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Alvarado Obando M, Rey-Varela D, Cava F, Dörr T. Genetic interaction mapping reveals functional relationships between peptidoglycan endopeptidases and carboxypeptidases. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011234. [PMID: 38598601 PMCID: PMC11034669 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) is the main component of the bacterial cell wall; it maintains cell shape while protecting the cell from internal osmotic pressure and external environmental challenges. PG synthesis is essential for bacterial growth and survival, and a series of PG modifications are required to allow expansion of the sacculus. Endopeptidases (EPs), for example, cleave the crosslinks between adjacent PG strands to allow the incorporation of newly synthesized PG. EPs are collectively essential for bacterial growth and must likely be carefully regulated to prevent sacculus degradation and cell death. However, EP regulation mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we used TnSeq to uncover novel EP regulators in Vibrio cholerae. This screen revealed that the carboxypeptidase DacA1 (PBP5) alleviates EP toxicity. dacA1 is essential for viability on LB medium, and this essentiality was suppressed by EP overexpression, revealing that EP toxicity both mitigates, and is mitigated by, a defect in dacA1. A subsequent suppressor screen to restore viability of ΔdacA1 in LB medium identified hypomorphic mutants in the PG synthesis pathway, as well as mutations that promote EP activation. Our data thus reveal a more complex role of DacA1 in maintaining PG homeostasis than previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Alvarado Obando
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Diego Rey-Varela
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Center for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Felipe Cava
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Center for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Cornell Institute for Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease (CIHMID), Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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2
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Marques PH, Jaiswal AK, de Almeida FA, Pinto UM, Ferreira-Machado AB, Tiwari S, Soares SDC, Paiva AD. Lactic acid bacteria secreted proteins as potential Listeria monocytogenes quorum sensing inhibitors. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10722-7. [PMID: 37658910 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an important human and animal pathogen able to cause an infection named listeriosis and is mainly transmitted through contaminated food. Among its virulence traits, the ability to form biofilms and to survive in harsh environments stand out and lead to the persistence of L. monocytogenes for long periods in food processing environments. Virulence and biofilm formation are phenotypes regulated by quorum sensing (QS) and, therefore, the control of L. monocytogenes through an anti-QS strategy is promising. This study aimed to identify, by in silico approaches, proteins secreted by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) potentially able to interfere with the agr QS system of L. monocytogenes. The genome mining of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM revealed 151 predicted secreted proteins. Concomitantly, the three-dimensional (3D) structures of AgrB and AgrC proteins of L. monocytogenes were modeled and validated, and their active sites were predicted. Through protein-protein docking and molecular dynamic, Serine-type D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidase and L,D-transpeptidase, potentially secreted by L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM, respectively, were identified with high affinity to AgrB and AgrC proteins, respectively. By inhibiting the translocation of the cyclic autoinducer peptide (cyclic AIP) via AgrB, and its recognition in the active site of AgrC, these LAB proteins could disrupt L. monocytogenes communication by impairing the agr QS system. The application of the QS inhibitors predicted in this study can emerge as a promising strategy in controlling L. monocytogenes in food processing environment and as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy for the treatment of listeriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Marques
- Interunit Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Interunit Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Felipe Alves de Almeida
- Instituto de Laticínios Cândido Tostes (ILCT), Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Uelinton Manoel Pinto
- Food Research Center, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Aline Dias Paiva
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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3
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Obando MA, Dörr T. Novel role for peptidoglycan carboxypeptidases in maintaining the balance between bacterial cell wall synthesis and degradation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.12.548665. [PMID: 37503280 PMCID: PMC10369974 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.12.548665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) is the main component of the bacterial cell wall; it maintains cell shape while protecting the cell from internal osmotic pressure and external environmental challenges. PG synthesis is essential for bacterial growth and survival, and a series of PG modifications are required to allow expansion of the sacculus. Endopeptidases (EPs), for example, cleave the crosslinks between adjacent PG strands to allow the incorporation of newly synthesized PG. EPs are collectively essential for bacterial growth and must likely be carefully regulated to prevent sacculus degradation and cell death. However, EP regulation mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we used TnSeq to uncover novel EP regulation factors in Vibrio cholerae. This screen revealed that the carboxypeptidase DacA1 (PBP5) alleviates EP toxicity. dacA1 is essential for viability on LB medium, and this essentiality was suppressed by EP overexpression, revealing that EP toxicity both mitigates, and is mitigated by, a defect in dacA1. A subsequent suppressor screen to restore viability of ΔdacA1 in LB medium was answered by hypomorphic mutants in the PG synthesis pathway, as well as mutations that promote PG degradation. Our data thus reveal a key role of DacA1 in maintaining the balance between PG synthesis and degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Alvarado Obando
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
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4
