structures highlights residues in the binding cavity which contribute to its ligand specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica L Gerth
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jodie M Johnston
- School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a Model To Study Chemosensory Pathway Signaling. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:85/1/e00151-20. [PMID: 33441490 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00151-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a variety of signal transduction mechanisms that generate different outputs in response to external stimuli. Chemosensory pathways are widespread in bacteria and are among the most complex signaling mechanisms, requiring the participation of at least six proteins. These pathways mediate flagellar chemotaxis, in addition to controlling alternative functions such as second messenger levels or twitching motility. The human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa has four different chemosensory pathways that carry out different functions and are stimulated by signal binding to 26 chemoreceptors. Recent research employing a diverse range of experimental approaches has advanced enormously our knowledge on these four pathways, establishing P. aeruginosa as a primary model organism in this field. In the first part of this article, we review data on the function and physiological relevance of chemosensory pathways as well as their involvement in virulence, whereas the different transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms that govern pathway function are summarized in the second part. The information presented will be of help to advance the understanding of pathway function in other organisms.
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15
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Gasperotti AF, Herrera Seitz MK, Balmaceda RS, Prosa LM, Jung K, Studdert CA. Direct binding of benzoate derivatives to two chemoreceptors with Cache sensor domains in Halomonas titanicae KHS3. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:672-683. [PMID: 33098326 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Halomonas titanicae KHS3, isolated from a hydrocarbon-contaminated sea harbor in Argentina, is able to grow on aromatic hydrocarbons and displays chemotaxis toward those compounds. This behavior might contribute to the efficiency of its degradation capacity. Using high throughput screening, we identified two chemoreceptors (Htc1 and Htc2) that bind benzoate derivatives and other organic acids. Whereas Htc1 has a high affinity for benzoate (Kd 112 µM) and 2-hydroxybenzoate (Kd 83 µM), Htc2 binds 2-hydroxybenzoate with low affinity (Kd 3.25 mM), and also C3/C4 dicarboxylates. Both chemoreceptors are able to trigger a chemotactic response of E. coli cells to the specific ligands. A H. titanicae htc1 mutant has reduced chemotaxis toward benzoate, and is complemented upon expression of the corresponding receptor. Both chemoreceptors have a Cache-type sensor domain, double (Htc1) or single (Htc2), and their ability to bind aromatic compounds is reported here for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana F Gasperotti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.,Department of Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - M Karina Herrera Seitz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Rocío S Balmaceda
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Luciano M Prosa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department of Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Claudia A Studdert
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
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16
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Matilla MA, Martín-Mora D, Krell T. The use of isothermal titration calorimetry to unravel chemotactic signalling mechanisms. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3005-3019. [PMID: 32329116 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chemotaxis is based on the action of chemosensory pathways and is typically initiated by the recognition of chemoeffectors at chemoreceptor ligand-binding domains (LBD). Chemosensory signalling is highly complex; aspect that is not only reflected in the intricate interaction between many signalling proteins but also in the fact that bacteria frequently possess multiple chemosensory pathways and often a large number of chemoreceptors, which are mostly of unknown function. We review here the usefulness of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to study this complexity. ITC is the gold standard for studying binding processes due to its precision and sensitivity, as well as its capability to determine simultaneously the association equilibrium constant, enthalpy change and stoichiometry of binding. There is now evidence that members of all major LBD families can be produced as individual recombinant proteins that maintain their ligand-binding properties. High-throughput screening of these proteins using thermal shift assays offer interesting initial information on chemoreceptor ligands, providing the basis for microcalorimetric analyses and microbiological experimentation. ITC has permitted the identification and characterization of many chemoreceptors with novel specificities. This ITC-based approach can also be used to identify signal molecules that stimulate members of other families of sensor proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
| | - David Martín-Mora
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
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17
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Parallel quorum-sensing system in Vibrio cholerae prevents signal interference inside the host. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008313. [PMID: 32059031 PMCID: PMC7046293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) to regulate virulence factor production in response to changes in population density. QS is mediated through the production, secretion, and detection of signaling molecules called autoinducers (AIs) to modulate population-wide behavioral changes. Four histidine kinases, LuxPQ, CqsS, CqsR and VpsS, have been identified in Vibrio cholerae as QS receptors to activate virulence gene expression at low cell density. Detection of AIs by these receptors leads to virulence gene repression at high cell density. The redundancy among these receptors is puzzling since any one of the four receptors is sufficient to support colonization of V. cholerae in the host small intestine. It is believed that one of the functions of such circuit architecture is to prevent interference on any single QS receptor. However, it is unclear what natural molecules can interfere V. cholerae QS and in what environment interference is detrimental. We show here mutants expressing only CqsR without the other three QS receptors are defective in colonizing the host large