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Litschko C, Di Domenico V, Schulze J, Li S, Ovchinnikova OG, Voskuilen T, Bethe A, Cifuente JO, Marina A, Budde I, Mast TA, Sulewska M, Berger M, Buettner FFR, Lowary TL, Whitfield C, Codée JDC, Schubert M, Guerin ME, Fiebig T. Transition transferases prime bacterial capsule polymerization. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01664-8. [PMID: 38951648 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01664-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Capsules are long-chain carbohydrate polymers that envelop the surfaces of many bacteria, protecting them from host immune responses. Capsule biosynthesis enzymes are potential drug targets and valuable biotechnological tools for generating vaccine antigens. Despite their importance, it remains unknown how structurally variable capsule polymers of Gram-negative pathogens are linked to the conserved glycolipid anchoring these virulence factors to the bacterial membrane. Using Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae as an example, we demonstrate that CpsA and CpsC generate a poly(glycerol-3-phosphate) linker to connect the glycolipid with capsules containing poly(galactosylglycerol-phosphate) backbones. We reconstruct the entire capsule biosynthesis pathway in A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 3 and 7, solve the X-ray crystal structure of the capsule polymerase CpsD, identify its tetratricopeptide repeat domain as essential for elongating poly(glycerol-3-phosphate) and show that CpsA and CpsC stimulate CpsD to produce longer polymers. We identify the CpsA and CpsC product as a wall teichoic acid homolog, demonstrating similarity between the biosynthesis of Gram-positive wall teichoic acid and Gram-negative capsules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Hannover, Germany
| | - Valerio Di Domenico
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Molecular Biology; Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona Science Park, Tower R, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julia Schulze
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sizhe Li
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Olga G Ovchinnikova
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thijs Voskuilen
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Bethe
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Javier O Cifuente
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Alberto Marina
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain
| | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tim A Mast
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Małgorzata Sulewska
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Falk F R Buettner
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Proteomics, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Todd L Lowary
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chris Whitfield
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeroen D C Codée
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcelo E Guerin
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain.
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Molecular Biology; Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona Science Park, Tower R, Barcelona, Spain.
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Spain.
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Hannover, Germany.
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2
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Li FKK, Worrall LJ, Gale RT, Brown ED, Strynadka NCJ. Cryo-EM analysis of S. aureus TarL, a polymerase in wall teichoic acid biogenesis central to virulence and antibiotic resistance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj3864. [PMID: 38416829 PMCID: PMC10901376 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj3864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Wall teichoic acid (WTA), a covalent adduct of Gram-positive bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan, contributes directly to virulence and antibiotic resistance in pathogenic species. Polymerization of the Staphylococcus aureus WTA ribitol-phosphate chain is catalyzed by TarL, a member of the largely uncharacterized TagF-like family of membrane-associated enzymes. We report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of TarL, showing a tetramer that forms an extensive membrane-binding platform of monotopic helices. TarL is composed of an amino-terminal immunoglobulin-like domain and a carboxyl-terminal glycosyltransferase-B domain for ribitol-phosphate polymerization. The active site of the latter is complexed to donor substrate cytidine diphosphate-ribitol, providing mechanistic insights into the catalyzed phosphotransfer reaction. Furthermore, the active site is surrounded by electropositive residues that serve to retain the lipid-linked acceptor for polymerization. Our data advance general insight into the architecture and membrane association of the still poorly characterized monotopic membrane protein class and present molecular details of ribitol-phosphate polymerization that may aid in the design of new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco K K Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Liam J Worrall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert T Gale
