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Wu J, McAuliffe O, O'Byrne CP. Manganese uptake mediated by the NRAMP-type transporter MntH is required for acid tolerance in Listeria monocytogenes. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 399:110238. [PMID: 37148667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that is characterized by its ability to withstand mild stresses (i.e. cold, acid, salt) often encountered in food products or food processing environments. In the previous phenotypic and genotypic characterization of a collection of L. monocytogenes strains, we have identified one strain 1381, originally obtained from EURL-lm, as acid sensitive (reduced survival at pH 2.3) and extremely acid intolerant (no growth at pH 4.9, which supports the growth of most strains). In this study, we investigated the cause of acid intolerance in strain 1381 by isolating and sequencing reversion mutants that were capable of growth at low pH (pH 4.8) to a similar extent as another strain (1380) from the same MLST clonal complex (CC2). Whole genome sequencing showed that a truncation in mntH, which encodes a homologue of an NRAMP (Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein) type Mn2+ transporter, is responsible for the acid intolerance phenotype observed in strain 1381. However, the mntH truncation alone was not sufficient to explain the acid sensitivity of strain 1381 at lethal pH values as strain 1381R1 (a mntH+ revertant) exhibited similar acid survival to its parental strain at pH 2.3. Further growth experiments demonstrated that Mn2+ (but not Fe2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, or Mg2+) supplementation fully rescues the growth of strain 1381 under low pH conditions, suggesting that a Mn2+ limitation is the likely cause of growth arrest in the mntH- background. Consistent with the important role of Mn2+ in the acid stress response was the finding that mntH and mntB (both encoding Mn2+ transporters) had higher transcription levels following exposure to mild acid stress (pH 5). Taken together, these results provide evidence that MntH-mediated Mn2+ uptake is essential for the growth of L. monocytogenes under low pH conditions. Moreover, since strain 1381 was recommended for conducting food challenge studies by the European Union Reference Laboratory, the use of this strain in evaluating the growth of L. monocytogenes in low pH environments where Mn2+ is scarce should be reconsidered. Furthermore, since it is unknown when strain 1381 acquired the mntH frameshift mutation, the ability of the strains used for challenge studies to grow under food-related stresses needs to be routinely validated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialun Wu
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, Ryan Institute, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | | | - Conor P O'Byrne
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, Ryan Institute, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland..
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2
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Bacillus subtilis Stressosome Sensor Protein Sequences Govern the Ability To Distinguish among Environmental Stressors and Elicit Different σ B Response Profiles. mBio 2022; 13:e0200122. [PMID: 36409125 PMCID: PMC9765535 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02001-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use a variety of systems to sense stress and mount an appropriate response to ensure fitness and survival. Bacillus subtilis uses stressosomes-cytoplasmic multiprotein complexes-to sense environmental stressors and enact the general stress response by activating the alternative sigma factor σB. Each stressosome includes 40 RsbR proteins, representing four paralogous (RsbRA, RsbRB, RsbRC, and RsbRD) putative stress sensors. Population-level analyses suggested that the RsbR paralogs are largely redundant, while our prior work using microfluidics-coupled fluorescence microscopy uncovered differences among the RsbR paralogs' σB response profiles with respect to timing and intensity when facing an identical stressor. Here, we use a similar approach to address the question of whether the σB responses mediated by each paralog differ in the presence of different environmental stressors: can they distinguish among stressors? Wild-type cells (with all four paralogs) and RsbRA-only cells activate σB with characteristic transient response timing irrespective of stressor but show various response magnitudes. However, cells with other individual RsbR paralogs show distinct timing and magnitude in their responses to ethanol, salt, oxidative, and acid stress, implying that RsbR proteins can distinguish among stressors. Experiments with hybrid fusion proteins comprising the N-terminal half of one paralog and the C-terminal half of another argue that the N-terminal identity influences response magnitude and that determinants in both halves of RsbRA are important for its stereotypical transient σB response timing. IMPORTANCE Bacterial survival depends on appropriate responses to diverse stressors. The general stress-response system in the environmental model bacterium Bacillus subtilis is constantly poised for an immediate response and uses unusual stress-sensing protein complexes called stressosomes. Stressosomes typically contain four different types of putative sensing protein. We asked whether each type of sensor has a distinct role in mediating response dynamics to different environmental stressors. We find that one sensor type always mediates a transient response, while the others show distinct response magnitude and timing to different stressors. We also find that a transient response is exceptional, as several engineered hybrid proteins did not show strong transient responses. Our work reveals functional distinctions among subunits of the stressosome complex and represents a step toward understanding how the general stress response of B. subtilis ensures its survival in natural environmental settings.
