1
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Snoeck S, Guidi C, De Mey M. "Metabolic burden" explained: stress symptoms and its related responses induced by (over)expression of (heterologous) proteins in Escherichia coli. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:96. [PMID: 38555441 PMCID: PMC10981312 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02370-9] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Engineering bacterial strains to redirect the metabolism towards the production of a specific product has enabled the development of industrial biotechnology. However, rewiring the metabolism can have severe implications for a microorganism, rendering cells with stress symptoms such as a decreased growth rate, impaired protein synthesis, genetic instability and an aberrant cell size. On an industrial scale, this is reflected in processes that are not economically viable. MAIN TEXT In literature, most stress symptoms are attributed to "metabolic burden", however the actual triggers and stress mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Therefore, in this literature review, we aimed to get a better insight in how metabolic engineering affects Escherichia coli and link the observed stress symptoms to its cause. Understanding the possible implications that chosen engineering strategies have, will help to guide the reader towards optimising the envisioned process more efficiently. CONCLUSION This review addresses the gap in literature and discusses the triggers and effects of stress mechanisms that can be activated when (over)expressing (heterologous) proteins in Escherichia coli. It uncovers that the activation of the different stress mechanisms is complex and that many are interconnected. The reader is shown that care has to be taken when (over)expressing (heterologous) proteins as the cell's metabolism is tightly regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Snoeck
- Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Synthetic Biology, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Chiara Guidi
- Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Synthetic Biology, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Marjan De Mey
- Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Synthetic Biology, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium.
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2
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Phan MD, Schirra HJ, Nhu NTK, Peters KM, Sarkar S, Allsopp LP, Achard MES, Kappler U, Schembri MA. Combined functional genomic and metabolomic approaches identify new genes required for growth in human urine by multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli ST131. mBio 2024; 15:e0338823. [PMID: 38353545 PMCID: PMC10936160 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03388-23] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections in humans, with ~400 million cases across the globe each year. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the major cause of UTI and increasingly associated with antibiotic resistance. This scenario has been worsened by the emergence and spread of pandemic UPEC sequence type 131 (ST131), a multidrug-resistant clone associated with extraordinarily high rates of infection. Here, we employed transposon-directed insertion site sequencing in combination with metabolomic profiling to identify genes and biochemical pathways required for growth and survival of the UPEC ST131 reference strain EC958 in human urine (HU). We identified 24 genes required for growth in HU, which mapped to diverse pathways involving small peptide, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, the stringent response pathway, and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. We also discovered a role for UPEC resistance to fluoride during growth in HU, most likely associated with fluoridation of drinking water. Complementary nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics identified changes in a range of HU metabolites following UPEC growth, the most pronounced being L-lactate, which was utilized as a carbon source via the L-lactate dehydrogenase LldD. Using a mouse UTI model with mixed competitive infection experiments, we demonstrated a role for nucleotide metabolism and the stringent response in UPEC colonization of the mouse bladder. Together, our application of two omics technologies combined with different infection-relevant settings has uncovered new factors required for UPEC growth in HU, thus enhancing our understanding of this pivotal step in the UPEC infection pathway. IMPORTANCE Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause ~80% of all urinary tract infections (UTIs), with increasing rates of antibiotic resistance presenting an urgent threat to effective treatment. To cause infection, UPEC must grow efficiently in human urine (HU), necessitating a need to understand mechanisms that promote its adaptation and survival in this nutrient-limited environment. Here, we used a combination of functional genomic and metabolomic techniques and identified roles for the metabolism of small peptides, amino acids, nucleotides, and L-lactate, as well as the stringent response pathway, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and fluoride resistance, for UPEC growth in HU. We further demonstrated that pathways involving nucleotide metabolism and the stringent response are required for UPEC colonization of the mouse bladder. The UPEC genes and metabolic pathways identified in this study represent targets for the development of innovative therapeutics to prevent UPEC growth during human UTI, an urgent need given the rapidly rising rates of global antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh-Duy Phan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Horst Joachim Schirra
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nguyen Thi Khanh Nhu
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kate M. Peters
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sohinee Sarkar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Luke P. Allsopp
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maud E. S. Achard
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ulrike Kappler
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark A. Schembri
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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3
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Graham CI, MacMartin TL, de Kievit TR, Brassinga AKC. Molecular regulation of virulence in Legionella pneumophila. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:167-195. [PMID: 37908155 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15172] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacteria found in natural and anthropogenic aquatic environments such as evaporative cooling towers, where it reproduces as an intracellular parasite of cohabiting protozoa. If L. pneumophila is aerosolized and inhaled by a susceptible person, bacteria may colonize their alveolar macrophages causing the opportunistic pneumonia Legionnaires' disease. L. pneumophila utilizes an elaborate regulatory network to control virulence processes such as the Dot/Icm Type IV secretion system and effector repertoire, responding to changing nutritional cues as their host becomes depleted. The bacteria subsequently differentiate to a transmissive state that can survive in the environment until a replacement host is encountered and colonized. In this review, we discuss the lifecycle of L. pneumophila and the molecular regulatory network that senses nutritional depletion via the stringent response, a link to stationary phase-like metabolic changes via alternative sigma factors, and two-component systems that are homologous to stress sensors in other pathogens, to regulate differentiation between the intracellular replicative phase and more transmissible states. Together, we highlight how this prototypic intracellular pathogen offers enormous potential in understanding how molecular mechanisms enable intracellular parasitism and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher I Graham
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Teassa L MacMartin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Teresa R de Kievit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Ann Karen C Brassinga
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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4
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Kago G, Turnbough CL, Salazar JC, Payne SM. (p)ppGpp is required for virulence of Shigella flexneri. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0033423. [PMID: 38099658 PMCID: PMC10790822 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00334-23] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Infection by the enteric pathogen Shigella flexneri requires transit through the gastrointestinal tract and invasion of and replication within the cells of the host colonic epithelium. This process exposes the pathogen to a range of diverse microenvironments. Furthermore, the unique composition and physical environment of the eukaryotic cell cytosol represents a stressful environment for S. flexneri, and extensive physiological adaptations are needed for the bacterium to thrive. In this work, we show that disrupting synthesis of the stringent response alarmone (p)ppGpp in S. flexneri diminished expression of key virulence genes, including ipaA, ipaB, ipaC, and icsA, and it reduced bacterial invasion and intercellular spread. Deletion of the (p)ppGpp synthase gene relA alone had no effect on S. flexneri virulence, but disruption of both relA and the (p)ppGpp synthase/hydrolase gene spoT resulted in loss of (p)ppGpp synthesis and virulence. While the relA spoT deletion mutant was able to invade a cultured human epithelial cell monolayer, albeit at reduced levels, it was unable to maintain the infection and spread to adjacent cells, as indicated by loss of plaque formation. Complementation with spoT on a plasmid vector restored plaque formation. Thus, SpoT alone is sufficient to provide the necessary level of (p)ppGpp for virulence. These results indicate that (p)ppGpp is required for S. flexneri virulence and adaptation to the intracellular environment, adding to the repertoire of signaling pathways that affect Shigella pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Kago
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Charles L. Turnbough
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Salazar
- Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Shelley M. Payne
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- John Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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5
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Zhou RW, Gordon IJ, Hei Y, Wang B. Synthetase and Hydrolase Specificity Collectively Excludes 2'-Deoxyguanosine from Bacterial Alarmone. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.06.574488. [PMID: 38260349 PMCID: PMC10802352 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.06.574488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
In response to starvation, virtually all bacteria pyrophosphorylate the 3'-hydroxy group of GTP or GDP to produce two messenger nucleotides collectively denoted as (p)ppGpp. Also known as alarmones, (p)ppGpp reprograms bacterial physiology to arrest growth and promote survival. Intriguingly, although cellular concentration of dGTP is two orders of magnitude lower than that of GTP, alarmone synthetases are highly selective against using 2'-deoxyguanosine (2dG) nucleotides as substrates. We thus hypothesize that production of 2dG alarmone, (p)pp(dG)pp, is highly deleterious, which drives a strong negative selection to exclude 2dG nucleotides from alarmone signaling. In this work, we show that the B. subtilis SasB synthetase prefers GDP over dGDP with 65,000-fold higher kcat/Km, a specificity stricter than RNA polymerase selecting against 2'-deoxynucleotides. Using comparative chemical proteomics, we found that although most known alarmone-binding proteins in Escherichia coli cannot distinguish ppGpp from pp(dG)pp, hydrolysis of pp(dG)pp by the essential hydrolase, SpoT, is 1,000-fold slower. This inability to degrade 2'-deoxy-3'-pyrophosphorylated substrate is a common feature of the alarmone hydrolase family. We further show that SpoT is a binuclear metallopyrophoshohydrolase and that hydrolysis of ppGpp and pp(dG)pp shares the same metal dependence. Our results support a model in which 2'-OH directly coordinates the Mn2+ at SpoT active center to stabilize the hydrolysis-productive conformation of ppGpp. Taken together, our study reveals a vital role of 2'-OH in alarmone degradation, provides new insight on the catalytic mechanism of alarmone hydrolases, and leads to the conclusion that 2dG nucleotides must be strictly excluded from alarmone synthesis because bacteria lack the key machinery to down-regulate such products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rich W Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Isis J Gordon
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Hei
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Boyuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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6
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Guiraud P, Germain E, Byrne D, Maisonneuve E. The YmgB-SpoT interaction triggers the stringent response in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105429. [PMID: 37926282 PMCID: PMC10704370 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Virtually all bacterial species synthesize (p)ppGpp (guanosine penta- or tetraphosphate), a pleiotropic regulator of the so-called stringent response, which controls many aspects of cellular physiology and metabolism. In Escherichia coli, (p)ppGpp levels are controlled by two homologous enzymes: the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase SpoT. We recently identified several protein candidates that can modulate (p)ppGpp levels in E. coli. In this work, we show that the putative two-component system connector protein YmgB can promote SpoT-dependent accumulation of ppGpp in E. coli. Importantly, we determined that the control of SpoT activities by YmgB is independent of its proposed role in the two-component Rcs system, and these two functions can be uncoupled. Using genetic and structure-function analysis, we show that the regulation of SpoT activities by YmgB occurs by functional and direct binding in vivo and in vitro to the TGS and Helical domains of SpoT. These results further support the role of these domains in controlling the reciprocal enzymatic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Guiraud
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Elsa Germain
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Deborah Byrne
- Protein Expression Facility, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Etienne Maisonneuve
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France.
