1
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Goult JD, Van DCL, Taylor YV, Inns PG, Kaminska R, Vesely M, Kleanthous C, Paci E. Structural constraints of pyocin S2 import through the ferripyoverdine receptor FpvAI. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae124. [PMID: 38577260 PMCID: PMC10994204 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs) mediate energized transport of essential nutrients into gram-negative bacteria. TBDTs are increasingly being exploited for the delivery of antibiotics to drug-resistant bacteria. While much is known about ground state complexes of TBDTs, few details have emerged about the transport process itself. In this study, we exploit bacteriocin parasitization of a TBDT to probe the mechanics of transport. Previous work has shown that the N-terminal domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-specific bacteriocin pyocin S2 (PyoS2NTD) is imported through the pyoverdine receptor FpvAI. PyoS2NTD transport follows the opening of a proton-motive force-dependent pore through FpvAI and the delivery of its own TonB box that engages TonB. We use molecular models and simulations to formulate a complete translocation pathway for PyoS2NTD that we validate using protein engineering and cytotoxicity measurements. We show that following partial removal of the FpvAI plug domain which occludes the channel, the pyocin's N-terminus enters the channel by electrostatic steering and ratchets to the periplasm. Application of force, mimicking that exerted by TonB, leads to unraveling of PyoS2NTD as it squeezes through the channel. Remarkably, while some parts of PyoS2NTD must unfold, complete unfolding is not required for transport, a result we confirmed by disulfide bond engineering. Moreover, the section of the FpvAI plug that remains embedded in the channel appears to serve as a buttress against which PyoS2NTD is pushed to destabilize the domain. Our study reveals the limits of structural deformation that accompanies import through a TBDT and the role the TBDT itself plays in accommodating transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Goult
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Daniel C L Van
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Yasmin V Taylor
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Patrick G Inns
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Renata Kaminska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Martin Vesely
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Colin Kleanthous
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Emanuele Paci
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
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2
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Abstract
TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs) are present in all gram-negative bacteria and mediate energy-dependent uptake of molecules that are too scarce or large to be taken up efficiently by outer membrane (OM) diffusion channels. This process requires energy that is derived from the proton motive force and delivered to TBDTs by the TonB-ExbBD motor complex in the inner membrane. Together with the need to preserve the OM permeability barrier, this has led to an extremely complex and fascinating transport mechanism for which the fundamentals, despite decades of research, are still unclear. In this review, we describe our current understanding of the transport mechanism of TBDTs, their potential role in the delivery of novel antibiotics, and the important contributions made by TBDT-associated (lipo)proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustinas Silale
- Biosciences Institute, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Bert van den Berg
- Biosciences Institute, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; ,
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3
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Kumar A, Yang T, Chakravorty S, Majumdar A, Nairn BL, Six DA, Marcondes Dos Santos N, Price SL, Lawrenz MB, Actis LA, Marques M, Russo TA, Newton SM, Klebba PE. Fluorescent sensors of siderophores produced by bacterial pathogens. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101651. [PMID: 35101443 PMCID: PMC8921320 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Siderophores are iron-chelating molecules that solubilize Fe3+ for microbial utilization and facilitate colonization or infection of eukaryotes by liberating host iron for bacterial uptake. By fluorescently labeling membrane receptors and binding proteins, we created 20 sensors that detect, discriminate, and quantify apo- and ferric siderophores. The sensor proteins originated from TonB-dependent ligand-gated porins (LGPs) of Escherichia coli (Fiu, FepA, Cir, FhuA, IutA, BtuB), Klebsiella pneumoniae (IroN, FepA, FyuA), Acinetobacter baumannii (PiuA, FepA, PirA, BauA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (FepA, FpvA), and Caulobacter crescentus (HutA) from a periplasmic E. coli binding protein (FepB) and from a human serum binding protein (siderocalin). They detected ferric catecholates (enterobactin, degraded enterobactin, glucosylated enterobactin, dihydroxybenzoate, dihydroxybenzoyl serine, cefidericol, MB-1), ferric hydroxamates (ferrichromes, aerobactin), mixed iron complexes (yersiniabactin, acinetobactin, pyoverdine), and porphyrins (hemin, vitamin B12). The sensors defined the specificities and corresponding affinities of the LGPs and binding proteins and monitored ferric siderophore and porphyrin transport by microbial pathogens. We also quantified, for the first time, broad recognition of diverse ferric complexes by some LGPs, as well as monospecificity for a single metal chelate by others. In addition to their primary ferric siderophore ligands, most LGPs bound the corresponding aposiderophore with ∼100-fold lower affinity. These sensors provide insights into ferric siderophore biosynthesis and uptake pathways in free-living, commensal, and pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Taihao Yang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Somnath Chakravorty
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Aritri Majumdar
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Brittany L Nairn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - David A Six
- Department of Biology, Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Naara Marcondes Dos Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sarah L Price
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Matthew B Lawrenz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Luis A Actis
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Marilis Marques
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thomas A Russo
- Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Salete M Newton
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Phillip E Klebba
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.
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4
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Majumdar A, Trinh V, Moore KJ, Smallwood CR, Kumar A, Yang T, Scott DC, Long NJ, Newton SM, Klebba PE. Conformational rearrangements in the N-domain of Escherichia coli FepA during ferric enterobactin transport. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:4974-4984. [PMID: 32098871 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli outer membrane receptor FepA transports ferric enterobactin (FeEnt) by an energy- and TonB-dependent, but otherwise a mechanistically undetermined process involving its internal 150-residue N-terminal globular domain (N-domain). We genetically introduced pairs of Cys residues in different regions of the FepA tertiary structure, with the potential to form disulfide bonds. These included Cys pairs on adjacent β-strands of the N-domain (intra-N) and Cys pairs that bridged the external surface of the N-domain to the interior of the C-terminal transmembrane β-barrel (inter-N-C). We characterized FeEnt uptake by these mutants with siderophore nutrition tests, [59Fe]Ent binding and uptake experiments, and fluorescence decoy sensor assays. The three methods consistently showed that the intra-N disulfide bonds, which restrict conformational motion within the N-domain, prevented FeEnt uptake, whereas most inter-N-C disulfide bonds did not prevent FeEnt uptake. These outcomes indicate that conformational rearrangements must occur in the N terminus of FepA during FeEnt transport. They also argue against disengagement of the N-domain out of the channel as a rigid body and suggest instead that it remains within the transmembrane pore as FeEnt enters the periplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritri Majumdar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Vy Trinh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Kyle J Moore
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering, Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma 73505
| | | | - Ashish Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Taihao Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Daniel C Scott
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105
| | - Noah J Long
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Salete M Newton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Phillip E Klebba
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
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5
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Lorenz C, Dougherty TJ, Lory S. Correct Sorting of Lipoproteins into the Inner and Outer Membranes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the Escherichia coli LolCDE Transport System. mBio 2019; 10:e00194-19. [PMID: 30992347 PMCID: PMC6469965 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00194-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biogenesis of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria depends on dedicated macromolecular transport systems. The LolABCDE proteins make up the machinery for lipoprotein trafficking from the inner membrane (IM) across the periplasm to the outer membrane (OM). The Lol apparatus is additionally responsible for differentiating OM lipoproteins from those for the IM. In Enterobacteriaceae, a default sorting mechanism has been proposed whereby an aspartic acid at position +2 of the mature lipoproteins prevents Lol recognition and leads to their IM retention. In other bacteria, the conservation of sequences immediately following the acylated cysteine is variable. Here we show that in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the three essential Lol proteins (LolCDE) can be replaced with those from Escherichia coli The P. aeruginosa lipoproteins MexA, OprM, PscJ, and FlgH, with different sequences at their N termini, were correctly sorted by either the E. coli or P. aeruginosa LolCDE. We further demonstrate that an inhibitor of E. coli LolCDE is active against P. aeruginosa only when expressing the E. coli orthologues. Our work shows that Lol proteins recognize a wide range of signals, consisting of an acylated cysteine and a specific conformation of the adjacent domain, determining IM retention or transport to the OM.IMPORTANCE Gram-negative bacteria build their outer membranes (OM) from components that are initially located in the inner membrane (IM). A fraction of lipoproteins is transferred to the OM by the transport machinery consisting of LolABCDE proteins. Our work demonstrates that the LolCDE complexes of the transport pathways of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are interchangeable, with the E. coli orthologues correctly sorting the P. aeruginosa lipoproteins while retaining their sensitivity to a small-molecule inhibitor. These findings question the nature of IM retention signals, identified in E. coli as aspartate at position +2 of mature lipoproteins. We propose an alternative model for the sorting of IM and OM lipoproteins based on their relative affinities for the IM and the ability of the promiscuous sorting machinery to deliver lipoproteins to their functional sites in the OM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Lorenz
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas J Dougherty
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephen Lory
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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6
