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Bowlin MQ, Lieber AD, Long AR, Gray MJ. C-terminal Poly-histidine Tags Alter Escherichia coli Polyphosphate Kinase Activity and Susceptibility to Inhibition. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168651. [PMID: 38866092 PMCID: PMC11297678 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
In Escherichia coli, many environmental stressors trigger polyphosphate (polyP) synthesis by polyphosphate kinase (PPK1), including heat, nutrient restriction, toxic compounds, and osmotic imbalances. PPK1 is essential for virulence in many pathogens and has been the target of multiple screens for small molecule inhibitors that might serve as new anti-virulence drugs. However, the mechanisms by which PPK1 activity and polyP synthesis are regulated are poorly understood. Our previous attempts to uncover PPK1 regulatory elements resulted in the discovery of PPK1* mutants, which accumulate more polyP in vivo, but do not produce more in vitro. In attempting to further characterize these mutant enzymes, we discovered that the most commonly-used PPK1 purification method - Ni-affinity chromatography using a C-terminal poly-histidine tag - altered intrinsic aspects of the PPK1 enzyme, including specific activity, oligomeric state, and kinetic values. We developed an alternative purification strategy using a C-terminal C-tag which did not have these effects. Using this strategy, we were able to demonstrate major differences in the in vitro response of PPK1 to 5-aminosalicylic acid, a known PPK1 inhibitor, and observed several key differences between the wild-type and PPK1* enzymes, including changes in oligomeric distribution, increased enzymatic activity, and increased resistance to both product (ADP) and substrate (ATP) inhibition, that help to explain their in vivo effects. Importantly, our results indicate that the C-terminal poly-histidine tag is inappropriate for purification of PPK1, and that any in vitro studies or inhibitor screens performed with such tags need to be reconsidered in that light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Q Bowlin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Avery D Lieber
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Abagail R Long
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Michael J Gray
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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Shah R, Jankiewicz O, Johnson C, Livingston B, Dahl JU. Pseudomonas aeruginosa kills Staphylococcus aureus in a polyphosphate-dependent manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570291. [PMID: 38106195 PMCID: PMC10723280 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Due to their frequent coexistence in many polymicrobial infections, including in patients with burn or chronic wounds or cystic fibrosis, recent studies have started to investigate the mechanistic details of the interaction between the opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. P. aeruginosa rapidly outcompetes S. aureus under in vitro co-cultivation conditions, which is mediated by several of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors. Here, we report that polyphosphate (polyP), an efficient stress defense system and virulence factor in P. aeruginosa, plays a role for the pathogen's ability to inhibit and kill S. aureus in a contact-independent manner. We show that P. aeruginosa cells characterized by low polyP level are less detrimental to S. aureus growth and survival while the gram-positive pathogen is significantly more compromised by the presence of P. aeruginosa cells that produce high level of polyP. We show that the polyP-dependent phenotype could be a direct effect by the biopolymer, as polyP is present in the spent media and causes significant damage to the S. aureus cell envelope. However, more likely is that polyP's effects are indirect through the regulation of one of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors, pyocyanin. We show that pyocyanin production in P. aeruginosa occurs polyP-dependent and harms S. aureus through membrane damage and the generation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in increased expression of antioxidant enzymes. In summary, our study adds a new component to the list of biomolecules that the gram-negative pathogen P. aeruginosa generates to compete with S. aureus for resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritika Shah
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Olivia Jankiewicz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Colton Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Barry Livingston
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Jan-Ulrik Dahl
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
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3
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Crompton ME, Gaessler LF, Tawiah PO, Polzer L, Camfield SK, Jacobson GD, Naudszus MK, Johnson C, Meurer K, Bennis M, Roseberry B, Sultana S, Dahl JU. Expression of RcrB confers resistance to hypochlorous acid in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0006423. [PMID: 37791752 PMCID: PMC10601744 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00064-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To eradicate bacterial pathogens, neutrophils are recruited to the sites of infection, where they engulf and kill microbes through the production of reactive oxygen and chlorine species (ROS/RCS). The most prominent RCS is the antimicrobial oxidant hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which rapidly reacts with various amino acid side chains, including those containing sulfur and primary/tertiary amines, causing significant macromolecular damage. Pathogens like uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the primary causative agent of urinary tract infections, have developed sophisticated defense systems to protect themselves from HOCl. We recently identified the RcrR regulon