1
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Govers SK, Campos M, Tyagi B, Laloux G, Jacobs-Wagner C. Apparent simplicity and emergent robustness in the control of the Escherichia coli cell cycle. Cell Syst 2024; 15:19-36.e5. [PMID: 38157847 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
To examine how bacteria achieve robust cell proliferation across diverse conditions, we developed a method that quantifies 77 cell morphological, cell cycle, and growth phenotypes of a fluorescently labeled Escherichia coli strain and >800 gene deletion derivatives under multiple nutrient conditions. This approach revealed extensive phenotypic plasticity and deviating mutant phenotypes were often nutrient dependent. From this broad phenotypic landscape emerged simple and robust unifying rules (laws) that connect DNA replication initiation, nucleoid segregation, FtsZ ring formation, and cell constriction to specific aspects of cell size (volume, length, or added length) at the population level. Furthermore, completion of cell division followed the initiation of cell constriction after a constant time delay across strains and nutrient conditions, identifying cell constriction as a key control point for cell size determination. Our work provides a population-level description of the governing principles by which E. coli integrates cell cycle processes and growth rate with cell size to achieve its robust proliferative capability. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander K Govers
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Manuel Campos
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative de Toulouse, Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Bhavyaa Tyagi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Christine Jacobs-Wagner
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Sarafan Chemistry, Engineering Medicine for Human Health Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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2
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Weaver A, Taguchi A, Dörr T. Masters of Misdirection: Peptidoglycan Glycosidases in Bacterial Growth. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0042822. [PMID: 36757204 PMCID: PMC10029718 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00428-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamic composition of the peptidoglycan cell wall has been the subject of intense research for decades, yet how bacteria coordinate the synthesis of new peptidoglycan with the turnover and remodeling of existing peptidoglycan remains elusive. Diversity and redundancy within peptidoglycan synthases and peptidoglycan autolysins, enzymes that degrade peptidoglycan, have often made it challenging to assign physiological roles to individual enzymes and determine how those activities are regulated. For these reasons, peptidoglycan glycosidases, which cleave within the glycan strands of peptidoglycan, have proven veritable masters of misdirection over the years. Unlike many of the broadly conserved peptidoglycan synthetic complexes, diverse bacteria can employ unrelated glycosidases to achieve the same physiological outcome. Additionally, although the mechanisms of action for many individual enzymes have been characterized, apparent conserved homologs in other organisms can exhibit an entirely different biochemistry. This flexibility has been recently demonstrated in the context of three functions critical to vegetative growth: (i) release of newly synthesized peptidoglycan strands from their membrane anchors, (ii) processing of peptidoglycan turned over during cell wall expansion, and (iii) removal of peptidoglycan fragments that interfere with daughter cell separation during cell division. Finally, the regulation of glycosidase activity during these cell processes may be a cumulation of many factors, including protein-protein interactions, intrinsic substrate preferences, substrate availability, and subcellular localization. Understanding the true scope of peptidoglycan glycosidase activity will require the exploration of enzymes from diverse organisms with equally diverse growth and division strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Weaver
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Atsushi Taguchi
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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3
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Xu Y, Hernández-Rocamora VM, Lorent JH, Cox R, Wang X, Bao X, Stel M, Vos G, van den Bos RM, Pieters RJ, Gray J, Vollmer W, Breukink E. Metabolic labeling of the bacterial peptidoglycan by functionalized glucosamine. iScience 2022; 25:104753. [PMID: 35942089 PMCID: PMC9356107 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is an essential monosaccharide required in almost all organisms. Fluorescent labeling of the peptidoglycan (PG) on N-acetylglucosamine has been poorly explored. Here, we report on the labeling of the PG with a bioorthogonal handle on the GlcNAc. We developed a facile one-step synthesis of uridine diphosphate N-azidoacetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAz) using the glycosyltransferase OleD, followed by in vitro incorporation of GlcNAz into the peptidoglycan precursor Lipid II and fluorescent labeling of the azido group via click chemistry. In a PG synthesis assay, fluorescent GlcNAz-labeled Lipid II was incorporated into peptidoglycan by the DD-transpeptidase activity of bifunctional class A penicillin-binding proteins. We further demonstrate the incorporation of GlcNAz into the PG layer of OleD-expressed bacteria by feeding with 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl GlcNAz (GlcNAz-CNP). Hence, our labeling method using the heterologous expression of OleD is useful to study PG synthesis and possibly other biological processes involving GlcNAc metabolism in vivo. Peptidoglycan consists of N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylmuramic acid, and amino acids We developed a one-step synthesis of azide-labeled UDP-N-acetylglucosamine In vivo generated azide-labeled UDP-N-acetylglucosamine gets incorporated into peptidoglycan Bacteria were fluorescently labeled on N-acetylglucosamine of peptidoglycan