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Adams JD, Sander KB, Criddle CS, Arkin AP, Clark DS. Engineering osmolysis susceptibility in Cupriavidus necator and Escherichia coli for recovery of intracellular products. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:69. [PMID: 37046248 PMCID: PMC10091555 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02064-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intracellular biomacromolecules, such as industrial enzymes and biopolymers, represent an important class of bio-derived products obtained from bacterial hosts. A common key step in the downstream separation of these biomolecules is lysis of the bacterial cell wall to effect release of cytoplasmic contents. Cell lysis is typically achieved either through mechanical disruption or reagent-based methods, which introduce issues of energy demand, material needs, high costs, and scaling problems. Osmolysis, a cell lysis method that relies on hypoosmotic downshock upon resuspension of cells in distilled water, has been applied for bioseparation of intracellular products from extreme halophiles and mammalian cells. However, most industrial bacterial strains are non-halotolerant and relatively resistant to hypoosmotic cell lysis. RESULTS To overcome this limitation, we developed two strategies to increase the susceptibility of non-halotolerant hosts to osmolysis using Cupriavidus necator, a strain often used in electromicrobial production, as a prototypical strain. In one strategy, C. necator was evolved to increase its halotolerance from 1.5% to 3.25% (w/v) NaCl through adaptive laboratory evolution, and genes potentially responsible for this phenotypic change were identified by whole genome sequencing. The evolved halotolerant strain experienced an osmolytic efficiency of 47% in distilled water following growth in 3% (w/v) NaCl. In a second strategy, the cells were made susceptible to osmolysis by knocking out the large-conductance mechanosensitive channel (mscL) gene in C. necator. When these strategies were combined by knocking out the mscL gene from the evolved halotolerant strain, greater than 90% osmolytic efficiency was observed upon osmotic downshock. A modified version of this strategy was applied to E. coli BL21 by deleting the mscL and mscS (small-conductance mechanosensitive channel) genes. When grown in medium with 4% NaCl and subsequently resuspended in distilled water, this engineered strain experienced 75% cell lysis, although decreases in cell growth rate due to higher salt concentrations were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our strategy is shown to be a simple and effective way to lyse cells for the purification of intracellular biomacromolecules and may be applicable in many bacteria used for bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy David Adams
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kyle B Sander
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Craig S Criddle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Adam P Arkin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Douglas S Clark
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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5
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Sit B, Srisuknimit V, Bueno E, Zingl FG, Hullahalli K, Cava F, Waldor MK. Undecaprenyl phosphate translocases confer conditional microbial fitness. Nature 2023; 613:721-728. [PMID: 36450355 PMCID: PMC9876793 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05569-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The microbial cell wall is essential for maintenance of cell shape and resistance to external stressors1. The primary structural component of the cell wall is peptidoglycan, a glycopolymer with peptide crosslinks located outside of the cell membrane1. Peptidoglycan biosynthesis and structure are responsive to shifting environmental conditions such as pH and salinity2-6, but the mechanisms underlying such adaptations are incompletely understood. Precursors of peptidoglycan and other cell surface glycopolymers are synthesized in the cytoplasm and then delivered across the cell membrane bound to the recyclable lipid carrier undecaprenyl phosphate7 (C55-P, also known as UndP). Here we identify the DUF368-containing and DedA transmembrane protein families as candidate C55-P translocases, filling a critical gap in knowledge of the proteins required for the biogenesis of microbial cell surface polymers. Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria lacking their cognate DUF368-containing protein exhibited alkaline-dependent cell wall and viability defects, along with increased cell surface C55-P levels. pH-dependent synthetic genetic interactions between DUF368-containing proteins and DedA family members suggest that C55-P transporter usage is dynamic and modulated by environmental inputs. C55-P transporter activity was required by the cholera pathogen for growth and cell shape maintenance in the intestine. We propose that conditional transporter reliance provides resilience in lipid carrier recycling, bolstering microbial fitness both inside and outside the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Sit
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Veerasak Srisuknimit
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Emilio Bueno
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Franz G Zingl
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karthik Hullahalli
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Felipe Cava
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Matthew K Waldor
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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6
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Proteome Expression and Survival Strategies of a Proteorhodopsin-Containing Vibrio Strain under Carbon and Nitrogen Limitation. mSystems 2022; 7:e0126321. [PMID: 35384695 PMCID: PMC9040609 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01263-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoheterotrophy is a widespread mode of microbial metabolism, notably in the oligotrophic surface ocean, where microbes experience chronic nutrient limitation. One especially widespread form of photoheterotrophy is based on proteorhodopsin (PR), which uses light to generate proton motive force that can drive ATP synthesis, flagellar movement, or nutrient uptake. To clarify the physiological benefits conferred by PR under nutrient stress conditions, we quantified protein-level gene expression of Vibrio campbellii CAIM 519 under both carbon and nitrogen limitation and under both light and dark conditions. Using a novel membrane proteomics strategy, we determined that PR expression is higher under C limitation than N limitation but is not light regulated. Despite expression of PR photosystems, V. campbellii does not exhibit any growth or survival advantages in the light and only a few proteins show significant expression differences between light and dark conditions. While protein-level proteorhodopsin expression in V. campbellii is clearly responsive to nutrient limitation, photoheterotrophy does not appear to play a central role in the survival physiology of this organism under these nutrient stress conditions. C limitation and N limitation, however, result in very different survival responses: under N-limited conditions, viability declines, cultivability is lost rapidly, central carbon flux through the Entner-Doudoroff pathway is increased, and ammonium is assimilated via the GS-GOGAT pathway. In contrast, C limitation drives cell dwarfing with maintenance of viability, as well as utilization of the glyoxylate shunt, glutamate dehydrogenase and anaplerotic C fixation, and a stringent response mediated by the Pho regulon. IMPORTANCE Understanding the nutrient stress responses of proteorhodopsin-bearing microbes like Vibrio campbellii yields insights into microbial contributions to nutrient cycling, lifestyles of emerging pathogens in aquatic environments, and protein-level adaptations implemented during times of nutrient limitation. In addition to its broad taxonomic and geographic prevalence, the physiological role of PR is diverse, so we developed a novel proteomics strategy to quantify its expression at the protein level. We found that proteorhodopsin expression levels in this wild-type photoheterotroph under these experimental conditions, while higher under C than under N limitation, do not afford measurable light-driven growth or survival advantages. Additionally, this work links differential protein expression patterns between C- and N-limited cultures to divergent stationary-phase survival phenotypes.
