The YggX protein of Salmonella enterica is involved in Fe(II) trafficking and minimizes the DNA damage caused by hydroxyl radicals: residue CYS-7 is essential for YggX function

Metagenome mining and functional analysis reveal oxidized guanine DNA repair at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field

The GO DNA repair system protects against GC → TA mutations by finding and removing oxidized guanine. The system is mechanistically well understood but its origins are unknown. We searched metagenomes and abundantly found the genes encoding GO DNA repair at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF). We recombinantly expressed the final enzyme in the system to show MutY homologs function to suppress mutations. Microbes at the LCHF thrive without sunlight, fueled by the products of geochemical transformations of seafloor rocks, under conditions believed to resemble a young Earth. High levels of the reductant H2 and low levels of O2 in this environment raise the question, why are resident microbes equipped to repair damage caused by oxidative stress? MutY genes could be assigned to metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), and thereby associate GO DNA repair with metabolic pathways that generate reactive oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur species. Our results indicate that cell-based life was under evolutionary pressure to cope with oxidized guanine well before O2 levels rose following the great oxidation event.

Longitudinal Analysis of Gene Expression Changes During Cervical Carcinogenesis Reveals Potential Therapeutic Targets

Despite advances in the treatment of cervical cancer (CC), the prognosis of patients with CC remains to be improved. This study aimed to explore candidate gene targets for CC. CC datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Genes with similar expression trends in varying steps of CC development were clustered using Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) software. Gene functions were then analyzed using the Gene Ontology (GO) database and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Protein interactions among genes of interest were predicted, followed by drug-target genes and prognosis-associated genes. The expressions of the predicted genes were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. Red and green profiles with upward and downward gene expressions, respectively, were screened using STEM software. Genes with increased expression were significantly enriched in DNA replication, cell-cycle-related biological processes, and the p53 signaling pathway. Based on the predicted results of the Drug-Gene Interaction database, 17 drug-gene interaction pairs, including 3 red profile genes (TOP2A, RRM2, and POLA1) and 16 drugs, were obtained. The Cancer Genome Atlas data analysis showed that high POLA1 expression was significantly correlated with prolonged survival, indicating that POLA1 is protective against CC. RT-qPCR and Western blotting showed that the expressions of TOP2A, RRM2, and POLA1 gradually increased in the multistep process of CC. TOP2A, RRM2, and POLA1 may be targets for the treatment of CC. However, many studies are needed to validate our findings.

Genetic-Metabolic Coupling for Targeted Metabolic Engineering

Production of chemicals in microbes often employs potent biosynthetic enzymes, which can interact with the microbial native metabolism to affect cell fitness and product yield. However, production optimization largely relies on data collected from wild-type strains in the absence of metabolic perturbations, thus limiting their relevance to specific conditions. Here, we address this issue by coupling cell fitness to the production of thiamine diphosphate in Escherichia coli using a synthetic RNA biosensor. We use this strategy to interrogate a library of transposon mutants and elucidate the native gene network influencing both cell fitness and thiamine production. Ultimately, we identify effectors of the OxyR-Fur stress response that limit thiamine biosynthesis via alternative regulation of iron storage and Fe-S cluster inclusion in enzymes. This study presents a new approach for the reliable high-throughput identification of genetic targets of both known and unknown function that are directly relevant to a specific biosynthetic process.

Role of the Porphyromonas gingivalis iron-binding protein PG1777 in oxidative stress resistance

Whole genome sequencing of the response of Porphyromonas gingivalis W83 to hydrogen peroxide revealed an upregulation of several uncharacterized, novel genes. Under conditions of prolonged oxidative stress in P. gingivalis, increased expression of a unique transcriptional unit carrying the grpE, dnaJ and three other hypothetical genes (PG1777, PG1778 and PG1779) was observed. The transcriptional start site of this operon appears to be located 91 bp upstream of the translational start, with a potential -10 region at -3 nt and a -35 region at -39 nt. Isogenic P. gingivalis mutants FLL273 (PG1777 : : ermF-ermAM) and FLL293 (PG1779 : : ermF-ermAM) showed increased sensitivity to and decreased survival after treatment with hydrogen peroxide. P. gingivalis FLL273 showed a fivefold increase in the formation of spontaneous mutants when compared with the parent strain after exposure to hydrogen peroxide. The recombinant PG1777 protein displayed iron-binding properties when incubated with FeSO4 and Fe(NH4)2(SO4).6H2O. The rPG1777 protein protected DNA from degradation when exposed to hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron. Taken together, the data suggest that the grpE-dnaJ-PG1777-PG1778-PG1779 transcriptional unit may play an important role in oxidative stress resistance in P. gingivalis via its ability to protect against DNA damage.

