PvdN Enzyme Catalyzes a Periplasmic Pyoverdine Modification

Genomic characterization of Pseudomonas spp. on food: implications for spoilage, antimicrobial resistance and human infection

BACKGROUND

Pseudomonas species are common on food, but their contribution to the antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) burden within food or as a source of clinical infection is unknown. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections and is often hard to treat due to intrinsic and acquired ARGs commonly carried by this species. This study aimed to understand the potential role of Pseudomonas on food as a reservoir of ARGs and to assess the presence of potentially clinically significant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains on food. To achieve this, we assessed the genetic relatedness (using whole genome sequencing) and virulence of food-derived isolates to those collected from humans.

RESULTS

A non-specific culturing approach for Pseudomonas recovered the bacterial genus from 28 of 32 (87.5%) retail food samples, although no P. aeruginosa was identified. The Pseudomonas species recovered were not clinically relevant, contained no ARGs and are likely associated with food spoilage. A specific culture method for P. aeruginosa resulted in the recovery of P. aeruginosa from 14 of 128 (11%) retail food samples; isolates contained between four and seven ARGs each and belonged to 16 sequence types (STs), four of which have been isolated from human infections. Food P. aeruginosa isolates from these STs demonstrated high similarity to human-derived isolates, differing by 41-312 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). There were diverse P. aeruginosa collected from the same food sample with distinct STs present on some samples and isolates belonging to the same ST differing by 19-67 SNPs. The Galleria mellonella infection model showed that 15 of 16 STs isolated from food displayed virulence between a low-virulence (PAO1) and a high virulence (PA14) control.

CONCLUSION

The most frequent Pseudomonas recovered from food examined in this study carried no ARGs and are more likely to play a role in food spoilage rather than infection. P. aeruginosa isolates likely to be able to cause human infections and with multidrug resistant genotypes are present on a relatively small but still substantial proportions of retail foods examined. Given the frequency of exposure, the potential contribution of food to the burden of P. aeruginosa infections in humans should be evaluated more closely.

Structure of the Oxygen, Pyridoxal Phosphate-Dependent Capuramycin Biosynthetic Protein Cap15

Pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes able to use oxygen as a co-substrate have emerged in multiple protein families. Here, we use crystallography to solve the 2.40 Å resolution crystal structure of Cap15, a nucleoside biosynthetic enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of glycyl uridine. Our structural study captures the internal aldimine, pinpointing the active site lysine as K230 and showing the site of phosphate binding. Our docking studies reveal how Cap15 is able to catalyze a stereoselective deprotonation reaction, and bioinformatic analysis reveals active site residues that distinguish Cap15 from the structurally related d-glucosaminate-6-phosphate ammonia lyase and l-seryl-tRNA(Sec) selenium transferase (SelA). Our work provides the structural basis for further mechanistic investigation of a unique biosynthetic enzyme and provides a blueprint for understanding how oxygen reactivity emerged in the SelA-like protein family.

A Holistic Approach from Systems Biology Reveals the Direct Influence of the Quorum-Sensing Phenomenon on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Metabolism to Pyoverdine Biosynthesis