intestine. We identified ethanolamine, a common intestinal metabolite that can function as a chemical source of QS interference. Ethanolamine specifically interacts with the ligand-binding CACHE domain of CqsR and induces a premature QS response in V. cholerae mutants expressing only CqsR without the other three QS receptors. The effect of ethanolamine on QS gene expression and host colonization is abolished by mutations that disrupt CqsR signal sensing. V. cholerae defective in producing ethanolamine is still proficient in QS, therefore, ethanolamine functions only as an external cue for CqsR. Our findings suggest the inhibitory effect of ethanolamine on CqsR could be a possible source of QS interference but is masked by the presence of the other parallel QS pathways, allowing V. cholerae to robustly colonize the host. Many pathogens use quorum sensing (QS) to regulate virulence gene expression for their survival and adaptation inside hosts. QS depends on the production and detection of chemical signals called autoinducers made endogenously by the bacteria. However, chemicals present in the surrounding environment could potentially lead to quorum signal interference, resulting in mis-regulation of virulence factor production and preventing effective host colonization. We show here ethanolamine, a metabolite commonly found inside the mammalian intestine, modulates the activity of one of the QS receptors in Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent of the disease cholera. Despite the abundance of this common metabolite inside the host, by integrating multiple parallel signal inputs into its QS system, V. cholerae has evolved to maintain QS fidelity and avoids signal interference to allow robust colonization of the host.
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18
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von Freiesleben P, Moroz OV, Blagova E, Wiemann M, Spodsberg N, Agger JW, Davies GJ, Wilson KS, Stålbrand H, Meyer AS, Krogh KBRM. Crystal structure and substrate interactions of an unusual fungal non-CBM carrying GH26 endo-β-mannanase from Yunnania penicillata. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2266. [PMID: 30783168 PMCID: PMC6381184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38602-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Endo-β(1 → 4)-mannanases (endomannanases) catalyse degradation of β-mannans, an abundant class of plant polysaccharides. This study investigates structural features and substrate binding of YpenMan26A, a non-CBM carrying endomannanase from Yunnania penicillata. Structural and sequence comparisons to other fungal family GH26 endomannanases showed high sequence similarities and conserved binding residues, indicating that fungal GH26 endomannanases accommodate galactopyranosyl units in the -3 and -2 subsites. Two striking amino acid differences in the active site were found when the YpenMan26A structure was compared to a homology model of Wsp.Man26A from Westerdykella sp. and the sequences of nine other fungal GH26 endomannanases. Two YpenMan26A mutants, W110H and D37T, inspired by differences observed in Wsp.Man26A, produced a shift in how mannopentaose bound across the active site cleft and a decreased affinity for galactose in the -2 subsite, respectively, compared to YpenMan26A. YpenMan26A was moreover found to have a flexible surface loop in the position where PansMan26A from Podospora anserina has an α-helix (α9) which interacts with its family 35 CBM. Sequence alignment inferred that the core structure of fungal GH26 endomannanases differ depending on the natural presence of this type of CBM. These new findings have implications for selecting and optimising these enzymes for galactomannandegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille von Freiesleben
- Novozymes A/S, Krogshøjvej 36, 2880, Bagsværd, Denmark.,DTU Bioengineering, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Building 221, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Olga V Moroz
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Elena Blagova
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Mathias Wiemann
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Jane W Agger
- DTU Bioengineering, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Building 221, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Gideon J Davies
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Keith S Wilson
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Henrik Stålbrand
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anne S Meyer
- DTU Bioengineering, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Building 221, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Martín-Mora D, Fernández M, Velando F, Ortega Á, Gavira JA, Matilla MA, Krell T. Functional Annotation of Bacterial Signal Transduction Systems: Progress and Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123755. [PMID: 30486299 PMCID: PMC6321045 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria possess a large number of signal transduction systems that sense and respond to different environmental cues. Most frequently these are transcriptional regulators, two-component systems and chemosensory pathways. A major bottleneck in the field of signal transduction is the lack of information on signal molecules that modulate the activity of the large majority of these systems. We review here the progress made in the functional annotation of sensor proteins using high-throughput ligand screening approaches of purified sensor proteins or individual ligand binding domains. In these assays, the alteration in protein thermal stability following ligand binding is monitored using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry. We illustrate on several examples how the identification of the sensor protein ligand has facilitated the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the regulatory process. We will also discuss the use of virtual ligand screening approaches to identify sensor protein ligands. Both approaches have been successfully applied to functionally annotate a significant number of bacterial sensor proteins but can also be used to study proteins from other kingdoms. The major challenge consists in the study of sensor proteins that do not recognize signal molecules directly, but that are activated by signal molecule-loaded binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martín-Mora
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
| | - Matilde Fernández
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
| | - Félix Velando
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
| | - Álvaro Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 'B' and Immunology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia, Campus of Espinardo, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - José A Gavira
- Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, IACT, (CSIC-UGR), Avenida las Palmeras 4, 18100 Armilla, Spain.
| | - Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
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20
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Sinorhizobium meliloti Chemoreceptor McpV Senses Short-Chain Carboxylates via Direct Binding. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00519-18. [PMID: 30201781 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00519-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil-dwelling endosymbiont of alfalfa that has eight chemoreceptors to sense environmental stimuli during its free-living state. The functions of two receptors have been characterized, with McpU and McpX serving as general amino acid and quaternary ammonium compound sensors, respectively. Both receptors use a dual Cache (calcium channels and chemotaxis receptors) domain for ligand binding. We identified that the ligand-binding periplasmic region (PR) of McpV contains a single Cache domain. Homology modeling revealed that McpVPR is structurally similar to a sensor domain of a chemoreceptor with unknown function from Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans, which crystallized with acetate in its binding pocket. We therefore assayed McpV for carboxylate binding and S. meliloti for carboxylate sensing. Differential scanning fluorimetry identified 10 potential ligands for McpVPR Nine of these are monocarboxylates with chain lengths between two and four carbons. We selected seven compounds for capillary assay analysis, which established positive chemotaxis of the S. meliloti wild type, with concentrations of peak attraction at 1 mM for acetate, propionate, pyruvate, and glycolate, and at 100 mM for formate and acetoacetate. Deletion of mcpV or mutation of residues essential for ligand coordination abolished positive chemotaxis to carboxylates. Using microcalorimetry, we determined that dissociation constants of the seven ligands with McpVPR were in the micromolar range. An McpVPR variant with a mutation in the ligand coordination site displayed no binding to isobutyrate or propionate. Of all the carboxylates tested as attractants, only glycolate was detected in alfalfa seed exudates. This work examines the relevance of carboxylates and their sensor to the rhizobium-legume interaction.IMPORTANCE Legumes share a unique association with certain soil-dwelling bacteria known broadly as rhizobia. Through concerted interorganismal communication, a legume allows intracellular infection by its cognate rhizobial species. The plant then forms an organ, the root nodule, dedicated to housing and supplying fixed carbon and nutrients to the bacteria. In return, the engulfed rhizobia, differentiated into bacteroids, fix atmospheric N2 into ammonium for the plant host. This interplay is of great benefit to the cultivation of legumes, such as alfalfa and soybeans, and is initiated by chemotaxis to the host plant. This study on carboxylate chemotaxis contributes to the understanding of rhizobial survival and competition in the rhizosphere and aids the development of commercial inoculants.