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7
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Weaver AI, Alvarez L, Rosch KM, Ahmed A, Wang GS, vanNieuwenhze MS, Cava F, Dörr T. Lytic transglycosylases mitigate periplasmic crowding by degrading soluble cell wall turnover products. eLife 2022; 11:73178. [PMID: 35073258 PMCID: PMC8820737 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The peptidoglycan cell wall is a predominant structure of bacteria, determining cell shape and supporting survival in diverse conditions. Peptidoglycan is dynamic and requires regulated synthesis of new material, remodeling, and turnover – or autolysis – of old material. Despite exploitation of peptidoglycan synthesis as an antibiotic target, we lack a fundamental understanding of how peptidoglycan synthesis and autolysis intersect to maintain the cell wall. Here, we uncover a critical physiological role for a widely misunderstood class of autolytic enzymes, lytic transglycosylases (LTGs). We demonstrate that LTG activity is essential to survival by contributing to periplasmic processes upstream and independent of peptidoglycan recycling. Defects accumulate in Vibrio cholerae LTG mutants due to generally inadequate LTG activity, rather than absence of specific enzymes, and essential LTG activities are likely independent of protein-protein interactions, as heterologous expression of a non-native LTG rescues growth of a conditional LTG-null mutant. Lastly, we demonstrate that soluble, uncrosslinked, endopeptidase-dependent peptidoglycan chains, also detected in the wild-type, are enriched in LTG mutants, and that LTG mutants are hypersusceptible to the production of diverse periplasmic polymers. Collectively, our results suggest that LTGs prevent toxic crowding of the periplasm with synthesis-derived peptidoglycan polymers and, contrary to prevailing models, that this autolytic function can be temporally separate from peptidoglycan synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Alvarez
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University
| | - Kelly M Rosch
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
| | - Asraa Ahmed
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
| | | | | | - Felipe Cava
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University
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8
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Analysis of HubP-dependent cell pole protein targeting in Vibrio cholerae uncovers novel motility regulators. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009991. [PMID: 35020734 PMCID: PMC8789113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In rod-shaped bacteria, the emergence and maintenance of long-axis cell polarity is involved in key cellular processes such as cell cycle, division, environmental sensing and flagellar motility among others. Many bacteria achieve cell pole differentiation through the use of polar landmark proteins acting as scaffolds for the recruitment of functional macromolecular assemblies. In Vibrio cholerae a large membrane-tethered protein, HubP, specifically interacts with proteins involved in chromosome segregation, chemotaxis and flagellar biosynthesis. Here we used comparative proteomics, genetic and imaging approaches to identify additional HubP partners and demonstrate that at least six more proteins are subject to HubP-dependent polar localization. These include a cell-wall remodeling enzyme (DacB), a likely chemotaxis sensory protein (HlyB), two presumably cytosolic proteins of unknown function (VC1210 and VC1380) and two membrane-bound proteins, named here MotV and MotW, that exhibit distinct effects on chemotactic motility. We show that while both ΔmotW and ΔmotV mutants retain monotrichous flagellation, they present significant to severe motility defects when grown in soft agar. Video-tracking experiments further reveal that ΔmotV cells can swim in liquid environments but are unable to tumble or penetrate a semisolid matrix, whereas a motW deletion affects both tumbling frequency and swimming speed. Motility suppressors and gene co-occurrence analyses reveal co-evolutionary linkages between MotV, a subset of non-canonical CheV proteins and flagellar C-ring components FliG and FliM, whereas MotW regulatory inputs appear to intersect with specific c-di-GMP signaling pathways. Together, these results reveal an ever more versatile role for the landmark cell pole organizer HubP and identify novel mechanisms of motility regulation. Cell polarity is the result of controlled asymmetric distribution of protein macrocomplexes, genetic material, membrane lipids and cellular metabolites, and can play crucial physiological roles not only in multicellular organisms but also in unicellular bacteria. In the opportunistic cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae, the polar landmark protein HubP tethers key actors in chromosome segregation, chemotaxis and flagellar biosynthesis and thus converts the cell pole into an important functional microdomain for cell proliferation, environmental sensing and adaptation between free-living and pathogenic life-styles. Using a comparative proteomics approach, we here-in present a comprehensive analysis of HubP-dependent cell pole protein sorting and identify novel HubP partners including ones likely involved in cell wall remodeling (DacB), chemotaxis (HlyB) and motility regulation (MotV and MotW). Unlike previous studies which have identified early roles for HubP in flagellar assembly, functional, genetic and phylogenetic analyses of its MotV and MotW partners suggest a direct role in flagellar rotary mechanics and provide new insights into the coevolution and functional interdependence of chemotactic signaling, bacterial motility and biofilm formation.