Computational modeling and simulation of biological systems have become valuable tools for understanding and predicting cellular performance and phenotype generation. This work aimed to construct, model, and dynamically simulate the virulence factor pyoverdine (PVD) biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through a systemic approach, considering that the metabolic pathway of PVD synthesis is regulated by the quorum-sensing (QS) phenomenon. The methodology comprised three main stages: (i) Construction, modeling, and validation of the QS gene regulatory network that controls PVD synthesis in P. aeruginosa strain PAO1; (ii) construction, curating, and modeling of the metabolic network of P. aeruginosa using the flux balance analysis (FBA) approach; (iii) integration and modeling of these two networks into an integrative model using the dynamic flux balance analysis (DFBA) approximation, followed, finally, by an in vitro validation of the integrated model for PVD synthesis in P. aeruginosa as a function of QS signaling. The QS gene network, constructed using the standard System Biology Markup Language, comprised 114 chemical species and 103 reactions and was modeled as a deterministic system following the kinetic based on mass action law. This model showed that the higher the bacterial growth, the higher the extracellular concentration of QS signal molecules, thus emulating the natural behavior of P. aeruginosa PAO1. The P. aeruginosa metabolic network model was constructed based on the iMO1056 model, the P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain genomic annotation, and the metabolic pathway of PVD synthesis. The metabolic network model included the PVD synthesis, transport, exchange reactions, and the QS signal molecules. This metabolic network model was curated and then modeled under the FBA approximation, using biomass maximization as the objective function (optimization problem, a term borrowed from the engineering field). Next, chemical reactions shared by both network models were chosen to combine them into an integrative model. To this end, the fluxes of these reactions, obtained from the QS network model, were fixed in the metabolic network model as constraints of the optimization problem using the DFBA approximation. Finally, simulations of the integrative model (CCBM1146, comprising 1123 reactions and 880 metabolites) were run using the DFBA approximation to get (i) the flux profile for each reaction, (ii) the bacterial growth profile, (iii) the biomass profile, and (iv) the concentration profiles of metabolites of interest such as glucose, PVD, and QS signal molecules. The CCBM1146 model showed that the QS phenomenon directly influences the P. aeruginosa metabolism to PVD biosynthesis as a function of the change in QS signal intensity. The CCBM1146 model made it possible to characterize and explain the complex and emergent behavior generated by the interactions between the two networks, which would have been impossible to do by studying each system's individual components or scales separately. This work is the first in silico report of an integrative model comprising the QS gene regulatory network and the metabolic network of P. aeruginosa.

The ABC transporter family efflux pump PvdRT-OpmQ of Pseudomonas putida KT2440: purification and initial characterization

Tripartite efflux systems of the ABC-type family transport a variety of substrates and contribute to the antimicrobial resistance of Gram-negative bacteria. PvdRT-OpmQ, a member of this family, is thought to be involved in the secretion of the newly synthesized and recycled siderophore pyoverdine in Pseudomonas species. Here, we purified and characterized the inner membrane component PvdT and the periplasmic adapter protein PvdR of the plant growth-promoting soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440. We show that PvdT possesses an ATPase activity that is stimulated by the addition of PvdR. In addition, we provide the first biochemical evidence for direct interactions between pyoverdine and PvdRT.

Novel Insights on Pyoverdine: From Biosynthesis to Biotechnological Application

Pyoverdines (PVDs) are a class of siderophores produced mostly by members of the genus Pseudomonas. Their primary function is to accumulate, mobilize, and transport iron necessary for cell metabolism. Moreover, PVDs also play a crucial role in microbes’ survival by mediating biofilm formation and virulence. In this review, we reorganize the information produced in recent years regarding PVDs biosynthesis and pathogenic mechanisms, since PVDs are extremely valuable compounds. Additionally, we summarize the therapeutic applications deriving from the PVDs’ use and focus on their role as therapeutic target themselves. We assess the current biotechnological applications of different sectors and evaluate the state-of-the-art technology relating to the use of synthetic biology tools for pathway engineering. Finally, we review the most recent methods and techniques capable of identifying such molecules in complex matrices for drug-discovery purposes.

PvdM of fluorescent pseudomonads is required for the oxidation of ferribactin by PvdP in periplasmic pyoverdine maturation