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21
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Giacalone D, Smith TJ, Collins AJ, Sondermann H, Koziol LJ, O'Toole GA. Ligand-Mediated Biofilm Formation via Enhanced Physical Interaction between a Diguanylate Cyclase and Its Receptor. mBio 2018; 9:e01254-18. [PMID: 29991582 PMCID: PMC6050961 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01254-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial intracellular second messenger, cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP), regulates biofilm formation for many bacteria. The binding of c-di-GMP by the inner membrane protein LapD controls biofilm formation, and the LapD receptor is central to a complex network of c-di-GMP-mediated biofilm formation. In this study, we examine how c-di-GMP signaling specificity by a diguanylate cyclase (DGC), GcbC, is achieved via interactions with the LapD receptor and by small ligand sensing via GcbC's calcium channel chemotaxis (CACHE) domain. We provide evidence that biofilm formation is stimulated by the environmentally relevant organic acid citrate (and a related compound, isocitrate) in a GcbC-dependent manner through enhanced GcbC-LapD interaction, which results in increased LapA localization to the cell surface. Furthermore, GcbC shows little ability to synthesize c-di-GMP in isolation. However, when LapD is present, GcbC activity is significantly enhanced (~8-fold), indicating that engaging the LapD receptor stimulates the activity of this DGC; citrate-enhanced GcbC-LapD interaction further stimulates c-di-GMP synthesis. We propose that the I-site of GcbC serves two roles beyond allosteric control of this enzyme: promoting GcbC-LapD interaction and stabilizing the active conformation of GcbC in the GcbC-LapD complex. Finally, given that LapD can interact with a dozen different DGCs of Pseudomonas fluorescens, many of which have ligand-binding domains, the ligand-mediated enhanced signaling via LapD-GcbC interaction described here is likely a conserved mechanism of signaling in this network. Consistent with this idea, we identify a second example of ligand-mediated enhancement of DGC-LapD interaction that promotes biofilm formation.IMPORTANCE In many bacteria, dozens of enzymes produce the dinucleotide signal c-di-GMP; however, it is unclear how undesired cross talk is mitigated in the context of this soluble signal and how c-di-GMP signaling is regulated by environmental inputs. We demonstrate that GcbC, a DGC, shows little ability to synthesize c-di-GMP in the absence of its cognate receptor LapD; GcbC-LapD interaction enhances c-di-GMP synthesis by GcbC, likely mediated by the I-site of GcbC. We further show evidence for a ligand-mediated mechanism of signaling specificity via increased physical interaction of a DGC with its cognate receptor. We envision a scenario wherein a "cloud" of weakly active DGCs can increase their activity by specific interaction with their receptor in response to appropriate environmental signals, concomitantly boosting c-di-GMP production, ligand-specific signaling, and biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Giacalone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - T Jarrod Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Alan J Collins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Holger Sondermann
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Lori J Koziol
- Department of Biology, New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire, USA
| | - George A O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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22
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The activity of the C4-dicarboxylic acid chemoreceptor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is controlled by chemoattractants and antagonists. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2102. [PMID: 29391435 PMCID: PMC5795001 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20283-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotaxis toward organic acids has been associated with colonization fitness and virulence and the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibits taxis toward several tricarboxylic acid intermediates. In this study, we used high-throughput ligand screening and isothermal titration calorimetry to demonstrate that the ligand binding domain (LBD) of the chemoreceptor PA2652 directly recognizes five C4-dicarboxylic acids with KD values ranging from 23 µM to 1.24 mM. In vivo experimentation showed that three of the identified ligands act as chemoattractants whereas two of them behave as antagonists by inhibiting the downstream chemotaxis signalling cascade. In vitro and in vivo competition assays showed that antagonists compete with chemoattractants for binding to PA2652-LBD, thereby decreasing the affinity for chemoattractants and the subsequent chemotactic response. Two chemosensory pathways encoded in the genome of P. aeruginosa, che and che2, have been associated to chemotaxis but we found that only the che pathway is involved in PA2652-mediated taxis. The receptor PA2652 is predicted to contain a sCACHE LBD and analytical ultracentrifugation analyses showed that PA2652-LBD is dimeric in the presence and the absence of ligands. Our results indicate the feasibility of using antagonists to interfere specifically with chemotaxis, which may be an alternative strategy to fight bacterial pathogens.