Transition Metal Homeostasis

This chapter focuses on transition metals. All transition metal cations are toxic-those that are essential for Escherichia coli and belong to the first transition period of the periodic system of the element and also the "toxic-only" metals with higher atomic numbers. Common themes are visible in the metabolism of these ions. First, there is transport. High-rate but low-affinity uptake systems provide a variety of cations and anions to the cells. Control of the respective systems seems to be mainly through regulation of transport activity (flux control), with control of gene expression playing only a minor role. If these systems do not provide sufficient amounts of a needed ion to the cell, genes for ATP-hydrolyzing high-affinity but low-rate uptake systems are induced, e.g., ABC transport systems or P-type ATPases. On the other hand, if the amount of an ion is in surplus, genes for efflux systems are induced. By combining different kinds of uptake and efflux systems with regulation at the levels of gene expression and transport activity, the concentration of a single ion in the cytoplasm and the composition of the cellular ion "bouquet" can be rapidly adjusted and carefully controlled. The toxicity threshold of an ion is defined by its ability to produce radicals (copper, iron, chromate), to bind to sulfide and thiol groups (copper, zinc, all cations of the second and third transition period), or to interfere with the metabolism of other ions. Iron poses an exceptional metabolic problem due its metabolic importance and the low solubility of Fe(III) compounds, combined with the ability to cause dangerous Fenton reactions. This dilemma for the cells led to the evolution of sophisticated multi-channel iron uptake and storage pathways to prevent the occurrence of unbound iron in the cytoplasm. Toxic metals like Cd2+ bind to thiols and sulfide, preventing assembly of iron complexes and releasing the metal from iron-sulfur clusters. In the unique case of mercury, the cation can be reduced to the volatile metallic form. Interference of nickel and cobalt with iron is prevented by the low abundance of these metals in the cytoplasm and their sequestration by metal chaperones, in the case of nickel, or by B12 and its derivatives, in the case of cobalt. The most dangerous metal, copper, catalyzes Fenton-like reactions, binds to thiol groups, and interferes with iron metabolism. E. coli solves this problem probably by preventing copper uptake, combined with rapid efflux if the metal happens to enter the cytoplasm.

Oxidative Stress

The ancestors of Escherichia coli and Salmonella ultimately evolved to thrive in air-saturated liquids, in which oxygen levels reach 210 μM at 37°C. However, in 1976 Brown and colleagues reported that some sensitivity persists: growth defects still become apparent when hyperoxia is imposed on cultures of E. coli. This residual vulnerability was important in that it raised the prospect that normal levels of oxygen might also injure bacteria, albeit at reduced rates that are not overtly toxic. The intent of this article is both to describe the threat that molecular oxygen poses for bacteria and to detail what we currently understand about the strategies by which E. coli and Salmonella defend themselves against it. E. coli mutants that lack either superoxide dismutases or catalases and peroxidases exhibit a variety of growth defects. These phenotypes constitute the best evidence that aerobic cells continually generate intracellular superoxide and hydrogen peroxide at potentially lethal doses. Superoxide has reduction potentials that allow it to serve in vitro as either a weak univalent reductant or a stronger univalent oxidant. The addition of micromolar hydrogen peroxide to lab media will immediately block the growth of most cells, and protracted exposure will result in the loss of viability. The need for inducible antioxidant systems seems especially obvious for enteric bacteria, which move quickly from the anaerobic gut to fully aerobic surface waters or even to ROS-perfused phagolysosomes. E. coli and Salmonella have provided two paradigmatic models of oxidative-stress responses: the SoxRS and OxyR systems.