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Chakravorty S, Shipelskiy Y, Kumar A, Majumdar A, Yang T, Nairn BL, Newton SM, Klebba PE. Universal fluorescent sensors of high-affinity iron transport, applied to ESKAPE pathogens. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:4682-4692. [PMID: 30679312 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive assays of biochemical specificity, affinity, and capacity are valuable both for basic research and drug discovery. We created fluorescent sensors that monitor high-affinity binding reactions and used them to study iron acquisition by ESKAPE bacteria, which are frequently responsible for antibiotic-resistant infections. By introducing site-directed Cys residues in bacterial iron transporters and modifying them with maleimide fluorophores, we generated living cells or purified proteins that bind but do not transport target compounds. These constructs sensitively detected ligand concentrations in solution, enabling accurate, real-time spectroscopic analysis of membrane transport by other cells. We assessed the efficacy of these "fluorescent decoy" (FD) sensors by characterizing active iron transport in the ESKAPE bacteria. The FD sensors monitored uptake of both ferric siderophores and hemin by the pathogens. An FD sensor for a particular ligand was universally effective in observing the uptake of that compound by all organisms we tested. We adapted the FD sensors to microtiter format, where they allow high-throughput screens for chemicals that block iron uptake, without genetic manipulations of the virulent target organisms. Hence, screening assays with FD sensors facilitate studies of mechanistic biochemistry, as well as discovery of chemicals that inhibit prokaryotic membrane transport. With appropriate design, FD sensors are potentially applicable to any pro- or eukaryotic high-affinity ligand transport process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somnath Chakravorty
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
| | - Yan Shipelskiy
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
| | - Ashish Kumar
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
| | - Aritri Majumdar
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
| | - Taihao Yang
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
| | - Brittany L Nairn
- the Department of Biological Sciences, Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota 55112
| | - Salete M Newton
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
| | - Phillip E Klebba
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 and
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7
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Fluorescence High-Throughput Screening for Inhibitors of TonB Action. J Bacteriol 2017; 199:JB.00889-16. [PMID: 28242720 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00889-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria acquire ferric siderophores through TonB-dependent outer membrane transporters (TBDT). By fluorescence spectroscopic hgh-throughput screening (FLHTS), we identified inhibitors of TonB-dependent ferric enterobactin (FeEnt) uptake through Escherichia coli FepA (EcoFepA). Among 165 inhibitors found in a primary screen of 17,441 compounds, we evaluated 20 in secondary tests: TonB-dependent ferric siderophore uptake and colicin killing and proton motive force-dependent lactose transport. Six of 20 primary hits inhibited TonB-dependent activity in all tests. Comparison of their effects on [59Fe]Ent and [14C]lactose accumulation suggested several as proton ionophores, but two chemicals, ebselen and ST0082990, are likely not proton ionophores and may inhibit TonB-ExbBD. The facility of FLHTS against E. coli led us to adapt it to Acinetobacter baumannii We identified its FepA ortholog (AbaFepA), deleted and cloned its structural gene, genetically engineered 8 Cys substitutions in its surface loops, labeled them with fluorescein, and made fluorescence spectroscopic observations of FeEnt uptake in A. baumannii Several Cys substitutions in AbaFepA (S279C, T562C, and S665C) were readily fluoresceinated and then suitable as sensors of FeEnt transport. As in E. coli, the test monitored TonB-dependent FeEnt uptake by AbaFepA. In microtiter format with A. baumannii, FLHTS produced Z' factors 0.6 to 0.8. These data validated the FLHTS strategy against even distantly related Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Overall, it discovered agents that block TonB-dependent transport and showed the potential to find compounds that act against Gram-negative CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae)/ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens. Our results suggest that hundreds of such chemicals may exist in larger compound libraries.IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria has spurred efforts to find novel compounds against new targets. The CRE/ESKAPE pathogens are resistant bacteria that include Acinetobacter baumannii, a common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia and sepsis. We performed fluorescence high-throughput screening (FLHTS) against Escherichia coli to find inhibitors of TonB-dependent iron transport, tested them against A. baumannii, and then adapted the FLHTS technology to allow direct screening against A. baumannii This methodology is expandable to other drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Compounds that block TonB action may interfere with iron acquisition from eukaryotic hosts and thereby constitute bacteriostatic antibiotics that prevent microbial colonization of human and animals. The FLHTS method may identify both species-specific and broad-spectrum agents against Gram-negative bacteria.
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8
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TonB-Dependent Heme/Hemoglobin Utilization by Caulobacter crescentus HutA. J Bacteriol 2017; 199:JB.00723-16. [PMID: 28031282 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00723-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Siderophore nutrition tests with Caulobacter crescentus strain NA1000 revealed that it utilized a variety of ferric hydroxamate siderophores, including asperchromes, ferrichromes, ferrichrome A, malonichrome, and ferric aerobactin, as well as hemin and hemoglobin. C. crescentus did not transport ferrioxamine B or ferric catecholates. Because it did not use ferric enterobactin, the catecholate aposiderophore was an effective agent for iron deprivation. We determined the kinetics and thermodynamics of [59Fe]apoferrichrome and 59Fe-citrate binding and transport by NA1000. Its affinity and uptake rate for ferrichrome (equilibrium dissociation constant [Kd ], 1 nM; Michaelis-Menten constant [KM ], 0.1 nM; Vmax, 19 pMol/109 cells/min) were similar to those of Escherichia coli FhuA. Transport properties for 59Fe-citrate were similar to those of E. coli FecA (KM , 5.3 nM; Vmax, 29 pMol/109 cells/min). Bioinformatic analyses implicated Fur-regulated loci 00028, 00138, 02277, and 03023 as TonB-dependent transporters (TBDT) that participate in iron acquisition. We resolved TBDT with elevated expression under high- or low-iron conditions by SDS-PAGE of sodium sarcosinate cell envelope extracts, excised bands of interest, and analyzed them by mass spectrometry. These data identified five TBDT: three were overexpressed during iron deficiency (00028, 02277, and 03023), and 2 were overexpressed during iron repletion (00210 and 01196). CLUSTALW analyses revealed homology of putative TBDT 02277 to Escherichia coli FepA and BtuB. A Δ02277 mutant did not transport hemin or hemoglobin in nutrition tests, leading us to designate the 02277 structural gene as hutA (for heme/hemoglobin utilization).IMPORTANCE The physiological roles of the 62 putative TBDT of C. crescentus are mostly unknown, as are their evolutionary relationships to TBDT of other bacteria. We biochemically studied the iron uptake systems of C. crescentus, identified potential iron transporters, and clarified the phylogenetic relationships among its numerous TBDT. Our findings identified the first outer membrane protein involved in iron acquisition by C. crescentus, its heme/hemoglobin transporter (HutA).
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Lill Y, Jordan LD, Smallwood CR, Newton SM, Lill MA, Klebba PE, Ritchie K. Confined Mobility of TonB and FepA in Escherichia coli Membranes. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160862. [PMID: 27935943 PMCID: PMC5147803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The important process of nutrient uptake in Escherichia coli, in many cases, involves transit of the nutrient through a class of beta-barrel proteins in the outer membrane known as TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs) and requires interaction with the inner membrane protein TonB. Here we have imaged the mobility of the ferric enterobactin transporter FepA and TonB by tracking them in the membranes of live E. coli with single-molecule resolution at time-scales ranging from milliseconds to seconds. We employed simple simulations to model/analyze the lateral diffusion in the membranes of E.coli, to take into account both the highly curved geometry of the cell and artifactual effects expected due to finite exposure time imaging. We find that both molecules perform confined lateral diffusion in their respective membranes in the absence of ligand with FepA confined to a region 0.180−0.007+0.006 μm in radius in the outer membrane and TonB confined to a region 0.266−0.009+0.007 μm in radius in the inner membrane. The diffusion coefficient of these molecules on millisecond time-scales was estimated to be 21−5+9 μm2/s and 5.4−0.8+1.5 μm2/s for FepA and TonB, respectively, implying that each molecule is free to diffuse within its domain. Disruption of the inner membrane potential, deletion of ExbB/D from the inner membrane, presence of ligand or antibody to FepA and disruption of the MreB cytoskeleton was all found to further restrict the mobility of both molecules. Results are analyzed in terms of changes in confinement size and interactions between the two proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoriko Lill
- Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Lorne D. Jordan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Chuck R. Smallwood
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Salete M. Newton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Markus A. Lill
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Phillip E. Klebba
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PEK); (KR)
| | - Ken Ritchie
- Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PEK); (KR)
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10
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Wong CT, Xu Y, Gupta A, Garnett JA, Matthews SJ, Hare SA. Structural analysis of haemoglobin binding by HpuA from the Neisseriaceae family. Nat Commun 2015; 6:10172. [PMID: 26671256 PMCID: PMC4703857 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Neisseriaceae family of bacteria causes a range of diseases including meningitis, septicaemia, gonorrhoea and endocarditis, and extracts haem from haemoglobin as an important iron source within the iron-limited environment of its human host. Herein we report crystal structures of apo- and haemoglobin-bound HpuA, an essential component of this haem import system. The interface involves long loops on the bacterial receptor that present hydrophobic side chains for packing against the surface of haemoglobin. Interestingly, our structural and biochemical analyses of Kingella denitrificans and Neisseria gonorrhoeae HpuA mutants, although validating the interactions observed in the crystal structure, show how Neisseriaceae have the fascinating ability to diversify functional sequences and yet retain the haemoglobin binding function. Our results present the first description of HpuA's role in direct binding of haemoglobin. The Neisseriaceae bacteria family extract heame from the haemoglobin of its host, the HpuA protein is part of this system. Here, the authors report crystal structures of apo- and haemoglobin-bound HpuA and analyse mutants to examine the interaction between HpuA and haemoglobin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi T Wong