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7
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Ontai-Brenning A, Hamchand R, Crawford JM, Goodman AL. Gut microbes modulate (p)ppGpp during a time-restricted feeding regimen. mBio 2023; 14:e0190723. [PMID: 37971266 PMCID: PMC10746209 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01907-23] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Mammals do not eat continuously, instead concentrating their feeding to a restricted portion of the day. This behavior presents the mammalian gut microbiota with a fluctuating environment with consequences for host-microbiome interaction, infection risk, immune response, drug metabolism, and other aspects of health. We demonstrate that in mice, gut microbes elevate levels of an intracellular signaling molecule, (p)ppGpp, during the fasting phase of a time-restricted feeding regimen. Disabling this response in a representative human gut commensal species significantly reduces colonization during this host-fasting phase. This response appears to be general across species and conserved across mammalian gut communities, highlighting a pathway that allows healthy gut microbiomes to maintain stability in an unstable environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Ontai-Brenning
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Randy Hamchand
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Institute of Biomolecular Design & Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jason M. Crawford
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Institute of Biomolecular Design & Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Andrew L. Goodman
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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8
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Huang C, Li W, Chen J. Stringent Response Factor DksA Contributes to Fatty Acid Degradation Function to Influence Cell Membrane Stability and Polymyxin B Resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11951. [PMID: 37569327 PMCID: PMC10418728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241511951] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
DksA is a proteobacterial regulator that binds directly to the secondary channel of RNA polymerase with (p)ppGpp and is responsible for various bacterial physiological activities. While (p)ppGpp is known to be involved in the regulation and response of fatty acid metabolism pathways in many foodborne pathogens, the role of DksA in this process has yet to be clarified. This study aimed to characterize the function of DksA on fatty acid metabolism and cell membrane structure in Yersinia enterocolitica. Therefore, comparison analysis of gene expression, growth conditions, and membrane permeabilization among the wide-type (WT), DksA-deficient mutant (YEND), and the complemented strain was carried out. It confirmed that deletion of DksA led to a more than four-fold decrease in the expression of fatty acid degradation genes, including fadADEIJ. Additionally, YEND exhibited a smaller growth gap compared to the WT strain at low temperatures, indicating that DksA is not required for the growth of Y. enterocolitica in cold environments. Given that polymyxin B is a cationic antimicrobial peptide that targets the cell membrane, the roles of DksA under polymyxin B exposure were also characterized. It was found that DksA positively regulates the integrity of the inner and outer membranes of Y. enterocolitica under polymyxin B, preventing the leakage of intracellular nucleic acids and proteins and ultimately reducing the sensitivity of Y. enterocolitica to polymyxin B. Taken together, this study provides insights into the functions of DksA and paves the way for novel fungicide development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jingyu Chen
- Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghua East Rd., Beijing 100083, China
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9
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Riffaud CM, Rucks EA, Ouellette SP. Persistence of obligate intracellular pathogens: alternative strategies to overcome host-specific stresses. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1185571. [PMID: 37284502 PMCID: PMC10239878 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1185571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In adapting to the intracellular niche, obligate intracellular bacteria usually undergo a reduction of genome size by eliminating genes not needed for intracellular survival. These losses can include, for example, genes involved in nutrient anabolic pathways or in stress response. Living inside a host cell offers a stable environment where intracellular bacteria can limit their exposure to extracellular effectors of the immune system and modulate or outright inhibit intracellular defense mechanisms. However, highlighting an area of vulnerability, these pathogens are dependent on the host cell for nutrients and are very sensitive to conditions that limit nutrient availability. Persistence is a common response shared by evolutionarily divergent bacteria to survive adverse conditions like nutrient deprivation. Development of persistence usually compromises successful antibiotic therapy of bacterial infections and is associated with chronic infections and long-term sequelae for the patients. During persistence, obligate intracellular pathogens are viable but not growing inside their host cell. They can survive for a long period of time such that, when the inducing stress is removed, reactivation of their growth cycles resumes. Given their reduced coding capacity, intracellular bacteria have adapted different response mechanisms. This review gives an overview of the strategies used by the obligate intracellular bacteria, where known, which, unlike model organisms such as E. coli, often lack toxin-antitoxin systems and the stringent response that have been linked to a persister phenotype and amino acid starvation states, respectively.
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10
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Tamman H, Ernits K, Roghanian M, Ainelo A, Julius C, Perrier A, Talavera A, Ainelo H, Dugauquier R, Zedek S, Thureau A, Pérez J, Lima-Mendez G, Hallez R, Atkinson GC, Hauryliuk V, Garcia-Pino A. Structure of SpoT reveals evolutionary tuning of catalysis via conformational constraint. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:334-345. [PMID: 36470996 PMCID: PMC9974481 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stringent factors orchestrate bacterial cell reprogramming through increasing the level of the alarmones (p)ppGpp. In Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria, SpoT hydrolyzes (p)ppGpp to counteract the synthetase activity of RelA. However, structural information about how SpoT controls the levels of (p)ppGpp is missing. Here we present the crystal structure of the hydrolase-only SpoT from Acinetobacter baumannii and uncover the mechanism of intramolecular regulation of 'long'-stringent factors. In contrast to ribosome-associated Rel/RelA that adopt an elongated structure, SpoT assumes a compact τ-shaped structure in which the regulatory domains wrap around a Core subdomain that controls the conformational state of the enzyme. The Core is key to the specialization of long RelA-SpoT homologs toward either synthesis or hydrolysis: the short and structured Core of SpoT stabilizes the τ-state priming the hydrolase domain for (p)ppGpp hydrolysis, whereas the longer, more dynamic Core domain of RelA destabilizes the τ-state priming the monofunctional RelA for efficient (p)ppGpp synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedvig Tamman
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Karin Ernits
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Roghanian
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Departement of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andres Ainelo
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Anthony Perrier
- Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit, Namur Research Institute for Life Science, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Bacterial Cell Cycle and Development, Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit, Namur Research Institute for Life Science, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Ariel Talavera
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hanna Ainelo
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rémy Dugauquier
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium
- Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit, Namur Research Institute for Life Science, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Safia Zedek
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Javier Pérez
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, Saint-Aubin - BP 48, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Gipsi Lima-Mendez
- Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit, Namur Research Institute for Life Science, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Régis Hallez
- Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit, Namur Research Institute for Life Science, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Bacterial Cell Cycle and Development, Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit, Namur Research Institute for Life Science, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- WELBIO, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gemma C Atkinson
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Vasili Hauryliuk
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Abel Garcia-Pino
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium.
- WELBIO, Brussels, Belgium.
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11
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Protein-Ligand Interactions in Scarcity: The Stringent Response from Bacteria to Metazoa, and the Unanswered Questions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043999. [PMID: 36835415 PMCID: PMC9965611 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The stringent response, originally identified in Escherichia coli as a signal that leads to reprogramming of gene expression under starvation or nutrient deprivation, is now recognized as ubiquitous in all bacteria, and also as part of a broader survival strategy in diverse, other stress conditions. Much of our insight into this phenomenon derives from the role of hyperphosphorylated guanosine derivatives (pppGpp, ppGpp, pGpp; guanosine penta-, tetra- and tri-phosphate, respectively) that are synthesized on starvation cues and act as messengers or alarmones. These molecules, collectively referred to here as (p)ppGpp, orchestrate a complex network of biochemical steps that eventually lead to the repression of stable RNA synthesis, growth, and cell division, while promoting amino acid biosynthesis, survival, persistence, and virulence. In this analytical review, we summarize the mechanism of the major signaling pathways in the stringent response, consisting of the synthesis of the (p)ppGpp, their interaction with RNA polymerase, and diverse factors of macromolecular biosynthesis, leading to differential inhibition and activation of specific promoters. We also briefly touch upon the recently reported stringent-like response in a few eukaryotes, which is a very disparate mechanism involving MESH1 (Metazoan SpoT Homolog 1), a cytosolic NADPH phosphatase. Lastly, using ppGpp as an example, we speculate on possible pathways of simultaneous evolution of alarmones and their multiple targets.