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Joseph H. Lorent
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ruud Cox
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqi Wang
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Xue Bao
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marjon Stel
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gaël Vos
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ramon M. van den Bos
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Roland J. Pieters
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joe Gray
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Eefjan Breukink
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Corresponding author
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4
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Abstract
Most bacteria are protected from environmental offenses by a cell wall consisting of strong yet elastic peptidoglycan. The cell wall is essential for preserving bacterial morphology and viability, and thus the enzymes involved in the production and turnover of peptidoglycan have become preferred targets for many of our most successful antibiotics. In the past decades, Vibrio cholerae, the gram-negative pathogen causing the diarrheal disease cholera, has become a major model for understanding cell wall genetics, biochemistry, and physiology. More than 100 articles have shed light on novel cell wall genetic determinants, regulatory links, and adaptive mechanisms. Here we provide the first comprehensive review of V. cholerae's cell wall biology and genetics. Special emphasis is placed on the similarities and differences with Escherichia coli, the paradigm for understanding cell wall metabolism and chemical structure in gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Alvarez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden;
| | - Sara B Hernandez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden;
| | - Felipe Cava
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden;
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5
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Patel AV, Turner RD, Rifflet A, Acosta-Martin AE, Nichols A, Awad MM, Lyras D, Gomperts Boneca I, Bern M, Collins MO, Mesnage S. PGFinder, a novel analysis pipeline for the consistent, reproducible, and high-resolution structural analysis of bacterial peptidoglycans. eLife 2021; 10:e70597. [PMID: 34579805 PMCID: PMC8478412 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many software solutions are available for proteomics and glycomics studies, but none are ideal for the structural analysis of peptidoglycan (PG), the essential and major component of bacterial cell envelopes. It icomprises glycan chains and peptide stems, both containing unusual amino acids and sugars. This has forced the field to rely on manual analysis approaches, which are time-consuming, labour-intensive, and prone to error. The lack of automated tools has hampered the ability to perform high-throughput analyses and prevented the adoption of a standard methodology. Here, we describe a novel tool called PGFinder for the analysis of PG structure and demonstrate that it represents a powerful tool to quantify PG fragments and discover novel structural features. Our analysis workflow, which relies on open-access tools, is a breakthrough towards a consistent and reproducible analysis of bacterial PGs. It represents a significant advance towards peptidoglycomics as a full-fledged discipline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur V Patel
- School of Biosciences, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Robert D Turner
- Department of Computer Science, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Aline Rifflet
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Génétique de la Paroi BactérienneParisFrance
- INSERM, Équipe AvenirParisFrance
- CNRS, UMR 2001 "Microbiologie intégrative et moléculaire"ParisFrance
| | - Adelina E Acosta-Martin
- biOMICS Facility, Faculty of Science Mass Spectrometry Centre, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Milena M Awad
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery InstituteClaytonAustralia
| | - Dena Lyras
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery InstituteClaytonAustralia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Ivo Gomperts Boneca
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Génétique de la Paroi BactérienneParisFrance
- INSERM, Équipe AvenirParisFrance
- CNRS, UMR 2001 "Microbiologie intégrative et moléculaire"ParisFrance
| | | | - Mark O Collins
- School of Biosciences, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
- biOMICS Facility, Faculty of Science Mass Spectrometry Centre, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Stéphane Mesnage
- School of Biosciences, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
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6
