1
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Olea-Ozuna RJ, Poggio S, Bergström E, Osorio A, Elufisan TO, Padilla-Gómez J, Martínez-Aguilar L, López-Lara IM, Thomas-Oates J, Geiger O. Genes required for phosphosphingolipid formation in Caulobacter crescentus contribute to bacterial virulence. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012401. [PMID: 39093898 PMCID: PMC11324152 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012401] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids are ubiquitous in membranes of eukaryotes and are associated with important cellular functions. Although sphingolipids occur scarcely in bacteria, for some of them they are essential and, in other bacteria, they contribute to fitness and stability of the outer membrane, such as in the well-studied α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. We previously defined five structural genes for ceramide synthesis in C. crescentus, among them the gene for serine palmitoyltransferase, the enzyme that catalyzes the committed step of sphingolipid biosynthesis. Other mutants affected in genes of this same genomic region show cofitness with a mutant deficient in serine palmitoyltransferase. Here we show that at least two phosphosphingolipids are produced in C. crescentus and that at least another six gene products are needed for the decoration of ceramide upon phosphosphingolipid formation. All eleven genes participating in phosphosphingolipid formation are also required in C. crescentus for membrane stability and for displaying sensitivity towards the antibiotic polymyxin B. The genes for the formation of complex phosphosphingolipids are also required for C. crescentus virulence on Galleria mellonella insect larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Jhonatan Olea-Ozuna
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Sebastian Poggio
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ed Bergström
- Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry and Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Aurora Osorio
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Temidayo Oluyomi Elufisan
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Jonathan Padilla-Gómez
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Lourdes Martínez-Aguilar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Isabel M. López-Lara
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Jane Thomas-Oates
- Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry and Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Otto Geiger
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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2
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Uchendu CG, Guan Z, Klein EA. Spatial organization of bacterial sphingolipid synthesis enzymes. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107276. [PMID: 38588805 PMCID: PMC11087976 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids are produced by nearly all eukaryotes where they play significant roles in cellular processes such as cell growth, division, programmed cell death, angiogenesis, and inflammation. While it was previously believed that sphingolipids were quite rare among bacteria, bioinformatic analysis of the recently identified bacterial sphingolipid synthesis genes suggests that these lipids are likely to be produced by a wide range of microbial species. The sphingolipid synthesis pathway consists of three critical enzymes. Serine palmitoyltransferase catalyzes the condensation of serine with palmitoyl-CoA (or palmitoyl-acyl carrier protein), ceramide synthase adds the second acyl chain, and a reductase reduces the ketone present on the long-chain base. While there is general agreement regarding the identity of these bacterial enzymes, the precise mechanism and order of chemical reactions for microbial sphingolipid synthesis is more ambiguous. Two mechanisms have been proposed. First, the synthesis pathway may follow the well characterized eukaryotic pathway in which the long-chain base is reduced prior to the addition of the second acyl chain. Alternatively, our previous work suggests that addition of the second acyl chain precedes the reduction of the long-chain base. To distinguish between these two models, we investigated the subcellular localization of these three key enzymes. We found that serine palmitoyltransferase and ceramide synthase are localized to the cytoplasm, whereas the ceramide reductase is in the periplasmic space. This is consistent with our previously proposed model wherein the second acyl chain is added in the cytoplasm prior to export to the periplasm where the lipid molecule is reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chioma G Uchendu
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric A Klein
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, New Jersey, USA; Biology Department, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
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3
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Ding S, von Meijenfeldt FAB, Bale NJ, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Villanueva L. Production of structurally diverse sphingolipids by anaerobic marine bacteria in the euxinic Black Sea water column. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae153. [PMID: 39113610 PMCID: PMC11334938 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Microbial lipids, used as taxonomic markers and physiological indicators, have mainly been studied through cultivation. However, this approach is limited due to the scarcity of cultures of environmental microbes, thereby restricting insights into the diversity of lipids and their ecological roles. Addressing this limitation, here we apply metalipidomics combined with metagenomics in the Black Sea, classifying and tentatively identifying 1623 lipid-like species across 18 lipid classes. We discovered over 200 novel, abundant, and structurally diverse sphingolipids in euxinic waters, including unique 1-deoxysphingolipids with long-chain fatty acids and sulfur-containing groups. Sphingolipids were thought to be rare in bacteria and their molecular and ecological functions in bacterial membranes remain elusive. However, genomic analysis focused on sphingolipid biosynthesis genes revealed that members of 38 bacterial phyla in the Black Sea can synthesize sphingolipids, representing a 4-fold increase from previously known capabilities and accounting for up to 25% of the microbial community. These sphingolipids appear to be involved in oxidative stress response, cell wall remodeling, and are associated with the metabolism of nitrogen-containing molecules. Our findings underscore the effectiveness of multi-omics approaches in exploring microbial chemical ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Ding
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1797 SZ 't Horntje, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - F A Bastiaan von Meijenfeldt
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1797 SZ 't Horntje, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole J Bale