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12
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa Citrate Synthase GltA Influences Antibiotic Tolerance and the Type III Secretion System through the Stringent Response. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0323922. [PMID: 36602339 PMCID: PMC9927146 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03239-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbohydrate metabolism plays essential roles in energy generation and providing carbon skeletons for amino acid syntheses. In addition, carbohydrate metabolism has been shown to influence bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics and virulence. In this study, we demonstrate that citrate synthase gltA mutation can increase the expression of the type III secretion system (T3SS) genes and antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The stringent response is activated in the gltA mutant, and deletion of the (p)ppGpp synthetase gene relA restores the antibiotic tolerance and expression of the T3SS genes to wild-type level. We further demonstrate that the intracellular level of cAMP is increased by the stringent response in the gltA mutant, which increases the expression of the T3SS master regulator gene exsA. Overall, our results reveal an essential role of GltA in metabolism, antibiotic tolerance, and virulence, as well as a novel regulatory mechanism of the stringent response-mediated regulation of the T3SS in P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCE Rising antimicrobial resistance imposes a severe threat to human health. It is urgent to develop novel antimicrobial strategies by understanding bacterial regulation of virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants. The stringent response plays an essential role in virulence and antibiotic tolerance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes acute and chronic infections in humans. The bacterium produces an arsenal of virulence factors and is highly resistant to a variety of antibiotics. In this study, we provide evidence that citrate synthase GltA plays a critical role in P. aeruginosa metabolism and influences the antibiotic tolerance and virulence. We further reveal a role of the stringent response in the regulation of the antibiotic tolerance and virulence. The significance of this work is in elucidation of novel regulatory pathways that control both antibiotic tolerance and virulence in P. aeruginosa.
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Termination factor Rho mediates transcriptional reprogramming of Bacillus subtilis stationary phase. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010618. [PMID: 36735730 PMCID: PMC9931155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription termination factor Rho is known for its ubiquitous role in suppression of pervasive, mostly antisense, transcription. In the model Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, de-repression of pervasive transcription by inactivation of rho revealed the role of Rho in the regulation of post-exponential differentiation programs. To identify other aspects of the regulatory role of Rho during adaptation to starvation, we have constructed a B. subtilis strain (Rho+) that expresses rho at a relatively stable high level in order to compensate for its decrease in the wild-type cells entering stationary phase. The RNAseq analysis of Rho+, WT and Δrho strains (expression profiles can be visualized at http://genoscapist.migale.inrae.fr/seb_rho/) shows that Rho over-production enhances the termination efficiency of Rho-sensitive terminators, thus reducing transcriptional read-through and antisense transcription genome-wide. Moreover, the Rho+ strain exhibits global alterations of sense transcription with the most significant changes observed for the AbrB, CodY, and stringent response regulons, forming the pathways governing the transition to stationary phase. Subsequent physiological analyses demonstrated that maintaining rho expression at a stable elevated level modifies stationary phase-specific physiology of B. subtilis cells, weakens stringent response, and thereby negatively affects the cellular adaptation to nutrient limitations and other stresses, and blocks the development of genetic competence and sporulation. These results highlight the Rho-specific termination of transcription as a novel element controlling stationary phase. The release of this control by decreasing Rho levels during the transition to stationary phase appears crucial for the functionality of complex gene networks ensuring B. subtilis survival in stationary phase.
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Mehrez M, Romand S, Field B. New perspectives on the molecular mechanisms of stress signalling by the nucleotide guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp), an emerging regulator of photosynthesis in plants and algae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1086-1099. [PMID: 36349398 PMCID: PMC10107265 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The nucleotides guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (together (p)ppGpp) are found in a wide range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms where they are associated with stress signalling. In this review, we will discuss recent research highlighting the role of (p)ppGpp signalling as a conserved regulator of photosynthetic activity in the chloroplasts of plants and algae, and the latest discoveries that open up new perspectives on the emerging roles of (p)ppGpp in acclimation to environmental stress. We explore how rapid advances in the study of (p)ppGpp signalling in prokaryotes are now revealing large gaps in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of signalling by (p)ppGpp and related nucleotides in plants and algae. Filling in these gaps is likely to lead to the discovery of conserved as well as new plant- and algal-specific (p)ppGpp signalling mechanisms that will offer new insights into the taming of the chloroplast and the regulation of stress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Mehrez
- Aix‐Marseille University, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, UMR726513009MarseilleFrance
- Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Immunology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Tunis El Manar2092TunisTunisia
| | - Shanna Romand
- Aix‐Marseille University, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, UMR726513009MarseilleFrance
| | - Ben Field
- Aix‐Marseille University, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, UMR726513009MarseilleFrance
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15
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Ainelo A, Caballero-Montes J, Bulvas O, Ernits K, Coppieters ‘t Wallant K, Takada H, Craig SZ, Mazzucchelli G, Zedek S, Pichová I, Atkinson GC, Talavera A, Martens C, Hauryliuk V, Garcia-Pino A. The structure of DarB in complex with Rel NTD reveals nonribosomal activation of Rel stringent factors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade4077. [PMID: 36652515 PMCID: PMC9848473 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade4077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Rel stringent factors are bifunctional ribosome-associated enzymes that catalyze both synthesis and hydrolysis of the alarmones (p)ppGpp. Besides the allosteric control by starved ribosomes and (p)ppGpp, Rel is regulated by various protein factors depending on specific stress conditions, including the c-di-AMP-binding protein DarB. However, how these effector proteins control Rel remains unknown. We have determined the crystal structure of the DarB2:RelNTD2 complex, uncovering that DarB directly engages the SYNTH domain of Rel to stimulate (p)ppGpp synthesis. This association with DarB promotes a SYNTH-primed conformation of the N-terminal domain region, markedly increasing the affinity of Rel for ATP while switching off the hydrolase activity of the enzyme. Binding to c-di-AMP rigidifies DarB, imposing an entropic penalty that precludes DarB-mediated control of Rel during normal growth. Our experiments provide the basis for understanding a previously unknown mechanism of allosteric regulation of Rel stringent factors independent of amino acid starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Ainelo
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles 10 (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC (1C4 203), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julien Caballero-Montes
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles 10 (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC (1C4 203), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ondřej Bulvas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Karin Ernits
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kyo Coppieters ‘t Wallant
- Centre for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Hiraku Takada
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Sophie Z. Craig
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles 10 (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC (1C4 203), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gabriel Mazzucchelli
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, Liège Université, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Safia Zedek
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles 10 (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC (1C4 203), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Iva Pichová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Gemma C. Atkinson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ariel Talavera
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles 10 (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC (1C4 203), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chloe Martens
- Centre for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Vasili Hauryliuk
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Abel Garcia-Pino
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles 10 (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC (1C4 203), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- WELBIO, Avenue Hippocrate 75, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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16
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Mu H, Han F, Wang Q, Wang Y, Dai X, Zhu M. Recent functional insights into the magic role of (p)ppGpp in growth control. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:168-175. [PMID: 36544478 PMCID: PMC9747358 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.063] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid growth and survival are two key traits that enable bacterial cells to thrive in their natural habitat. The guanosine tetraphosphate and pentaphosphate [(p)ppGpp], also known as "magic spot", is a key second messenger inside bacterial cells as well as chloroplasts of plants and green algae. (p)ppGpp not only controls various stages of central dogma processes (replication, transcription, ribosome maturation and translation) and central metabolism but also regulates various physiological processes such as pathogenesis, persistence, motility and competence. Under extreme conditions such as nutrient starvation, (p)ppGpp-mediated stringent response is crucial for the survival of bacterial cells. This mini-review highlights some of the very recent progress on the key role of (p)ppGpp in bacterial growth control in light of cellular resource allocation and cell size regulation. We also briefly discuss some recent functional insights into the role of (p)ppGpp in plants and green algae from the angle of growth and development and further discuss several important open directions for future studies.