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Yingqi Xu
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Akshari Gupta
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - James A Garnett
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Steve J Matthews
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Stephen A Hare
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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12
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Klebba PE, Charbit A, Xiao Q, Jiang X, Newton SM. Mechanisms of iron and haem transport byListeria monocytogenes. Mol Membr Biol 2012; 29:69-86. [DOI: 10.3109/09687688.2012.694485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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13
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Xiao Q, Jiang X, Moore KJ, Shao Y, Pi H, Dubail I, Charbit A, Newton SM, Klebba PE. Sortase independent and dependent systems for acquisition of haem and haemoglobin in Listeria monocytogenes. Mol Microbiol 2011; 80:1581-97. [PMID: 21545655 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07667.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We studied three Fur-regulated systems of Listeria monocytogenes: the srtB region, that encodes sortase-anchored proteins and a putative ABC transporter, and the fhu and hup operons, that produce putative ABC transporters for ferric hydroxamates and haemin (Hn)/haemoglobin (Hb) respectively. Deletion of lmo2185 in the srtB region reduced listerial [(59) Fe]-Hn transport, and purified Lmo2185 bound [(59) Fe]-Hn (K(D) = 12 nM), leading to its designation as a Hn/Hb binding protein (hbp2). Purified Hbp2 also acted as a haemophore, capturing and supplying Hn from the environment. Nevertheless, Hbp2 only functioned in [(59) Fe]-Hn transport at external concentrations less than 50 nM: at higher Hn levels its uptake occurred with equivalent affinity and rate without Hbp2. Similarly, deletion of sortase A had no effect on ferric siderophore or Hn/Hb transport at any concentration, and the srtA-independence of listerial Hn/Hb uptake distinguished it from comparable systems of Staphylococcus aureus. In the cytoplasmic membrane, the Hup transporter was specific for Hn: its lipoprotein (HupD) only showed high affinity for the iron porphyrin (K(D) = 26 nM). Conversely, the FhuD lipoprotein encoded by the fhu operon had broad specificity: it bound both ferric siderophores and Hn, with the highest affinity for ferrioxamine B (K(D) = 123 nM). Deletions of Hup permease components hupD, hupG or hupDGC reduced Hn/Hb uptake, and complementation of ΔhupC and ΔhupG by chromosomal integration of hupC(+) and hupG(+) alleles on pPL2 restored growth promotion by Hn/Hb. However, ΔhupDGC did not completely eliminate [(59) Fe]-Hn transport, implying the existence of another cytoplasmic membrane Hn transporter. The overall K(M) of Hn uptake by wild-type strain EGD-e was 1 nM, and it occurred at similar rates (V(max) = 23 pmol 10(9) cells(-1) min(-1)) to those of ferric siderophore transporters. In the ΔhupDGC strain uptake occurred at a threefold lower rate (V(max) = 7 pmol 10(9) cells(-1) min(-1)). The results show that at low (< 50 nM) levels of Hn, SrtB-dependent peptidoglycan-anchored proteins (e.g. Hbp2) bind the porphyrin, and HupDGC or another transporter completes its uptake into the cytoplasm. However, at higher concentrations Hn uptake is SrtB-independent: peptidoglycan-anchored binding proteins are dispensable because HupDGC directly absorbs and internalizes Hn. Finally, ΔhupDGC increased the LD(50) of L. monocytogenes 100-fold in the mouse infection model, reiterating the importance of this system in listerial virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaobin Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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14
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Newton SM, Trinh V, Pi H, Klebba PE. Direct measurements of the outer membrane stage of ferric enterobactin transport: postuptake binding. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:17488-97. [PMID: 20335169 PMCID: PMC2878513 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.100206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2010] [Revised: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
When Gram-negative bacteria acquire iron, the metal crosses both the outer membrane (OM) and the inner membrane, but existing radioisotopic uptake assays only measure its passage through the latter bilayer, as the accumulation of the radionuclide in the cytoplasm. We devised a methodology that exclusively observes OM transport and used it to study the uptake of ferric enterobactin (FeEnt) by Escherichia coli FepA. This technique, called postuptake binding, revealed previously unknown aspects of TonB-dependent transport reactions. The experiments showed, for the first time, that despite the discrepancy in cell envelope concentrations of FepA and TonB ( approximately 35:1), all FepA proteins were active and equivalent in FeEnt uptake, with a maximum turnover number of approximately 5/min. FepA-mediated transport of FeEnt progressed through three distinct phases with successively decreasing rates, and from its temperature dependence, the activation energy of the OM stage was 33-35 kcal/mol. The accumulation of FeEnt in the periplasm required the binding protein and inner membrane permease components of its overall transport system; postuptake binding assays on strains devoid of FepB, FepD, or FepG did not show uptake of FeEnt through the OM. However, fluorescence labeling data implied that FepA was active in the DeltafepB strain, suggesting that FeEnt entered the periplasm but then leaked out. Further experiments confirmed this futile cycle; cells without FepB transported FeEnt across the OM, but it immediately escaped through TolC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salete M. Newton
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Vy Trinh
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Hualiang Pi
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Phillip E. Klebba
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
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15
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Krewulak KD, Vogel HJ. Structural biology of bacterial iron uptake. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2007; 1778:1781-804. [PMID: 17916327 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2007.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 326] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2007] [Revised: 07/20/2007] [Accepted: 07/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
To fulfill their nutritional requirement for iron, bacteria utilize various iron sources which include the host proteins transferrin and lactoferrin, heme, and low molecular weight iron chelators termed siderophores. The iron sources are transported into the Gram-negative bacterial cell via specific uptake pathways which include an outer membrane receptor, a periplasmic binding protein (PBP), and an inner membrane ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. Over the past two decades, structures for the proteins involved in bacterial iron uptake have not only been solved, but their functions have begun to be understood at the molecular level. However, the elucidation of the three dimensional structures of all components of the iron uptake pathways is currently limited. Despite the low sequence homology between different bacterial species, the available three-dimensional structures of homologous proteins are strikingly similar. Examination of the current three-dimensional structures of the outer membrane receptors, PBPs, and ABC transporters provides an overview of the structural biology of iron uptake in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla D Krewulak
- Structural Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
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16
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Rabsch W, Ma L, Wiley G, Najar FZ, Kaserer W, Schuerch DW, Klebba JE, Roe BA, Laverde Gomez JA, Schallmey M, Newton SMC, Klebba PE. FepA- and TonB-dependent bacteriophage H8: receptor binding and genomic sequence. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:5658-74. [PMID: 17526714 PMCID: PMC1951831 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00437-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2007] [Accepted: 05/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
H8 is derived from a collection of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis bacteriophage. Its morphology and genomic structure closely resemble those of bacteriophage T5 in the family Siphoviridae. H8 infected S. enterica serotypes Enteritidis and Typhimurium and Escherichia coli by initial adsorption to the outer membrane protein FepA. Ferric enterobactin inhibited H8 binding to E. coli FepA (50% inhibition concentration, 98 nM), and other ferric catecholate receptors (Fiu, Cir, and IroN) did not participate in phage adsorption. H8 infection was TonB dependent, but exbB mutations in Salmonella or E. coli did not prevent infection; only exbB tolQ or exbB tolR double mutants were resistant to H8. Experiments with deletion and substitution mutants showed that the receptor-phage interaction first involves residues distributed over the protein's outer surface and then narrows to the same charged (R316) or aromatic (Y260) residues that participate in the binding and transport of ferric enterobactin and colicins B and D. These data rationalize the multifunctionality of FepA: toxic ligands like bacteriocins and phage penetrate the outer membrane by parasitizing residues in FepA that are adapted to the transport of the natural ligand, ferric enterobactin. DNA sequence determinations revealed the complete H8 genome of 104.4 kb. A total of 120 of its 143 predicted open reading frames (ORFS) were homologous to ORFS in T5, at a level of 84% identity and 89% similarity. As in T5, the H8 structural genes clustered on the chromosome according to their function in the phage life cycle. The T5 genome contains a large section of DNA that can be deleted and that is absent in H8: compared to T5, H8 contains a 9,000-bp deletion in the early region of its chromosome, and nine potentially unique gene products. Sequence analyses of the tail proteins of phages in the same family showed that relative to pb5 (Oad) of T5 and Hrs of BF23, the FepA-binding protein (Rbp) of H8 contains unique acidic and aromatic residues. These side chains may promote binding to basic and aromatic residues in FepA that normally function in the adsorption of ferric enterobactin. Furthermore, a predicted H8 tail protein showed extensive identity and similarity to pb2 of T5, suggesting that it also functions in pore formation through the cell envelope. The variable region of this protein contains a potential TonB box, intimating that it participates in the TonB-dependent stage of the phage infection process.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Amino Acid Substitution
- Antiviral Agents/pharmacology
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/physiology
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Proteins/physiology
- Carrier Proteins/genetics
- Carrier Proteins/physiology
- DNA, Viral/chemistry
- DNA, Viral/genetics
- Enterobactin/pharmacology
- Escherichia coli/virology
- Gene Order
- Genome, Viral/genetics
- Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Membrane Proteins/physiology
- Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Open Reading Frames
- Receptors, Cell Surface/genetics
- Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology
- Receptors, Virus/genetics
- Receptors, Virus/physiology
- Salmonella Phages/genetics
- Salmonella Phages/physiology
- Salmonella enteritidis/virology
- Salmonella typhimurium/virology
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Sequence Deletion
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Siphoviridae/genetics
- Viral Tail Proteins/genetics
- Virion/ultrastructure
- Virus Attachment
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Rabsch