From Iron and Cysteine to Iron-Sulfur Clusters: the Biogenesis Protein Machineries

This review describes the two main systems, namely the Isc (iron-sulfur cluster) and Suf (sulfur assimilation) systems, utilized by Escherichia coli and Salmonella for the biosynthesis of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters, as well as other proteins presumably participating in this process. In the case of Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, it is assumed that the sulfur atoms from the cysteine desulfurase end up at cysteine residues of the scaffold protein, presumably waiting for iron atoms for cluster assembly. The review discusses the various potential iron donor proteins. For in vitro experiments, in general, ferrous salts are used during the assembly of Fe-S clusters, even though this approach is unlikely to reflect the physiological conditions. The fact that sulfur atoms can be directly transferred from cysteine desulfurases to scaffold proteins supports a mechanism in which the latter bind sulfur atoms first and iron atoms afterwards. In E. coli, fdx gene inactivation results in a reduced growth rate and reduced Fe-S enzyme activities. Interestingly, the SufE structure resembles that of IscU, strengthening the notion that the two proteins share the property of acting as acceptors of sulfur atoms provided by cysteine desulfurases. Several other factors have been suggested to participate in cluster assembly and repair in E. coli and Salmonella. Most of them were identified by their abilities to act as extragenic and/or multicopy suppressors of mutations in Fe-S cluster metabolism, while others possess biochemical properties that are consistent with a role in Fe-S cluster biogenesis.

Bacillithiol has a role in Fe-S cluster biogenesis in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus does not produce the low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiol glutathione, but it does produce the LMW thiol bacillithiol (BSH). To better understand the roles that BSH plays in staphylococcal metabolism, we constructed and examined strains lacking BSH. Phenotypic analysis found that the BSH-deficient strains cultured either aerobically or anaerobically had growth defects that were alleviated by the addition of exogenous iron (Fe) or the amino acids leucine and isoleucine. The activities of the iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster-dependent enzymes LeuCD and IlvD, which are required for the biosynthesis of leucine and isoleucine, were decreased in strains lacking BSH. The BSH-deficient cells also had decreased aconitase and glutamate synthase activities, suggesting a general defect in Fe-S cluster biogenesis. The phenotypes of the BSH-deficient strains were exacerbated in strains lacking the Fe-S cluster carrier Nfu and partially suppressed by multicopy expression of either sufA or nfu, suggesting functional overlap between BSH and Fe-S carrier proteins. Biochemical analysis found that SufA bound and transferred Fe-S clusters to apo-aconitase, verifying that it serves as an Fe-S cluster carrier. The results presented are consistent with the hypothesis that BSH has roles in Fe homeostasis and the carriage of Fe-S clusters to apo-proteins in S. aureus.

Transcription Factors That Defend Bacteria Against Reactive Oxygen Species

Bacteria live in a toxic world in which their competitors excrete hydrogen peroxide or superoxide-generating redox-cycling compounds. They protect themselves by activating regulons controlled by the OxyR, PerR, and SoxR transcription factors. OxyR and PerR sense peroxide when it oxidizes key thiolate or iron moieties, respectively; they then induce overlapping sets of proteins that defend their vulnerable metalloenzymes. An additional role for OxyR in detecting electrophilic compounds is possible. In some nonenteric bacteria, SoxR appears to control the synthesis and export of redox-cycling compounds, whereas in the enteric bacteria it defends the cell against the same agents. When these compounds oxidize its iron-sulfur cluster, SoxR induces proteins that exclude, excrete, or modify them. It also induces enzymes that defend the cell against the superoxide that such compounds make. Recent work has brought new insight into the biochemistry and physiology of these responses, and comparative studies have clarified their evolutionary histories.

Protective role of the PG1036-PG1037-PG1038 operon in oxidative stress in Porphyromonas gingivalis W83

As an anaerobe, Porphyromonas gingivalis is significantly affected by the harsh inflammatory environment of the periodontal pocket during initial colonization and active periodontal disease. We reported previously that the repair of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage involving 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) may occur by an undescribed mechanism in P. gingivalis. DNA affinity fractionation identified PG1037, a conserved hypothetical protein, among other proteins, that were bound to the 8-oxoG lesion. PG1037 is part of the uvrA-PG1037-pcrA operon in P. gingivalis which is known to be upregulated under H2O2 induced stress. A PCR-based linear transformation method was used to inactivate the uvrA and pcrA genes by allelic exchange mutagenesis. Several attempts to inactivate PG1037 were unsuccessful. Similar to the wild-type when plated on Brucella blood agar, the uvrA and pcrA-defective mutants were black-pigmented and beta-hemolytic. These isogenic mutants also had reduced gingipain activities and were more sensitive to H2O2 and UV irradiation compared to the parent strain. Additionally, glycosylase assays revealed that 8-oxoG repair activities were similar in both wild-type and mutant P. gingivalis strains. Several proteins, some of which are known to have oxidoreducatse activity, were shown to interact with PG1037. The purified recombinant PG1037 protein could protect DNA from H2O2-induced damage. Collectively, these findings suggest that the uvrA-PG1037-pcrA operon may play an important role in hydrogen peroxide stress-induced resistance in P. gingivalis.