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1797 SZ 't Horntje, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap S Sinninghe Damsté
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1797 SZ 't Horntje, Texel, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 1797 SZ 't Horntje, Texel, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
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4
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Geiger O, Sanchez-Flores A, Padilla-Gomez J, Degli Esposti M. Multiple approaches of cellular metabolism define the bacterial ancestry of mitochondria. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh0066. [PMID: 37556552 PMCID: PMC10411912 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
We breathe at the molecular level when mitochondria in our cells consume oxygen to extract energy from nutrients. Mitochondria are characteristic cellular organelles that derive from aerobic bacteria and carry out oxidative phosphorylation and other key metabolic pathways in eukaryotic cells. The precise bacterial origin of mitochondria and, consequently, the ancestry of the aerobic metabolism of our cells remain controversial despite the vast genomic information that is now available. Here, we use multiple approaches to define the most likely living relatives of the ancestral bacteria from which mitochondria originated. These bacteria live in marine environments and exhibit the highest frequency of aerobic traits and genes for the metabolism of fundamental lipids that are present in the membranes of eukaryotes, sphingolipids, and cardiolipin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto Geiger
- Center for Genomic Sciences, UNAM Campus de Morelos, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Alejandro Sanchez-Flores
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformatica, Institute of Biotechnology, UNAM, Cuernavaca, México
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5
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Padilla-Gómez J, Olea-Ozuna RJ, Contreras-Martínez S, Morales-Tarré O, García-Soriano DA, Sahonero-Canavesi DX, Poggio S, Encarnación-Guevara S, López-Lara IM, Geiger O. Specialized acyl carrier protein used by serine palmitoyltransferase to synthesize sphingolipids in Rhodobacteria. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:961041. [PMID: 35992722 PMCID: PMC9386255 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.961041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) catalyzes the first and committed step in sphingolipid biosynthesis condensating L-serine and acyl-CoA to form 3-oxo-sphinganine. Whenever the structural gene for SPT is present in genomes of Rhodobacteria (α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria), it co-occurs with genes coding for a putative acyl carrier protein (ACP) and a putative acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS). In the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, CC_1162 encodes an SPT, whereas CC_1163 and CC_1165 encode the putative ACP and ACS, respectively, and all three genes are known to be required for the formation of the sphingolipid intermediate 3-oxo-sphinganine. Here we show that the putative ACP possesses a 4'-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group, is selectively acylated by the putative ACS and therefore is a specialized ACP (AcpR) required for sphingolipid biosynthesis in Rhodobacteria. The putative ACS is unable to acylate coenzyme A or housekeeping ACPs, but acylates specifically AcpR. Therefore, it is a specialized acyl-ACP synthetase (AasR). SPTs from C. crescentus, Escherichia coli B, or Sphingomonas wittichii use preferentially acyl-AcpR as thioester substrate for 3-oxo-sphinganine synthesis. Whereas acyl-AcpR from C. crescentus is a good substrate for SPTs from distinct Rhodobacteria, acylation of a specific AcpR is achieved by the cognate AasR from the same bacterium. Rhodobacteria might use this more complex way of 3-oxo-sphinganine formation in order to direct free fatty acids toward sphingolipid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Padilla-Gómez
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | | | | | - Orlando Morales-Tarré
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | | | | | - Sebastian Poggio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Isabel M. López-Lara
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Otto Geiger
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Otto Geiger,
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6
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Radka CD, Miller DJ, Frank MW, Rock CO. Biochemical characterization of the first step in sulfonolipid biosynthesis in Alistipes finegoldii. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102195. [PMID: 35760102 PMCID: PMC9304779 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102195] [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] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfonolipids are unusual lipids found in the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes. Sulfonolipid and its deacylated derivative, capnine, are sulfur analogs of ceramide-1-phosphate and sphingosine-1-phosphate, respectively; thus, sulfonolipid biosynthesis is postulated to be similar to the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway. Here, we identify the first enzyme in sulfonolipid synthesis in Alistipes finegoldii, an anaerobic gut commensal bacterium, as the product of the alfi_1224 gene, cysteate acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) transferase (SulA). We show SulA catalyzes the condensation of acyl-ACP and cysteate (3-sulfo-alanine) to form 3-ketocapnine. Acyl-CoA is a poor substrate. We show SulA has a bound pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) cofactor that undergoes a spectral redshift in the presence of cysteate, consistent with the transition of the lysine-aldimine complex to a substrate-aldimine complex. Furthermore, the SulA crystal structure shows the same prototypical fold found in bacterial serine palmitoyltransferases (Spt), enveloping the PLP cofactor bound to Lys251. We observed the SulA and Spt active sites are identical except for Lys281 in SulA, which is an alanine in Spt. Additionally, SulA(K281A) is catalytically inactive, but binds cysteate and forms the external aldimine normally, highlighting the structural role of the Lys281 side chain in walling off the active site from bulk solvent. Finally, the electropositive groove on the protein surface adjacent to the active site entrance provides a landing pad for the electronegative acyl-ACP surface. Taken together, these data identify the substrates, products, and mechanism of SulA, the PLP-dependent condensing enzyme that catalyzes the first step in sulfonolipid synthesis in a gut commensal bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Radka
- Departments of, Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, 38015, USA.