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, 620 Parrington Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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17
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Khan A, Shouldice S, Kirby S, Yu RH, Tari L, Schryvers A. High-affinity binding by the periplasmic iron-binding protein from Haemophilus influenzae is required for acquiring iron from transferrin. Biochem J 2007; 404:217-25. [PMID: 17313366 PMCID: PMC1868806 DOI: 10.1042/bj20070110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The periplasmic iron-binding protein, FbpA (ferric-ion-binding protein A), performs an essential role in iron acquisition from transferrin in Haemophilus influenzae. A series of site-directed mutants in the metal-binding amino acids of FbpA were prepared to determine their relative contribution to iron binding and transport. Structural studies demonstrated that the mutant proteins crystallized in an open conformation with the iron atom associated with the C-terminal domain. The iron-binding properties of the mutant proteins were assessed by several assays, including a novel competitive iron-binding assay. The relative ability of the proteins to compete for iron was pH dependent, with a rank order at pH 6.5 of wild-type, Q58L, H9Q>H9A, E57A>Y195A, Y196A. The genes encoding the mutant FbpA were introduced into H. influenzae and the resulting strains varied in the level of ferric citrate required to support growth on iron-limited medium, suggesting a rank order for metal-binding affinities under physiological conditions comparable with the competitive binding assay at pH 6.5 (wild-type=Q58L>H9Q>H9A, E57A>Y195A, Y196A). Growth dependence on human transferrin was only obtained with cells expressing wild-type, Q58L or H9Q FbpAs, proteins with stability constants derived from the competition assay >2.0x10(18) M(-1). These results suggest that a relatively high affinity of iron binding by FbpA is required for removal of iron from transferrin and its transport across the outer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali G. Khan
- *Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Stephen R. Shouldice
- *Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Shane D. Kirby
- *Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Rong-hua Yu
- *Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1
| | | | - Anthony B. Schryvers
- *Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
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18
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Ma L, Kaserer W, Annamalai R, Scott DC, Jin B, Jiang X, Xiao Q, Maymani H, Massis LM, Ferreira LCS, Newton SMC, Klebba PE. Evidence of ball-and-chain transport of ferric enterobactin through FepA. J Biol Chem 2006; 282:397-406. [PMID: 17056600 PMCID: PMC2398697 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m605333200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli iron transporter, FepA, has a globular N terminus that resides within a transmembrane beta-barrel formed by its C terminus. We engineered 25 cysteine substitution mutations at different locations in FepA and modified their sulfhydryl side chains with fluorescein maleimide in live cells. The reactivity of the Cys residues changed, sometimes dramatically, during the transport of ferric enterobactin, the natural ligand of FepA. Patterns of Cys susceptibility reflected energy- and TonB-dependent motion in the receptor protein. During transport, a residue on the normally buried surface of the N-domain was labeled by fluorescein maleimide in the periplasm, providing evidence that the transport process involves expulsion of the globular domain from the beta-barrel. Porin deficiency much reduced the fluoresceination of this site, confirming the periplasmic labeling route. These data support the previously proposed, but never demonstrated, ball-and-chain theory of membrane transport. Functional complementation between a separately expressed N terminus and C-terminal beta-barrel domain confirmed the feasibility of this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ma
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
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19
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Carter DM, Gagnon JN, Damlaj M, Mandava S, Makowski L, Rodi DJ, Pawelek PD, Coulton JW. Phage Display Reveals Multiple Contact Sites between FhuA, an Outer Membrane Receptor of Escherichia coli, and TonB. J Mol Biol 2006; 357:236-51. [PMID: 16414071 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2005] [Revised: 12/06/2005] [Accepted: 12/09/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The ferric hydroxamate uptake receptor FhuA from Escherichia coli transports siderophores across the outer membrane (OM). TonB-ExbB-ExbD transduces energy from the cytoplasmic membrane to the OM by contacts between TonB and OM receptors that contain the Ton box, a consensus sequence near the N terminus. Although the Ton box is a region of known contact between OM receptors and TonB, our biophysical studies established that TonB binds to FhuA through multiple regions of interaction. Panning of phage-displayed random peptide libraries (Ph.D.-12, Ph.D.-C7C) against TonB identified peptide sequences that specifically interact with TonB. Analyses of these sequences using the Receptor Ligand Contacts (RELIC) suite of programs revealed clusters of multiply aligned peptides that mapped to FhuA. These clusters localized to a continuous periplasm-accessible surface: Ton box/switch helix; cork domain/beta1 strand; and periplasmic turn 8. Guided by such matches, synthetic oligonucleotides corresponding to DNA sequences identical to fhuA were fused to malE; peptides corresponding to the above regions were displayed at the N terminus of E.coli maltose-binding protein (MBP). Purified FhuA peptides fused to MBP bound specifically to TonB by ELISA. Furthermore, they competed with ligand-loaded FhuA for binding to TonB. RELIC also identified clusters of multiply aligned peptides corresponding to the Ton box regions in BtuB, FepA, and FecA; to periplasmic turn 8 in BtuB and FecA; and to periplasmic turns 1 and 2 in FepA. These experimental outcomes identify specific molecular contacts made between TonB and OM receptors that extend beyond the well-characterized Ton box.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Carter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Que., Canada H3A 2B4
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20
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Jin B, Newton SMC, Shao Y, Jiang X, Charbit A, Klebba PE. Iron acquisition systems for ferric hydroxamates, haemin and haemoglobin in Listeria monocytogenes. Mol Microbiol 2006; 59:1185-98. [PMID: 16430693 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.05015.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes severe opportunistic infections in humans and animals. We biochemically characterized, for the first time, the iron uptake processes of this facultative intracellular pathogen, and identified the genetic loci encoding two of its membrane iron transporters. Strain EGD-e used iron complexes of hydroxamates (ferrichrome and ferrichrome A, ferrioxamine B), catecholates (ferric enterobactin, ferric corynebactin) and eukaryotic binding proteins (transferrin, lactoferrin, ferritin, haemoglobin). Quantitative determinations showed 10-100-fold lower affinity for ferric siderophores (Km approximately 1-10 nM) than Gram-negative bacteria, and generally lower uptake rates. Vmax for [59Fe]-enterobactin (0.15 pMol per 10(9) cells per minute) was 400-fold lower than that of Escherichia coli. For [59Fe]-corynebactin, Vmax was also low (1.2 pMol per 10(9) cells per minute), but EGD-e transported [59Fe]-apoferrichrome similarly to E. coli (Vmax=24 pMol per 10(9) cells per minute). L. monocytogenes encodes potential Fur-regulated iron transporters at 2.031 Mb (the fur-fhu region), 2.184 Mb (the feo region), 2.27 Mb (the srtB region) and 2.499 Mb (designated hupDGC region). Chromosomal deletions in the fur-fhu and hupDGC regions diminished iron uptake from ferric hydroxamates and haemin/haemoglobin respectively. In the former locus, deletion of fhuD (lmo1959) or fhuC (lmo1960) strongly reduced [59Fe]-apoferrichrome uptake. Deletion of hupC (lmo2429) eliminated the uptake of haemin and haemoglobin, and decreased the virulence of L. monocytogenes 50-fold in mice. Elimination of srtB region genes (Deltalmo2185, Deltalmo2186, Deltalmo2183), both sortase structural genes (DeltasrtB, DeltasrtA, DeltasrtAB), fur and feoB did not impair iron transport. However, deletion of bacterioferritin (Deltafri, lmo943; 0.97 Mb) decreased growth and altered iron uptake: Vmax of [59Fe]-corynebactin transport tripled in this strain, whereas that of [59Fe]-apoferrichrome decreased 20-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Jin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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21
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Neugebauer H, Herrmann C, Kammer W, Schwarz G, Nordheim A, Braun V. ExbBD-dependent transport of maltodextrins through the novel MalA protein across the outer membrane of Caulobacter crescentus. J Bacteriol 2006; 187:8300-11. [PMID: 16321934 PMCID: PMC1317028 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.24.8300-8311.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the genome sequence of Caulobacter crescentus predicts 67 TonB-dependent outer membrane proteins. To demonstrate that among them are proteins that transport nutrients other than chelated Fe(3+) and vitamin B(12)-the substrates hitherto known to be transported by TonB-dependent transporters-the outer membrane protein profile of cells grown on different substrates was determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Maltose induced the synthesis of a hitherto unknown 99.5-kDa protein, designated here as MalA, encoded by the cc2287 genomic locus. MalA mediated growth on maltodextrins and transported [(14)C]maltodextrins from [(14)C]maltose to [(14)C]maltopentaose. [(14)C]maltose transport showed biphasic kinetics, with a fast initial rate and a slower second rate. The initial transport had a K(d) of 0.2 microM, while the second transport had a K(d) of 5 microM. It is proposed that the fast rate reflects binding to MalA and the second rate reflects transport into the cells. Energy depletion of cells by 100 microM carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone abolished maltose binding and transport. Deletion of the malA gene diminished maltose transport to 1% of the wild-type malA strain and impaired transport of the larger maltodextrins. The malA mutant was unable to grow on maltodextrins larger than maltotetraose. Deletion of two C. crescentus genes homologous to the exbB exbD genes of Escherichia coli abolished [(14)C]maltodextrin binding and transport and growth on maltodextrins larger than maltotetraose. These mutants also showed impaired growth on Fe(3+)-rhodotorulate as the sole iron source, which provided evidence of energy-coupled transport. Unexpectedly, a deletion mutant of a tonB homolog transported maltose at the wild-type rate and grew on all maltodextrins tested. Since Fe(3+)-rhodotorulate served as an iron source for the tonB mutant, an additional gene encoding a protein with a TonB function is postulated. Permeation of maltose and maltotriose through the outer membrane of the C. crescentus malA mutant was slower than permeation through the outer membrane of an E. coli lamB mutant, which suggests a low porin activity in C. crescentus. The pores of the C. crescentus porins are slightly larger than those of E. coli K-12, since maltotetraose supported growth of the C. crescentus malA mutant but failed to support growth of the E. coli lamB mutant. The data are consistent with the proposal that binding of maltodextrins to MalA requires energy and MalA actively transports maltodextrins with K(d) values 1,000-fold smaller than those for the LamB porin and 100-fold larger than those for the vitamin B(12) and ferric siderophore outer membrane transporters. MalA is the first example of an outer membrane protein for which an ExbB/ExbD-dependent transport of a nutrient other than iron and vitamin B(12) has been demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Neugebauer