Bacterial responses to reactive chlorine species

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the active ingredient of household bleach, is the most common disinfectant in medical, industrial, and domestic use and plays an important role in microbial killing in the innate immune system. Given the critical importance of the antimicrobial properties of chlorine to public health, it is surprising how little is known about the ways in which bacteria sense and respond to reactive chlorine species (RCS). Although the literature on bacterial responses to reactive oxygen species (ROS) is enormous, work addressing bacterial responses to RCS has begun only recently. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies now provide new insights into how bacteria mount defenses against this important class of antimicrobial compounds. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge, emphasizing the overlaps between RCS stress responses and other more well-characterized bacterial defense systems, and identify outstanding questions that represent productive avenues for future research.

The molecular mechanisms and physiological consequences of oxidative stress: lessons from a model bacterium

Oxic environments are hazardous. Molecular oxygen adventitiously abstracts electrons from many redox enzymes, continuously forming intracellular superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. These species can destroy the activities of metalloenzymes and the integrity of DNA, forcing organisms to protect themselves with scavenging enzymes and repair systems. Nevertheless, elevated levels of oxidants quickly poison bacteria, and both microbial competitors and hostile eukaryotic hosts exploit this vulnerability by assaulting these bacteria with peroxides or superoxide-forming antibiotics. In response, bacteria activate elegant adaptive strategies. In this Review, I summarize our current knowledge of oxidative stress in Escherichia coli, the model organism for which our understanding of damage and defence is most well developed.

FAD binding by ApbE protein from Salmonella enterica: a new class of FAD-binding proteins

The periplasmic protein ApbE was identified through the analysis of several mutants defective in thiamine biosynthesis and was implicated as having a role in iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis or repair. While mutations in apbE cause decreased activity of several iron-sulfur enzymes in vivo, the specific role of ApbE remains unknown. Members of the AbpE family include NosX and RnfF, which have been implicated in oxidation-reduction associated with nitrous oxide and nitrogen metabolism, respectively. In this work, we show that ApbE binds one FAD molecule per monomeric unit. The structure of ApbE in the presence of bound FAD reveals a new FAD-binding motif. Protein variants that are nonfunctional in vivo were generated by random and targeted mutagenesis. Each variant was substituted in the environment of the FAD and analyzed for FAD binding after reconstitution. The variant that altered a key tyrosine residue involved in FAD binding prevented reconstitution of the protein.

A role of ygfZ in the Escherichia coli response to plumbagin challenge

Plumbagin is found in many herbal plants and inhibits the growth of various bacteria. Escherichia coli strains are relatively resistant to this drug. The mechanism of resistance is not clear. Previous findings showed that plumbagin treatment triggered up-regulation of many genes in E. coli including ahpC, mdaB, nfnB, nfo, sodA, yggX and ygfZ. By analyzing minimal inhibition concentration and inhibition zones of plumbagin in various gene-disruption mutants, ygfZ and sodA were found critical for the bacteria to resist plumbagin toxicity. We also found that the roles of YgfZ and SodA in detoxifying plumbagin are independent of each other. This is because of the fact that ectopically expressed SodA reduced the superoxide stress but not restore the resistance of bacteria when encountering plumbagin at the absence of ygfZ. On the other hand, an ectopically expressed YgfZ was unable to complement and failed to rescue the plumbagin resistance when sodA was perturbed. Furthermore, mutagenesis analysis showed that residue Cys228 within YgfZ fingerprint region was critical for the resistance of E. coli to plumbagin. By solvent extraction and HPLC analysis to follow the fate of the chemical, it was found that plumbagin vanished apparently from the culture of YgfZ-expressing E. coli. A less toxic form, methylated plumbagin, which may represent one of the YgfZ-dependent metabolites, was found in the culture supernatant of the wild type E. coli but not in the ΔygfZ mutant. Our results showed that the presence of ygfZ is not only critical for the E coli resistance to plumbagin but also facilitates the plumbagin degradation.