as a novel HOCl defense strategy in UPEC. Expression of the rcrARB operon is controlled by the HOCl-sensing transcriptional repressor RcrR, which is oxidatively inactivated by HOCl resulting in the expression of its target genes, including rcrB. The rcrB gene encodes a hypothetical membrane protein, deletion of which substantially increases UPEC's susceptibility to HOCl. However, the mechanism behind protection by RcrB is unclear. In this study, we investigated whether (i) its mode of action requires additional help, (ii) rcrARB expression is induced by physiologically relevant oxidants other than HOCl, and (iii) expression of this defense system is limited to specific media and/or cultivation conditions. We provide evidence that RcrB expression is sufficient to protect E. coli from HOCl. Furthermore, RcrB expression is induced by and protects from several RCS but not from ROS. RcrB plays a protective role for RCS-stressed planktonic cells under various growth and cultivation conditions but appears to be irrelevant for UPEC's biofilm formation. IMPORTANCE Bacterial infections pose an increasing threat to human health, exacerbating the demand for alternative treatments. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the most common etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs), are confronted by neutrophilic attacks in the bladder, and must therefore be equipped with powerful defense systems to fend off the toxic effects of reactive chlorine species. How UPEC deal with the negative consequences of the oxidative burst in the neutrophil phagosome remains unclear. Our study sheds light on the requirements for the expression and protective effects of RcrB, which we recently identified as UPEC's most potent defense system toward hypochlorous acid (HOCl) stress and phagocytosis. Thus, this novel HOCl stress defense system could potentially serve as an attractive drug target to increase the body's own capacity to fight UTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E. Crompton
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Luca F. Gaessler
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Patrick O. Tawiah
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Lisa Polzer
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Sydney K. Camfield
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Grady D. Jacobson
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Maren K. Naudszus
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Colton Johnson
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Kennadi Meurer
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehdi Bennis
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Brendan Roseberry
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Sadia Sultana
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Jan-Ulrik Dahl
- Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
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Crompton ME, Gaessler LF, Tawiah PO, Pfirsching L, Camfield SK, Johnson C, Meurer K, Bennis M, Roseberry B, Sultana S, Dahl JU. Expression of RcrB confers resistance to hypochlorous acid in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.01.543251. [PMID: 37398214 PMCID: PMC10312555 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.01.543251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
To eradicate bacterial pathogens, neutrophils are recruited to the sites of infection, where they engulf and kill microbes through the production of reactive oxygen and chlorine species (ROS/RCS). The most prominent RCS is antimicrobial oxidant hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which rapidly reacts with various amino acids side chains, including those containing sulfur and primary/tertiary amines, causing significant macromolecular damage. Pathogens like uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the primary causative agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs), have developed sophisticated defense systems to protect themselves from HOCl. We recently identified the RcrR regulon as a novel HOCl defense strategy in UPEC. The regulon is controlled by the HOCl-sensing transcriptional repressor RcrR, which is oxidatively inactivated by HOCl resulting in the expression of its target genes, including rcrB . rcrB encodes the putative membrane protein RcrB, deletion of which substantially increases UPEC's susceptibility to HOCl. However, many questions regarding RcrB's role remain open including whether (i) the protein's mode of action requires additional help, (ii) rcrARB expression is induced by physiologically relevant oxidants other than HOCl, and (iii) expression of this defense system is limited to specific media and/or cultivation conditions. Here, we provide evidence that RcrB expression is sufficient to E. coli 's protection from HOCl and induced by and protects from several RCS but not from ROS. RcrB plays a protective role for RCS-stressed planktonic cells under various growth and cultivation conditions but appears to be irrelevant for UPEC's biofilm formation. IMPORTANCE Bacterial infections pose an increasing threat to human health exacerbating the demand for alternative treatment options. UPEC, the most common etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs), are confronted by neutrophilic attacks in the bladder, and must therefore be well equipped with powerful defense systems to fend off the toxic effects of RCS. How UPEC deal with the negative consequences of the oxidative burst in the neutrophil phagosome remains unclear. Our study sheds light on the requirements for the expression and protective effects of RcrB, which we recently identified as UPEC's most potent defense system towards HOCl-stress and phagocytosis. Thus, this novel HOCl-stress defense system could potentially serve as an attractive drug target to increase the body's own capacity to fight UTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E. Crompton
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Luca F. Gaessler