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric D Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natalie C J Strynadka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Blood Research, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Wang H, Yang H, Wen Z, Gao C, Gao Y, Tian Y, Xu Z, Liu X, Persson S, Zhang B, Zhou Y. Xylan-based nanocompartments orchestrate plant vessel wall patterning. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:295-306. [PMID: 35318447 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01113-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nanoclustering of biomacromolecules allows cells to efficiently orchestrate biological processes. The plant cell wall is a highly organized polysaccharide network but is heterogeneous in chemistry and structure. However, polysaccharide-based nanocompartments remain ill-defined. Here, we identify a xylan-rich nanodomain at pit borders of xylem vessels. We show that these nanocompartments maintain distinct wall patterns by anchoring cellulosic nanofibrils at the pit borders, critically supporting vessel robustness, water transport and leaf transpiration. The nanocompartments are produced by the activity of IRREGULAR XYLEM (IRX)10 and its homologues, which we show are de novo xylan synthases. Our study hence outlines a mechanism of how xylans are synthesized, how they assemble into nanocompartments and how the nanocompartments sustain cell wall pit patterning to support efficient water transport throughout the plant body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hanlei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengxu Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yihong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zuopeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Plant Functional Genomics, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiangling Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Staffan Persson
- Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Copenhagen Plant Science Center, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Baocai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yihua Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Litschko C, Budde I, Berger M, Bethe A, Schulze J, Alcala Orozco EA, Mahour R, Goettig P, Führing JI, Rexer T, Gerardy-Schahn R, Schubert M, Fiebig T. Mix-and-Match System for the Enzymatic Synthesis of Enantiopure Glycerol-3-Phosphate-Containing Capsule Polymer Backbones from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Bibersteinia trehalosi. mBio 2021; 12:e0089721. [PMID: 34076489 PMCID: PMC8262930 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00897-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Capsule polymers are crucial virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria and are used as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. Some Gram-negative pathogens express poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) capsule polymers that resemble Gram-positive wall teichoic acids and are synthesized by TagF-like capsule polymerases. So far, the biotechnological use of these enzymes for vaccine developmental studies was restricted by the unavailability of enantiopure CDP-glycerol, one of the donor substrates required for polymer assembly. Here, we use CTP:glycerol-phosphate cytidylyltransferases (GCTs) and TagF-like polymerases to synthesize the poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) capsule polymer backbones of the porcine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, serotypes 3 and 7 (App3 and App7). GCT activity was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and polymers were analyzed using comprehensive nuclear magnetic resonance studies. Solid-phase synthesis protocols were established to allow potential scale-up of polymer production. In addition, one-pot reactions exploiting glycerol-kinase allowed us to start the reaction from inexpensive, widely available substrates. Finally, this study highlights that multidomain TagF-like polymerases can be transformed by mutagenesis of active site residues into single-action transferases, which in turn can act in trans to build-up structurally new polymers. Overall, our protocols provide enantiopure, nature-identical capsule polymer backbones from App2, App3, App7, App9, and App11, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup H, and Bibersteinia trehalosi serotypes T3 and T15. IMPORTANCE Economic synthesis platforms for the production of animal vaccines could help reduce the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which contributes greatly to the increase of antibiotic resistance. Here, we describe a highly versatile, easy-to-use mix-and-match toolbox for the generation of glycerol-phosphate-containing capsule polymers that can serve as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccines against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Bibersteinia trehalosi, two pathogens causing considerable economic loss in the swine, sheep, and cattle industries. We have established scalable protocols for the exploitation of a versatile enzymatic cascade with modular architecture, starting with the preparative-scale production of enantiopure CDP-glycerol, a precursor for a multitude of bacterial surface structures. Thereby, our approach not only allows the synthesis of capsule polymers but might also be exploitable for the (chemo)enzymatic synthesis of other glycerol-phosphate-containing structures such as Gram-positive wall teichoic acids or lipoteichoic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Bethe
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Julia Schulze
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - E. Alberto Alcala Orozco
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Reza Mahour
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Goettig
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jana Indra Führing
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-Infective Research (iCAIR), Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Rexer
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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5