| | - Darcie J Miller
- Departments of, Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, 38015, USA
| | - Matthew W Frank
- Departments of, Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, 38015, USA
| | - Charles O Rock
- Departments of, Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, 38015, USA
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7
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Lee MT, Le H, Besler K, Johnson E. Identification and characterization of 3-ketosphinganine reductase activity encoded at the BT_0972 locus in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. J Lipid Res 2022; 63:100236. [PMID: 35667415 PMCID: PMC9278070 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2022.100236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial sphingolipid synthesis is important for the fitness of gut commensal bacteria with an implied potential for regulating mammalian host physiology. Multiple steps in bacterial sphingolipid synthesis pathways have been characterized previously, with the first step of de novo sphingolipid synthesis being well conserved between bacteria and eukaryotes. In mammals, the subsequent step of de novo sphingolipid synthesis is catalyzed by 3-ketosphinganine reductase, but the protein responsible for this activity in bacteria has remained elusive. In this study, we analyzed the 3-ketosphinganine reductase activity of several candidate proteins in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron chosen based on sequence similarity to the yeast 3-ketosphinganine reductase gene. We further developed a metabolomics-based 3-ketosphinganine reductase activity assay, which revealed that a gene at the locus BT_0972 encodes a protein capable of converting 3-ketosphinganine to sphinganine. Taken together, these results provide greater insight into pathways for bacterial sphingolipid synthesis that can aid in future efforts to understand how microbial sphingolipid synthesis modulates host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Ting Lee
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853
| | - Henry Le
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853
| | - Kevin Besler
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853
| | - Elizabeth Johnson
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853.
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8
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Ginez LD, Osorio A, Vázquez-Ramírez R, Arenas T, Mendoza L, Camarena L, Poggio S. Changes in fluidity of the E. coli outer membrane in response to temperature, divalent cations and polymyxin-B show two different mechanisms of membrane fluidity adaptation. FEBS J 2022; 289:3550-3567. [PMID: 35038363 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) is an essential component of the Gram-negative bacterial cell envelope. Restricted diffusion of integral OM proteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that constitute the outer leaflet of the OM support a model in which the OM is in a semi-crystalline state. The low fluidity of the OM has been suggested to be an important property of this membrane that even contributes to cell rigidity. The LPS characteristics strongly determine the properties of the OM and the LPS layer fluidity has been measured using different techniques that require specific conditions or are technically challenging. Here, we characterize the Escherichia coli LPS fluidity by evaluating the lateral diffusion of the styryl dye FM4-64FX in fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments. This technique allowed us to determine the effect of different conditions and genetic backgrounds on the LPS fluidity. Our results show that a fraction of the LPS can slowly diffuse and that the fluidity of the LPS layer adapts by modifying the diffusion of the LPS and the fraction of mobile LPS molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis David Ginez
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Aurora Osorio
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Ricardo Vázquez-Ramírez
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Thelma Arenas
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Luis Mendoza
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Laura Camarena
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Sebastian Poggio
- Departamento Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
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9
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Zik JJ, Yoon SH, Guan Z, Stankeviciute Skidmore G, Gudoor RR, Davies KM, Deutschbauer AM, Goodlett DR, Klein EA, Ryan KR. Caulobacter lipid A is conditionally dispensable in the absence of fur and in the presence of anionic sphingolipids. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110888. [PMID: 35649364 PMCID: PMC9393093 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid A, the membrane-anchored portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is an essential component of the outer membrane (OM) of nearly all Gram-negative bacteria. Here we identify regulatory and structural factors that together render lipid A nonessential in Caulobacter crescentus. Mutations in the ferric uptake regulator fur allow Caulobacter to survive in the absence of either LpxC, which catalyzes an early step of lipid A synthesis, or CtpA, a tyrosine phosphatase homolog we find is needed for wild-type lipid A structure and abundance. Alterations in Fur-regulated processes, rather than iron status per se, underlie the ability to survive when lipid A synthesis is blocked. Fitness of lipid A-deficient Caulobacter requires an anionic sphingolipid, ceramide phosphoglycerate (CPG), which also mediates sensitivity to the antibiotic colistin. Our results demonstrate that, in an altered regulatory landscape, anionic sphingolipids can support the integrity of a lipid A-deficient OM. Lipid A, the membrane-anchoring segment of lipopolysaccharide, is generally considered to be an essential component of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane. Zik et al. show that deletion of the transcriptional regulator fur and synthesis of the anionic sphingolipid ceramide phosphoglycerate enable Caulobacter crescentus to survive without lipid A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Zik