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Abstract
Most bacteria are protected from environmental offenses by a cell wall consisting of strong yet elastic peptidoglycan. The cell wall is essential for preserving bacterial morphology and viability, and thus the enzymes involved in the production and turnover of peptidoglycan have become preferred targets for many of our most successful antibiotics. In the past decades, Vibrio cholerae, the gram-negative pathogen causing the diarrheal disease cholera, has become a major model for understanding cell wall genetics, biochemistry, and physiology. More than 100 articles have shed light on novel cell wall genetic determinants, regulatory links, and adaptive mechanisms. Here we provide the first comprehensive review of V. cholerae's cell wall biology and genetics. Special emphasis is placed on the similarities and differences with Escherichia coli, the paradigm for understanding cell wall metabolism and chemical structure in gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Alvarez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden;
| | - Sara B Hernandez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden;
| | - Felipe Cava
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden;
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10
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Chen X, Bai K, Lyu Q, Jiang N, Li J, Luo L. Role of Penicillin-Binding Proteins in the Viability, Morphology, Stress Tolerance, and Pathogenicity of Clavibacter michiganensis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2021; 111:1301-1312. [PMID: 33369478 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-08-20-0326-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), enzymes involved in peptidoglycan (PG) assembly, could play an important role during the induction of the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, which allows non-spore-forming bacteria to survive adverse environmental conditions. The current study found that Clavibacter michiganensis has seven PBPs. Mutant analysis indicated that deletion of either of the class B PBPs was lethal and that the class A PBPs had an important role in PG synthesis, with the ΔpbpC mutant having an altered cellular morphology that resulted in longer cells that were swollen at one end and had thinner cell walls. The ΔpbpC mutant was also found to produce mucoid colonies in solid culture and a lower final cell titer in liquid medium, as well as having high sensitivity to osmotic stress and lysozyme treatment and surprisingly high pathogenicity. The double mutant, ΔdacB/ΔpbpE, also had a slightly altered phenotype, resulting in longer cells. Further analysis revealed that both mutants had high sensitivity to copper, which resulted in quicker induction into the VBNC state. However, only the ΔpbpC mutant had significantly reduced survivorship in the VBNC state. The study also confirmed that the VBNC state significantly improved the survivorship of wild-type C. michiganensis cells in response to environmental stresses and systemically demonstrated the protective role of the VBNC state in C. michiganensis, which is an important finding regarding its epidemiology and has serious implications for disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Kaihong Bai
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Qingyang Lyu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, CAS, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
| | - Na Jiang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Jianqiang Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Laixin Luo
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
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11
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Kim YJ, Choi BJ, Park SH, Lee HB, Son JE, Choi U, Chi WJ, Lee CR. Distinct Amino Acid Availability-Dependent Regulatory Mechanisms of MepS and MepM Levels in Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:677739. [PMID: 34276609 PMCID: PMC8278236 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.677739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolases play important roles in various aspects of bacterial physiology, including cytokinesis, PG synthesis, quality control of PG, PG recycling, and antibiotic resistance. However, the regulatory mechanisms of their expression are poorly understood. In this study, we have uncovered novel regulatory mechanisms of the protein levels of the synthetically lethal PG endopeptidases MepS and MepM, which are involved in PG synthesis. A mutant defective for both MepS and MepM was lethal in an amino acid-rich medium, whereas it exhibited almost normal growth in a minimal medium, suggesting the expendability of MepS and MepM in a minimal medium. Protein levels of MepS and MepM dramatically decreased in the minimal medium. Although MepM was revealed as a substrate of Prc, a periplasmic protease involved in the proteolysis of MepS, only the decrease in the MepS level in the minimal medium was affected by the prc depletion. Phenotypic and biochemical analyses showed that the presence of aromatic amino acids in the medium induced the accumulation of MepS, but not MepM, while the presence of glutamate increased the level of MepM, but not MepS. Together, these results demonstrate that the protein levels of the two major PG endopeptidases are regulated in an amino acid availability-dependent manner, but their molecular mechanisms and signaling are significantly distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Jae Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
| | - Byoung Jun Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
| | - Si Hyoung Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
| | - Han Byeol Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
| | - Ji Eun Son
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
| | - Umji Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
| | - Won-Jae Chi
- Biological and Genetic Resource Assessment Division, National Institute of Biological Resource, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Chang-Ro Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, South Korea
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12
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L-arabinose induces the formation of viable non-proliferating spheroplasts in Vibrio cholerae. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.02305-20. [PMID: 33355111 PMCID: PMC8090878 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02305-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae, the agent of the deadly human disease cholera, propagates as a curved rod-shaped bacterium in warm waters. It is sensitive to cold, but persists in cold waters under the form of viable but non-dividing coccoidal shaped cells. Additionally, V. cholerae is able to form non-proliferating spherical cells in response to cell wall damage. It was recently reported that L-arabinose, a component of the hemicellulose and pectin of terrestrial plants, stops the growth of V. cholerae. Here, we show that L-arabinose induces the formation of spheroplasts that lose the ability to divide and stop growing in volume over time. However, they remain viable and upon removal of L-arabinose they start expanding in volume, form branched structures and give rise to cells with a normal morphology after a few divisions. We further show that WigKR, a histidine kinase/response regulator pair implicated in the induction of a high expression of cell wall synthetic genes, prevents the lysis of the spheroplasts during growth restart. Finally, we show that the physiological perturbations result from the import and catabolic processing of L-arabinose by the V. cholerae homolog of the E. coli galactose transport and catabolic system. Taken together, our results suggest that the formation of non-growing spherical cells is a common response of Vibrios exposed to detrimental conditions. They also permit to define conditions preventing any physiological perturbation of V. cholerae when using L-arabinose to induce gene expression from the tightly regulated promoter of the Escherichia coli araBAD operon.Importance Vibrios among other bacteria form transient cell wall deficient forms as a response to different stresses and revert to proliferating rods when permissive conditions have been restored. Such cellular forms have been associated to antimicrobial tolerance, chronic infections and environmental dispersion.The effect of L-Ara on V. cholerae could provide an easily tractable model to study the ability of Vibrios to form viable reversible spheroplasts. Indeed, the quick transition to spheroplasts and reversion to proliferating rods by addition or removal of L-Ara is ideal to understand the genetic program governing this physiological state and the spatial rearrangements of the cellular machineries during cell shape transitions.