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Patrick O. Tawiah
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Lisa Pfirsching
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Sydney K. Camfield
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Colton Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Kennadi Meurer
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Mehdi Bennis
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Brendan Roseberry
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Sadia Sultana
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Jan-Ulrik Dahl
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
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Redox-Mediated Inactivation of the Transcriptional Repressor RcrR is Responsible for Uropathogenic Escherichia coli's Increased Resistance to Reactive Chlorine Species. mBio 2022; 13:e0192622. [PMID: 36073817 PMCID: PMC9600549 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01926-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to overcome stressful environments is critical for pathogen survival in the host. One challenge for bacteria is the exposure to reactive chlorine species (RCS), which are generated by innate immune cells as a critical part of the oxidative burst. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is the most potent antimicrobial RCS and is associated with extensive macromolecular damage in the phagocytized pathogen. However, bacteria have evolved defense strategies to alleviate the effects of HOCl-mediated damage. Among these are RCS-sensing transcriptional regulators that control the expression of HOCl-protective genes under non-stress and HOCl stress. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the major causative agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs), is particularly exposed to infiltrating neutrophils during pathogenesis; however, their responses to and defenses from HOCl are still completely unexplored. Here, we present evidence that UPEC strains tolerate higher levels of HOCl and are better protected from neutrophil-mediated killing compared with other E. coli. Transcriptomic analysis of HOCl-stressed UPEC revealed the upregulation of an operon consisting of three genes, one of which encodes the transcriptional regulator RcrR. We identified RcrR as a HOCl-responsive transcriptional repressor, which, under non-stress conditions, is bound to the operator and represses the expression of its target genes. During HOCl exposure, however, the repressor forms reversible intermolecular disulfide bonds and dissociates from the DNA resulting in the derepression of the operon. Deletion of one of the target genes renders UPEC significantly more susceptible to HOCl and phagocytosis indicating that the HOCl-mediated induction of the regulon plays a major role for UPEC’s HOCl resistance.
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Polyphosphate Kinase Is Required for the Processes of Virulence and Persistence in Acinetobacter baumannii. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0123022. [PMID: 35867473 PMCID: PMC9430702 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01230-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii, one of the most successful bacteria causing severe nosocomial infection, was identified as a top-priority pathogen by the WHO. Thus, genetic manipulations to clarify the potential targets for fighting A. baumannii resistance and virulence are vital. Polyphosphate (polyP) kinase (PPK) is conserved in nearly all bacteria and is responsible for polyP formation, which is associated with bacterial pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance. In this study, ppk1-deficient (Δppk1::Apr), ppk1-complemented (Δppk1::Apr/PJL02-ppk1), and wild-type strains of A. baumannii ATCC 17978 were used to determine the influence of PPK1 on A. baumannii virulence and persistence mainly by polyP quantification, surface motility, biofilm formation, and bacterial persistence assays. Our work found that PPK1 is indispensable for polyP formation in vivo and that the motility of the PPK1-deficient strain was significantly impaired due to the lack of a pilus-like structure typically present compared with the complemented and wild-type strains. The deficiency of PPK1 also inhibited the biofilm formation of A. baumannii and decreased bacterial persistence under stimuli of high-concentration ampicillin (Amp) treatment, H2O2 stress, heat shock, and starvation stress. Furthermore, ppk1-deficient bacterium-infected mice showed a significantly reduced bacterial load and a decreased inflammatory response. However, complementation with PPK1 effectively rescued the impaired virulence and persistence of ppk1-deficient A. baumannii. In addition, metabonomic analysis revealed that PPK1 was associated with glycerophospholipid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. Taken together, our results suggest that targeting PPK1 to control A. baumannii pathogenicity and persistence is a feasible strategy to fight this pathogen. IMPORTANCEA. baumannii was identified as a top-priority pathogen by the WHO due to its antibiotic resistance. Meanwhile, the pathogenicity of A. baumannii mediated by several vital virulence factors also cannot be ignored. Here, the role of PPK1 in A. baumannii was also explored. We found that the motility ability and biofilm formation of a PPK1-deficient strain were significantly impaired. Furthermore, PPK1 was essential for its persistence maintenance to resist stimuli of high-concentration Amp treatment, H2O2 stress, heat shock, and starvation stress. Metabonomic analysis revealed that PPK1 was associated with glycerophospholipid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. In addition, ppk1-deficient bacterium-infected mice showed significantly reduced bacterial loads and a decreased inflammatory responses in vivo. Together, our results suggest that PPK1 is vital for A. baumannii pathogenicity and persistence.