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Apostolos AJ, Ferraro NJ, Dalesandro BE, Pires MM. SaccuFlow: A High-Throughput Analysis Platform to Investigate Bacterial Cell Wall Interactions. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2483-2491. [PMID: 34291914 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cell walls are formidable barriers that protect bacterial cells against external insults and oppose internal turgor pressure. While cell wall composition is variable across species, peptidoglycan is the principal component of all cell walls. Peptidoglycan is a mesh-like scaffold composed of cross-linked strands that can be heavily decorated with anchored proteins. The biosynthesis and remodeling of peptidoglycan must be tightly regulated by cells because disruption to this biomacromolecule is lethal. This essentiality is exploited by the human innate immune system in resisting colonization and by a number of clinically relevant antibiotics that target peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Evaluation of molecules or proteins that interact with peptidoglycan can be a complicated and, typically, qualitative effort. We have developed a novel assay platform (SaccuFlow) that preserves the native structure of bacterial peptidoglycan and is compatible with high-throughput flow cytometry analysis. We show that the assay is facile and versatile as demonstrated by its compatibility with sacculi from Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and mycobacteria. Finally, we highlight the utility of this assay to assess the activity of sortase A from Staphylococcus aureus against potential antivirulence agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis J. Apostolos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Noel J. Ferraro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Brianna E. Dalesandro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Marcos M. Pires
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
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7
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Ayhan K, Coşansu S, Orhan-Yanıkan E, Gülseren G. Advance methods for the qualitative and quantitative determination of microorganisms. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.106188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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8
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Garde S, Chodisetti PK, Reddy M. Peptidoglycan: Structure, Synthesis, and Regulation. EcoSal Plus 2021; 9:eESP-0010-2020. [PMID: 33470191 PMCID: PMC11168573 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0010-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan is a defining feature of the bacterial cell wall. Initially identified as a target of the revolutionary beta-lactam antibiotics, peptidoglycan has become a subject of much interest for its biology, its potential for the discovery of novel antibiotic targets, and its role in infection. Peptidoglycan is a large polymer that forms a mesh-like scaffold around the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. Peptidoglycan synthesis is vital at several stages of the bacterial cell cycle: for expansion of the scaffold during cell elongation and for formation of a septum during cell division. It is a complex multifactorial process that includes formation of monomeric precursors in the cytoplasm, their transport to the periplasm, and polymerization to form a functional peptidoglycan sacculus. These processes require spatio-temporal regulation for successful assembly of a robust sacculus to protect the cell from turgor and determine cell shape. A century of research has uncovered the fundamentals of peptidoglycan biology, and recent studies employing advanced technologies have shed new light on the molecular interactions that govern peptidoglycan synthesis. Here, we describe the peptidoglycan structure, synthesis, and regulation in rod-shaped bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli, with a few examples from Salmonella and other diverse organisms. We focus on the pathway of peptidoglycan sacculus elongation, with special emphasis on discoveries of the past decade that have shaped our understanding of peptidoglycan biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shambhavi Garde
- These authors contributed equally
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India 500007
| | - Pavan Kumar Chodisetti
- These authors contributed equally
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India 500007
| | - Manjula Reddy
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India 500007
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9
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Schäfer AB, Wenzel M. A How-To Guide for Mode of Action Analysis of Antimicrobial Peptides. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:540898. [PMID: 33194788 PMCID: PMC7604286 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.540898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising alternative to classical antibiotics in the fight against multi-resistant bacteria. They are produced by organisms from all domains of life and constitute a nearly universal defense mechanism against infectious agents. No drug can be approved without information about its mechanism of action. In order to use them in a clinical setting, it is pivotal to understand how AMPs work. While many pore-forming AMPs are well-characterized in model membrane systems, non-pore-forming peptides are often poorly understood. Moreover, there is evidence that pore formation may not happen or not play a role in vivo. It is therefore imperative to study how AMPs interact with their targets in vivo and consequently kill microorganisms. This has been difficult in the past, since established methods did not provide much mechanistic detail. Especially, methods to study membrane-active compounds have been scarce. Recent advances, in particular in microscopy technology and cell biological labeling