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sung Hwan Yoon
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Gabriele Stankeviciute Skidmore
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Ridhi R Gudoor
- Molecular Biosciences and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Karen M Davies
- Molecular Biosciences and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Adam M Deutschbauer
- Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David R Goodlett
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada; University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Eric A Klein
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; Biology Department, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Kathleen R Ryan
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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10
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Stankeviciute G, Tang P, Ashley B, Chamberlain JD, Hansen ME, Coleman A, D’Emilia R, Fu L, Mohan EC, Nguyen H, Guan Z, Campopiano DJ, Klein EA. Convergent evolution of bacterial ceramide synthesis. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:305-312. [PMID: 34969973 PMCID: PMC8891067 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00948-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial domain produces numerous types of sphingolipids with various physiological functions. In the human microbiome, commensal and pathogenic bacteria use these lipids to modulate the host inflammatory system. Despite their growing importance, their biosynthetic pathway remains undefined since several key eukaryotic ceramide synthesis enzymes have no bacterial homolog. Here we used genomic and biochemical approaches to identify six proteins comprising the complete pathway for bacterial ceramide synthesis. Bioinformatic analyses revealed the widespread potential for bacterial ceramide synthesis leading to our discovery of a Gram-positive species that produces ceramides. Biochemical evidence demonstrated that the bacterial pathway operates in a different order from that in eukaryotes. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses support the hypothesis that the bacterial and eukaryotic ceramide pathways evolved independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Stankeviciute
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA,Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Peijun Tang
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Ashley
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom
| | - Joshua D. Chamberlain
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Matthew E.B. Hansen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aimiyah Coleman
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Rachel D’Emilia
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Larina Fu
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Eric C. Mohan
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom
| | - Hung Nguyen
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Dominic J. Campopiano
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom,Correspondence to: , , and
| | - Eric A. Klein
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA,Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA,Biology Department, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA.,Correspondence to: , , and
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11
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Hanada K, Sakai S, Kumagai K. Natural Ligand-Mimetic and Nonmimetic Inhibitors of the Ceramide Transport Protein CERT. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042098. [PMID: 35216212 PMCID: PMC8875512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are recognized as key players in the inter-organelle trafficking of lipids and are rapidly gaining attention as a novel molecular target for medicinal products. In mammalian cells, ceramide is newly synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and converted to sphingomyelin in the trans-Golgi regions. The ceramide transport protein CERT, a typical LTP, mediates the ER-to-Golgi transport of ceramide at an ER-distal Golgi membrane contact zone. About 20 years ago, a potent inhibitor of CERT, named (1R,3S)-HPA-12, was found by coincidence among ceramide analogs. Since then, various ceramide-resembling compounds have been found to act as CERT inhibitors. Nevertheless, the inevitable issue remains that natural ligand-mimetic compounds might directly bind both to the desired target and to various undesired targets that share the same natural ligand. To resolve this issue, a ceramide-unrelated compound named E16A, or (1S,2R)-HPCB-5, that potently inhibits the function of CERT has recently been developed, employing a series of in silico docking simulations, efficient chemical synthesis, quantitative affinity analysis, protein-ligand co-crystallography, and various in vivo assays. (1R,3S)-HPA-12 and E16A together provide a robust tool to discriminate on-target effects on CERT from off-target effects. This short review article will describe the history of the development of (1R,3S)-HPA-12 and E16A, summarize other CERT inhibitors, and discuss their possible applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Hanada
- Department of Quality Assurance, Radiation Safety and Information Management, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan; (S.S.); (K.K.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Shota Sakai
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan; (S.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Keigo Kumagai
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan; (S.S.); (K.K.)
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