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Bowlin MQ, Long AR, Huffines JT, Gray MJ. The role of nitrogen-responsive regulators in controlling inorganic polyphosphate synthesis in Escherichia coli. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168:001185. [PMID: 35482529 PMCID: PMC10233264 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is synthesized by bacteria under stressful environmental conditions and acts by a variety of mechanisms to promote cell survival. While the kinase that synthesizes polyP (PPK, encoded by the ppk gene) is well known, ppk transcription is not activated by environmental stress and little is understood about how environmental stress signals lead to polyP accumulation. Previous work has shown that the transcriptional regulators DksA, RpoN (σ54) and RpoE (σ24) positively regulate polyP production, but not ppk transcription, in Escherichia coli. In this work, we examine the role of the alternative sigma factor RpoN and nitrogen starvation stress response pathways in controlling polyP synthesis. We show that the RpoN enhancer binding proteins GlnG and GlrR impact polyP production, and uncover a new role for the nitrogen phosphotransferase regulator PtsN (EIIANtr) as a positive regulator of polyP production, acting upstream of DksA, downstream of RpoN and apparently independently of RpoE. However, neither these regulatory proteins nor common nitrogen metabolites appear to act directly on PPK, and the precise mechanism(s) by which polyP production is modulated after stress remain(s) unclear. Unexpectedly, we also found that the genes that impact polyP production vary depending on the composition of the rich media in which the cells were grown before exposure to polyP-inducing stress. These results constitute progress towards deciphering the regulatory networks driving polyP production under stress, and highlight the remarkable complexity of this regulation and its connections to a broad range of stress-sensing pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Q. Bowlin
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Abagail Renee Long
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Joshua T. Huffines
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Michael Jeffrey Gray
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Tang-Fichaux M, Branchu P, Nougayrède JP, Oswald E. Tackling the Threat of Cancer Due to Pathobionts Producing Colibactin: Is Mesalamine the Magic Bullet? Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13120897. [PMID: 34941734 PMCID: PMC8703417 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13120897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Colibactin is a genotoxin produced primarily by Escherichia coli harboring the genomic pks island (pks+ E. coli). Pks+ E. coli cause host cell DNA damage, leading to chromosomal instability and gene mutations. The signature of colibactin-induced mutations has been described and found in human colorectal cancer (CRC) genomes. An inflamed intestinal environment drives the expansion of pks+ E. coli and promotes tumorigenesis. Mesalamine (i.e., 5-aminosalycilic acid), an effective anti-inflammatory drug, is an inhibitor of the bacterial polyphosphate kinase (PPK). This drug not only inhibits the production of intestinal inflammatory mediators and the proliferation of CRC cells, but also limits the abundance of E. coli in the gut microbiota and diminishes the production of colibactin. Here, we describe the link between intestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer induced by pks+ E. coli. We discuss the potential mechanisms of the pleiotropic role of mesalamine in treating both inflammatory bowel diseases and reducing the risk of CRC due to pks+ E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tang-Fichaux
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, 31024 Toulouse, France; (M.T.-F.); (P.B.); (J.-P.N.)
| | - Priscilla Branchu
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, 31024 Toulouse, France; (M.T.-F.); (P.B.); (J.-P.N.)
| | - Jean-Philippe Nougayrède
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, 31024 Toulouse, France; (M.T.-F.); (P.B.); (J.-P.N.)
| | - Eric Oswald
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, 31024 Toulouse, France; (M.T.-F.); (P.B.); (J.-P.N.)
- Service de Bactériology-Hygiène, Hôpital Purpan, CHU de Toulouse, 31059 Toulouse, France
- Correspondence:
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Inorganic Polyphosphate in Host and Microbe Biology. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:1013-1023. [PMID: 33632603 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is produced by both bacteria and their eukaryotic hosts, and it appears to play multiple important roles in the interactions between those organisms. However, the detailed mechanisms of how polyP synthesis is regulated in bacteria, and how it influences both bacterial and host biology, remain largely unexplored. In this review, we examine recent developments in the understanding of how bacteria regulate the synthesis of polyP, what roles polyP plays in controlling virulence in pathogenic bacteria, and the effects of polyP on the mammalian immune system, as well as progress on developing drugs that may be able to target bacterial polyP synthesis as novel means of treating infectious disease.
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