Oxidative stress and disruption of labile iron generate specific auxotrophic requirements in Salmonella enterica

The response of a cell to integrated stresses was investigated using environmental and/or genetic perturbations that disrupted labile iron homeostasis and increased oxidative stress. The effects of the perturbations were monitored as nutritional requirements, and were traced to specific enzymic targets. A yggX gshA cyaY mutant strain required exogenous thiamine and methionine for growth. The thiamine requirement, which had previously been linked to the Fe-S cluster proteins ThiH and ThiC, was responsive to oxidative stress and was not directly affected by manipulation of the iron pool. The methionine requirement was associated with the activity of sulfite reductase, an enzyme that appeared responsive to disruption of labile iron homeostasis. The results are incorporated in a model to suggest how the activity of iron-containing enzymes not directly sensitive to oxygen can be decreased by oxidation of the labile iron pool.

Bacterial ApbC protein has two biochemical activities that are required for in vivo function

The ApbC protein has been shown previously to bind and rapidly transfer iron-sulfur ([Fe-S]) clusters to an apoprotein (Boyd, J. M., Pierik, A. J., Netz, D. J., Lill, R., and Downs, D. M. (2008) Biochemistry 47, 8195-8202. This study utilized both in vivo and in vitro assays to examine the function of variant ApbC proteins. The in vivo assays assessed the ability of ApbC proteins to function in pathways with low and high demand for [Fe-S] cluster proteins. Variant ApbC proteins were purified and assayed for the ability to hydrolyze ATP, bind [Fe-S] cluster, and transfer [Fe-S] cluster. This study details the first kinetic analysis of ATP hydrolysis for a member of the ParA subfamily of "deviant" Walker A proteins. Moreover, this study details the first functional analysis of mutant variants of the ever expanding family of ApbC/Nbp35 [Fe-S] cluster biosynthetic proteins. The results herein show that ApbC protein needs ATPase activity and the ability to bind and rapidly transfer [Fe-S] clusters for in vivo function.

Siderophore-controlled iron assimilation in the enterobacterium Erwinia chrysanthemi: evidence for the involvement of bacterioferritin and the Suf iron-sulfur cluster assembly machinery

The intracellular fate of iron acquired by bacteria during siderophore-mediated assimilation is poorly understood. We investigated this question in the pathogenic enterobacterium Erwinia chrysanthemi. This bacterium produces two siderophores, chrysobactin and achromobactin, during plant infection. We analyzed the distribution of iron into cytosolic proteins in bacterial cells supplied with 59Fe-chrysobactin using native gel electrophoresis. A parental strain and mutants deficient in bacterioferritin (bfr), miniferritin (dps), ferritin (ftnA), bacterioferredoxin (bfd), or iron-sulfur cluster assembly machinery (sufABCDSE) were studied. In the parental strain, we observed two rapidly 59Fe-labeled protein signals identified as bacterioferritin and an iron pool associated to the protein chain-elongation process. In the presence of increased 59Fe-chrysobactin concentrations, we detected mini-ferritin-bound iron. Iron incorporation into bacterioferritin was severely reduced in nonpolar sufA, sufB, sufD, sufS, and sufE mutants but not in a sufC background. Iron recycling from bacterioferritin did not occur in bfd and sufC mutants. Iron depletion caused a loss of aconitase activity, whereas ferric chrysobactin supplementation stimulated the production of active aconitase in parental cells and in bfr and bfd mutants. Aconitase activity in sufA, sufB, sufD, sufS, and sufE mutant strains was 10 times lower than that in parental cells. In the sufC mutant, it was twice as low as that in the parental strain. Defects observed in the mutants were not caused by altered ferric chrysobactin transport. Our data demonstrate a functional link between bacterioferritin, bacterioferredoxin, and the Suf protein machinery resulting in optimal bacterial growth and a balanced distribution of iron between essential metalloproteins.