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Wu J, NicAogáin K, McAuliffe O, Jordan K, O’Byrne C. Phylogenetic and Phenotypic Analyses of a Collection of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Reveal Loss of Function of Sigma B from Several Clonal Complexes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0005122. [PMID: 35481758 PMCID: PMC9128516 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00051-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the stress responses of the important foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, we collected 139 strains (meat, n = 25; dairy, n = 10; vegetable, n = 8; seafood, n = 14; mixed food, n = 4; and food processing environments, n = 78), mostly isolated in Ireland, and subjected them to whole-genome sequencing. These strains were compared to 25 Irish clinical isolates and 4 well-studied reference strains. Core genome and pan-genome analysis confirmed a highly clonal and deeply branched population structure. Multilocus sequence typing showed that this collection contained a diverse range of strains from L. monocytogenes lineages I and II. Several groups of isolates with highly similar genome content were traced to single or multiple food business operators, providing evidence of strain persistence or prevalence, respectively. Phenotypic screening assays for tolerance to salt stress and resistance to acid stress revealed variants within several clonal complexes that were phenotypically distinct. Five of these phenotypic outliers were found to carry mutations in the sigB operon, which encodes the stress-inducible sigma factor sigma B. Transcriptional analysis confirmed that three of the strains that carried mutations in sigB, rsbV, or rsbU had reduced SigB activity, as predicted. These strains exhibited increased tolerance to salt stress and displayed decreased resistance to low pH stress. Overall, this study shows that loss-of-function mutations in the sigB operon are comparatively common in field isolates, probably reflecting the cost of the general stress response to reproductive fitness in this pathogen. IMPORTANCE The bacterial foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes frequently contaminates various categories of food products and is able to cause life-threatening infections when ingested by humans. Thus, it is important to control the growth of this bacterium in food by understanding the mechanisms that allow its proliferation under suboptimal conditions. In this study, intraspecies heterogeneity in stress response was observed across a collection consisting of mainly Irish L. monocytogenes isolates. Through comparisons of genome sequence and phenotypes observed, we identified three strains with impairment of the general stress response regulator SigB. Two of these strains are used widely in food challenge studies for evaluating the growth potential of L. monocytogenes. Given that loss of SigB function is associated with atypical phenotypic properties, the use of these strains in food challenge studies should be re-evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialun Wu
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Kerrie NicAogáin
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | | | - Kieran Jordan
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
| | - Conor O’Byrne
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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4
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Micevski D, Zeth K, Mulhern TD, Schuenemann VJ, Zammit JE, Truscott KN, Dougan DA. Insight into the RssB-Mediated Recognition and Delivery of σ s to the AAA+ Protease, ClpXP. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E615. [PMID: 32316259 PMCID: PMC7226468 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In Escherichia coli, SigmaS (σS) is the master regulator of the general stress response. The cellular levels of σS are controlled by transcription, translation and protein stability. The turnover of σS, by the AAA+ protease (ClpXP), is tightly regulated by a dedicated adaptor protein, termed RssB (Regulator of Sigma S protein B)-which is an atypical member of the response regulator (RR) family. Currently however, the molecular mechanism of σS recognition and delivery by RssB is only poorly understood. Here we describe the crystal structures of both RssB domains (RssBN and RssBC) and the SAXS analysis of full-length RssB (both free and in complex with σS). Together with our biochemical analysis we propose a model for the recognition and delivery of σS by this essential adaptor protein. Similar to most bacterial RRs, the N-terminal domain of RssB (RssBN) comprises a typical mixed (βα)5-fold. Although phosphorylation of RssBN (at Asp58) is essential for high affinity binding of σS, much of the direct binding to σS occurs via the C-terminal effector domain of RssB (RssBC). In contrast to most RRs the effector domain of RssB forms a β-sandwich fold composed of two sheets surrounded by α-helical protrusions and as such, shares structural homology with serine/threonine phosphatases that exhibit a PPM/PP2C fold. Our biochemical data demonstrate that this domain plays a key role in both substrate interaction and docking to the zinc binding domain (ZBD) of ClpX. We propose that RssB docking to the ZBD of ClpX overlaps with the docking site of another regulator of RssB, the anti-adaptor IraD. Hence, we speculate that docking to ClpX may trigger release of its substrate through activation of a "closed" state (as seen in the RssB-IraD complex), thereby coupling adaptor docking (to ClpX) with substrate release. This competitive docking to RssB would prevent futile interaction of ClpX with the IraD-RssB complex (which lacks a substrate). Finally, substrate recognition by RssB appears to be regulated by a key residue (Arg117) within the α5 helix of the N-terminal domain. Importantly, this residue is not directly involved in σS interaction, as σS binding to the R117A mutant can be restored by phosphorylation. Likewise, R117A retains the ability to interact with and activate ClpX for degradation of σS, both in the presence and absence of acetyl phosphate. Therefore, we propose that this region of RssB (the α5 helix) plays a critical role in driving interaction with σS at a distal site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimce Micevski
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Victoria, Australia; (D.M.); (J.E.Z.)