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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22
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Eisenhauer HA, Shames S, Pawelek PD, Coulton JW. Siderophore Transport through Escherichia coli Outer Membrane Receptor FhuA with Disulfide-tethered Cork and Barrel Domains. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:30574-80. [PMID: 15994322 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m506708200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The hydroxamate siderophore receptor FhuA is a TonB-dependent outer membrane protein of Escherichia coli composed of a C-terminal 22-stranded beta-barrel occluded by an N-terminal globular cork domain. During siderophore transport into the periplasm, the FhuA cork domain has been proposed to undergo conformational changes that allow transport through the barrel lumen; alternatively, the cork may be completely displaced from the barrel. To probe such changes, site-directed cysteine mutants in the cork domain (L109C and Q112C) and in the barrel domain (S356C and M383C) were created within the putative siderophore transport pathway. Molecular modeling predicted that the double cysteine mutants L109C/S356C and Q112C/M383C would form disulfide bonds, thereby tethering the cork and barrel domains. The double cysteine FhuA mutants were denatured under nonreducing conditions and fluorescently labeled with thiol-specific Oregon Green maleimide. Subsequent SDS-PAGE analysis revealed two distinct species: FhuA containing a disulfide bond and FhuA with free sulfhydryl groups. To address the role of the putative siderophore transport pathway and to evaluate possible rearrangements of the cork domain during ferricrocin transport, disulfide bond formation was enhanced by an oxidative catalyst. Cells containing double cysteine FhuA mutants that were subjected to oxidation during ferricrocin transport exhibited disulfide bond formation to near completion. After disulfide tethering of the cork to the barrel, ferricrocin transport was equivalent to transport by untreated cells. These results demonstrate that blocking the putative siderophore transport pathway does not abrogate ferricrocin uptake. We propose that, during siderophore transport through FhuA, the cork domain remains within the barrel rather than being displaced.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Anne Eisenhauer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
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23
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Newton SMC, Klebba PE, Raynaud C, Shao Y, Jiang X, Dubail I, Archer C, Frehel C, Charbit A. The svpA-srtB locus of Listeria monocytogenes: fur-mediated iron regulation and effect on virulence. Mol Microbiol 2005; 55:927-40. [PMID: 15661014 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04436.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In Listeria monocytogenes the promoter region of the svpA-srtB locus contains a well-conserved Fur box. We characterized the iron-regulation of this locus: real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses and anti-SvpA immunoblots showed that, in response to iron deprivation svpA transcription and SvpA production markedly increased (80-fold and 10-fold respectively), when initiated by either the addition of the iron chelator 2,2'-bipyridyl to BHI media, or by growth in iron-restricted minimal media. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter constructs also showed increased activity of the svpA-srtB promoter in Escherichia coli (37-fold) and in L. monocytogenes (two- to threefold) when the bacteria were grown in iron-deficient conditions. A Deltafur mutant of L. monocytogenes constitutively synthesized SvpA, as well as GFP fused to the svpA-srtB promoter. Cellular fractionation data revealed that in iron-rich media wild-type SvpA was exclusively secreted to the culture supernatant. However, both the Deltafur derivative and wild-type L. monocytogenes grown in iron-deficient media anchored a fraction of the SvpA proteins (approximately 5%) to peptidoglycan, and produced a lower-molecular weight, wholly secreted form of SvpA. Together these data establish that iron availability controls transcription of the svpA-srtB locus (through Fur-mediated regulation), and attachment of SvpA to the cell wall (through SrtB-mediated covalent linkage). SvpA bears homology to IsdC, a haemin-binding protein of Staphylococcus aureus, and haemin bound to SvpA in solution. However, site-directed deletions of four structural genes and the promoter of the svpA-srtB locus did not impair haemin, haemoglobin or ferrichrome utilization in nutrition tests. We did not find strong evidence to support the notion that the svpA-srtB locus participates in haemin acquisition, as was reported for the homologous isd operon of S. aureus. Furthermore, the svpA-srtB mutant strains showed no significant attenuation of virulence in an intravenous mouse model system, but we found that the mutations reduced the persistence of L. monocytogenes in murine liver, spleen and intestines after oral administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salete M C Newton
- INSERM U-570, CHU Necker, Enfants Malades, 156, rue de Vaugirard, 75730 Paris Cedex 15, France
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24
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Endriss F, Braun V. Loop deletions indicate regions important for FhuA transport and receptor functions in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2004; 186:4818-23. [PMID: 15231815 PMCID: PMC438571 DOI: 10.1128/jb.186.14.4818-4823.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise deletions of cell surface-exposed loops of FhuA resulted in mutants of Escherichia coli with distinct phenotypes. Deletion of loop 3 or 11 inactivated ferrichrome transport activity. Deletion of loop 8 inactivated receptor activity for colicin M and the phages T1, T5, and phi80. The loop 7 deletion mutant was colicin M resistant but fully phage sensitive. The loop 4 deletion mutant was resistant to the TonB-dependent phages T1 and phi80 but fully sensitive to the TonB-independent phage T5. The phenotypes of the deletion mutants revealed important sites for the multiple FhuA transport and receptor activities. The ligand binding sites are nonidentical and are distributed among the entire exposed surface. Presumably, FhuA evolved as a ferrichrome transporter and was subsequently used as a receptor by the phages and colicin M, which selected the same as well as distinct loops as receptor sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Endriss
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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25
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Annamalai R, Jin B, Cao Z, Newton SMC, Klebba PE. Recognition of ferric catecholates by FepA. J Bacteriol 2004; 186:3578-89. [PMID: 15150246 PMCID: PMC415739 DOI: 10.1128/jb.186.11.3578-3589.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli FepA transports certain catecholate ferric siderophores, but not others, nor any noncatecholate compounds. Direct binding and competition experiments demonstrated that this selectivity originates during the adsorption stage. The synthetic tricatecholate Fe-TRENCAM bound to FepA with 50- to 100-fold-lower affinity than Fe-enterobactin (FeEnt), despite an identical metal center, and Fe-corynebactin only bound at much higher concentrations. Neither Fe-agrobactin nor ferrichrome bound at all, even at concentrations 10(6)-fold above the Kd. Thus, FepA only adsorbs catecholate iron complexes, and it selects FeEnt among even its close homologs. We used alanine scanning mutagenesis to study the contributions of surface aromatic residues to FeEnt recognition. Although not apparent from crystallography, aromatic residues in L3, L5, L7, L8, and L10 affected FepA's interaction with FeEnt. Among 10 substitutions that eliminated aromatic residues, Kd increased as much as 20-fold (Y481A and Y638A) and Km increased as much as 400-fold (Y478), showing the importance of aromaticity around the pore entrance. Although many mutations equally reduced binding and transport, others caused greater deficiencies in the latter. Y638A and Y478A increased Km 10- and 200-fold more, respectively, than Kd. N-domain loop deletions created the same phenotype: Delta60-67 (in NL1) and Delta98-105 (in NL2) increased Kd 10- to 20-fold but raised Km 500- to 700-fold. W101A (in NL2) had little effect on Kd but increased Km 1,000-fold. These data suggested that the primary role of the N terminus is in ligand uptake. Fluorescence and radioisotopic experiments showed biphasic release of FeEnt from FepA. In spectroscopic determinations, k(off1) was 0.03/s and k(off2) was 0.003/s. However, FepAY272AF329A did not manifest the rapid dissociation phase, corroborating the role of aromatic residues in the initial binding of FeEnt. Thus, the beta-barrel loops contain the principal ligand recognition determinants, and the N-domain loops perform a role in ligand transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajasekaran Annamalai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
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26
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Oke M, Sarra R, Ghirlando R, Farnaud S, Gorringe AR, Evans RW, Buchanan SK. The plug domain of a neisserial TonB-dependent transporter retains structural integrity in the absence of its transmembrane beta-barrel. FEBS Lett 2004; 564:294-300. [PMID: 15111112 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(04)00196-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2003] [Accepted: 02/03/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Transferrin binding protein A (TbpA) is a TonB-dependent outer membrane protein expressed by pathogenic bacteria for iron acquisition from human transferrin. The N-terminal 160 residues (plug domain) of TbpA were overexpressed in both the periplasm and cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. We found this domain to be soluble and monodisperse in solution, exhibiting secondary structure elements found in plug domains of structurally characterized TonB-dependent transporters. Although the TbpA plug domain is apparently correctly folded, we were not able to observe an interaction with human transferrin by isothermal titration calorimetry or nitrocellulose binding assays. These experiments suggest that the plug domain may fold independently of the beta-barrel, but extracellular loops of the beta-barrel are required for ligand binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Oke
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892-8030, USA
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27
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Koedding J, Howard P, Kaufmann L, Polzer P, Lustig A, Welte W. Dimerization of TonB Is Not Essential for Its Binding to the Outer Membrane Siderophore Receptor FhuA of Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:9978-86. [PMID: 14665631 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m311720200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
FhuA belongs to a family of specific siderophore transport systems located in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. The energy required for the transport process is provided by the proton motive force of the cytoplasmic membrane and is transmitted to FhuA by the protein TonB. Although the structure of full-length TonB is not known, the structure of the last 77 residues of a fragment composed of the 86 C-terminal amino acids was recently solved and shows an intertwined dimer (Chang, C., Mooser, A., Pluckthun, A., and Wlodawer, A. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 27535-27540). We analyzed the ability of truncated C-terminal TonB fragments of different lengths (77, 86, 96, 106, 116, and 126 amino acid residues, respectively) to bind to the receptor FhuA. Only the shortest TonB fragment, TonB-77, could not effectively interact with FhuA. We have also observed that the fragments TonB-77 and TonB-86 form homodimers in solution, whereas the longer fragments remain monomeric. TonB fragments that bind to FhuA in vitro also inhibit ferrichrome uptake via FhuA in vivo and protect cells against attack by bacteriophage Phi80.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Koedding