techniques, now allow studying mechanisms of AMPs in unprecedented detail. This review gives an overview of available in vivo methods to investigate the antibacterial mechanisms of AMPs. In addition to classical mode of action classification assays, we discuss global profiling techniques, such as genomic and proteomic approaches, as well as bacterial cytological profiling and other cell biological assays. We cover approaches to determine the effects of AMPs on cell morphology, outer membrane, cell wall, and inner membrane properties, cellular macromolecules, and protein targets. We particularly expand on methods to examine cytoplasmic membrane parameters, such as composition, thickness, organization, fluidity, potential, and the functionality of membrane-associated processes. This review aims to provide a guide for researchers, who seek a broad overview of the available methodology to study the mechanisms of AMPs in living bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michaela Wenzel
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
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10
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Stankeviciute G, Klein EA. Purification and HPLC Analysis of Cell Wall Muropeptides from Caulobacter crescentus. Bio Protoc 2019; 9:e3421. [PMID: 33654919 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The peptidoglycan sacculus, or cell wall, is what defines bacterial cell shape. Cell wall composition can be best characterized at the molecular level by digesting the peptidoglycan murein polymer into its muropeptide subunits and quantifying the abundance of muropeptides using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Certain features of the cell wall including muropeptide composition, glycan strand length, degree of crosslinking, type of crosslinking and other peptidoglycan modifications can be quantified using this approach. Well-established protocols provide us with highly-resolved and quantitatively reproducible chromatographic data, which can be used to investigate bacterial cell wall composition under a variety of environmental or genetic perturbations. The method described here enables the purification of muropeptide samples, their quantification by HPLC, and fraction collection for peak identification by mass spectrometry. Although the methods for peptidoglycan purification and HPLC analysis have been previously published, our method includes important details on how to re-equilibrate the column between runs to allow for automated analysis of multiple samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Stankeviciute
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
| | - Eric A Klein
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA.,Biology Department, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
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11
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Bacterial Swarming Reduces Proteus mirabilis and Vibrio parahaemolyticus Cell Stiffness and Increases β-Lactam Susceptibility. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00210-19. [PMID: 31594808 PMCID: PMC6786863 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00210-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteus mirabilis and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are bacteria that infect humans. To adapt to environmental changes, these bacteria alter their cell morphology and move collectively to access new sources of nutrients in a process referred to as “swarming.” We found that changes in the composition and thickness of the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall make swarmer cells of P. mirabilis and V. parahaemolyticus more flexible (i.e., reduce cell stiffness) and that they become more sensitive to osmotic pressure and cell wall-targeting antibiotics (e.g., β-lactams). These results highlight the importance of assessing the extracellular environment in determining antibiotic doses and the use of β-lactam antibiotics for treating infections caused by swarmer cells of P. mirabilis and V. parahaemolyticus. Swarmer cells of the Gram-negative uropathogenic bacteria Proteus mirabilis and Vibrio parahaemolyticus become long (>10 to 100 μm) and multinucleate during their growth and motility on polymer surfaces. We demonstrated that the increasing cell length is accompanied by a large increase in flexibility. Using a microfluidic assay to measure single-cell mechanics, we identified large differences in the swarmer cell stiffness (bending rigidity) of P. mirabilis (5.5 × 10−22 N m2) and V. parahaemolyticus (1.0 × 10−22 N m2) compared to vegetative cells (1.4 × 10−20 N m2 and 2.2 × 10−22 N m2, respectively). The reduction in bending rigidity (∼2-fold to ∼26-fold) was accompanied by a decrease in the average polysaccharide strand length of the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall from 28 to 30 disaccharides to 19 to 22 disaccharides. Atomic force microscopy revealed a reduction in P. mirabilis peptidoglycan thickness from 1.5 nm (vegetative cells) to 1.0 nm (swarmer cells), and electron cryotomography indicated changes in swarmer cell wall morphology. P. mirabilis and V. parahaemolyticus swarmer cells became increasingly sensitive to osmotic pressure and susceptible to cell wall-modifying antibiotics (compared to vegetative cells)—they were ∼30% more likely to die after 3 h of treatment with MICs of the β-lactams cephalexin and penicillin G. The adaptive cost of “swarming” was offset by the increase in cell susceptibility to physical and chemical changes in their environment, thereby suggesting the development of new chemotherapies for bacteria that leverage swarming for the colonization of hosts and for survival.