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17
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Antoszewski M, Mierek-Adamska A, Dąbrowska GB. The Importance of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture-A Review. Metabolites 2022; 12:1100. [PMID: 36422239 PMCID: PMC9694901 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12111100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the face of climate change, progressive degradation of the environment, including agricultural land negatively affecting plant growth and development, endangers plant productivity. Seeking efficient and sustainable agricultural techniques to replace agricultural chemicals is one of the most important challenges nowadays. The use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms is among the most promising approaches; however, molecular mechanisms underneath plant-microbe interactions are still poorly understood. In this review, we summarized the knowledge on plant-microbe interactions, highlighting the role of microbial and plant proteins and metabolites in the formation of symbiotic relationships. This review covers rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbiomes, the role of root exudates in plant-microorganism interactions, the functioning of the plant's immune system during the plant-microorganism interactions. We also emphasized the possible role of the stringent response and the evolutionarily conserved mechanism during the established interaction between plants and microorganisms. As a case study, we discussed fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma. Our review aims to summarize the existing knowledge about plant-microorganism interactions and to highlight molecular pathways that need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agnieszka Mierek-Adamska
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
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18
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Kellogg DR, Levin PA. Nutrient availability as an arbiter of cell size. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 32:908-919. [PMID: 35851491 PMCID: PMC9588502 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Pioneering work carried out over 60 years ago discovered that bacterial cell size is proportional to the growth rate set by nutrient availability. This relationship is traditionally referred to as the 'growth law'. Subsequent studies revealed the growth law to hold across all orders of life, a remarkable degree of conservation. However, recent work suggests the relationship between growth rate, nutrients, and cell size is far more complicated and less deterministic than originally thought. Focusing on bacteria and yeast, here we review efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between growth rate and cell size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Kellogg
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - Petra Anne Levin
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA; Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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19
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Yin Y, Li R, Liang WT, Zhang WB, Hu Z, Ma JC, Wang HH. Of its five acyl carrier proteins, only AcpP1 functions in Ralstonia solanacearum fatty acid synthesis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1014971. [PMID: 36212838 PMCID: PMC9542644 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1014971] [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: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fatty acid synthesis (FAS) pathway is essential for bacterial survival. Acyl carrier proteins (ACPs), donors of acyl moieties, play a central role in FAS and are considered potential targets for the development of antibacterial agents. Ralstonia solanacearum, a primary phytopathogenic bacterium, causes bacterial wilt in more than 200 plant species. The genome of R. solanacearum contains five annotated acp genes, acpP1, acpP2, acpP3, acpP4, and acpP5. In this study, we characterized the five putative ACPs and confirmed that only AcpP1 is involved in FAS and is necessary for the growth of R. solanacearum. We also found that AcpP2 and AcpP4 participate in the polyketide synthesis pathway. Unexpectedly, the disruption of four acp genes (acpP2, acpP3, acpP4, and acpP5) allowed the mutant strain to grow as well as the wild-type strain, but attenuated the bacterium’s pathogenicity in the host plant tomato, suggesting that these four ACPs contribute to the virulence of R. solanacearum through mechanisms other than the FAS pathway.
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20
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Khaova EA, Kashevarova NM, Tkachenko AG. Ribosome Hibernation: Molecular Strategy of Bacterial Survival (Review). APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0003683822030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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21
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Ge Z, Yuan P, Chen L, Chen J, Shen D, She Z, Lu Y. New Global Insights on the Regulation of the Biphasic Life Cycle and Virulence Via ClpP-Dependent Proteolysis in Legionella pneumophila. Mol Cell Proteomics 2022; 21:100233. [PMID: 35427813 PMCID: PMC9112007 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2022.100233] [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: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila, an environmental bacterium that parasitizes protozoa, causes Legionnaires’ disease in humans that is characterized by severe pneumonia. This bacterium adopts a distinct biphasic life cycle consisting of a nonvirulent replicative phase and a virulent transmissive phase in response to different environmental conditions. Hence, the timely and fine-tuned expression of growth and virulence factors in a life cycle–dependent manner is crucial for survival and replication. Here, we report that the completion of the biphasic life cycle and bacterial pathogenesis is greatly dependent on the protein homeostasis regulated by caseinolytic protease P (ClpP)-dependent proteolysis. We characterized the ClpP-dependent dynamic profiles of the regulatory and substrate proteins during the biphasic life cycle of L. pneumophila using proteomic approaches and discovered that ClpP-dependent proteolysis specifically and conditionally degraded the substrate proteins, thereby directly playing a regulatory role or indirectly controlling cellular events via the regulatory proteins. We further observed that ClpP-dependent proteolysis is required to monitor the abundance of fatty acid biosynthesis–related protein Lpg0102/Lpg0361/Lpg0362 and SpoT for the normal regulation of L. pneumophila differentiation. We also found that the control of the biphasic life cycle and bacterial virulence is independent. Furthermore, the ClpP-dependent proteolysis of Dot/Icm (defect in organelle trafficking/intracellular multiplication) type IVB secretion system and effector proteins at a specific phase of the life cycle is essential for bacterial pathogenesis. Therefore, our findings provide novel insights on ClpP-dependent proteolysis, which spans a broad physiological spectrum involving key metabolic pathways that regulate the transition of the biphasic life cycle and bacterial virulence of L. pneumophila, facilitating adaptation to aquatic and intracellular niches. ClpP is the major determinant of biphasic life cycle–dependent protein turnover. ClpP-dependent proteolysis monitors SpoT abundance for cellular differentiation. ClpP-dependent regulation of life cycle and bacterial virulence is independent. ClpP-dependent proteolysis of T4BSS and effector proteins is vital for virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhuang Ge
- School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peibo Yuan
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lingming Chen
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junyi Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Shen
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhigang She
- School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongjun Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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22
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Genome-Wide Investigation of Pasteurella multocida Identifies the Stringent Response as a Negative Regulator of Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Production. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0019522. [PMID: 35404102 PMCID: PMC9045168 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00195-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen
P. multocida
can cause serious disease in production animals, including fowl cholera in poultry, hemorrhagic septicemia in cattle and buffalo, atrophic rhinitis in pigs, and respiratory diseases in a range of livestock.
P. multocida
produces a capsule that is essential for systemic disease, but the complete mechanisms underlying synthesis and regulation of capsule production are not fully elucidated. A whole-genome analysis using TraDIS was undertaken to identify genes essential for growth in rich media and to obtain a comprehensive characterization of capsule production.
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23
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Pei C, Lu D, Liu D, Pang G. Development of a nanozyme-based electrochemical sensor for detection of stringent response. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1201:339602. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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How to save a bacterial ribosome in times of stress. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 136:3-12. [PMID: 35331628 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Biogenesis of ribosomes is one of the most cost- and resource-intensive processes in all living cells. In bacteria, ribosome biogenesis is rate-limiting for growth and must be tightly coordinated to yield maximum fitness of the cells. Since bacteria are continuously facing environmental changes and stress conditions, they have developed sophisticated systems to sense and regulate their nutritional status. Amino acid starvation leads to the synthesis and accumulation of the nucleotide-based second messengers ppGpp and pppGpp [(p)ppGpp], which in turn function as central players of a pleiotropic metabolic adaptation mechanism named the stringent response. Here, we review our current knowledge on the multiple roles of (p)ppGpp in the stress-related modulation of the prokaryotic protein biosynthesis machinery with the ribosome as its core constituent. The alarmones ppGpp/pppGpp act as competitors of their GDP/GTP counterparts, to affect a multitude of ribosome-associated P-loop GTPases involved in the translation cycle, ribosome biogenesis and hibernation. A similar mode of inhibition has been found for the GTPases of the proteins involved in the SRP-dependent membrane-targeting machinery present in the periphery of the ribosome. In this sense, during stringent conditions, binding of (p)ppGpp restricts the membrane insertion and secretion of proteins. Altogether, we highlight the enormously resource-intensive stages of ribosome biogenesis as a critical regulatory hub of the stringent response that ultimately tunes the protein synthesis capacity and consequently the survival of the cell.
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Li H, Xia Y, Tian Z, Jin Y, Bai F, Cheng Z, Swietnicki W, Wu W, Pan X. Dihydrolipoamide Acetyltransferase AceF Influences the Type III Secretion System and Resistance to Oxidative Stresses through RsmY/Z in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10030666. [PMID: 35336241 PMCID: PMC8950878 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030666] [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: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon metabolism plays an important role in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. The type III secretion system (T3SS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a virulence factor that contributes to acute infections. It has been demonstrated that bacterial metabolism affects the T3SS. Meanwhile, expression of T3SS genes is negatively regulated by the small RNAs RsmY and RsmZ. In this study, we studied the relationship between the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase gene aceF and the T3SS. Our results reveal an upregulation of RsmY and RsmZ in the aceF mutant, which represses the expression of the T3SS genes. Meanwhile, the aceF mutant is more tolerant to hydrogen peroxide. We demonstrate that the expression levels of the catalase KatB and the alkyl hydroperoxide reductase AhpB are increased in the aceF mutant. The simultaneous deletion of rsmY and rsmZ in the aceF mutant restored the expression levels of katB and ahpB, as well as bacterial susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide. Thus, we identify a novel role of AceF in the virulence and oxidative response of P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haozhou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Yushan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Zhenyang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Yongxin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Fang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Zhihui Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Wieslaw Swietnicki
- Department of Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. R. Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Weihui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
| | - Xiaolei Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.L.); (Y.X.); (Z.T.); (Y.J.); (F.B.); (Z.C.); (W.W.)