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13
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Wood TE, Howard SA, Förster A, Nolan LM, Manoli E, Bullen NP, Yau HCL, Hachani A, Hayward RD, Whitney JC, Vollmer W, Freemont PS, Filloux A. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa T6SS Delivers a Periplasmic Toxin that Disrupts Bacterial Cell Morphology. Cell Rep 2020; 29:187-201.e7. [PMID: 31577948 PMCID: PMC6899460 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is crucial in interbacterial competition and is a virulence determinant of many Gram-negative bacteria. Several T6SS effectors are covalently fused to secreted T6SS structural components such as the VgrG spike for delivery into target cells. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the VgrG2b effector was previously proposed to mediate bacterial internalization into eukaryotic cells. In this work, we find that the VgrG2b C-terminal domain (VgrG2bC-ter) elicits toxicity in the bacterial periplasm, counteracted by a cognate immunity protein. We resolve the structure of VgrG2bC-ter and confirm it is a member of the zinc-metallopeptidase family of enzymes. We show that this effector causes membrane blebbing at midcell, which suggests a distinct type of T6SS-mediated growth inhibition through interference with cell division, mimicking the impact of β-lactam antibiotics. Our study introduces a further effector family to the T6SS arsenal and demonstrates that VgrG2b can target both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The structure of the VgrG2b C-terminal domain presents a metallopeptidase fold VgrG2b exerts antibacterial activity in the periplasmic space Toxicity of VgrG2b is counteracted by a cognate periplasmic immunity protein VgrG2bC-ter-intoxicated prey cells bleb at the midcell and lyse
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Wood
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sophie A Howard
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Andreas Förster
- Section of Structural Biology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Laura M Nolan
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Eleni Manoli
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Nathan P Bullen
- Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Hamish C L Yau
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Abderrahman Hachani
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Richard D Hayward
- Division of Microbiology and Parasitology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - John C Whitney
- Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Paul S Freemont
- Section of Structural Biology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alain Filloux
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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14
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Pan X, Sun C, Tang M, Liu C, Zhang J, You J, Osire T, Sun Y, Zhao Y, Xu M, Yang T, Rao Z. Loss of Serine-Type D-Ala-D-Ala Carboxypeptidase DacA Enhances Prodigiosin Production in Serratia marcescens. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:367. [PMID: 31850328 PMCID: PMC6901396 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Serratia marcescens, a gram-negative bacterium, found in a wide range of ecological niches can produce several high-value products, including prodigiosin, althiomycin, and serratamolide. Among them, prodigiosin has attracted attention due to its immunosuppressive, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. However, the regulatory mechanisms behind prodigiosin synthesis in Serratia marcescens remains limited. Here, a transposon mutant library was constructed to identify the genes related to prodigiosin synthesis, and BVG90_02415 gene encoding a peptidoglycan synthesizing enzyme D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidase DacA was found to negatively regulates prodigiosin synthesis. Quantitative measurements revealed that disruption of dacA increased prodigiosin production 1.46-fold that of the wild-type strain JNB5-1 in fermentation medium. By comparing differences in cell growth, pigA gene expression level, cell morphology, membrane permeability, and intracellular prodigiosin concentration between wild-type strain JNB5-1 and dacA mutant SK4-72, results revealed that the mechanism for hyper-producing of prodigiosin by the dacA mutant was probably that dacA disruption enhanced prodigiosin leakage, which in turn alleviated feedback inhibition of prodigiosin and increased expression of pig gene cluster. Collectively, this work provides a novel insight into regulatory mechanisms of prodigiosin synthesis and uncovers new roles of DacA protein in regulating cell growth, cell morphology, and membrane permeability in Serratia marcescens. Finally, this study offers a new strategy for improving production of high-value compounds in Serratia marcescens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Pan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Changhao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Mi Tang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jianing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiajia You
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Tolbert Osire
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Youxi Zhao
- Biochemical Engineering College, Beijing Union University, Beijing, China
| | - Meijuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Taowei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhiming Rao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Applied Microorganisms and Metabolic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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15
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Weaver AI, Jiménez-Ruiz V, Tallavajhala SR, Ransegnola BP, Wong KQ, Dörr T. Lytic transglycosylases RlpA and MltC assist in Vibrio cholerae daughter cell separation. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1100-1115. [PMID: 31286580 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cell wall is a crucial structural feature in the vast majority of bacteria and comprises a covalently closed network of peptidoglycan (PG) strands. While PG synthesis is important for survival under many conditions, the cell wall is also a dynamic structure, undergoing degradation and remodeling by 'autolysins', enzymes that break down PG. Cell division, for example, requires extensive PG remodeling, especially during separation of daughter cells, which depends heavily upon the activity of amidases. However, in Vibrio cholerae, we demonstrate that amidase activity alone is insufficient for daughter cell separation and that lytic transglycosylases RlpA and MltC both contribute to this process. MltC and RlpA both localize to the septum and are functionally redundant under normal laboratory conditions; however, only RlpA can support normal cell separation in low-salt media. The division-specific activity of lytic transglycosylases has implications for the local structure of septal PG, suggesting that there may be glycan bridges between daughter cells that cannot be resolved by amidases. We propose that lytic transglycosylases at the septum cleave PG strands that are crosslinked beyond the reach of the highly regulated activity of the amidase and clear PG debris that may block the completion of outer membrane invagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna I Weaver