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12
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Ojkic N, Serbanescu D, Banerjee S. Surface-to-volume scaling and aspect ratio preservation in rod-shaped bacteria. eLife 2019; 8:e47033. [PMID: 31456563 PMCID: PMC6742476 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Rod-shaped bacterial cells can readily adapt their lengths and widths in response to environmental changes. While many recent studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying bacterial cell size control, it remains largely unknown how the coupling between cell length and width results in robust control of rod-like bacterial shapes. In this study we uncover a conserved surface-to-volume scaling relation in Escherichia coli and other rod-shaped bacteria, resulting from the preservation of cell aspect ratio. To explain the mechanistic origin of aspect-ratio control, we propose a quantitative model for the coupling between bacterial cell elongation and the accumulation of an essential division protein, FtsZ. This model reveals a mechanism for why bacterial aspect ratio is independent of cell size and growth conditions, and predicts cell morphological changes in response to nutrient perturbations, antibiotics, MreB or FtsZ depletion, in quantitative agreement with experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Ojkic
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for the Physics of Living SystemsUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Diana Serbanescu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for the Physics of Living SystemsUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for the Physics of Living SystemsUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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13
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Weaver AI, Jiménez-Ruiz V, Tallavajhala SR, Ransegnola BP, Wong KQ, Dörr T. Lytic transglycosylases RlpA and MltC assist in Vibrio cholerae daughter cell separation. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1100-1115. [PMID: 31286580 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cell wall is a crucial structural feature in the vast majority of bacteria and comprises a covalently closed network of peptidoglycan (PG) strands. While PG synthesis is important for survival under many conditions, the cell wall is also a dynamic structure, undergoing degradation and remodeling by 'autolysins', enzymes that break down PG. Cell division, for example, requires extensive PG remodeling, especially during separation of daughter cells, which depends heavily upon the activity of amidases. However, in Vibrio cholerae, we demonstrate that amidase activity alone is insufficient for daughter cell separation and that lytic transglycosylases RlpA and MltC both contribute to this process. MltC and RlpA both localize to the septum and are functionally redundant under normal laboratory conditions; however, only RlpA can support normal cell separation in low-salt media. The division-specific activity of lytic transglycosylases has implications for the local structure of septal PG, suggesting that there may be glycan bridges between daughter cells that cannot be resolved by amidases. We propose that lytic transglycosylases at the septum cleave PG strands that are crosslinked beyond the reach of the highly regulated activity of the amidase and clear PG debris that may block the completion of outer membrane invagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna I Weaver
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Valeria Jiménez-Ruiz
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Srikar R Tallavajhala
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Brett P Ransegnola
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Kimberly Q Wong
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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14
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Porfírio S, Carlson RW, Azadi P. Elucidating Peptidoglycan Structure: An Analytical Toolset. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:607-622. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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15
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Boulanger M, Delvaux C, Quinton L, Joris B, De Pauw E, Far J. Bacillus licheniformispeptidoglycan characterization by CZE–MS: Assessment with the benchmark RP‐HPLC‐MS method. Electrophoresis 2019; 40:2672-2682. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Boulanger
- Center for Protein Engineering, InBioS Research Unit, Quartier AgoraUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
| | - Cédric Delvaux
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, Quartier AgoraUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
| | - Loïc Quinton
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, Quartier AgoraUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
| | - Bernard Joris
- Center for Protein Engineering, InBioS Research Unit, Quartier AgoraUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
| | - Edwin De Pauw
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, Quartier AgoraUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
| | - Johann Far
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, Quartier AgoraUniversity of Liège Liège Belgium
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16
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Stankeviciute G, Miguel AV, Radkov A, Chou S, Huang KC, Klein EA. Differential modes of crosslinking establish spatially distinct regions of peptidoglycan in