- Correspondence:
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Mohanty BK, Kushner SR. Inactivation of RNase P in Escherichia coli significantly changes post-transcriptional RNA metabolism. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:121-142. [PMID: 34486768 PMCID: PMC8766891 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Ribonuclease P (RNase P), which is required for the 5'-end maturation of tRNAs in every organism, has been shown to play a limited role in other aspects of RNA metabolism in Escherichia coli. Using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), we demonstrate that RNase P inactivation affects the abundances of ~46% of the expressed transcripts in E. coli and provide evidence that its essential function is its ability to generate pre-tRNAs from polycistronic tRNA transcripts. The RNA-seq results agreed with the published data and northern blot analyses of 75/83 transcripts (mRNAs, sRNAs, and tRNAs). Changes in transcript abundances in the RNase P mutant also correlated with changes in their half-lives. Inactivating the stringent response did not alter the rnpA49 phenotype. Most notably, increases in the transcript abundances were observed for all genes in the cysteine regulons, multiple toxin-antitoxin modules, and sigma S-controlled genes. Surprisingly, poly(A) polymerase (PAP I) modulated the abundances of ~10% of the transcripts affected by RNase P. A comparison of the transcriptomes of RNase P, RNase E, and RNase III mutants suggests that they affect distinct substrates. Together, our work strongly indicates that RNase P is a major player in all aspects of post-transcriptional RNA metabolism in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sidney R. Kushner
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602,Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602,To whom correspondence should be addressed.
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Lee JB, Kim SK, Yoon JW. Pathophysiology of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli during a host infection. J Vet Sci 2022; 23:e28. [PMID: 35187883 PMCID: PMC8977535 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.21160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major cause of infantile diarrhea in developing countries. However, sporadic outbreaks caused by this microorganism in developed countries are frequently reported recently. As an important zoonotic pathogen, EPEC is being monitored annually in several countries. Hallmark of EPEC infection is formation of attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions on the small intestine. To establish A/E lesions during a gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infeciton, EPEC must thrive in diverse GIT environments. A variety of stress responses by EPEC have been reported. These responses play significant roles in helping E. coli pass through GIT environments and establishing E. coli infection. Stringent response is one of those responses. It is mediated by guanosine tetraphosphate. Interestingly, previous studies have demonstrated that stringent response is a universal virulence regulatory mechanism present in many bacterial pathogens including EPEC. However, biological signficance of a bacterial stringent response in both EPEC and its interaction with the host during a GIT infection is unclear. It needs to be elucidated to broaden our insight to EPEC pathogenesis. In this review, diverse responses, including stringent response, of EPEC during a GIT infection are discussed to provide a new insight into EPEC pathophysiology in the GIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Bong Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| | - Se Kye Kim
- College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| | - Jang Won Yoon
- College of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
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The Role of RelA and SpoT on ppGpp Production, Stress Response, Growth Regulation, and Pathogenicity in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0205721. [PMID: 34935430 PMCID: PMC8693919 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02057-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The alarmone ppGpp plays an important role in the survival of bacteria by triggering the stringent response when exposed to environmental stress. Although Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), which causes black rot disease in crucifers, is a representative species of Gram-negative phytopathogenic bacteria, relatively little is known regarding the factors influencing the stringent response in this species. However, previous studies in other Gram-negative bacteria have indicated that RelA and SpoT play a critical role in ppGpp synthesis. The current study found that these proteins also had an important role in Xcc, with a ΔrelAΔspoT double mutant being unable to produce ppGpp, resulting in changes to phenotype including reduced production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), exoenzymes, and biofilm, as well the loss of swarming motility and pathogenicity. The ppGpp-deficient mutant also exhibited greater sensitivity to environment stress, being almost incapable of growth on modified minimal medium (mMM) and having a much greater propensity to enter the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state in response to oligotrophic conditions (0.85% NaCl). These findings much advance our understanding of the role of ppGpp in the biology of Xcc and could have important implications for more effective management of this important pathogen. IMPORTANCEXanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is a typical seedborne phytopathogenic bacterium that causes large economic losses worldwide, and this is the first original research article to investigate the role of ppGpp in this important species. Here, we revealed the function of RelA and SpoT in ppGpp production, physiology, pathogenicity, and stress resistance in Xcc. Most intriguingly, we found that ppGpp levels and downstream ppGpp-dependent phenotypes were mediated predominantly by SpoT, with RelA having only a supplementary role. Taken together, the results of the current study provide new insight into the role of ppGpp in the biology of Xcc, which could also have important implications for the role of ppGpp in the survival and pathogenicity of other pathogenic bacteria.
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In Mycobacterium abscessus, the stringent factor Rel regulates metabolism, but is not the only (p)ppGpp synthase. J Bacteriol 2021; 204:e0043421. [PMID: 34898264 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00434-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The stringent response is a broadly conserved stress response system that exhibits functional variability across bacterial clades. Here, we characterize the role of the stringent factor Rel in the non-tuberculous mycobacterial pathogen, Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab). We found that deletion of rel does not ablate (p)ppGpp synthesis, and that rel does not provide a survival advantage in several stress conditions, or in antibiotic treatment. Transcriptional data show that RelMab is involved in regulating expression of anabolism and growth genes in stationary phase. However, it does not activate transcription of stress response or antibiotic resistance genes, and actually represses transcription of many antibiotic resistance genes. This work shows that there is an unannotated (p)ppGpp synthetase in Mab. Importance In this study, we examined the functional roles of the stringent factor Rel in Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab). In most species, stringent factors synthesize the alarmone (p)ppGpp, which globally alters transcription to promote growth arrest and survival under stress and in antibiotic treatment. Our work shows that in Mab, an emerging pathogen which is resistant to many antibiotics, the stringent factor Rel is not solely responsible for synthesizing (p)ppGpp. We find that RelMab downregulates many metabolic genes under stress, but does not upregulate stress response genes and does not promote antibiotic tolerance. This study implies that there is another critical but unannotated (p)ppGpp synthetase in Mab, and suggests that RelMab inhibitors are unlikely to sensitize Mab infections to antibiotic treatment.
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Braun F, Recalde A, Bähre H, Seifert R, Albers SV. Putative Nucleotide-Based Second Messengers in the Archaeal Model Organisms Haloferax volcanii and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:779012. [PMID: 34880846 PMCID: PMC8646023 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.779012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on nucleotide-based second messengers began in 1956 with the discovery of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (3′,5′-cAMP) by Earl Wilbur Sutherland and his co-workers. Since then, a broad variety of different signaling molecules composed of nucleotides has been discovered. These molecules fulfill crucial tasks in the context of intracellular signal transduction. The vast majority of the currently available knowledge about nucleotide-based second messengers originates from model organisms belonging either to the domain of eukaryotes or to the domain of bacteria, while the archaeal domain is significantly underrepresented in the field of nucleotide-based second messenger research. For several well-stablished eukaryotic and/or bacterial nucleotide-based second messengers, it is currently not clear whether these signaling molecules are present in archaea. In order to shed some light on this issue, this study analyzed cell extracts of two major archaeal model organisms, the euryarchaeon Haloferax volcanii and the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, using a modern mass spectrometry method to detect a broad variety of currently known nucleotide-based second messengers. The nucleotides 3′,5′-cAMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (3′,5′-cGMP), 5′-phosphoadenylyl-3′,5′-adenosine (5′-pApA), diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) as well as the 2′,3′-cyclic isomers of all four RNA building blocks (2′,3′-cNMPs) were present in both species. In addition, H. volcanii cell extracts also contain cyclic cytosine monophosphate (3′,5′-cCMP), cyclic uridine monophosphate (3′,5′-cUMP) and cyclic diadenosine monophosphate (3′,5′-c-di-AMP). The widely distributed bacterial second messengers cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (3′,5′-c-di-GMP) and guanosine (penta-)/tetraphosphate [(p)ppGpp] could not be detected. In summary, this study gives a comprehensive overview on the presence of a large set of currently established or putative nucleotide-based second messengers in an eury- and a crenarchaeal model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Braun
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alejandra Recalde
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heike Bähre
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Roland Seifert
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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31