Fluorescent pseudomonads such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Pseudomonas fluorescens produce pyoverdine siderophores that ensure iron-supply in iron-limited environments. After its synthesis in the cytoplasm, the nonfluorescent pyoverdine precursor ferribactin is exported into the periplasm, where the enzymes PvdQ, PvdP, PvdO, PvdN, and PtaA are responsible for fluorophore maturation and tailoring steps. While the roles of all these enzymes are clear, little is known about the role of PvdM, a human renal dipeptidase–related protein that is predicted to be periplasmic and that is essential for pyoverdine biogenesis. Here, we reveal the subcellular localization and functional role of PvdM. Using the model organism P. fluorescens, we show that PvdM is anchored to the periplasmic side of the cytoplasmic membrane, where it is indispensable for the activity of the tyrosinase PvdP. While PvdM does not share the metallopeptidase function of renal dipeptidase, it still has the corresponding peptide-binding site. The substrate of PvdP, deacylated ferribactin, is secreted by a ΔpvdM mutant strain, indicating that PvdM prevents loss of this periplasmic biosynthesis intermediate into the medium by ensuring the efficient transfer of ferribactin to PvdP in vivo. We propose that PvdM belongs to a new dipeptidase-related protein subfamily with inactivated Zn²⁺ coordination sites, members of which are usually genetically linked to TonB-dependent uptake systems and often associated with periplasmic FAD-dependent oxidoreductases related to d-amino acid oxidases. We suggest that these proteins are necessary for selective binding, exposure, or transfer of specific d- and l-amino acid–containing peptides and other periplasmic biomolecules in manifold pathways.

Discovery of chromene compounds as inhibitors of PvdQ acylase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The acquisition of iron is a crucial mechanism for the survival of pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa in eukaryotic hosts. The key iron chelator in this organism is the siderophore pyoverdine, which was shown to be crucial for iron homeostasis. Pyoverdine is a non-ribosomal peptide with several maturation steps in the cytoplasm and others in the periplasmatic space. A key enzyme for its maturation is the acylase PvdQ. The inhibition of PvdQ stops the maturation of pyoverdine causing a significant imbalance in the iron homeostasis and hence can negatively influence the survival of P. aeruginosa. In this work, we successfully synthesized chromene-derived inhibitory molecules targeting PvdQ in a low micromolar range. In silico modeling as well as kinetic evaluations of the inhibitors suggest a competitive inhibition of the PvdQ function. Further, we evaluated the inhibitor in vivo on P. aeruginosa cells and report a dose-dependent reduction of pyoverdine formation. The compound also showed a protecting effect in a Galleria mellonella infection model.

An unusual overrepresentation of genetic factors related to iron homeostasis in the genome of the fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. ABC1

Members of the genus Pseudomonas inhabit diverse environments, such as soil, water, plants and humans. The variability of habitats is reflected in the diversity of the structure and composition of their genomes. This cosmopolitan bacterial genus includes species of biotechnological, medical and environmental importance. In this study, we report on the most relevant genomic characteristics of Pseudomonas sp. strain ABC1, a siderophore-producing fluorescent strain recently isolated from soil. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that this strain corresponds to a novel species forming a sister clade of the recently proposed Pseudomonas kirkiae. The genomic information reveals an overrepresented repertoire of mechanisms to hoard iron when compared to related strains, including a high representation of fecI-fecR family genes related to iron regulation and acquisition. The genome of the Pseudomonas sp. ABC1 contains the genes for non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) of a novel putative Azotobacter-related pyoverdine-type siderophore, a yersiniabactin-type siderophore and an antimicrobial betalactone; the last two are found only in a limited number of Pseudomonas genomes. Strain ABC1 can produce siderophores in a low-cost medium, and the supernatants from cultures of this strain promote plant growth, highlighting their biotechnological potential as a sustainable industrial microorganism.

A tunable anthranilate-inducible gene expression system for Pseudomonas species

Abstract

Pseudomonads are among the most common bacteria in soils, limnic ecosystems, and human, animal, or plant host environments, including intensively studied species such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. putida, or P. fluorescens. Various gene expression systems are established for some species, but there is still a need for a simple system that is suitable for a wide range of pseudomonads and that can be used for physiological applications, i.e., with a tuning capacity at lower expression levels. Here, we report the establishment of the anthranilate-dependent P_antA promoter for tunable gene expression in pseudomonads. During studies on P. fluorescens, we constructed an anthranilate-inducible AntR/P_antA-based expression system, named pUCP20-ANT, and used GFP as reporter to analyze gene expression. This system was compared with the rhamnose-inducible RhaSR/P_rhaB-based expression system in an otherwise identical vector background. While the rhamnose-inducible system did not respond to lower inducer concentrations and always reached high levels over time when induced, expression levels of the pUCP20-ANT system could be adjusted to a range of distinct lower or higher levels by variation of anthranilate concentrations in the medium. Importantly, the anthranilate-inducible expression system worked also in strains of P. aeruginosa and P. putida and therefore will be most likely useful for physiological and biotechnological purposes in a wide range of pseudomonads.