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Litschko C, Budde I, Berger M, Fiebig T. Exploitation of Capsule Polymerases for Enzymatic Synthesis of Polysaccharide Antigens Used in Glycoconjugate Vaccines. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2183:313-330. [PMID: 32959251 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0795-4_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The exploitation of recombinant enzymes for the synthesis of complex carbohydrates is getting increasing attention. Unfortunately, the analysis of the resulting products often requires advanced methods like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Here, we use the capsule polymerases Cps4B and Cps11D from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotypes 4 and 11, respectively, as examples for the in vitro synthesis of capsule polymers similar to those used in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. We demonstrate how substrate turnover in an enzymatic reaction can be analyzed by HPLC-based anion exchange chromatography and provide the protocol for separation and detection of UV-active polymer. Moreover, we describe how UV-inactive polymer can be separated and visualized using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by combined alcian blue-silver staining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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6
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Jaakkola J, Nieminen A, Kivelä H, Korhonen H, Tähtinen P, Mikkola S. Kinetic and NMR spectroscopic study of the chemical stability and reaction pathways of sugar nucleotides. NUCLEOSIDES NUCLEOTIDES & NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 40:178-193. [PMID: 33331238 DOI: 10.1080/15257770.2020.1856870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The alkaline cleavage of two types of sugar nucleotides has been studied by 1H and 31P NMR in order to obtain information on the stability and decomposition pathways in aqueous solutions under alkaline conditions. The reaction of glucose 1-UDP is straightforward, and products are easy to identify. The results obtained with ribose 5-UDP and ribose 5-phosphate reveal, in contrast, a more complex reaction system than expected, and the identification of individual intermediate species was not possible. Even though definite proof for the mechanisms previously proposed could not be obtained, all the spectroscopic evidence is consistent with them. Results also emphasise the significant effect of conditions, pH, ionic strength, and temperature, on the reactivity under chemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juho Jaakkola
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Anu Nieminen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Henri Kivelä
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Heidi Korhonen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Petri Tähtinen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Satu Mikkola
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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7
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Mikkola S. Nucleotide Sugars in Chemistry and Biology. Molecules 2020; 25:E5755. [PMID: 33291296 PMCID: PMC7729866 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleotide sugars have essential roles in every living creature. They are the building blocks of the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and their conjugates. They are involved in processes that are targets for drug development, and their analogs are potential inhibitors of these processes. Drug development requires efficient methods for the synthesis of oligosaccharides and nucleotide sugar building blocks as well as of modified structures as potential inhibitors. It requires also understanding the details of biological and chemical processes as well as the reactivity and reactions under different conditions. This article addresses all these issues by giving a broad overview on nucleotide sugars in biological and chemical reactions. As the background for the topic, glycosylation reactions in mammalian and bacterial cells are briefly discussed. In the following sections, structures and biosynthetic routes for nucleotide sugars, as well as the mechanisms of action of nucleotide sugar-utilizing enzymes, are discussed. Chemical topics include the reactivity and chemical synthesis methods. Finally, the enzymatic in vitro synthesis of nucleotide sugars and the utilization of enzyme cascades in the synthesis of nucleotide sugars and oligosaccharides are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satu Mikkola
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
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8
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Budde I, Litschko C, Führing JI, Gerardy-Schahn R, Schubert M, Fiebig T. An enzyme-based protocol for cell-free synthesis of nature-identical capsular oligosaccharides from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:5771-5784. [PMID: 32152227 PMCID: PMC7186170 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) is the etiological agent of acute porcine pneumonia and responsible for severe economic losses worldwide. The capsule polymer of App serotype 1 (App1) consists of [4)-GlcNAc-β(1,6)-Gal-α-1-(PO4-] repeating units that are O-acetylated at O-6 of the GlcNAc. It is a major virulence factor and was used in previous studies in the successful generation of an experimental glycoconjugate vaccine. However, the application of glycoconjugate vaccines in the animal health sector is limited, presumably because of the high costs associated with harvesting the polymer from pathogen culture. Consequently, here we exploited the capsule polymerase Cps1B of App1 as an in vitro synthesis tool and an alternative for capsule polymer provision. Cps1B consists of two catalytic domains, as well as a domain rich in tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs). We compared the elongation mechanism of Cps1B with that of a ΔTPR truncation (Cps1B-ΔTPR). Interestingly, the product profiles displayed by Cps1B suggested processive elongation of the nascent polymer, whereas Cps1B-ΔTPR appeared to work in a more distributive manner. The dispersity of the synthesized products could be reduced by generating single-action transferases and immobilizing them on individual columns, separating the two catalytic activities. Furthermore, we identified the O-acetyltransferase Cps1D of App1 and used it to modify the polymers produced by Cps1B. Two-dimensional NMR analyses of the products revealed O-acetylation levels identical to those of polymer harvested from App1 culture supernatants. In conclusion, we have established a protocol for the pathogen-free in vitro synthesis of tailored, nature-identical App1 capsule polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jana I Führing