- Fakultaet fuer Biologie, Universitaet Konstanz, Germany
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28
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Perkins-Balding D, Baer MT, Stojiljkovic I. Identification of functionally important regions of a haemoglobin receptor from Neisseria meningitidis. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2004; 149:3423-3435. [PMID: 14663076 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.26448-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The HmbR outer-membrane receptor enables Neisseria meningitidis to use haemoglobin (Hb) as a source of iron. This protein functions by binding Hb, removing haem from it, and releasing the haem into the periplasm. Functionally important HmbR receptor domains were discerned using a series of HmbR deletions and site-directed mutations. Mutations exhibiting similar defective phenotypes in N. meningitidis fell into two groups. The first group of mutations affected Hb binding and were located in putative extracellular loops (L) L2 (amino acid residues (aa) 192-230) and L3 (aa 254-284). The second group of mutations resulted in a failure to utilize Hb but proficiency in Hb binding was retained. These mutations localized to the putative extracellular loops L6 (aa 420-462) and L7 (aa 486-516). A highly conserved protein motif found in all haem/Hb receptors, within putative extracellular loop L7 of HmbR, is essential for Hb utilization but not required for Hb binding. This finding suggests a mechanistic involvement of this motif in haem removal from Hb. In addition, an amino-terminal deletion in the putative cork-like domain of HmbR affected Hb usage but not Hb binding. This result supports a role of the cork domain in utilization steps that are subsequent to Hb binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Perkins-Balding
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - M T Baer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - I Stojiljkovic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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29
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Cadieux N, Phan PG, Cafiso DS, Kadner RJ. Differential substrate-induced signaling through the TonB-dependent transporter BtuB. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100:10688-93. [PMID: 12958215 PMCID: PMC196865 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1932538100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2003] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The BtuB transporter mediates high-affinity binding and TonB-dependent active transport of vitamin B12 [cyanocobalamin (CNCbl)] across the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. A characteristic feature of TonB-dependent transporters is the Ton box, a conserved sequence near the N terminus and exposed to the periplasm. Crosslinking to TonB and site-directed spin labeling indicated that the Ton box of BtuB undergoes a substantial conformational transition in response to CNCbl binding, but only slight movement was seen in crystal structures. An in vivo method of detecting substrate-induced changes in the Ton box environment measured reaction of a biotin maleimide derivative with cysteine substitutions through the N-terminal region of BtuB between positions 1 and 31. The degree of maleimide labeling of different residues correlated with their accessibility in the crystal structure. Labeling of many positions was increased strongly when CNCbl was present, consistent with the undocking of this region proposed from spin-labeling analyses. The receptor-binding domain of colicin E3, which binds to BtuB competitively with CNCbl, resulted in decreased labeling. Both substrate-induced transitions occur in and beyond the Ton box and were affected by transport-uncoupling substitutions. Thus, two transport substrates that bind competitively to the extracellular face of BtuB stabilize opposite transitions of the Ton box.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Cadieux
- Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0734, USA
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30
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Braun M, Endriss F, Killmann H, Braun V. In vivo reconstitution of the FhuA transport protein of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol 2003; 185:5508-18. [PMID: 12949103 PMCID: PMC193757 DOI: 10.1128/jb.185.18.5508-5518.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2003] [Accepted: 06/23/2003] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The FhuA protein in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli actively transports ferrichrome and the antibiotics albomycin and rifamycin CGP 4832 and serves as a receptor for the phages T1, T5, and phi80 and for colicin M and microcin J25. The crystal structure reveals a beta-barrel with a globular domain, the cork, which closes the channel formed by the barrel. Genetic deletion of the cork resulted in a beta-barrel that displays no FhuA activity. A functional FhuA was obtained by cosynthesis of separately encoded cork and the beta-barrel domain, each endowed with a signal sequence, which showed that complementation occurs after secretion of the fragments across the cytoplasmic membrane. Inactive complete mutant FhuA and an FhuA fragment containing 357 N-proximal amino acid residues complemented the separately synthesized wild-type beta-barrel to form an active FhuA. Previous claims that the beta-barrel is functional as transporter and receptor resulted from complementation by inactive complete FhuA and the 357-residue fragment. No complementation was observed between the wild-type cork and complete but inactive FhuA carrying cork mutations that excluded the exchange of cork domains. The data indicate that active FhuA is reconstituted extracytoplasmically by insertion of separately synthesized cork or cork from complete FhuA into the beta-barrel, and they suggest that in wild-type FhuA the beta-barrel is formed prior to the insertion of the cork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Braun
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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31
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Larsen RA, Chen GJ, Postle K. Performance of standard phenotypic assays for TonB activity, as evaluated by varying the level of functional, wild-type TonB. J Bacteriol 2003; 185:4699-706. [PMID: 12896988 PMCID: PMC166451 DOI: 10.1128/jb.185.16.4699-4706.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of gram-negative bacterial cells to transport cobalamin and iron-siderophore complexes and their susceptibility to killing by some bacteriophages and colicins are characteristics routinely used to assay mutations of proteins in the TonB-dependent energy transduction system. These assays vary greatly in sensitivity and are subject to perturbation by overexpression of TonB and, perhaps, other proteins that contribute to the process. Thus, the choice of assay and the means by which a potential mutant is expressed can greatly influence the interpretation and recognition of a given mutant. In the present study, we expressed TonB at several different quantified levels in cells that were then subjected to a panel of assays. Our results suggest that it is reasonable to regard the assays as having windows of sensitivity. Thus, while no single assay satisfactorily spans the potential range of TonB activity, it is evident that certain assays are better suited for resolving small deviations from wild-type levels of activity, with others most useful when activity levels are very low. It is apparent from the results that the application of all possible assays to the characterization of new mutants will yield the most meaningful results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray A Larsen
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4234, USA
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32
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Abstract
The TonB system of Gram-negative bacteria appears to exist for the purpose of transducing the protonmotive force energy from the cytoplasmic membrane, where it is generated, to the outer membrane, where it is needed for active transport of iron siderophores, vitamin B12 and, in pathogens, iron from host-binding proteins. In this review, we bring the reader up to date on the developments in the field since the authors each wrote reviews in this journal in 1990.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Postle
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4234, USA
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33
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Thompson EAL, Feavers IM, Maiden MCJ. Antigenic diversity of meningococcal enterobactin receptor FetA, a vaccine component. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2003; 149:1849-1858. [PMID: 12855736 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.26131-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Meningococcal FetA (FrpB), an iron-regulated outer-membrane protein and vaccine component, was shown to be highly diverse: a total of 60 fetA alleles, encoding 56 protein sequences, were identified from 107 representative Neisseria meningitidis isolates. Phylogenetic analysis established that the allelic variants had been generated by both point mutation and horizontal genetic exchange. Nucleotide substitution was unevenly distributed in the gene, which contained both conserved and variable sequence regions. The most conserved region of the translated peptide sequence corresponded to an amino-terminal domain of the protein and the most diverse region to a previously identified variable region (VR). A nomenclature system for the peptides encoded by the VR was devised which classified 24 variants into 5 FetA variant families. On the basis of these data, murine polyclonal sera specific for four FetA variants were generated. The reactivities of these sera in whole-cell ELISA experiments were consistent with the hypothesis that the VR encoded an immunodominant epitope and indicated that the sera reacted mainly with variants against which they were raised. The diversity of this protein is likely to limit its effectiveness as a vaccine component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A L Thompson
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, UK
- The Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
| | - Ian M Feavers
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Martin C J Maiden
- The Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
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34
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Abstract
Iron is essential to virtually all organisms, but poses problems of toxicity and poor solubility. Bacteria have evolved various mechanisms to counter the problems imposed by their iron dependence, allowing them to achieve effective iron homeostasis under a range of iron regimes. Highly efficient iron acquisition systems are used to scavenge iron from the environment under iron-restricted conditions. In many cases, this involves the secretion and internalisation of extracellular ferric chelators called siderophores. Ferrous iron can also be directly imported by the G protein-like transporter, FeoB. For pathogens, host-iron complexes (transferrin, lactoferrin, haem, haemoglobin) are directly used as iron sources. Bacterial iron storage proteins (ferritin, bacterioferritin) provide intracellular iron reserves for use when external supplies are restricted, and iron detoxification proteins (Dps) are employed to protect the chromosome from iron-induced free radical damage. There is evidence that bacteria control their iron requirements in response to iron availability by down-regulating the expression of iron proteins during iron-restricted growth. And finally, the expression of the iron homeostatic machinery is subject to iron-dependent global control ensuring that iron acquisition, storage and consumption are geared to iron availability and that intracellular levels of free iron do not reach toxic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon C Andrews
- School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK.