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Meyer L, Germain E, Maisonneuve E. Regulation of ytfK by cAMP-CRP Contributes to SpoT-Dependent Accumulation of (p)ppGpp in Response to Carbon Starvation YtfK Responds to Glucose Exhaustion. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:775164. [PMID: 34803996 PMCID: PMC8600398 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.775164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Guanosine penta- or tetraphosphate (known as (p)ppGpp) serves as second messenger to respond to nutrient downshift and other environmental stresses, a phenomenon called stringent response. Accumulation of (p)ppGpp promotes the coordinated inhibition of macromolecule synthesis, as well as the activation of stress response pathways to cope and adapt to harmful conditions. In Escherichia coli, the (p)ppGpp level is tightly regulated by two enzymes, the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase SpoT. We recently identified the small protein YtfK as a key regulator of SpoT-mediated activation of stringent response in E. coli. Here, we further characterized the regulation of ytfK. We observed that ytfK is subjected to catabolite repression and is positively regulated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complex. Importantly, YtfK contributes to SpoT-dependent accumulation of (p)ppGpp and cell survival in response to glucose starvation. Therefore, regulation of ytfK by the cAMP-CRP appears important to adjust (p)ppGpp level and coordinate cellular metabolism in response to glucose availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Meyer
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Elsa Germain
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Etienne Maisonneuve
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
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Prince JP, Bolla JR, Fisher GLM, Mäkelä J, Fournier M, Robinson CV, Arciszewska LK, Sherratt DJ. Acyl carrier protein promotes MukBEF action in Escherichia coli chromosome organization-segregation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6721. [PMID: 34795302 PMCID: PMC8602292 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27107-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes act ubiquitously to compact DNA linearly, thereby facilitating chromosome organization-segregation. SMC proteins have a conserved architecture, with a dimerization hinge and an ATPase head domain separated by a long antiparallel intramolecular coiled-coil. Dimeric SMC proteins interact with essential accessory proteins, kleisins that bridge the two subunits of an SMC dimer, and HAWK/KITE proteins that interact with kleisins. The ATPase activity of the Escherichia coli SMC protein, MukB, which is essential for its in vivo function, requires its interaction with the dimeric kleisin, MukF that in turn interacts with the KITE protein, MukE. Here we demonstrate that, in addition, MukB interacts specifically with Acyl Carrier Protein (AcpP) that has essential functions in fatty acid synthesis. We characterize the AcpP interaction at the joint of the MukB coiled-coil and show that the interaction is necessary for MukB ATPase and for MukBEF function in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh P. Prince
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK ,grid.14105.310000000122478951Present Address: Meiosis Group, Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Jani R. Bolla
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ UK ,The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK ,grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Present Address: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - Gemma L. M. Fisher
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK ,grid.14105.310000000122478951Present Address: DNA Motors Group, Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Jarno Mäkelä
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Present Address: ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, 290 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Marjorie Fournier
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - Carol V. Robinson
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ UK ,The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - Lidia K. Arciszewska
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - David J. Sherratt
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
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Sun Z, Wu R, Zhao B, Zeinert R, Chien P, You M. Live-Cell Imaging of Guanosine Tetra- and Pentaphosphate (p)ppGpp with RNA-based Fluorescent Sensors*. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:24070-24074. [PMID: 34487413 PMCID: PMC8545912 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202111170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Guanosine tetra- and pentaphosphate, (p)ppGpp, are important alarmone nucleotides that regulate bacterial survival in stressful environment. A direct detection of (p)ppGpp in living cells is critical for our understanding of the mechanism of bacterial stringent response. However, it is still challenging to image cellular (p)ppGpp. Here, we report RNA-based fluorescent sensors for the live-cell imaging of (p)ppGpp. Our sensors are engineered by conjugating a recently identified (p)ppGpp-specific riboswitch with a fluorogenic RNA aptamer, Broccoli. These sensors can be genetically encoded and enable direct monitoring of cellular (p)ppGpp accumulation. Unprecedented information on cell-to-cell variation and cellular dynamics of (p)ppGpp levels is now obtained under different nutritional conditions. These RNA-based sensors can be broadly adapted to study bacterial stringent response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhining Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Rigumula Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Rilee Zeinert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Peter Chien
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Mingxu You
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
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Sun Z, Wu R, Zhao B, Zeinert R, Chien P, You M. Live‐Cell Imaging of Guanosine Tetra‐ and Pentaphosphate (p)ppGpp with RNA‐based Fluorescent Sensors**. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202111170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhining Sun
- Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Amherst USA
| | - Rigumula Wu
- Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Amherst USA
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Amherst USA
| | - Rilee Zeinert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst USA
| | - Peter Chien
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst USA
| | - Mingxu You
- Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Amherst USA
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Ro C, Cashel M, Fernández-Coll L. The secondary messenger ppGpp interferes with cAMP-CRP regulon by promoting CRP acetylation in Escherichia coli. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259067. [PMID: 34705884 PMCID: PMC8550359 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cAMP-CRP regulon coordinates transcription regulation of several energy-related genes, the lac operon among them. Lactose, or IPTG, induces the lac operon expression by binding to the LacI repressor, and releasing it from the promoter sequence. At the same time, the expression of the lac operon requires the presence of the CRP-cAMP complex, which promotes the binding of the RNA polymerase to the promoter region. The modified nucleotide cAMP accumulates in the absence of glucose and binds to the CRP protein, but its ability to bind to DNA can be impaired by lysine-acetylation of CRP. Here we add another layer of control, as acetylation of CRP seems to be modified by ppGpp. In cells grown in glycerol minimal media, ppGpp seems to repress the expression of lacZ, where ΔrelA mutants show higher expression of lacZ than in WT. These differences between the WT and ΔrelA strains seem to depend on the levels of acetylated CRP. During the growth in minimal media supplemented with glycerol, ppGpp promotes the acetylation of CRP by the Nε-lysine acetyltransferases YfiQ. Moreover, the expression of the different genes involved in the production and degradation of Acetyl-phosphate (ackA-pta) and the enzymatic acetylation of proteins (yfiQ) are stimulated by the presence of ppGpp, depending on the growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunghwan Ro
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael Cashel
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Llorenç Fernández-Coll
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Yin WL, Zhang N, Xu H, Gong XX, Long H, Ren W, Zhang X, Cai XN, Huang AY, Xie ZY. Stress adaptation and virulence in Vibrio alginolyticus is mediated by two (p)ppGpp synthetase genes, relA and spoT. Microbiol Res 2021; 253:126883. [PMID: 34626929 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio alginolyticus belongs to gram-negative opportunistic pathogen realm infecting humans and aquatic animals causing severe economic losses. The (p)ppGpp-mediated stringent response is corroborated to stress adaptation and virulence of pathogenic mechanisms. Limited reports are documented for the intricate assessment of (p)ppGpp synthetase genes in combating various stress adaptation and elucidation of virulence in V. alginolyticus remains unraveled. The present assessment comprises of generation of deletion mutants in the (p)ppGpp-deficient strains, ΔrelA (relA gene single mutant) and ΔrelAΔspoT (relA and spoT genes double mutant), and the complemented strains, ΔrelA+ and ΔrelAΔspoT+, were constructed to investigate the pivotal roles of (p)ppGpp synthetase genes in V. alginolyticus, respectively. Amino acid sequence alignment analysis initially revealed that RelA and SpoT possess relatively conserved domains and synthetase activity. Hydrolase activity was emancipated by SpoT alone showing variant mode of action. Compared with the wild type and complemented strains, the relA-deficient strain was more sensitive to amino acid starvation and mupirocin. Interestingly, the deletion of spoT resulted in a significant growth deficiency supplemented with bile salts, 3 % ethanol and heat shock. Rapid growth was observed in the stationary phase upon exposure to cold stress and lower doses of ethanol. Subsequently, disruption of (p)ppGpp synthetase genes caused the decline in swimming motility, enhanced biofilm formation, cell aggregation of V. alginolyticus, and reduced mortality of Litopenaeus vannamei. The expression levels of some virulence-associated genes were quantified affirming consistency established by pleiotropic phenotypes. The results are evident for putative roles of (p)ppGpp synthetase genes attributing essential roles for environmental adaption and virulence regulation in V. alginolyticus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Liang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Na Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - He Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Hao Long
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Wei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Xiao-Ni Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Ai-You Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China
| | - Zhen-Yu Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Marine Microbial Resource, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, PR China; College of Marine Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan Province, PR China.