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-Infective Research (iCAIR), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-Infective Research (iCAIR), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
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9
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Read N, Howlett R, Smith MCM. An operon encoding enzymes for synthesis of a putative extracellular carbohydrate attenuates acquired vancomycin resistance in Streptomyces coelicolor. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2019; 165:208-223. [PMID: 30632959 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Actinomycete bacteria use polyprenol phosphate mannose as a lipid-linked sugar donor for extra-cytoplasmic glycosyl transferases that transfer mannose to cell envelope polymers, including glycoproteins and glycolipids. Strains of Streptomyces coelicolor with mutations in the gene ppm1, encoding polyprenol phosphate mannose synthase, and in pmt, encoding a protein O-mannosyltransferase, are resistant to phage ϕC31 and have greatly increased susceptibility to some antibiotics, including vancomycin. In this work, second-site suppressors of the vancomycin susceptibility were isolated. The suppressor strains fell into two groups. Group 1 strains had increased resistance to vancomycin, teicoplanin and β-lactams, and had mutations in the two-component sensor regulator system encoded by vanSR, leading to upegulation of the vanSRJKHAX cluster. Group 2 strains only had increased resistance to vancomycin and these mostly had mutations in sco2592 or sco2593, genes that are derepressed in the presence of phosphate and are likely to be required for the synthesis of a phosphate-containing extracellular polymer. In some suppressor strains the increased resistance was only observed in media with limited phosphate (mimicking the phenotype of wild-type S. coelicolor), but two strains, DT3017_R21 (ppm1-vanR-) and DT3017_R15 (ppm1- sco2593-), retained resistance on media with high phosphate content. These results support the view that vancomycin resistance in S. coelicolor is a trade-off between mechanisms that confer resistance and at least one that interferes with resistance mediated through the sco2594-sco2593-sco2592 operon.
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10
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Amos RA, Pattathil S, Yang JY, Atmodjo MA, Urbanowicz BR, Moremen KW, Mohnen D. A two-phase model for the non-processive biosynthesis of homogalacturonan polysaccharides by the GAUT1:GAUT7 complex. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:19047-19063. [PMID: 30327429 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Homogalacturonan (HG) is a pectic glycan in the plant cell wall that contributes to plant growth and development and cell wall structure and function, and interacts with other glycans and proteoglycans in the wall. HG is synthesized by the galacturonosyltransferase (GAUT) gene family. Two members of this family, GAUT1 and GAUT7, form a heteromeric enzyme complex in Arabidopsis thaliana Here, we established a heterologous GAUT expression system in HEK293 cells and show that co-expression of recombinant GAUT1 with GAUT7 results in the production of a soluble GAUT1:GAUT7 complex that catalyzes elongation of HG products in vitro The reaction rates, progress curves, and product distributions exhibited major differences dependent upon small changes in the degree of polymerization (DP) of the oligosaccharide acceptor. GAUT1:GAUT7 displayed >45-fold increased catalytic efficiency with DP11 acceptors relative to DP7 acceptors. Although GAUT1:GAUT7 synthesized high-molecular-weight polymeric HG (>100 kDa) in a substrate concentration-dependent manner typical of distributive (nonprocessive) glycosyltransferases with DP11 acceptors, reactions primed with short-chain acceptors resulted in a bimodal product distribution of glycan products that has previously been reported as evidence for a processive model of GT elongation. As an alternative to the processive glycosyltransfer model, a two-phase distributive elongation model is proposed in which a slow phase, which includes the de novo initiation of HG and elongation of short-chain acceptors, is distinguished from a phase of rapid elongation of intermediate- and long-chain acceptors. Upon reaching a critical chain length of DP11, GAUT1:GAUT7 elongates HG to high-molecular-weight products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Amos
- From the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and.,the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | | | | | - Melani A Atmodjo
- From the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and.,the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | | | - Kelley W Moremen
- From the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and.,the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Debra Mohnen
- From the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and .,the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
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Litschko C, Oldrini D, Budde I, Berger M, Meens J, Gerardy-Schahn R, Berti F, Schubert M, Fiebig T. A New Family of Capsule Polymerases Generates Teichoic Acid-Like Capsule Polymers in Gram-Negative Pathogens. mBio 2018; 9:e00641-18. [PMID: 29844111 PMCID: PMC5974469 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00641-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Group 2 capsule polymers represent crucial virulence factors of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. They are synthesized by enzymes called capsule polymerases. In this report, we describe a new family of polymerases that combine glycosyltransferase and hexose- and polyol-phosphate transferase activity to generate complex poly(oligosaccharide phosphate) and poly(glycosylpolyol phosphate) polymers, the latter of which display similarity to wall teichoic acid (WTA), a cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria. Using modeling