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35
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Faraldo-Gómez JD, Sansom MSP. Acquisition of siderophores in gram-negative bacteria. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2003; 4:105-16. [PMID: 12563288 DOI: 10.1038/nrm1015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria constitutes a permeability barrier that protects the cell from exterior hazards, but also complicates the uptake of nutrients. In the case of iron, the challenge is even greater, because of the scarcity of this indispensable element in the cell's surroundings. To solve this dilemma, bacteria have evolved sophisticated mechanisms whereby the concerted actions of receptor, transporter and energy-transducing proteins ensure that there is a sufficient supply of iron-containing compounds, such as siderophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- José D Faraldo-Gómez
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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36
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Cao Z, Warfel P, Newton SMC, Klebba PE. Spectroscopic observations of ferric enterobactin transport. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:1022-8. [PMID: 12409288 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m210360200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We characterized the uptake of ferric enterobactin (FeEnt), the native Escherichia coli ferric siderophore, through its cognate outer membrane receptor protein, FepA, using a site-directed fluorescence methodology. The experiments first defined locations in FepA that were accessible to covalent modification with fluorescein maleimide (FM) in vivo; among 10 sites that we tested by substituting single Cys residues, FM labeled W101C, S271C, F329C, and S397C, and all these exist within surface-exposed loops of the outer membrane protein. FeEnt normally adsorbed to the fluoresceinated S271C and S397C mutant FepA proteins in vivo, which we observed as quenching of fluorescence intensity, but the ferric siderophore did not bind to the FM-modified derivatives of W101C or F329C. These in vivo fluorescence determinations showed, for the first time, consistency with radioisotopic measurements of the affinity of the FeEnt-FepA interaction; K(d) was 0.2 nm by both methods. Analysis of the FepA mutants with AlexaFluor(680), a fluorescein derivative with red-shifted absorption and emission spectra that do not overlap the absorbance spectrum of FeEnt, refuted the possibility that the fluorescence quenching resulted from resonance energy transfer. These and other data instead indicated that the quenching originated from changes in the environment of the fluor as a result of loop conformational changes during ligand binding and transport. We used the fluorescence system to monitor FeEnt uptake by live bacteria and determined its dependence on ligand concentration, temperature, pH, and carbon sources and its susceptibility to inhibition by the metabolic poisons. Unlike cyanocobalamin transport through the outer membrane, FeEnt uptake was sensitive to inhibitors of electron transport and phosphorylation, in addition to its sensitivity to proton motive force depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghua Cao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman 73019, USA
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37
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Killmann H, Herrmann C, Torun A, Jung G, Braun V. TonB of Escherichia coli activates FhuA through interaction with the beta-barrel. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2002; 148:3497-3509. [PMID: 12427941 DOI: 10.1099/00221287-148-11-3497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
FhuA is a multifunctional protein in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli that actively transports Fe(3+)-ferrichrome and the antibiotics albomycin and rifamycin CGP 4832, and serves as a receptor for the unrelated phages T5, T1, phi80 and UC-1, colicin M and microcin J25. The energy source for active transport is the proton-motive force of the cytoplasmic membrane, which is required for all FhuA functions except infection by phage T5, and is thought to be mediated to the outer-membrane receptor FhuA by the TonB protein. The crystal structure of FhuA consists of a beta-barrel that is closed by a globular domain. The proximal region carries the TonB box (residues 7-11), for which genetic evidence exists that it interacts with the region around residue 160 of TonB. However, deletion of the TonB box along with the globular domain results in a protein, FhuAdelta5-160, that still displays TonB-dependent active ferrichrome transport across the outer membrane and confers sensitivity to the FhuA ligands. In this study synthetic nonapeptides identical in sequence to amino acids 150-158, 151-159, 152-160, 153-161 and 158-166 of TonB were shown to reduce ferrichrome transport of cells via wild-type FhuA and the corkless derivative FhuAdelta5-160, which suggests that this TonB region is involved in the interaction of TonB with the beta-barrel of FhuA. TonB missense mutants reduced the activity of FhuA and FhuAdelta5-160. TonB proteins of different Enterobacteriaceae activated FhuA and FhuAdelta5-160 to a similar degree. TonB of Pantoea agglomerans displayed low activity in an E. coli tonB mutant. Sequencing of the tonB gene of P. agglomerans revealed differences from E. coli TonB in the region around residue 160 of the deduced protein; these differences might contribute to the lower activity of the P. agglomerans TonB protein when coupled to the E. coli FhuA protein. The data support the theory that the beta-barrel receives the energy from the cytoplasmic membrane via TonB and responds to the energy input and thus represents the transporting domain of FhuA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Killmann
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie1 and Organische Chemie2, Universität Tübingen,D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christina Herrmann
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie1 and Organische Chemie2, Universität Tübingen,D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ayse Torun
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie1 and Organische Chemie2, Universität Tübingen,D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Günther Jung
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie1 and Organische Chemie2, Universität Tübingen,D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Volkmar Braun
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie1 and Organische Chemie2, Universität Tübingen,D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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38
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Kenney CD, Cornelissen CN. Demonstration and characterization of a specific interaction between gonococcal transferrin binding protein A and TonB. J Bacteriol 2002; 184:6138-45. [PMID: 12399483 PMCID: PMC151950 DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.22.6138-6145.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron scavenging by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is accomplished by the expression of receptors that are specific for host iron-binding proteins, such as transferrin and lactoferrin. Efficient transferrin-iron acquisition is dependent on the combined action of two proteins, designated TbpA and TbpB. TbpA is a TonB-dependent outer membrane receptor, whereas TbpB is lipid modified and serves to increase the efficiency of transferrin-iron uptake. Both proteins, together or separately, can be isolated from the gonococcal outer membrane by using affinity chromatography techniques. In the present study, we identified an additional protein in transferrin-affinity preparations, which had an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa. The ability to copurify this protein by transferrin affinity was dependent upon the presence of TbpA and not TbpB. The amino-terminal sequence of the 45-kDa protein was identical to the amino terminus of gonococcal TonB, indicating that TbpA stably interacted with TonB, without the addition of chemical cross-linkers. Using immunoprecipitation, we could recover TbpA-TonB complexes without the addition of transferrin, suggesting that ligand binding was not a necessary prerequisite for TonB interaction. In contrast, a characterized TonB box mutant of TbpA did not facilitate interaction between these two proteins such that complexes could be isolated. We generated an in-frame deletion of gonococcal TonB, which removed 35 amino acids, including a Neisseria-specific, glycine-rich domain. This mutant protein, like the parental TonB, energized TbpA to enable growth on transferrin. Consistent with the functionality of this deletion derivative, TbpA-TonB complexes could be recovered from this strain. The results of the present study thus begin to define the requirements for a functional interaction between gonococcal TbpA and TonB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Kenney
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0678, USA
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39
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Ferguson AD, Deisenhofer J. TonB-dependent receptors-structural perspectives. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2002; 1565:318-32. [PMID: 12409204 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(02)00578-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Plants, bacteria, fungi, and yeast utilize organic iron chelators (siderophores) to establish commensal and pathogenic relationships with hosts and to survive as free-living organisms. In Gram-negative bacteria, transport of siderophores into the periplasm is mediated by TonB-dependent receptors. A complex of three membrane-spanning proteins TonB, ExbB and ExbD couples the chemiosmotic potential of the cytoplasmic membrane with siderophore uptake across the outer membrane. The crystallographic structures of two TonB-dependent receptors (FhuA and FepA) have recently been determined. These outer membrane transporters show a novel fold consisting of two domains. A 22-stranded antiparallel beta-barrel traverses the outer membrane and adjacent beta-strands are connected by extracellular loops and periplasmic turns. Located inside the beta-barrel is the plug domain, composed primarily of a mixed four-stranded beta-sheet and a series of interspersed alpha-helices. Siderophore binding induces distinct local and allosteric transitions that establish the structural basis of signal transduction across the outer membrane and suggest a transport mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Ferguson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9050, USA
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40
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Abstract
Bacteria solve the iron supply problem caused by the insolubility of Fe(3+) by synthesizing iron-complexing compounds, called siderophores, and by using iron sources of their hosts, such as heme and iron bound to transferrin and lactoferrin. Escherichia coli, as an example of Gram-negative bacteria, forms sophisticated Fe(3+)-siderophore and heme transport systems across the outer membrane. The crystal structures of three outer membrane transport proteins now allow insights into energy-coupled transport mechanisms. These involve large long-range structural transitions in the transport proteins in response to substrate binding, including substrate gating. Energy is provided by the proton motive force of the cytoplasmic membrane through the activity of a protein complex that is inserted in the cytoplasmic membrane and that contacts the outer membrane transporters. Certain transport proteins also function in siderophore-mediated signaling cascades that start at the cell surface and flow to the cytoplasm to initiate transcription of genes encoding proteins for transport and siderophore biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volkmar Braun