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Valeria Jiménez-Ruiz
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Srikar R Tallavajhala
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Brett P Ransegnola
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Kimberly Q Wong
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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16
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Abstract
BolA family proteins are conserved in Gram-negative bacteria and many eukaryotes. While diverse cellular phenotypes have been linked to this protein family, the molecular pathways through which these proteins mediate their effects are not well described. Here, we investigated the roles of BolA family proteins in Vibrio cholerae, the cholera pathogen. Like Escherichia coli, V. cholerae encodes two BolA proteins, BolA and IbaG. However, in marked contrast to E. coli, where bolA is linked to cell shape and ibaG is not, in V. cholerae, bolA mutants lack morphological defects, whereas ibaG proved critical for the generation and/or maintenance of the pathogen's morphology. Notably, the bizarre-shaped, multipolar, elongated, and wide cells that predominated in exponential-phase ΔibaG V. cholerae cultures were not observed in stationary-phase cultures. The V. cholerae ΔibaG mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to cell envelope stressors, including cell wall-acting antibiotics and bile, and was defective in intestinal colonization. ΔibaG V. cholerae had reduced peptidoglycan and lipid II and altered outer membrane lipids, likely contributing to the mutant's morphological defects and sensitivity to envelope stressors. Transposon insertion sequencing analysis of ibaG's genetic interactions suggested that ibaG is involved in several processes involved in the generation and homeostasis of the cell envelope. Furthermore, copurification studies revealed that IbaG interacts with proteins containing iron-sulfur clusters or involved in their assembly. Collectively, our findings suggest that V. cholerae IbaG controls cell morphology and cell envelope integrity through its role in biogenesis or trafficking of iron-sulfur cluster proteins.IMPORTANCE BolA-like proteins are conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These proteins have been linked to a variety of phenotypes, but the pathways and mechanisms through which they act have not been extensively characterized. Here, we unraveled the role of the BolA-like protein IbaG in the cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae The absence of IbaG was associated with dramatic changes in cell morphology, sensitivity to envelope stressors, and intestinal colonization defects. IbaG was found to be required for biogenesis of several components of the V. cholerae cell envelope and to interact with numerous iron-sulfur cluster-containing proteins and factors involved in their assembly. Thus, our findings suggest that IbaG governs V. cholerae cell shape and cell envelope homeostasis through its effects on iron-sulfur proteins and associated pathways. The diversity of processes involving iron-sulfur-containing proteins is likely a factor underlying the range of phenotypes associated with BolA family proteins.
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17
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Taylor JA, Sichel SR, Salama NR. Bent Bacteria: A Comparison of Cell Shape Mechanisms in Proteobacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol 2019; 73:457-480. [PMID: 31206344 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-115919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Helical cell shape appears throughout the bacterial phylogenetic tree. Recent exciting work characterizing cell shape mutants in a number of curved and helical Proteobacteria is beginning to suggest possible mechanisms and provide tools to assess functional significance. We focus here on Caulobacter crescentus, Vibrio cholerae, Helicobacter pylori, and Campylobacter jejuni, organisms from three classes of Proteobacteria that live in diverse environments, from freshwater and saltwater to distinct compartments within the gastrointestinal tract of humans and birds. Comparisons among these bacteria reveal common themes as well as unique solutions to the task of maintaining cell curvature. While motility appears to be influenced in all these bacteria when cell shape is perturbed, consequences on niche colonization are diverse, suggesting the need to consider additional selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Taylor
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; .,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Sophie R Sichel
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.,Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nina R Salama
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; .,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
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18
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Principal coordinate analysis assisted chromatographic analysis of bacterial cell wall collection: A robust classification approach. Anal Biochem 2018; 550:8-14. [PMID: 29649471 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the present work, Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) is introduced to develop a robust model to classify the chromatographic data sets of peptidoglycan sample. PcoA captures the heterogeneity present in the data sets by using the dissimilarity matrix as input. Thus, in principle, it can even capture the subtle differences in the bacterial peptidoglycan composition and can provide a more robust and fast approach for classifying the bacterial collection and identifying the novel cell wall targets for further biological and clinical studies. The utility of the proposed approach is successfully demonstrated by analysing the two different kind of bacterial collections. The first set comprised of peptidoglycan sample belonging to different subclasses of Alphaproteobacteria. Whereas, the second set that is relatively more intricate for the chemometric analysis consist of different wild type Vibrio Cholerae and its mutants having subtle differences in their peptidoglycan composition. The present work clearly proposes a useful approach that can classify the chromatographic data sets of chromatographic peptidoglycan samples having subtle differences. Furthermore, present work clearly suggest that PCoA can be a method of choice in any data analysis workflow.