and multiple-sequence alignment, we showed homology between the predicted polymerase domains and WTA type I biosynthesis enzymes, creating a link between Gram-negative and Gram-positive cell wall biosynthesis processes. The polymerases of the new family are highly abundant and found in a variety of capsule-expressing pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Bibersteinia trehalosi, and Escherichia coli with both human and animal hosts. Five representative candidates were purified, their activities were confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their predicted folds were validated by site-directed mutagenesis.IMPORTANCE Bacterial capsules play an important role in the interaction between a pathogen and the immune system of its host. During the last decade, capsule polymerases have become attractive tools for the production of capsule polymers applied as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. Conventional production of glycoconjugate vaccines requires the cultivation of the pathogen and thus the highest biosafety standards, leading to tremendous costs. With regard to animal husbandry, where vaccines could avoid the extensive use of antibiotics, conventional production is not sufficiently cost-effective. In contrast, enzymatic synthesis of capsule polymers is pathogen-free and fast, offers high stereo- and regioselectivity, and works with high efficacy. The new capsule polymerase family described here vastly increases the toolbox of enzymes available for biotechnology purposes. Representatives are abundantly found in human pathogens but also in animal pathogens, paving the way for the exploitation of polymerases for the development of a new generation of vaccines for animal husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jochen Meens
- Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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12
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Oldrini D, Fiebig T, Romano MR, Proietti D, Berger M, Tontini M, De Ricco R, Santini L, Morelli L, Lay L, Gerardy-Schahn R, Berti F, Adamo R. Combined Chemical Synthesis and Tailored Enzymatic Elongation Provide Fully Synthetic and Conjugation-Ready Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup X Vaccine Antigens. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:984-994. [PMID: 29481045 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b01057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Studies on the polymerization mode of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X capsular polymerase CsxA recently identified a truncated construct that can be immobilized and used for length controlled on-column production of oligosaccharides. Here, we combined the use of a synthetic acceptor bearing an appendix for carrier protein conjugation and the on-column process to a novel chemo-enzymatic strategy. After protein coupling of the size optimized oligosaccharide produced by the one-pot elongation procedure, we obtained a more homogeneous glycoconjugate compared to the one previously described starting from the natural polysaccharide. Mice immunized with the conjugated fully synthetic oligomer elicited functional antibodies comparable to controls immunized with the current benchmark MenX glycoconjugates prepared from the natural capsule polymer or from fragments of it enzymatically elongated. This pathogen-free technology allows the fast total in vitro construction of predefined bacterial polysaccharide fragments. Compared to conventional synthetic protocols, the procedure is more expeditious and drastically reduces the number of purification steps to achieve the oligomers. Furthermore, the presence of a linker for conjugation in the synthetic acceptor minimizes manipulations on the enzymatically produced glycan prior to protein conjugation. This approach enriches the methods for fast construction of complex bacterial carbohydrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Laura Morelli
- University of Milan, Department of Chemistry, via Golgi 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Lay
- University of Milan, Department of Chemistry, via Golgi 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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13
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Fiebig T, Litschko C, Freiberger F, Bethe A, Berger M, Gerardy-Schahn R. Efficient solid-phase synthesis of meningococcal capsular oligosaccharides enables simple and fast chemoenzymatic vaccine production. J Biol Chem 2017; 293:953-962. [PMID: 29187601 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A and X are among the leading causes of bacterial meningitis in the African meningitis belt. Glycoconjugate vaccines, consisting of an antigenic carrier protein coupled to the capsular polysaccharide of the bacterial pathogen, are the most effective strategy for prevention of meningococcal disease. However, the distribution of effective glycoconjugate vaccines in this region is limited by the high cost of cultivating pathogens and purification of their capsular polysaccharides. Moreover, chemical approaches to synthesize oligosaccharide antigens have proven challenging. In the current study, we present a chemoenzymatic approach for generating tailored oligosaccharide fractions ready for activation and coupling to the carrier protein. In a first step, the elongation modes of recombinant capsular polymerases from Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A (CsaB) and X (CsxA) were characterized. We observed that CsaB is a distributive enzyme, and CsxA is a processive enzyme. Sequence comparison of these two stealth family proteins revealed a C-terminal extension in CsxA, which conferred processivity because of the existence of a second product-binding site. Deletion of the C-terminal domain converted CsxA into a distributive enzyme, allowing facile control of product length by adjusting the ratio of donor to acceptor sugars. Solid-phase fixation of the engineered capsular polymerases enabled rapid production of capsular polysaccharides with high yield and purity. In summary, the tools developed here provide critical steps toward reducing the cost of conjugate vaccine production, which will increase access in regions with the greatest need. Our work also facilitates efforts to study the relationship between oligosaccharide size and antigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timm Fiebig