Key points

• We established an anthranilate-inducible gene expression system for pseudomonads.

• This system permits tuning of gene expression in a wide range of pseudomonads.

• It will be very useful for physiological and biotechnological applications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-020-11034-8.

Oxygen reactivity with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate enzymes: biochemical implications and functional relevance

The versatility of reactions catalyzed by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) enzymes is largely due to the chemistry of their extraordinary catalyst. PLP is necessary for many reactions involving amino acids. Reaction specificity is controlled by the orientation of the external aldimine intermediate that is formed upon addition of the amino acidic substrate to the coenzyme. The breakage of a specific bond of the external aldimine gives rise to a carbanionic intermediate. From this point, the different reaction pathways diverge leading to multiple activities: transamination, decarboxylation, racemization, elimination, and synthesis. A significant novelty appeared approximately 30 years ago when it was reported that some PLP-dependent decarboxylases are able to consume molecular oxygen transforming an amino acid into a carbonyl compound. These side paracatalytic reactions could be particularly relevant for human health, also considering that some of these enzymes are responsible for the synthesis of important neurotransmitters such as γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, and serotonin, whose dysregulation under oxidative conditions could have important implications in neurodegenerative states. However, the reactivity of PLP enzymes with dioxygen is not confined to mammals/animals. In fact, some plant PLP decarboxylases have been reported to catalyze oxidative reactions producing carbonyl compounds. Moreover, other recent reports revealed the existence of new oxidase activities catalyzed by new PLP enzymes, MppP, RohP, Ind4, CcbF, PvdN, Cap15, and CuaB. These PLP enzymes belong to the bacterial and fungal kingdoms and are present in organisms synthesizing bioactive compounds. These new PLP activities are not paracatalytic and could only scratch the surface on a wider and unexpected catalytic capability of PLP enzymes.

Emergence of oxygen- and pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reactions

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is an organic cofactor employed by ~ 4% of enzymes. The structure of the PLP cofactor allows for the stabilization of carbanions through resonance. A small number of PLP-dependent enzymes employ molecular oxygen as a cosubstrate. Here, we review the biological roles and possible mechanisms of these enzymes, and we observe that these enzymes are found in multiple protein families, suggesting that reaction with oxygen might have emerged de novo in several protein families and thus could be directed to emerge again through laboratory evolution experiments.

Pyoverdine-Mediated Killing of Caenorhabditis elegans by Pseudomonas syringae MB03 and the Role of Iron in Its Pathogenicity

The pathogenicity of the common phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae toward Caenorhabditis elegans has been recently demonstrated. However, the major virulence factors involved in this interaction remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the nematocidal activity of P. syringae against C. elegans under iron-sufficient/limited conditions, primarily focusing on the role of the ferric chelator pyoverdine in a P. syringae–C. elegans liquid-based pathogenicity model. Prediction-based analysis of pyoverdine-encoding genes in the genome of the wild-type P. syringae strain MB03 revealed that the genes are located in one large cluster. Two non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes (pvdD and pvdJ) were disrupted via a Rec/TE recombination system, resulting in mutant strains with abrogated pyoverdine production and attenuated virulence against C. elegans. When used alone, pure pyoverdine also showed nematocidal activity. The role of iron used alone or with pyoverdine was further investigated in mutant and MB03-based bioassays. The results indicated that pyoverdine in P. syringae MB03 is a robust virulence factor that promotes the killing of C. elegans. We speculate that pyoverdine functions as a virulence determinant by capturing environmentally available iron for host bacterial cells, by limiting its availability for C. elegans worms, and by regulating and/or activating other intracellular virulence factors that ultimately kills C. elegans worms.