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19
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Abstract
Transposon insertion site sequencing (TIS) permits genome-wide, quantitative fitness assessment of individual genomic loci. In addition to the identification of essential genes in given growth conditions, TIS enables the elucidation of genetic networks such as synthetic lethal or suppressor gene combinations. Therefore, TIS becomes an exceptionally powerful tool for the high-throughput determination of genotype-phenotype relationships in bacteria. Here, we describe a protocol for the generation of high-density transposon insertion libraries and subsequent preparation of DNA samples for Illumina sequencing using the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae as an example.
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20
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Abstract
Peptidoglycan is an essential component of the cell wall that protects bacteria from environmental stress. A carefully coordinated biosynthesis of peptidoglycan during cell elongation and division is required for cell viability. This biosynthesis involves sophisticated enzyme machineries that dynamically synthesize, remodel, and degrade peptidoglycan. However, when and where bacteria build peptidoglycan, and how this is coordinated with cell growth, have been long-standing questions in the field. The improvement of microscopy techniques has provided powerful approaches to study peptidoglycan biosynthesis with high spatiotemporal resolution. Recent development of molecular probes further accelerated the growth of the field, which has advanced our knowledge of peptidoglycan biosynthesis dynamics and mechanisms. Here, we review the technologies for imaging the bacterial cell wall and its biosynthesis activity. We focus on the applications of fluorescent d-amino acids, a newly developed type of probe, to visualize and study peptidoglycan synthesis and dynamics, and we provide direction for prospective research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atanas D Radkov
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.,Current affiliation: Biophysics and Biochemistry Department, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA;
| | - Yen-Pang Hsu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA; , ,
| | - Garrett Booher
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA; , ,
| | - Michael S VanNieuwenhze
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA; , ,
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21
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Silva-Valenzuela CA, Lazinski DW, Kahne SC, Nguyen Y, Molina-Quiroz RC, Camilli A. Growth arrest and a persister state enable resistance to osmotic shock and facilitate dissemination of Vibrio cholerae. THE ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:2718-2728. [PMID: 28742070 PMCID: PMC5702728 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is a water-borne bacterial pathogen and causative agent of cholera. Although V. cholerae is a halophile, it can survive in fresh water, and this has a major role in cholera epidemics through consumption of contaminated water and subsequent fecal-oral spread. After dissemination from humans back into fresh water, V. cholerae encounters limited nutrient availability and an abrupt drop in conductivity but little is known about how V. cholerae adapts to, and survives in this environment. In this work, by abolishing or altering the expression of V. cholerae genes in a high-throughput manner, we observed that many osmotic shock tolerant mutants exhibited slowed or arrested growth, and/or generated a higher proportion of persister cells. In addition, we show that growth-arrested V. cholerae, including a persister subpopulation, are generated during infection of the intestinal tract and together allow for the successful dissemination to fresh water. Our results suggest that growth-arrested and persister subpopulations enable survival of V. cholerae upon shedding to the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia A Silva-Valenzuela
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David W Lazinski
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shoshanna C Kahne
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Y Nguyen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roberto C Molina-Quiroz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Camilli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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22
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Zhao H, Patel V, Helmann JD, Dörr T. Don't let sleeping dogmas lie: new views of peptidoglycan synthesis and its regulation. Mol Microbiol 2017; 106:847-860. [PMID: 28975672 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cell wall synthesis is the target for some of our most powerful antibiotics and has thus been the subject of intense research focus for more than 50 years. Surprisingly, we still lack a fundamental understanding of how bacteria build, maintain and expand their cell wall. Due to technical limitations, directly testing hypotheses about the coordination and biochemistry of cell wall synthesis enzymes or architecture has been challenging, and interpretation of data has therefore often relied on circumstantial evidence and implicit assumptions. A number of recent papers have exploited new technologies, like single molecule tracking and real-time, high resolution temporal mapping of cell wall synthesis processes, to address fundamental questions of bacterial cell wall biogenesis. The results have challenged established dogmas and it is therefore timely to integrate new data and old observations into a new model of cell wall biogenesis in rod-shaped bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Vaidehi Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA.,Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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23
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PG-Metrics: A chemometric-based approach for classifying bacterial peptidoglycan data sets and uncovering their subjacent chemical variability. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186197. [PMID: 29040278 PMCID: PMC5645090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria cells are protected from osmotic and environmental stresses by an exoskeleton-like polymeric structure called peptidoglycan (PG) or murein sacculus. This structure is fundamental for bacteria’s viability and thus, the mechanisms underlying cell wall assembly and how it is modulated serve as targets for many of our most successful antibiotics. Therefore, it is now more important than ever to understand the genetics and structural chemistry of the bacterial cell walls in order to find new and effective methods of blocking it for the treatment of disease. In the last decades, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry have been demonstrated to provide the required resolution and sensitivity to characterize the fine chemical structure of PG. However, the large volume of data sets that can be produced by these instruments today are difficult to handle without a proper data analysis workflow. Here, we present PG-metrics, a chemometric based pipeline that allows fast and easy classification of bacteria according to their muropeptide chromatographic profiles and identification of the subjacent PG chemical variability between e.g. bacterial species, growth conditions and, mutant libraries. The pipeline is successfully validated here using PG samples from different bacterial species and mutants in cell wall proteins. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that PG-metrics pipeline is a valuable bioanalytical tool that can lead us to cell wall classification and biomarker discovery.