- From the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christa Litschko
- From the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Friedrich Freiberger
- From the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Bethe
- From the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- From the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- From the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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14
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Mubaiwa TD, Semchenko EA, Hartley-Tassell LE, Day CJ, Jennings MP, Seib KL. The sweet side of the pathogenic Neisseria: the role of glycan interactions in colonisation and disease. Pathog Dis 2017; 75:3867065. [PMID: 28633281 PMCID: PMC5808653 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftx063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycomics is a rapidly growing field that focuses on the structure and function of carbohydrates (glycans) in biological systems. Glycan interactions play a major role in infectious disease, at all stages of colonisation and disease progression. Neisseria meningitidis, the cause of meningococcal sepsis and meningitis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea, are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Neisseria meningitidis displays a range of surface glycosylations including capsule polysaccharide, lipooligosaccharide and O-linked glycoproteins. While N. gonorrhoeae does not have a capsule, it does express both lipooligosaccharide and O-linked glycoproteins. Neisseria gonorrhoeae also has the ability to scavenge host sialic acids, while several N. meningitidis serogroups can synthesise sialic acid. Surface expressed sialic acid is key in serum resistance and survival in the host. On the host side, the pathogenic Neisseria protein adhesins such as Opc and NHBA bind to host glycans for adherence and colonisation of host cells. Essentially, from both the bacterial and host perspective, glycan interactions are fundamental in colonisation and disease of pathogenic Neisseria. The key aspects of glycobiology of the pathogenic Neisseria are reviewed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsitsi D. Mubaiwa
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Evgeny A. Semchenko
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | | | - Christopher J. Day
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Michael P. Jennings
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Kate L. Seib
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
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15
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Liu L, Lee WS, Doray B, Kornfeld S. Engineering of GlcNAc-1-Phosphotransferase for Production of Highly Phosphorylated Lysosomal Enzymes for Enzyme Replacement Therapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2017; 5:59-65. [PMID: 28480305 PMCID: PMC5415318 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Several lysosomal enzymes currently used for enzyme replacement therapy in patients with lysosomal storage diseases contain very low levels of mannose 6-phosphate, limiting their uptake via mannose 6-phosphate receptors on the surface of the deficient cells. These enzymes are produced at high levels by mammalian cells and depend on endogenous GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase α/β precursor to phosphorylate the mannose residues on their glycan chains. We show that co-expression of an engineered truncated GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase α/β precursor and the lysosomal enzyme of interest in the producing cells resulted in markedly increased phosphorylation and cellular uptake of the secreted lysosomal enzyme. This method also results in the production of highly phosphorylated acid β-glucocerebrosidase, a lysosomal enzyme that normally has just trace amounts of this modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Wang-Sik Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Balraj Doray
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Stuart Kornfeld
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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16
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An efficient cell free enzyme-based total synthesis of a meningococcal vaccine candidate. NPJ Vaccines 2016; 1:16017. [PMID: 29263856 PMCID: PMC5707881 DOI: 10.1038/npjvaccines.2016.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a global health problem and vaccination has proven the most effective way of disease control. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X (NmX) is an emerging threat in the African sub-Saharan meningitis belt, but no vaccine is available today. Leading vaccines against Nm are glycoconjugates, in which capsular polysaccharides isolated from large-scale pathogen cultures are conjugated to adjuvant proteins. Though safe and efficacious even in infants, high costs and biohazard associated with the production limit abundant application of glycoconjugate vaccines particularly in the most afflicted nations. An existing NmX vaccine candidate (CPSXn-CRM197) produced by established protocols from NmX capsule polysaccharide (CPSX) has been shown to elicit high bactericidal immunoglobulin G titres in mice. Here we describe the scalable in vitro synthesis of CPSXiv from chemically pure precursors by the use of recombinant NmX capsule polymerase. Application of the described coupling chemistry gives CPSXiv-CRM197, which in mouse vaccination experiments behaves identical to the benchmark CPSXn-CRM197. Excluding any biohazards, this novel process represents a paradigm shift in vaccine production and a premise towards vaccine manufacturing in emerging economies.
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