Analysis of yggX and gshA mutants provides insights into the labile iron pool in Salmonella enterica

Strains of Salmonella enterica lacking YggX and the cellular reductant glutathione exhibit defects similar to those resulting from iron deficiency and oxidative stress. Mutant strains are sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, deregulate the expression of the Fur-regulated gene entB, and fail to grow on succinate medium. Suppression of some yggX gshA mutant phenotypes by the cell-permeable iron chelator deferoxamine allowed the conclusion that increased levels of cellular Fenton chemistry played a role in the growth defects. The data presented are consistent with a scenario in which glutathione acts as a physiological chelator of the labile iron pool and in which YggX acts upstream of the labile iron pool by preventing superoxide toxicity.

Salmonella enterica requires ApbC function for growth on tricarballylate: evidence of functional redundancy between ApbC and IscU

Mutants of Salmonella enterica lacking apbC have nutritional and biochemical properties indicative of defects in [Fe-S] cluster metabolism. Here we show that apbC is required for S. enterica to use tricarballylate as a carbon and energy source. Tricarballylate catabolism requires three gene products, TcuA, TcuB, and TcuC. Of relevance to this work is the TcuB protein, which has two [4Fe-4S] clusters required for function, making it a logical target for the apbC effect. TcuB activity was 100-fold lower in an apbC mutant than in the isogenic apbC(+) strain. Genetic data show that derepression of the iscRSUA-hscAB-fdx-orf3 operon or overexpression of iscU from a plasmid compensates for the lack of ApbC during growth on tricarballylate. The studies described herein provide evidence that the scaffold protein IscU has a functional overlap with ApbC and that ApbC function is involved in the synthesis of active TcuB.

Understanding microbial metabolism

Metabolism encompasses the biochemical basis of life and as such spans all biological disciplines. Many decades of basic research, primarily in microbes, have resulted in extensive characterization of metabolic components and regulatory paradigms. With this basic knowledge in hand and the technologies currently available, it has become feasible to move toward an understanding of microbial metabolism as a system rather than as a collection of component parts. Insight into the system will be generated by continued efforts to rigorously define metabolic components combined with renewed efforts to discover components and connections using in vivo-driven approaches. On the tail of a detailed understanding of components and connections that comprise metabolism will come the ability to generate a comprehensive mathematical model that describes the system. While microbes provide the logical organism for this work, the value of such a model would span biological disciplines. Described herein are approaches that can provide insight into metabolism and caveats of their use. The goal of this review is to emphasize that in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches must be used in combination to achieve a full understanding of microbial metabolism.

Solution structure of YggX: a prokaryotic protein involved in Fe(II) trafficking

We report the three-dimensional structure of YggX from Salmonella enterica, determined by solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy from protein labeled with carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 produced by Escherichia coli cells. The protein has a beta1beta2alpha1alpha2alpha3 fold that is unique to YggX and one of its homologs, a protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 45% sequence identity whose X-ray structure [Protein Data Bank (PDB) 1T07] was determined by a structural genomics center. The NMR structure, which revealed that the C-terminal region of YggX is dynamically disordered, explains why electron density from the corresponding region was missing in the X-ray structure of the Pseudomonas protein. Because it has been hypothesized that YggX has a role in iron trafficking, we investigated the influence of Fe(II) on the (1)H-(15)N NMR fingerprint region of nitrogen-15-labeled YggX. Several signals shifted or broadened upon the addition of excess Fe(II) under anoxic conditions, with His81 showing the largest effect. These results indicate that Fe(II) binds weakly to this protein at a region of the sequence conserved only in the subset of the YggX proteins from organisms similar to Salmonella. The finding that iron binds only weakly to YggX, and not to a highly conserved region of the structure, suggests that the role of this protein in iron homeostasis is more complex than previously thought.

Iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis: characterization of Escherichia coli CYaY as an iron donor for the assembly of [2Fe-2S] clusters in the scaffold IscU