Caulobacter crescentus. Mol Microbiol 2019; 111:995-1008. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Stankeviciute
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology Rutgers University‐Camden Camden NJ 08102USA
| | - Amanda V. Miguel
- Department of Bioengineering Stanford University Stanford CA 94305USA
| | - Atanas Radkov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA 94158USA
| | - Seemay Chou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA 94158USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco CA 94158USA
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering Stanford University Stanford CA 94305USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco CA 94158USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford CA 94305USA
| | - Eric A. Klein
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology Rutgers University‐Camden Camden NJ 08102USA
- Biology Department Rutgers University‐Camden Camden NJ 08102USA
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17
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Shi H, Bratton BP, Gitai Z, Huang KC. How to Build a Bacterial Cell: MreB as the Foreman of E. coli Construction. Cell 2019. [PMID: 29522748 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell shape matters across the kingdoms of life, and cells have the remarkable capacity to define and maintain specific shapes and sizes. But how are the shapes of micron-sized cells determined from the coordinated activities of nanometer-sized proteins? Here, we review general principles that have surfaced through the study of rod-shaped bacterial growth. Imaging approaches have revealed that polymers of the actin homolog MreB play a central role. MreB both senses and changes cell shape, thereby generating a self-organizing feedback system for shape maintenance. At the molecular level, structural and computational studies indicate that MreB filaments exhibit tunable mechanical properties that explain their preference for certain geometries and orientations along the cylindrical cell body. We illustrate the regulatory landscape of rod-shape formation and the connectivity between cell shape, cell growth, and other aspects of cell physiology. These discoveries provide a framework for future investigations into the architecture and construction of microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handuo Shi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Benjamin P Bratton
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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18
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Rojas ER, Billings G, Odermatt PD, Auer GK, Zhu L, Miguel A, Chang F, Weibel DB, Theriot JA, Huang KC. The outer membrane is an essential load-bearing element in Gram-negative bacteria. Nature 2018; 559:617-621. [PMID: 30022160 PMCID: PMC6089221 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0344-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 319] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria possess a complex cell envelope that consists of a plasma membrane, a peptidoglycan cell wall and an outer membrane. The envelope is a selective chemical barrier1 that defines cell shape2 and allows the cell to sustain large mechanical loads such as turgor pressure3. It is widely believed that the covalently cross-linked cell wall underpins the mechanical properties of the envelope4,5. Here we show that the stiffness and strength of Escherichia coli cells are largely due to the outer membrane. Compromising the outer membrane, either chemically or genetically, greatly increased deformation of the cell envelope in response to stretching, bending and indentation forces, and induced increased levels of cell lysis upon mechanical perturbation and during L-form proliferation. Both lipopolysaccharides and proteins contributed to the stiffness of the outer membrane. These findings overturn the prevailing dogma that the cell wall is the dominant mechanical element within Gram-negative bacteria, instead demonstrating that the outer membrane can be stiffer than the cell wall, and that mechanical loads are often balanced between these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique R Rojas
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Pascal D Odermatt
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - George K Auer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lillian Zhu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Miguel
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Fred Chang
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Douglas B Weibel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Julie A Theriot
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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19
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Caccamo PD, Brun YV. The Molecular Basis of Noncanonical Bacterial Morphology. Trends Microbiol 2017; 26:191-208. [PMID: 29056293 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The true picture of bacterial morphological diversity is likely skewed due to an experimental focus on pathogens and industrially relevant organisms. Indeed, most of the work elucidating the genes and molecular processes involved in maintaining bacterial morphology has been limited to rod- or coccal-shaped model systems. The mechanisms of shape evolution, the molecular processes underlying diverse shapes and growth modes, and how individual cells can dynamically modulate their shape are just beginning to be revealed. Here we discuss recent work aimed at advancing our knowledge of shape diversity and uncovering the molecular basis for shape generation in noncanonical and morphologically complex bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Caccamo