Current Advances on Structure-Function Relationships of Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate-Dependent Enzymes

Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) functions as a coenzyme in many enzymatic processes, including decarboxylation, deamination, transamination, racemization, and others. Enzymes, requiring PLP, are commonly termed PLP-dependent enzymes, and they are widely involved in crucial cellular metabolic pathways in most of (if not all) living organisms. The chemical mechanisms for PLP-mediated reactions have been well elaborated and accepted with an emphasis on the pure chemical steps, but how the chemical steps are processed by enzymes, especially by functions of active site residues, are not fully elucidated. Furthermore, the specific mechanism of an enzyme in relation to the one for a similar class of enzymes seems scarcely described or discussed. This discussion aims to link the specific mechanism described for the individual enzyme to the same types of enzymes from different species with aminotransferases, decarboxylases, racemase, aldolase, cystathionine β-synthase, aromatic phenylacetaldehyde synthase, et al. as models. The structural factors that contribute to the reaction mechanisms, particularly active site residues critical for dictating the reaction specificity, are summarized in this review.

Pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reactions in the biosynthesis of natural products

We review reactions catalyzed by pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes, highlighting enzymes reported in the recent natural product biosynthetic literature.

The biosynthesis of pyoverdines

Pyoverdines are fluorescent siderophores of pseudomonads that play important roles for growth under iron-limiting conditions. The production of pyoverdines by fluorescent pseudomonads permits their colonization of hosts ranging from humans to plants. Prominent examples include pathogenic or non-pathogenic species such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. putida, P. syringae, or P. fluorescens. Many distinct pyoverdines have been identified, all of which have a dihydroxyquinoline fluorophore in common, derived from oxidative cyclizations of non-ribosomal peptides. These serve as precursor of pyoverdines and are commonly known as ferribactins. Ferribactins of distinct species or even strains often differ in their sequence, resulting in a large variety of pyoverdines. However, synthesis of all ferribactins begins with an L-Glu/D-Tyr/L-Dab sequence, and the fluorophore is generated from the D-Tyr/L-Dab residues. In addition, the initial L-Glu residue is modified to various acids and amides that are responsible for the range of distinguishable pyoverdines in individual strains. While ferribactin synthesis is a cytoplasmic process, the maturation to the fluorescent pyoverdine as well as the tailoring of the initial glutamate are exclusively periplasmic processes that have been a mystery until recently. Here we review the current knowledge of pyoverdine biosynthesis with a focus on the recent advancements regarding the periplasmic maturation and tailoring reactions.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyoverdine maturation enzyme PvdP has a noncanonical domain architecture and affords insight into a new subclass of tyrosinases

Pyoverdines (PVDs) are important chromophore-containing siderophores of fluorescent pseudomonad bacteria such as the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in which they play an essential role in host infection. PVD biosynthesis encompasses a complex pathway comprising cytosolic nonribosomal peptide synthetases that produce a polypeptide precursor that periplasmic enzymes convert to the final product. The structures of most enzymes involved in PVD chromophore maturation have been elucidated, but the structure of the essential tyrosinase PvdP, a monooxygenase required for the penultimate step in PVD biosynthesis, is not known. Here, we closed this gap by determining the crystal structure of PvdP in an apo and tyrosine-complexed state at 2.1 and 2.7 Å, respectively. These structures revealed that PvdP is a homodimer, with each chain consisting of a C-terminal tyrosinase domain and an N-terminal eight-stranded β-barrel reminiscent of streptavidin that appears to have a structural role only. We observed that ligand binding leads to the displacement of a "placeholder" tyrosine that blocks the active site in the apo structure. This exposes a large, deep binding site that seems suitable for accommodating ferribactin, a substrate of PvdP in PVD biosynthesis. The binding site consists almost exclusively of residues from the tyrosinase domain. Of note, we also found that this domain is more closely related to tyrosinases from arthropods rather than to tyrosinases from other bacteria. In conclusion, our work unravels the structural basis of PvdP's activity in PVD biosynthesis, observations that may inform structure-guided development of PvdP-specific inhibitors to manage P. aeruginosa infections.

Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas chlororaphis Lzh-T5, a Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium with Antimicrobial Activity

Pseudomonas chlororaphis Lzh-T5 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) with antimicrobial activity isolated from tomato rhizosphere in the city of Dezhou, Shandong Province, China. Here, the draft genome sequence of P. chlororaphis Lzh-T5 is reported, and several functional genes related to antifungal antibiotics and siderophore biosynthesis have been found in the genome.

Pyridoxal-5'-phosphate as an oxygenase cofactor: Discovery of a carboxamide-forming, α-amino acid monooxygenase-decarboxylase

Capuramycins are antimycobacterial antibiotics that consist of a modified nucleoside named uridine-5'-carboxamide (CarU). Previous biochemical studies have revealed that CarU is derived from UMP, which is first converted to uridine-5'-aldehyde in a reaction catalyzed by the dioxygenase CapA and subsequently to 5'-C-glycyluridine (GlyU), an unusual β-hydroxy-α-amino acid, in a reaction catalyzed by the pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent transaldolase CapH. The remaining steps that are necessary to furnish CarU include decarboxylation, O atom insertion, and oxidation. We demonstrate that Cap15, which has sequence similarity to proteins annotated as bacterial, PLP-dependent l-seryl-tRNA(Sec) selenium transferases, is the sole catalyst responsible for complete conversion of GlyU to CarU. Using a complementary panel of in vitro assays, Cap15 is shown to be dependent upon substrates O₂ and (5'S,6'R)-GlyU, the latter of which was unexpected given that (5'S,6'S)-GlyU is the isomeric product of the transaldolase CapH. The two products of Cap15 are identified as the carboxamide-containing CarU and CO₂ While known enzymes that catalyze this type of chemistry, namely α-amino acid 2-monooxygenase, utilize flavin adenine dinucleotide as the redox cofactor, Cap15 remarkably requires only PLP. Furthermore, Cap15 does not produce hydrogen peroxide and is shown to directly incorporate a single O atom from O₂ into the product CarU and thus is an authentic PLP-dependent monooxygenase. In addition to these unusual discoveries, Cap15 activity is revealed to be dependent upon the inclusion of phosphate. The biochemical characteristics along with initiatory mechanistic studies of Cap15 are reported, which has allowed us to assign Cap15 as a PLP-dependent (5'S,6'R)-GlyU:O₂ monooxygenase-decarboxylase.

PvdO is required for the oxidation of dihydropyoverdine as the last step of fluorophore formation in Pseudomonas fluorescens

Pyoverdines are important siderophores that guarantee iron supply to important pathogenic and non-pathogenic pseudomonads in host habitats. A key characteristic of all pyoverdines is the fluorescent dihydroxyquinoline group that contributes two ligands to the iron complexes. Pyoverdines are derived from the non-ribosomally synthesized peptide ferribactin, and their fluorophore is generated by periplasmic oxidation and cyclization reactions of d-tyrosine and l-diaminobutyric acid. The formation of the fluorophore is known to be driven by the periplasmic tyrosinase PvdP. Here we report that the putative periplasmic oxidoreductase PvdO of Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 is required for the final oxidation of dihydropyoverdine to pyoverdine, which completes the fluorophore. The pvdO deletion mutant accumulates dihydropyoverdine, and this phenotype is fully complemented by recombinant PvdO. The autoxidation of dihydropyoverdine at alkaline pH and the presence of high copper concentrations can mask this phenotype. Mutagenesis of conserved residues with potential catalytic function identified Glu-260 as an essential residue whose mutation abolished function without affecting stability or transport. Glu-260 of PvdO is at the exact position of the active-site cysteine in the structurally related formylglycine-generating enzyme. Evolution thus used the same protein fold for two distinct functionalities. As purified PvdO was inactive, additional factors are required for catalysis.