The biogenesis of iron-sulfur [Fe-S] clusters requires the coordinated delivery of both iron and sulfide. Sulfide is provided by cysteine desulfurases that use L-cysteine as sulfur source. So far, the physiological iron donor has not been clearly identified. CyaY, the bacterial ortholog of frataxin, an iron binding protein thought to be involved in iron-sulfur cluster formation in eukaryotes, is a good candidate because it was shown to bind iron. Nevertheless, no functional in vitro studies showing an involvement of CyaY in [Fe-S] cluster biosynthesis have been reported so far. In this paper we demonstrate for the first time a specific interaction between CyaY and IscS, a cysteine desulfurase participating in iron-sulfur cluster assembly. Analysis of the iron-loaded CyaY protein demonstrated a strong binding of Fe(3+) and a weak binding of Fe(2+) by CyaY. Biochemical analysis showed that the CyaY-Fe(3+) protein corresponds to a mixture of monomer, intermediate forms (dimer-pentamers), and oligomers with the intermediate one corresponding to the only stable and soluble iron-containing form of CyaY. Using spectroscopic methods, this form was further demonstrated to be functional in vitro as an iron donor during [Fe-S] cluster assembly on the scaffold protein IscU in the presence of IscS and cysteine. All of these results point toward a link between CyaY and [Fe-S] cluster biosynthesis, and a possible mechanism for the process is discussed.

Expression Analysis of Up-Regulated Genes Responding to Plumbagin in Escherichia coli

Plumbagin is found in many medicinal plants and has been reported to have antimicrobial activities. We examined the molecular responses of Escherichia coli to plumbagin by using a proteomic approach to search for bacterial genes up-regulated by the drug. The protein profile obtained was compared with that of E. coli without the plumbagin treatment. Subsequent analyses of the induced proteins by mass spectroscopy identified several up-regulated genes, including ygfZ, whose function has not been defined. Analyses of the 5'-flanking sequences indicate that most of these genes contain a marbox-like stretch, and several of them are categorized as members of the mar/sox regulon. Representatives of these genes were cloned into plasmids, and the marbox-like sequences were modified by site-directed mutagenesis. It was proven that mutations in these regions substantially repressed the level of proteins encoded by the downstream genes. Furthermore, plumbagin's early effect was demonstrated to robustly induce SoxS rather than MarA, an observation distinctly different from that seen with sodium salicylate.

How Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae build Fe/S proteins

Owing to the versatile electronic properties of iron and sulfur, iron sulfur (Fe/S) clusters are perfectly suited for sensing changes in environmental conditions and regulating protein properties accordingly. Fe/S proteins have been recruited in a wide array of diverse biological processes, including electron transfer chains, metabolic pathways and gene regulatory circuits. Chemistry has revealed the great diversity of Fe/S clusters occurring in proteins. The question now is to understand how iron and sulfur come together to form Fe/S clusters and how these clusters are subsequently inserted into apoproteins. Iron, sulfide and reducing conditions were found to be sufficient for successful maturation of many apoproteins in vitro, opening the possibility that insertion might be a spontaneous event. However, as in many other biological pathways such as protein folding, genetic analyses revealed that Fe/S cluster biogenesis and insertion depend in vivo upon auxiliary proteins. This was brought to light by studies on Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase, which, in particular, led to the concept of scaffold proteins, the role of which would be to allow transient assembly of Fe/S cluster. These studies paved the way toward the identification of the ISC and SUF systems, subjects of the present review that allow Fe/S cluster assembly into apoproteins of most organisms. Despite the recent discovery of the SUF and ISC systems, remarkable progress has been made in our understanding of their molecular composition and biochemical mechanisms. Such a rapid increase in our knowledge arose from a convergent interest from researchers engaged in unrelated fields and whose complementary expertise covered most experimental approaches used in biology. Also, the high conservation of ISC and SUF systems throughout a wide array of organisms helped cross-feeding between studies. The ISC system is conserved in eubacteria and most eukaryotes, while the SUF system arises in eubacteria, archaea, plants and parasites. ISC and SUF systems share a common core function made of a cysteine desulfurase, which acts as a sulfur donor, and scaffold proteins, which act as sulfur and iron acceptors. The ISC and SUF systems also exhibit important differences. In particular, the ISC system includes an Hsp70/Hsp40-like pair of chaperones, while the SUF system involves an unorthodox ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-like component. The role of these two sets of ATP-hydrolyzing proteins in Fe/S cluster biogenesis remains unclear. Both systems are likely to target overlapping sets of apoproteins. However, regulation and phenotypic studies in E. coli, which synthesizes both types of systems, leads us to envisage ISC as the house-keeping one that functions under normal laboratory conditions, while the SUF system appears to be required in harsh environmental conditions such as oxidative stress and iron starvation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the ISC system is located in the mitochondria and its function is necessary for maturation of both mitochondrial and cytosolic Fe/S proteins. Here, we attempt to provide the first comprehensive review of the ISC and SUF systems since their discovery in the mid and late 1990s. Most emphasis is put on E. coli and S. cerevisiae models with reference to other organisms when their analysis provided us with information of particular significance. We aim at covering information made available on each Isc and Suf component by the different experimental approaches, including physiology, gene regulation, genetics, enzymology, biophysics and structural biology. It is our hope that this parallel coverage will facilitate the identification of both similarities and specificities of ISC and SUF systems.