- Microbiology/Membranephysiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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41
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Vakharia HL, Postle K. FepA with globular domain deletions lacks activity. J Bacteriol 2002; 184:5508-12. [PMID: 12218040 PMCID: PMC135345 DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.19.5508-5512.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2002] [Accepted: 06/30/2002] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
TonB-gated transporters have beta-barrels containing an amino-terminal globular domain that occludes the interior of the barrel. Mutations in the globular domain prevent transport of ligands across the outer membrane. Surprisingly, FepA with deletions of the globular domain (amino acids 3 to 150 and 17 to 150) was previously reported to retain significant sensitivity to colicins B and D and to use ferric enterochelin, all in a TonB-dependent fashion. To further understand TonB interaction with the beta-barrel, in the present study, proteins with deletions of amino acids 1 to 152, 7 to 152, 20 to 152, and 17 to 150 in fepA were constructed and expressed in a deltafepA strain. In contrast to previous studies of fepA globular domain deletions, constructs in this study did not retain sensitivity to colicin B and conferred only marginal sensitivity to colicin D. Consistent with these observations, they failed to bind colicin B and detectably cross-link to TonB in vivo. To address this discrepancy, constructs were tested in other strains, one of which (RWB18-60) did support activity of the FepA globular domain deletion proteins constructed in this study. The characteristics of that strain, as well as the strain in which the deltaFhuA globular domain mutants were seen to be active, suggests the hypothesis that interprotein complementation by two individually nonfunctional proteins restores TonB-dependent activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema L Vakharia
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4234, USA
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42
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Braun M, Killmann H, Maier E, Benz R, Braun V. Diffusion through channel derivatives of the Escherichia coli FhuA transport protein. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 2002; 269:4948-59. [PMID: 12383253 DOI: 10.1046/j.1432-1033.2002.03195.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
FhuA is a multifunctional protein in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli that actively transports [Fe3+]ferrichrome, the antibiotics albomycin and rifamycin CGP 4832, and mediates sensitivity of cells to the unrelated phages T5, T1, phi80 and UC-1, and to colicin M and microcin J25. The energy source of active transport is the proton motive force of the cytoplasmic membrane that is required for all FhuA functions except for infection by phage T5. The FhuA crystal structure reveals 22 antiparallel transmembrane beta-strands that form a beta-barrel which is closed by a globular N-terminal domain. FhuA still displays active transport and sensitivity to all ligands except microcin J25 when the globular domain (residues 5-160) is excised and supports weakly unspecific diffusion of substrates across the outer membrane. Here it is shown that isolated FhuADelta5-160 supported diffusion of ions through artificial planar lipid bilayer membranes but did not form stable channels. The double mutant FhuADelta5-160 Delta322-336 lacking in addition to the globular domain most of the large surface loop 4 which partially constricts the channel entrance, displayed an increased single-channel conductance but formed no stable channels. It transported in vivo[Fe3+]ferrichrome with 45% of the rate of wild-type FhuA and did not increase sensitivity of cells to antibiotics. In contrast, a second FhuA double mutant derivative which in addition to the globular domain contained a deletion of residues 335-355 comprising one-third of surface loop 4 and half of the transmembrane beta-strand 8 formed stable channels in lipid bilayers with a large single-channel conductance of 2.5 nS in 1 m KCl. Cells that synthesized FhuADelta5-160 Delta335-355 showed an increased sensitivity to antibiotics and supported diffusion of maltodextrins, SDS and ferrichrome across the outer membrane. FhuADelta5-160 Delta335-355 showed no FhuA specific functions such as active transport of [Fe3+]ferrichrome or sensitivity to the other FhuA ligands. It is concluded that FhuADelta5-160 Delta335-355 assumes a conformation that is incompatible with any of the FhuA functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Braun
- Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, Germany
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43
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Abstract
Using a lysine-specific cleavable cross-linking reagent ethylene glycolbis(sulfosuccimidylsuccinate) (Sulfo-EGS), we studied conformational motion in the surface loops of Escherichia coli FepA during its transport of the siderophore ferric enterobactin. Site-directed mutagenesis determined that Sulfo-EGS reacted with two lysines, K332 and K483, and at least two other unidentified Lys residues in the surface loops of the outer membrane protein. The reagent cross-linked K483 in FepA L7 to either K332 in L5, forming a product that we designated band 1, or to the major outer membrane proteins OmpF, OmpC, and OmpA, forming band 2. Ferric enterobactin binding to FepA did not prevent modification of K483 by Sulfo-EGS but blocked its cross-linking to OmpF/C and OmpA and reduced its coupling to K332. These data show that the loops of FepA undergo conformational changes in vivo, with an approximate magnitude of 15 A, from a ligand-free open state to a ligand-bound closed state. The coupling of FepA L7 to OmpF, OmpC, or OmpA was TonB independent and was unaffected by the uncouplers CCCP (carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone) and DNP (2,4-dinitrophenol) but completely inhibited by cyanide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Scott
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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de Zamaroczy M, Buckingham RH. Importation of nuclease colicins into E coli cells: endoproteolytic cleavage and its prevention by the immunity protein. Biochimie 2002; 84:423-32. [PMID: 12423785 DOI: 10.1016/s0300-9084(02)01426-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A major group of colicins comprises molecules that possess nuclease activity and kill sensitive cells by cleaving RNA or DNA. Recent data open the possibility that the tRNase colicin D, the rRNase colicin E3 and the DNase colicin E7 undergo proteolytic processing, such that only the C-terminal domain of the molecule, carrying the nuclease activity, enters the cytoplasm. The proteases responsible for the proteolytic processing remain unidentified. In the case of colicin D, the characterization of a colicin D-resistant mutant shows that the inner membrane protease LepB is involved in colicin D toxicity, but is not solely responsible for the cleavage of colicin D. The lepB mutant resistant to colicin D remains sensitive to other colicins tested (B, E1, E3 and E2), and the mutant protease retains activity towards its normal substrates. The cleavage of colicin D observed in vitro releases a C-terminal fragment retaining tRNase activity, and occurs in a region of the amino acid sequence that is conserved in other nuclease colicins, suggesting that they may also require a processing step for their cytotoxicity. The immunity proteins of both colicins D and E3 appear to have a dual role, protecting the colicin molecule against proteolytic cleavage and inhibiting the nuclease activity of the colicin. The possibility that processing is an essential step common to cell killing by all nuclease colicins, and that the immunity protein must be removed from the colicin prior to processing, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miklos de Zamaroczy
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, UPR 9073, 13, rue Pierre et Marie Curie 75005, Paris, France.
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45
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Abstract
To kill Escherichia coli, toxic proteins, called colicins, pass through the permeability barrier created by the outer membrane (OM) of the bacterial cell envelope. We consider a variety of different colicins, including A, B, D, E1, E3, Ia, M and N, that penetrate through the porins OmpF, FepA, BtuB, Cir and FhuA, to subsequently interact with a few targets in the periplasm, including TolA, TolB, TolC and TonB. We review the mechanisms, demonstrated and postulated, by which such toxins enter bacterial cells, from the initial binding stage on the cell surface to the internalization reaction through the OM bilayer. Our discussions endeavor to answer two main questions: what is the origin of colicin-binding affinity and specificity, and after adsorption to OM porins, do colicin polypeptides translocate through porin channels, or enter by another, currently unknown pathway?
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghua Cao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, 620 Parrington Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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Ferguson AD, Chakraborty R, Smith BS, Esser L, van der Helm D, Deisenhofer J. Structural basis of gating by the outer membrane transporter FecA. Science 2002; 295:1715-9. [PMID: 11872840 DOI: 10.1126/science.1067313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Siderophore-mediated acquisition systems facilitate iron uptake. We present the crystallographic structure of the integral outer membrane receptor FecA from Escherichia coli with and without ferric citrate at 2.5 and 2.0 angstrom resolution. FecA is composed of three distinct domains: the barrel, plug, and NH2-terminal extension. Binding of ferric citrate triggers a conformational change of the extracellular loops that close the external pocket of FecA. Ligand-induced allosteric transitions are propagated through the outer membrane by the plug domain, signaling the occupancy of the receptor in the periplasm. These data establish the structural basis of gating for receptors dependent on the cytoplasmic membrane protein TonB. By compiling available data for this family of receptors, we propose a mechanism for the energy-dependent transport of siderophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Ferguson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Chang C, Mooser A, Plückthun A, Wlodawer A. Crystal structure of the dimeric C-terminal domain of TonB reveals a novel fold. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:27535-40. [PMID: 11328822 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m102778200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The TonB-dependent complex of Gram-negative bacteria couples the inner membrane proton motive force to the active transport of iron.siderophore and vitamin B(12) across the outer membrane. The structural basis of that process has not been described so far in full detail. The crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of TonB from Escherichia coli has now been solved by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction and refined at 1.55-A resolution, providing the first evidence that this region of TonB (residues 164-239) dimerizes. Moreover, the structure shows a novel architecture that has no structural homologs among any known proteins. The dimer of the C-terminal domain of TonB is cylinder-shaped with a length of 65 A and a diameter of 25 A. Each monomer contains three beta strands and a single alpha helix. The two monomers are intertwined with each other, and all six beta-strands of the dimer make a large antiparallel beta-sheet. We propose a plausible model of binding of TonB to FhuA and FepA, two TonB-dependent outer-membrane receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Chang
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, NCI, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
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