| | - Kornelius Zeth
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; (K.Z.); (V.J.S.)
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Terrence D. Mulhern
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Verena J. Schuenemann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; (K.Z.); (V.J.S.)
| | - Jessica E. Zammit
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Victoria, Australia; (D.M.); (J.E.Z.)
| | - Kaye N. Truscott
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Victoria, Australia; (D.M.); (J.E.Z.)
| | - David A. Dougan
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Victoria, Australia; (D.M.); (J.E.Z.)
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Ega SL, Drendel G, Petrovski S, Egidi E, Franks AE, Muddada S. Comparative Analysis of Structural Variations Due to Genome Shuffling of Bacillus Subtilis VS15 for Improved Cellulase Production. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041299. [PMID: 32075107 PMCID: PMC7072954 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellulose is one of the most abundant and renewable biomass products used for the production of bioethanol. Cellulose can be efficiently hydrolyzed by Bacillus subtilis VS15, a strain isolate obtained from decomposing logs. A genome shuffling approach was implemented to improve the cellulase activity of Bacillus subtilis VS15. Mutant strains were created using ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS), N-Methyl-N′ nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), and ultraviolet light (UV) followed by recursive protoplast fusion. After two rounds of shuffling, the mutants Gb2, Gc8, and Gd7 were produced that had an increase in cellulase activity of 128%, 148%, and 167%, respectively, in comparison to the wild type VS15. The genetic diversity of the shuffled strain Gd7 and wild type VS15 was compared at whole genome level. Genomic-level comparisons identified a set of eight genes, consisting of cellulase and regulatory genes, of interest for further analyses. Various genes were identified with insertions and deletions that may be involved in improved celluase production in Gd7. Strain Gd7 maintained the capability of hydrolyzing wheatbran to glucose and converting glucose to ethanol by fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae of the wild type VS17. This ability was further confirmed by the acidified potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) method.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gene Drendel
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia; (G.D.); (S.P.); (E.E.); (A.E.F.)
| | - Steve Petrovski
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia; (G.D.); (S.P.); (E.E.); (A.E.F.)
| | - Eleonora Egidi
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia; (G.D.); (S.P.); (E.E.); (A.E.F.)
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2750, Australia
| | - Ashley E. Franks
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia; (G.D.); (S.P.); (E.E.); (A.E.F.)
- Centre for Future Landscapes, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VI 3086, Australia
| | - Sudhamani Muddada
- Department of Biotechnology, K L E F University, Guntur 522 502, India;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +91-970-3470-598
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6
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Bradshaw N, Levdikov VM, Zimanyi CM, Gaudet R, Wilkinson AJ, Losick R. A widespread family of serine/threonine protein phosphatases shares a common regulatory switch with proteasomal proteases. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28527238 PMCID: PMC5468089 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PP2C phosphatases control biological processes including stress responses, development, and cell division in all kingdoms of life. Diverse regulatory domains adapt PP2C phosphatases to specific functions, but how these domains control phosphatase activity was unknown. We present structures representing active and inactive states of the PP2C phosphatase SpoIIE from Bacillus subtilis. Based on structural analyses and genetic and biochemical experiments, we identify an α-helical switch that shifts a carbonyl oxygen into the active site to coordinate a metal cofactor. Our analysis indicates that this switch is widely conserved among PP2C family members, serving as a platform to control phosphatase activity in response to diverse inputs. Remarkably, the switch is shared with proteasomal proteases, which we identify as evolutionary and structural relatives of PP2C phosphatases. Although these proteases use an unrelated catalytic mechanism, rotation of equivalent helices controls protease activity by movement of the equivalent carbonyl oxygen into the active site. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26111.001 To regulate the activity of proteins, cells often modify them by adding or removing chemical groups called phosphates. Therefore, the enzymes that add or remove these phosphate groups must be tightly regulated so that they are active at the right time and place. Enzymes known as phosphatases remove phosphate groups from proteins and the PP2Cs are one such family of enzymes that are found in bacteria, plants and animals. Despite their broad importance, it was not clear how cells control the PP2Cs. One way to understand how an enzyme is controlled is to compare the three-dimensional structures of the enzyme when it is active and when it is inactive. Bradshaw et al. used a PP2C enzyme from bacteria as a model to understand how the cell regulates other PP2Cs. The experiments reveal that the bacterial enzyme has a structural element that acts as a switch to control its activity. The phosphatase needs to bind metal ions to be active, and movement of the switch promotes binding of the metal ions to activate the phosphatase. The switch is also found in other members of the PP2C family. Furthermore, members of a seemingly unrelated family of enzymes called the proteasomal proteases, which degrade proteins, also have a similar architecture and are controlled by a similar switch. Thus, the phosphatase and protease families may have a common evolutionary history. Multiple members of the PP2C family are involved in cancer and other diseases. The discovery of a regulatory switch provides new opportunities to use drugs to control phosphatase activity in patients. Many cancer drugs that are currently in use or are under development target enzymes that add phosphate groups to proteins, but efforts to target the phosphatases have largely been unsuccessful. Bradshaw et al.’s findings may enable the development of new drugs that target protein phosphatases. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26111.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Bradshaw
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Vladimir M Levdikov
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Christina M Zimanyi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Rachelle Gaudet
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Anthony J Wilkinson
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Losick
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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Mazur SJ, Gallagher ES, Debnath S, Durell SR, Anderson KW, Miller Jenkins LM, Appella E, Hudgens JW. Conformational Changes in Active and Inactive States of Human PP2Cα Characterized by Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange-Mass Spectrometry. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2676-2689. [PMID: 28481111 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b01220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PPM serine/threonine protein phosphatases function in signaling pathways and require millimolar concentrations of Mn2+ or Mg2+ ions for activity. Whereas the crystal structure of human PP2Cα displayed two tightly bound Mn2+ ions in the active site, recent investigations of PPM phosphatases have characterized the binding of a third, catalytically essential metal ion. The binding of the third Mg2+ to PP2Cα was reported to have millimolar affinity and to be entropically driven, suggesting it may be structurally and catalytically important. Here, we report the use of hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics to characterize conformational changes in PP2Cα between the active and inactive states. In the presence of millimolar concentrations of Mg2+, metal-coordinating residues in the PP2Cα active site are maintained in a more rigid state over the catalytically relevant time scale of 30-300 s. Submillimolar Mg2+ concentrations or introduction of the D146A mutation increased the conformational mobility in the Flap subdomain and in buttressing helices α1 and α2. Residues 192-200, located in the Flap subdomain, exhibited the greatest interplay between effects of Mg2+ concentration and the D146A mutation. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the presence of the third metal ion and the D146A mutation each produce distinct conformational realignments in the Flap subdomain. These observations suggest that the binding of Mg2+ to the D146/D239 binding site stabilizes the conformation of the active site and the Flap subdomain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharlyn J Mazur
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Elyssia S Gallagher
- Bioprocess Measurement Group, Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Subrata Debnath
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Stewart R Durell
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Kyle W Anderson
- Bioprocess Measurement Group, Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Lisa M Miller Jenkins
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ettore Appella
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Jeffrey W Hudgens
- Bioprocess Measurement Group, Biomolecular Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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Abstract
The stressosome is a multi-protein signal integration and transduction hub found in a wide range of bacterial species. The role that the stressosome plays in regulating the transcription of genes involved in the general stress response has been studied most extensively in the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis. The stressosome receives and relays the signal(s) that initiate a complex phosphorylation-dependent partner switching cascade, resulting in the activation of the alternative sigma factor σB. This sigma factor controls transcription of more than 150 genes involved in the general stress response. X-ray crystal structures of individual components of the stressosome and single-particle cryo-EM reconstructions of stressosome complexes, coupled with biochemical and single cell analyses, have permitted a detailed understanding of the dynamic signalling behaviour that arises from this multi-protein complex. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses indicate that genetic modules encoding key stressosome proteins are found in a wide range of bacterial species, indicating an evolutionary advantage afforded by stressosome complexes. Interestingly, the genetic modules are associated with a variety of signalling modules encoding secondary messenger regulation systems, as well as classical two-component signal transduction systems, suggesting a diversification in function. In this chapter we review the current research into stressosome systems and discuss the functional implications of the unique structure of these signalling complexes.
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