The periplasmic transaminase PtaA of Pseudomonas fluorescens converts the glutamic acid residue at the pyoverdine fluorophore to α-ketoglutaric acid

The periplasmic conversion of ferribactin to pyoverdine is essential for siderophore biogenesis in fluorescent pseudomonads, such as pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa or plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens The non-ribosomal peptide ferribactin undergoes cyclizations and oxidations that result in the fluorophore, and a strictly conserved fluorophore-bound glutamic acid residue is converted to a range of variants, including succinamide, succinic acid, and α-ketoglutaric acid residues. We recently discovered that the pyridoxal phosphate-containing enzyme PvdN is responsible for the generation of the succinamide, which can be hydrolyzed to succinic acid. Based on this, a distinct unknown enzyme was postulated to be responsible for the conversion of the glutamic acid to α-ketoglutaric acid. Here we report the identification and characterization of this enzyme in P. fluorescens strain A506. In silico analyses indicated a periplasmic transaminase in fluorescent pseudomonads and other proteobacteria that we termed PtaA for "periplasmic transaminase A" An in-frame-deleted ptaA mutant selectively lacked the α-ketoglutaric acid form of pyoverdine, and recombinant PtaA complemented this phenotype. The ptaA/pvdN double mutant produced exclusively the glutamic acid form of pyoverdine. PtaA is homodimeric and contains a pyridoxal phosphate cofactor. Mutation of the active-site lysine abolished PtaA activity and affected folding as well as Tat-dependent transport of the enzyme. In pseudomonads, the occurrence of ptaA correlates with the occurrence of α-ketoglutaric acid forms of pyoverdines. As this enzyme is not restricted to pyoverdine-producing bacteria, its catalysis of periplasmic transaminations is most likely a general tool for specific biosynthetic pathways.

Nonribosomal peptide synthetase biosynthetic clusters of ESKAPE pathogens

Covering: up to 2017.Natural products are important secondary metabolites produced by bacterial and fungal species that play important roles in cellular growth and signaling, nutrient acquisition, intra- and interspecies communication, and virulence. A subset of natural products is produced by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), a family of large, modular enzymes that function in an assembly line fashion. Because of the pharmaceutical activity of many NRPS products, much effort has gone into the exploration of their biosynthetic pathways and the diverse products they make. Many interesting NRPS pathways have been identified and characterized from both terrestrial and marine bacterial sources. Recently, several NRPS pathways in human commensal bacterial species have been identified that produce molecules with antibiotic activity, suggesting another source of interesting NRPS pathways may be the commensal and pathogenic bacteria that live on the human body. The ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) have been identified as a significant cause of human bacterial infections that are frequently multidrug resistant. The emerging resistance profile of these organisms has prompted calls from multiple international agencies to identify novel antibacterial targets and develop new approaches to treat infections from ESKAPE pathogens. Each of these species contains several NRPS biosynthetic gene clusters. While some have been well characterized and produce known natural products with important biological roles in microbial physiology, others have yet to be investigated. This review catalogs the NRPS pathways of ESKAPE pathogens. The exploration of novel NRPS products may lead to a better understanding of the chemical communication used by human pathogens and potentially to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches.

Substrate Trapping in the Siderophore Tailoring Enzyme PvdQ

Siderophore biosynthesis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa enhances virulence and represents an attractive drug target. PvdQ functions in the type-1 pyoverdine biosynthetic pathway by removing a myristoyl anchor from a pyoverdine precursor, allowing eventual release from the periplasm. A circularly permuted version of PvdQ bypasses the self-processing step of this Ntn-hydrolase and retains the activity, selectivity, and structure of wild-type PvdQ, as revealed by a 1.8 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure. A 2.55 Å resolution structure of the inactive S1A/N269D-cpPvdQ mutant in complex with the pyoverdine precursor PVDIq reveals a specific binding pocket for the d-Tyr of this modified peptide substrate. To our knowledge, this structure is the first of a pyoverdine precursor peptide bound to a biosynthetic enzyme. Details of the observed binding interactions have implications for control of pyoverdine biosynthesis and inform future drug design efforts.