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Bange G, Brodersen DE, Liuzzi A, Steinchen W. Two P or Not Two P: Understanding Regulation by the Bacterial Second Messengers (p)ppGpp. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:383-406. [PMID: 34343020 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-042621-122343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Under stressful growth conditions and nutrient starvation, bacteria adapt by synthesizing signaling molecules that profoundly reprogram cellular physiology. At the onset of this process, called the stringent response, members of the RelA/SpoT homolog (RSH) protein superfamily are activated by specific stress stimuli to produce several hyperphosphorylated forms of guanine nucleotides, commonly referred to as (p)ppGpp. Some bifunctional RSH enzymes also harbor domains that allow for degradation of (p)ppGpp by hydrolysis. (p)ppGpp synthesis or hydrolysis may further be executed by single-domain alarmone synthetases or hydrolases, respectively. The downstream effects of (p)ppGpp rely mainly on direct interaction with specific intracellular effectors, which are widely used throughout most cellular processes. The growing number of identified (p)ppGpp targets allows us to deduce both common features of and differences between gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In this review, we give an overview of (p)ppGpp metabolism with a focus on the functional and structural aspects of the enzymes involved and discuss recent findings on alarmone-regulated cellular effectors. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Bange
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; .,Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ditlev E Brodersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Centre for Bacterial Stress Response and Persistence, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anastasia Liuzzi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Centre for Bacterial Stress Response and Persistence, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; .,Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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Léger L, Byrne D, Guiraud P, Germain E, Maisonneuve E. NirD curtails the stringent response by inhibiting RelA activity in Escherichia coli. eLife 2021; 10:64092. [PMID: 34323689 PMCID: PMC8321558 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria regulate their metabolism to adapt and survive adverse conditions, in particular to stressful downshifts in nutrient availability. These shifts trigger the so-called stringent response, coordinated by the signaling molecules guanosine tetra and pentaphosphate collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp. In Escherichia coli, accumulation of theses alarmones depends on the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the bifunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase SpoT. A tight regulation of these intracellular activities is therefore crucial to rapidly adjust the (p)ppGpp levels in response to environmental stresses but also to avoid toxic consequences of (p)ppGpp over-accumulation. In this study, we show that the small protein NirD restrains RelA-dependent accumulation of (p)ppGpp and can inhibit the stringent response in E. coli. Mechanistically, our in vivo and in vitro studies reveal that NirD directly binds the catalytic domains of RelA to balance (p)ppGpp accumulation. Finally, we show that NirD can control RelA activity by directly inhibiting the rate of (p)ppGpp synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Léger
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Deborah Byrne
- Protein Expression Facility, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Paul Guiraud
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Elsa Germain
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
| | - Etienne Maisonneuve
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix Marseille Univ (UMR7283), Marseille, France
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Chau NYE, Ahmad S, Whitney JC, Coombes BK. Emerging and divergent roles of pyrophosphorylated nucleotides in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009532. [PMID: 33984072 PMCID: PMC8118318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria inhabit diverse environmental niches and consequently must modulate their metabolism to adapt to stress. The nucleotide second messengers guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) (collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp) are essential for survival during nutrient starvation. (p)ppGpp is synthesized by the RelA-SpoT homologue (RSH) protein family and coordinates the control of cellular metabolism through its combined effect on over 50 proteins. While the role of (p)ppGpp has largely been associated with nutrient limitation, recent studies have shown that (p)ppGpp and related nucleotides have a previously underappreciated effect on different aspects of bacterial physiology, such as maintaining cellular homeostasis and regulating bacterial interactions with a host, other bacteria, or phages. (p)ppGpp produced by pathogenic bacteria facilitates the evasion of host defenses such as reactive nitrogen intermediates, acidic pH, and the complement system. Additionally, (p)ppGpp and pyrophosphorylated derivatives of canonical adenosine nucleotides called (p)ppApp are emerging as effectors of bacterial toxin proteins. Here, we review the RSH protein family with a focus on its unconventional roles during host infection and bacterial competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Y Elizabeth Chau
- Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shehryar Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C. Whitney
- Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian K. Coombes
- Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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40
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Charov K, Burkart MD. In silico identification and in vitro evaluation of a protein-protein interaction inhibitor of Escherichia coli fatty acid biosynthesis. Chem Biol Drug Des 2021; 98:94-101. [PMID: 33905605 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To combat the rise in antibiotic resistance, new targets must be identified and probes against them developed. Protein-protein interactions (PPI) of bacterial type II fatty acid biosynthesis (FAS-II) represent an untapped, yet rich area for new antibiotic discovery. Here, we present a computational and in vitro workflow for the discovery of new inhibitors of PPI in Escherichia coli FAS-II. As part of this study, we identified suramin, an existing treatment for African sleeping sickness, to effectively block the interaction of E. coli dehydratase FabA and the acyl carrier protein EcACP, with an IC50 = 85 μΜ. This finding validates a workflow that combines in silico screening with in vitro PPI assays to identify probes appropriate for further optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Charov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael D Burkart
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Sinha AK, Winther KS. The RelA hydrolase domain acts as a molecular switch for (p)ppGpp synthesis. Commun Biol 2021; 4:434. [PMID: 33790389 PMCID: PMC8012599 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01963-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria synthesize guanosine tetra- and penta phosphate (commonly referred to as (p)ppGpp) in response to environmental stresses. (p)ppGpp reprograms cell physiology and is essential for stress survival, virulence and antibiotic tolerance. Proteins of the RSH superfamily (RelA/SpoT Homologues) are ubiquitously distributed and hydrolyze or synthesize (p)ppGpp. Structural studies have suggested that the shift between hydrolysis and synthesis is governed by conformational antagonism between the two active sites in RSHs. RelA proteins of γ-proteobacteria exclusively synthesize (p)ppGpp and encode an inactive pseudo-hydrolase domain. Escherichia coli RelA synthesizes (p)ppGpp in response to amino acid starvation with cognate uncharged tRNA at the ribosomal A-site, however, mechanistic details to the regulation of the enzymatic activity remain elusive. Here, we show a role of the enzymatically inactive hydrolase domain in modulating the activity of the synthetase domain of RelA. Using mutagenesis screening and functional studies, we identify a loop region (residues 114–130) in the hydrolase domain, which controls the synthetase activity. We show that a synthetase-inactive loop mutant of RelA is not affected for tRNA binding, but binds the ribosome less efficiently than wild type RelA. Our data support the model that the hydrolase domain acts as a molecular switch to regulate the synthetase activity. Sinha and Winther show that the Escherichia coli RelA inactive hydrolase domain modulates the activity of the synthetase domain. RelA produces (p)ppGpp in γ-proteobacteria; using mutagenesis screening and functional studies, the authors demonstrate that the H loop region in the RelA hydrolase domain acts as a molecular switch to regulate the synthetase domain activity of the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Kumar Sinha
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Lienard A, Hosny M, Jneid J, Schuldiner S, Cellier N, Sotto A, La Scola B, Lavigne JP, Pantel A. Escherichia coli Isolated from Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis: Clonal Diversity, Resistance Profile, Virulence Potential, and Genome Adaptation. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020380. [PMID: 33668594 PMCID: PMC7918245 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the clonal diversity, the resistance profile and the virulence potential of Escherichia coli strains isolated from diabetic foot infection (DFI) and diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFOM). A retrospective single-centre study was conducted on patients diagnosed with E. coli isolated from deep DFI and DFOM at Clinique du Pied Diabétique Gard-Occitanie (France) over a two-year period. Phylogenetic backgrounds, virulence factors (VFs) and antibiotic resistance profiles were determined. Whole-genome analysis of E. coli strains isolated from same patients at different periods were performed. From the two-years study period, 35 E. coli strains isolated from 33 patients were analysed; 73% were isolated from DFOM. The majority of the strains belonged to the virulent B2 and D phylogenetic groups (82%). These isolates exhibited a significant higher average of VFs number than strains belonging to other groups (p < 0.001). papG2 gene was significantly more detected in strains belonging to B2 phylogroup isolated from DFI compared to DFOM (p = 0.003). The most prevalent antibiotic resistance pattern was observed for ampicillin (82%), cotrimoxazole (45%), and ciprofloxacin (33%). The genome analysis of strains isolated at two periods in DFOM showed a decrease of the genome size, and this decrease was more important for the strain isolated at nine months (vs. four months). A shared mutation on the putative acyl-CoA dehydrogenase-encoding gene aidB was observed on both strains. E. coli isolates from DFOM were highly genetically diverse with different pathogenicity traits. Their adaptation in the bone structure could require genome reduction and some important modifications in the balance virulence/resistance of the bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexi Lienard
- VBIC, INSERM U1047, Université de Montpellier, UFR de Médecine, 30908 Nîmes CEDEX 2, France;
| | - Michel Hosny
- Aix-Marseille Université UM63, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement IRD 198, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogeny and Infection (MEΦI), Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (M.H.); (J.J.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Joanne Jneid
- Aix-Marseille Université UM63, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement IRD 198, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogeny and Infection (MEΦI), Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (M.H.); (J.J.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Sophie Schuldiner
- VBIC, INSERM U1047, Université de Montpellier, Service des Maladies Métaboliques et Endocriniennes, CHU Nîmes, 30029 Nîmes CEDEX 09, France;
| | - Nicolas Cellier
- Service d’Orthopédie, CHU Nîmes, 30029 Nîmes CEDEX 09, France;
| | - Albert Sotto
- VBIC, INSERM U1047, Université de Montpellier, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, CHU Nîmes, 30029 Nîmes CEDEX 09, France;
| | - Bernard La Scola
- Aix-Marseille Université UM63, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement IRD 198, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogeny and Infection (MEΦI), Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (M.H.); (J.J.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Jean-Philippe Lavigne
- VBIC, INSERM U1047, Université de Montpellier, Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, 30029 Nîmes CEDEX 09, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Alix Pantel
- VBIC, INSERM U1047, Université de Montpellier, Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, 30029 Nîmes CEDEX 09, France;
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relA and spoT Gene Expression is Modulated in Salmonella Grown Under Static Magnetic Field. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:887-893. [PMID: 33515321 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Virtually all bacterial species synthesize high levels of (p)ppGpp (guanosine penta- or tetraphosphate), a pleiotropic regulator of the stringent response and other stresses in bacteria. relA and spoT genes are, respectively, involved in synthesis and synthesis/biodegradation of (p)ppGpp. We aimed in this work to evaluate the impact of static magnetic field (SMF) 200 mT exposure on the expression of relA and spoT genes in Salmonella enterica Hadar. Bacteria were exposed to a SMF during 9 h, and RNA extraction was followed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relative quantification of mRNA expression levels using the 16S rRNA reference gene did not change during the SMF exposure. However, results showed a significant increase in gene expression for relA after 3 h of exposure (P < 0.05) and after 6 h for spoT (P < 0.05). The differential gene expression of relA and spoT could be considered as a potential stress response to a SMF exposure in Salmonella related to the production/degradation of (p)ppGpp.