Salmonella enterica strains lacking the frataxin homolog CyaY show defects in Fe-S cluster metabolism in vivo

In Salmonella enterica, the isc operon contains genes necessary for the synthesis of Fe-S clusters and strains lacking this operon have severe defects in a variety of cellular processes. Other cellular loci that impact Fe-S cluster synthesis to a lesser extent have been described. The cyaY locus encodes a frataxin homolog, and it is shown here that lesions in this locus affect Fe-S cluster metabolism. When present in combination with other lesions, mutations in cyaY can result in a strain with more severe defects than those lacking the isc locus.

The solution structure of the oxidative stress-related protein YggX from Escherichia coli

YggX is a highly conserved protein found only in eubacteria and is proposed to be involved in the bacterial response to oxidative stress. Here we report the solution structure of YggX from Escherichia coli determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structure of YggX displays a fold consisting of two N-terminal antiparallel beta-sheets and three alpha-helices, which shares significant structural similarity to the crystal structure of a hypothetical protein PA5148 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Previous studies propose YggX as an iron binding protein that is involved in cellular iron trafficking. Our data indicate that the protein alone does not bind iron in vitro, suggesting other cofactors or different conditions may be necessary for metal binding.

Lack of YggX results in chronic oxidative stress and uncovers subtle defects in Fe-S cluster metabolism in Salmonella enterica

As components involved in Fe-S cluster metabolism are described, the challenge becomes defining the integrated process that occurs in vivo based on the individual functions characterized in vitro. Strains lacking yggX have been used here to mimic chronic oxidative stress and uncover subtle defects in Fe-S cluster metabolism. We describe the in vivo similarities and differences between isc mutants, which have a known function in cluster assembly, and mutants disrupted in four additional loci, gshA, apbC, apbE, and rseC. The latter mutants share similarities with isc mutants: (i) a sensitivity to oxidative stress, (ii) a thiamine auxotrophy in the absence of the YggX protein, and (iii) decreased activities of Fe-S proteins, including aconitase, succinate dehydrogenase, and MiaB. However, they differ from isc mutants by displaying a phenotypic dependence on metals and a distinct defect in the SoxRS response to superoxides. Results presented herein support the proposed role of YggX in iron trafficking and protection against oxidative stress, describe additional phenotypes of isc mutants, and suggest a working model in which the ApbC, ApbE, and RseC proteins and glutathione participate in Fe-S cluster repair.

SoxRS-regulated expression and genetic analysis of the yggX gene of Escherichia coli

Genomic studies with bacteria have identified redox-responsive genes without known roles in counteracting oxidative damage. Previous transcriptional profiling showed that expression of one such gene, yggX, was activated by superoxide stress in Escherichia coli. Here we show that this activation could be mimicked by artificial expression of the regulatory protein SoxS. Northern analysis confirmed the transcriptional activation of yggX by oxidative stress or SoxS expression but not in response to the related MarA or Rob proteins. Northern analysis showed that mltC, which codes for a peptidoglycan hydrolase and is positioned immediately downstream of yggX, was also regulated by oxidative stress or ectopic expression of SoxS. Purified SoxS protein bound to the predicted yggX promoter region, between positions 223 and 163 upstream from the yggX translational start site. Within this region, a 20-bp sequence was found to be necessary for oxidative stress-mediated activation of yggX transcription. A yggX deletion strain was hypersensitive to the redox-cycling agent paraquat, and a plasmid expressing YggX complemented the sensitivity of the deletion strain. Under exposure to paraquat, the yggX deletion strain showed a deficiency in aconitase activity compared to the isogenic wild-type strain, while expression of YggX from a multicopy plasmid increased the aconitase levels above those of the wild-type strain. These results demonstrate the direct regulation of the yggX gene by the redox-sensing SoxRS system and provide further evidence for the involvement of yggX in protection of iron-sulfur proteins against oxidative damage.