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Yves V Brun
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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20
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PG-Metrics: A chemometric-based approach for classifying bacterial peptidoglycan data sets and uncovering their subjacent chemical variability. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186197. [PMID: 29040278 PMCID: PMC5645090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria cells are protected from osmotic and environmental stresses by an exoskeleton-like polymeric structure called peptidoglycan (PG) or murein sacculus. This structure is fundamental for bacteria’s viability and thus, the mechanisms underlying cell wall assembly and how it is modulated serve as targets for many of our most successful antibiotics. Therefore, it is now more important than ever to understand the genetics and structural chemistry of the bacterial cell walls in order to find new and effective methods of blocking it for the treatment of disease. In the last decades, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry have been demonstrated to provide the required resolution and sensitivity to characterize the fine chemical structure of PG. However, the large volume of data sets that can be produced by these instruments today are difficult to handle without a proper data analysis workflow. Here, we present PG-metrics, a chemometric based pipeline that allows fast and easy classification of bacteria according to their muropeptide chromatographic profiles and identification of the subjacent PG chemical variability between e.g. bacterial species, growth conditions and, mutant libraries. The pipeline is successfully validated here using PG samples from different bacterial species and mutants in cell wall proteins. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that PG-metrics pipeline is a valuable bioanalytical tool that can lead us to cell wall classification and biomarker discovery.
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21
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Dik DA, Marous DR, Fisher JF, Mobashery S. Lytic transglycosylases: concinnity in concision of the bacterial cell wall. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2017. [PMID: 28644060 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2017.1337705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The lytic transglycosylases (LTs) are bacterial enzymes that catalyze the non-hydrolytic cleavage of the peptidoglycan structures of the bacterial cell wall. They are not catalysts of glycan synthesis as might be surmised from their name. Notwithstanding the seemingly mundane reaction catalyzed by the LTs, their lytic reactions serve bacteria for a series of astonishingly diverse purposes. These purposes include cell-wall synthesis, remodeling, and degradation; for the detection of cell-wall-acting antibiotics; for the expression of the mechanism of cell-wall-acting antibiotics; for the insertion of secretion systems and flagellar assemblies into the cell wall; as a virulence mechanism during infection by certain Gram-negative bacteria; and in the sporulation and germination of Gram-positive spores. Significant advances in the mechanistic understanding of each of these processes have coincided with the successive discovery of new LTs structures. In this review, we provide a systematic perspective on what is known on the structure-function correlations for the LTs, while simultaneously identifying numerous opportunities for the future study of these enigmatic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Dik
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame , IN , USA
| | - Daniel R Marous
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame , IN , USA
| | - Jed F Fisher
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame , IN , USA
| | - Shahriar Mobashery
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame , IN , USA
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22
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Goudsmits JMH, van Oijen AM, Robinson A. A Tool for Alignment and Averaging of Sparse Fluorescence Signals in Rod-Shaped Bacteria. Biophys J 2017; 110:1708-1715. [PMID: 27119631 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence microscopy studies have shown that many proteins localize to highly specific subregions within bacterial cells. Analyzing the spatial distribution of low-abundance proteins within cells is highly challenging because information obtained from multiple cells needs to be combined to provide well-defined maps of protein locations. We present (to our knowledge) a novel tool for fast, automated, and user-impartial analysis of fluorescent protein distribution across the short axis of rod-shaped bacteria. To demonstrate the strength of our approach in extracting spatial distributions and visualizing dynamic intracellular processes, we analyzed sparse fluorescence signals from single-molecule time-lapse images of individual Escherichia coli cells. In principle, our tool can be used to provide information on the distribution of signal intensity across the short axis of any rod-shaped object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris M H Goudsmits
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Antoine M van Oijen