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Ehrhardt MKG, Warring SL, Gerth ML. Screening Chemoreceptor-Ligand Interactions by High-Throughput Thermal-Shift Assays. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1729:281-290. [PMID: 29429098 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7577-8_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the ligands sensed by chemoreceptors remains challenging, in part because current screening methods are low-throughput, costly, and/or time-consuming. In contrast, fluorescence thermal shift (FTS) assays provide a fast and inexpensive approach to chemoreceptor-ligand screening. In FTS assays, the temperature at which a protein denatures is measured by monitoring the fluorescence of a dye with affinity for hydrophobic regions of the protein, which are exposed as the protein unfolds. A detectable increase (or "shift") in the melting temperature (T m ) of the protein in the presence of a potential ligand indicates binding. Here, we present our protocol for using FTS assays for the screening of chemoreceptor ligands in a high-throughput, 96-well plate format. We have also included details on the use of Biolog Phenotype Microarray plates as a convenient ligand library, although the methods described should be generally applicable to other library formats as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suzanne L Warring
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Monica L Gerth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
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24
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Machuca MA, Johnson KS, Liu YC, Steer DL, Ottemann KM, Roujeinikova A. Helicobacter pylori chemoreceptor TlpC mediates chemotaxis to lactate. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14089. [PMID: 29075010 PMCID: PMC5658362 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14372-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is recently appreciated that many bacterial chemoreceptors have ligand-binding domains (LBD) of the dCACHE family, a structure with two PAS-like subdomains, one membrane-proximal and the other membrane-distal. Previous studies had implicated only the membrane-distal subdomain in ligand recognition. Here, we report the 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of dCACHE LBD of the Helicobacter pylori chemoreceptor TlpC. H. pylori tlpC mutants are outcompeted by wild type during stomach colonisation, but no ligands had been mapped to this receptor. The TlpC dCACHE LBD has two PAS-like subdomains, as predicted. The membrane-distal one possesses a long groove instead of a small, well-defined pocket. The membrane-proximal subdomain, in contrast, had a well-delineated pocket with a small molecule that we identified as lactate. We confirmed that amino acid residues making contact with the ligand in the crystal structure-N213, I218 and Y285 and Y249-were required for lactate binding. We determined that lactate is an H. pylori chemoattractant that is sensed via TlpC with a K D = 155 µM. Lactate is utilised by H. pylori, and our work suggests that this pathogen seeks out lactate using chemotaxis. Furthermore, our work suggests that dCACHE domain proteins can utilise both subdomains for ligand recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra A Machuca
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Kevin S Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Yu C Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - David L Steer
- Monash Biomedical Proteomics Facility, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Karen M Ottemann
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
| | - Anna Roujeinikova
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
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25
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Salah Ud-Din AIM, Roujeinikova A. Methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins: a core sensing element in prokaryotes and archaea. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:3293-3303. [PMID: 28409190 PMCID: PMC11107704 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2514-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chemotaxis is the directed motility by means of which microbes sense chemical cues and relocate towards more favorable environments. Methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) are the most common receptors in bacteria and archaea. They are arranged as trimers of dimers that, in turn, form hexagonal arrays in the cytoplasmic membrane or in the cytoplasm. Several different classes of MCPs have been identified according to their ligand binding region and membrane topology. MCPs have been further classified based on the length and sequence conservation of their cytoplasmic domains. Clusters of membrane-embedded MCPs often localize to the poles of the cell, whereas cytoplasmic MCPs can be targeted to the poles or distributed throughout the cell body. MCPs play an important role in cell survival, pathogenesis, and biodegradation. Bacterial adaptation to diverse environmental conditions promotes diversity among the MCPs. This review summarizes structure, classification, and structure-activity relationship of the known MCP receptors, with a brief overview of the signal transduction mechanisms in bacteria and archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Iftiaf Md Salah Ud-Din
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Roujeinikova
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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Bardy SL, Briegel A, Rainville S, Krell T. Recent advances and future prospects in bacterial and archaeal locomotion and signal transduction. J Bacteriol 2017; 199:e00203-17. [PMID: 28484047 PMCID: PMC5573076 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00203-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Unraveling the structure and function of two-component and chemotactic signaling along with different aspects related to motility of bacteria and archaea are key research areas in modern microbiology. Escherichia coli is the traditional model organism to study chemotaxis signaling and motility. However, the recent study of a wide range of bacteria and even some archaea with different lifestyles has provided new insight into the eco-physiology of chemotaxis, which is essential for the host establishment of different pathogens or beneficial bacteria. The expanded range of model organisms has also permitted the study of chemosensory pathways unrelated to chemotaxis, multiple chemotaxis pathways within an organism, and new types of chemoreceptors. This research has greatly benefitted from technical advances in the field of cryo-microscopy that continues to reveal with increasing resolution the complexity and diversity of large protein complexes like the flagellar motor or chemoreceptor arrays. In addition, sensitive instruments now allow for an increasing number of experiments to be conducted at the single-cell level, thereby revealing information that is beginning to bridge the gap between individual cells and population behavior. Evidence has also accumulated showing that bacteria have evolved different mechanisms for surface sensing, which appears to be mediated by flagella and possibly type IV pili, and that the downstream signaling involves chemosensory pathways and two-component system based processes. Herein we summarize the recent advances and research tendencies in this field as presented at the latest Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST XIV) conference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia L. Bardy
- University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, Biological Sciences, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Simon Rainville
- Laval University, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Optics, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Tino Krell
- Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada, Spain
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