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24
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Alvarez L, Aliashkevich A, de Pedro MA, Cava F. Bacterial secretion of D-arginine controls environmental microbial biodiversity. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 12:438-450. [PMID: 29028003 PMCID: PMC5776457 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria face tough competition in polymicrobial communities. To persist in a specific niche, many species produce toxic extracellular effectors to interfere with the growth of nearby microbes. These effectors include the recently reported non-canonical D-amino acids (NCDAAs). In Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, NCDAAs control cell wall integrity in stationary phase. Here, an analysis of the composition of the extracellular medium of V. cholerae revealed the unprecedented presence of D-Arg. Compared with other D-amino acids, D-Arg displayed higher potency and broader toxicity in terms of the number of bacterial species affected. Tolerance to D-Arg was associated with mutations in the phosphate transport and chaperone systems, whereas D-Met lethality was suppressed by mutations in cell wall determinants. These observations suggest that NCDAAs target different cellular processes. Finally, even though virtually all Vibrio species are tolerant to D-Arg, only a few can produce this D-amino acid. Indeed, we demonstrate that D-Arg may function as part of a cooperative strategy in vibrio communities to protect non-producing members from competing bacteria. Because NCDAA production is widespread in bacteria, we anticipate that D-Arg is a relevant modulator of microbial subpopulations in diverse ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Alvarez
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alena Aliashkevich
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Miguel A de Pedro
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa', Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Felipe Cava
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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25
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Impacts of Penicillin Binding Protein 2 Inactivation on β-Lactamase Expression and Muropeptide Profile in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. mSystems 2017; 2:mSystems00077-17. [PMID: 28861525 PMCID: PMC5574705 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00077-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducible expression of chromosomally encoded β-lactamase(s) is a key mechanism for β-lactam resistance in Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The muropeptides produced during the peptidoglycan recycling pathway act as activator ligands for β-lactamase(s) induction. The muropeptides 1,6-anhydromuramyl pentapeptide and 1,6-anhydromuramyl tripeptide are the known activator ligands for ampC β-lactamase expression in E. cloacae. Here, we dissected the type of muropepetides for L1/L2 β-lactamase expression in an mrdA deletion mutant of S. maltophilia. Distinct from the findings with the ampC system, 1,6-anhydromuramyl tetrapeptide is the candidate for ΔmrdA-mediated β-lactamase expression in S. maltophilia. Our work extends the understanding of β-lactamase induction and provides valuable information for combating the occurrence of β-lactam resistance. Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) are involved in peptidoglycan synthesis, and their inactivation is linked to β-lactamase expression in ampR–β-lactamase module–harboring Gram-negative bacteria. There are seven annotated PBP genes, namely, mrcA, mrcB, pbpC, mrdA, ftsI, dacB, and dacC, in the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia genome, and these genes encode PBP1a, PBP1b, PBP1c, PBP2, PBP3, PBP4, and PBP6, respectively. In addition, S. maltophilia harbors two β-lactamase genes, L1 and L2, whose expression is induced via β-lactam challenge. The impact of PBP inactivation on L1/L2 expression was assessed in this study. Inactivation of mrdA resulted in increased L1/L2 expression in the absence of β-lactam challenge, and the underlying mechanism was further elucidated. The roles of ampNG, ampDI (the homologue of Escherichia coli ampD), nagZ, ampR, and creBC in L1/L2 expression mediated by a ΔmrdA mutant strain were assessed via mutant construction and β-lactamase activity determinations. Furthermore, the strain ΔmrdA-mediated change in the muropeptide profile was assessed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The mutant ΔmrdA-mediated L1/L2 expression relied on functional AmpNG, AmpR, and NagZ, was restricted by AmpDI, and was less related to the CreBC two-component system. Inactivation of mrdA significantly increased the levels of total and periplasmic N-acetylglucosaminyl-1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanyl-d-glutamyl-meso-diamnopimelic acid-d-alanine (GlcNAc-anhMurNAc tetrapeptide, or M4N), supporting that the critical activator ligands for mutant strain ΔmrdA-mediated L1/L2 expression are anhMurNAc tetrapeptides. IMPORTANCE Inducible expression of chromosomally encoded β-lactamase(s) is a key mechanism for β-lactam resistance in Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The muropeptides produced during the peptidoglycan recycling pathway act as activator ligands for β-lactamase(s) induction. The muropeptides 1,6-anhydromuramyl pentapeptide and 1,6-anhydromuramyl tripeptide are the known activator ligands for ampC β-lactamase expression in E. cloacae. Here, we dissected the type of muropepetides for L1/L2 β-lactamase expression in an mrdA deletion mutant of S. maltophilia. Distinct from the findings with the ampC system, 1,6-anhydromuramyl tetrapeptide is the candidate for ΔmrdA-mediated β-lactamase expression in S. maltophilia. Our work extends the understanding of β-lactamase induction and provides valuable information for combating the occurrence of β-lactam resistance.
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Espaillat A, Forsmo O, El Biari K, Björk R, Lemaitre B, Trygg J, Cañada FJ, de Pedro MA, Cava F. Chemometric Analysis of Bacterial Peptidoglycan Reveals Atypical Modifications That Empower the Cell Wall against Predatory Enzymes and Fly Innate Immunity. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:9193-204. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b04430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Espaillat
- Laboratory
for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology,
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Oskar Forsmo
- Laboratory
for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology,
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Khouzaima El Biari
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Björk
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global
Health Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Station
19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Trygg
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Francisco Javier Cañada
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A. de Pedro
- Centro
de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Felipe Cava
- Laboratory
for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology,
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
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