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Robinson
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
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23
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Bartlett TM, Bratton BP, Duvshani A, Miguel A, Sheng Y, Martin NR, Nguyen JP, Persat A, Desmarais SM, VanNieuwenhze MS, Huang KC, Zhu J, Shaevitz JW, Gitai Z. A Periplasmic Polymer Curves Vibrio cholerae and Promotes Pathogenesis. Cell 2017; 168:172-185.e15. [PMID: 28086090 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic Vibrio cholerae remains a major human health concern. V. cholerae has a characteristic curved rod morphology, with a longer outer face and a shorter inner face. The mechanism and function of this curvature were previously unknown. Here, we identify and characterize CrvA, the first curvature determinant in V. cholerae. CrvA self-assembles into filaments at the inner face of cell curvature. Unlike traditional cytoskeletons, CrvA localizes to the periplasm and thus can be considered a periskeletal element. To quantify how curvature forms, we developed QuASAR (quantitative analysis of sacculus architecture remodeling), which measures subcellular peptidoglycan dynamics. QuASAR reveals that CrvA asymmetrically patterns peptidoglycan insertion rather than removal, causing more material insertions into the outer face than the inner face. Furthermore, crvA is quorum regulated, and CrvA-dependent curvature increases at high cell density. Finally, we demonstrate that CrvA promotes motility in hydrogels and confers an advantage in host colonization and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Bartlett
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Benjamin P Bratton
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Amit Duvshani
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Amanda Miguel
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ying Sheng
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Nicholas R Martin
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Nguyen
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | | | | | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210014, China; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joshua W Shaevitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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24
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Towards an automated analysis of bacterial peptidoglycan structure. Anal Bioanal Chem 2016; 409:551-560. [PMID: 27520322 PMCID: PMC5203844 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-016-9857-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) is an essential component of the bacterial cell envelope. This macromolecule consists of glycan chains alternating N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid, cross-linked by short peptides containing nonstandard amino acids. Structural analysis of PG usually involves enzymatic digestion of glycan strands and separation of disaccharide peptides by reversed-phase HPLC followed by collection of individual peaks for MALDI-TOF and/or tandem mass spectrometry. Here, we report a novel strategy using shotgun proteomics techniques for a systematic and unbiased structural analysis of PG using high-resolution mass spectrometry and automated analysis of HCD and ETD fragmentation spectra with the Byonic software. Using the PG of the nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile as a proof of concept, we show that this high-throughput approach allows the identification of all PG monomers and dimers previously described, leaving only disambiguation of 3–3 and 4–3 cross-linking as a manual step. Our analysis confirms previous findings that C. difficile peptidoglycans include mainly deacetylated N-acetylglucosamine residues and 3–3 cross-links. The analysis also revealed a number of low abundance muropeptides with peptide sequences not previously reported. The bacterial cell envelope includes plasma membrane, peptidoglycan, and surface layer. Peptidoglycan is unique to bacteria and the target of the most important antibiotics; here it is analyzed by mass spectrometry. ![]()
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25
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Espaillat A, Forsmo O, El Biari K, Björk R, Lemaitre B, Trygg J, Cañada FJ, de Pedro MA, Cava F. Chemometric Analysis of Bacterial Peptidoglycan Reveals Atypical Modifications That Empower the Cell Wall against Predatory Enzymes and Fly Innate Immunity. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:9193-204. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b04430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Espaillat
- Laboratory
for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology,
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Oskar Forsmo
- Laboratory
for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology,
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Khouzaima El Biari
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Björk
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global
Health Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Station
19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Trygg
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Francisco Javier Cañada
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A. de Pedro
- Centro
de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Felipe Cava
- Laboratory
for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology,
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
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