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Steinchen W, Ahmad S, Valentini M, Eilers K, Majkini M, Altegoer F, Lechner M, Filloux A, Whitney JC, Bange G. Dual role of a (p)ppGpp- and (p)ppApp-degrading enzyme in biofilm formation and interbacterial antagonism. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:1339-1356. [PMID: 33448498 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The guanosine nucleotide-based second messengers ppGpp and pppGpp (collectively: (p)ppGpp) enable adaptation of microorganisms to environmental changes and stress conditions. In contrast, the closely related adenosine nucleotides (p)ppApp are involved in type VI secretion system (T6SS)-mediated killing during bacterial competition. Long RelA-SpoT Homolog (RSH) enzymes regulate synthesis and degradation of (p)ppGpp (and potentially also (p)ppApp) through their synthetase and hydrolase domains, respectively. Small alarmone hydrolases (SAH) that consist of only a hydrolase domain are found in a variety of bacterial species, including the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we present the structure and mechanism of P. aeruginosa SAH showing that the enzyme promiscuously hydrolyses (p)ppGpp and (p)ppApp in a strictly manganese-dependent manner. While being dispensable for P. aeruginosa growth or swimming, swarming, and twitching motilities, its enzymatic activity is required for biofilm formation. Moreover, (p)ppApp-degradation by SAH provides protection against the T6SS (p)ppApp synthetase effector Tas1, suggesting that SAH enzymes can also serve as defense proteins during interbacterial competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Shehryar Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Martina Valentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kira Eilers
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mohamad Majkini
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Altegoer
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Lechner
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alain Filloux
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - John C Whitney
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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(p)ppGpp-Dependent Regulation of the Nucleotide Hydrolase PpnN Confers Complement Resistance in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium. Infect Immun 2021; 89:IAI.00639-20. [PMID: 33139383 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00639-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The stringent response is an essential mechanism of metabolic reprogramming during environmental stress that is mediated by the nucleotide alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and pentaphosphate [(p)ppGpp]. In addition to physiological adaptations, (p)ppGpp also regulates virulence programs in pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. S Typhimurium is a common cause of acute gastroenteritis, but it may also spread to systemic tissues, resulting in severe clinical outcomes. During infection, S Typhimurium encounters a broad repertoire of immune defenses that it must evade for successful host infection. Here, we examined the role of the stringent response in S Typhimurium resistance to complement-mediated killing and found that the (p)ppGpp synthetase-hydrolase, SpoT, is required for bacterial survival in human serum. We identified the nucleotide hydrolase, PpnN, as a target of the stringent response that is required to promote bacterial fitness in serum. Using chromatography and mass spectrometry, we show that PpnN hydrolyzes purine and pyrimidine monophosphates to generate free nucleobases and ribose 5'-phosphate, and that this metabolic activity is required for conferring resistance to complement killing. In addition to PpnN, we show that (p)ppGpp is required for the biosynthesis of the very long and long O-antigen in the outer membrane, known to be important for complement resistance. Our results provide new insights into the role of the stringent response in mediating evasion of the innate immune system by pathogenic bacteria.
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Abstract
The capacity of microbes to resist and overcome environmental insults, known as resilience, allows them to survive in changing environments but also to resist antibiotic and biocide treatments and immune system responses. Although the role of the stringent response in bacterial resilience to nutritional stresses has been well studied, little is known about its importance in the ability of the bacteria to not just resist but also recover from these disturbances. Bacteria grow in constantly changing environments that can suddenly become completely depleted of essential nutrients. The stringent response, a rewiring of the cellular metabolism mediated by the alarmone (p)ppGpp, plays a crucial role in adjusting bacterial growth to the severity of the nutritional stress. The ability of (p)ppGpp to trigger a slowdown of cell growth or induce bacterial dormancy has been widely investigated. However, little is known about the role of (p)ppGpp in promoting growth recovery after severe growth inhibition. In this study, we performed a time-resolved analysis of (p)ppGpp metabolism in Escherichia coli as it recovered from a sudden slowdown in growth. The results show that E. coli recovers by itself from the growth disruption provoked by the addition of serine hydroxamate, the serine analogue that we used to induce the stringent response. Growth inhibition was accompanied by a severe disturbance of metabolic activity and, more surprisingly, a transient overflow of valine and alanine. Our data also show that ppGpp is crucial for growth recovery since in the absence of ppGpp, E. coli’s growth recovery was slower. In contrast, an increased concentration of pppGpp was found to have no significant effect on growth recovery. Interestingly, the observed decrease in intracellular ppGpp levels in the recovery phase correlated with bacterial growth, and the main effect involved in the return to the basal level was identified by flux calculation as growth dilution. This report thus significantly expands our knowledge of (p)ppGpp metabolism in E. coli physiology. IMPORTANCE The capacity of microbes to resist and overcome environmental insults, known as resilience, allows them to survive in changing environments but also to resist antibiotic and biocide treatments and immune system responses. Although the role of the stringent response in bacterial resilience to nutritional stresses has been well studied, little is known about its importance in the ability of the bacteria to not just resist but also recover from these disturbances. To address this important question, we investigated growth disruption resilience in the model bacterium Escherichia coli and its dependence on the stringent response alarmone (p)ppGpp by quantifying ppGpp and pppGpp levels as growth was disrupted and then recovered. Our findings may thus contribute to understanding how ppGpp improves E. coli’s resilience to nutritional stress and other environmental insults.
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Dörr T. Understanding tolerance to cell wall-active antibiotics. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1496:35-58. [PMID: 33274447 PMCID: PMC8359209 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic tolerance-the ability of bacteria to survive for an extended time in the presence of bactericidal antibiotics-is an understudied contributor to antibiotic treatment failure. Herein, I review the manifestations, mechanisms, and clinical relevance of tolerance to cell wall-active (CWA) antibiotics, one of the most important groups of antibiotics at the forefront of clinical use. I discuss definitions of tolerance and assays for tolerance detection, comprehensively discuss the mechanism of action of β-lactams and other CWA antibiotics, and then provide an overview of how cells mitigate the potentially lethal effects of CWA antibiotic-induced cell damage to become tolerant. Lastly, I discuss evidence for a role of CWA antibiotic tolerance in clinical antibiotic treatment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Dörr
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Microbiology, and Cornell Institute of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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48
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Kundra S, Colomer-Winter C, Lemos JA. Survival of the Fittest: The Relationship of (p)ppGpp With Bacterial Virulence. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:601417. [PMID: 33343543 PMCID: PMC7744563 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.601417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The signaling nucleotide (p)ppGpp has been the subject of intense research in the past two decades. Initially discovered as the effector molecule of the stringent response, a bacterial stress response that reprograms cell physiology during amino acid starvation, follow-up studies indicated that many effects of (p)ppGpp on cell physiology occur at levels that are lower than those needed to fully activate the stringent response, and that the repertoire of enzymes involved in (p)ppGpp metabolism is more diverse than initially thought. Of particular interest, (p)ppGpp regulation has been consistently linked to bacterial persistence and virulence, such that the scientific pursuit to discover molecules that interfere with (p)ppGpp signaling as a way to develop new antimicrobials has grown substantially in recent years. Here, we highlight contemporary studies that have further supported the intimate relationship of (p)ppGpp with bacterial virulence and studies that provided new insights into the different mechanisms by which (p)ppGpp modulates bacterial virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Kundra
- Department of Oral Biology, UF College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | - José A Lemos
- Department of Oral Biology, UF College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, United States
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49
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Sanyal R, Harinarayanan R. Activation of RelA by pppGpp as the basis for its differential toxicity over ppGpp in Escherichia coli. J Biosci 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-020-9991-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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50
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Ito D, Kawamura H, Oikawa A, Ihara Y, Shibata T, Nakamura N, Asano T, Kawabata SI, Suzuki T, Masuda S. ppGpp functions as an alarmone in metazoa. Commun Biol 2020; 3:671. [PMID: 33188280 PMCID: PMC7666150 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01368-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Guanosine 3′,5′-bis(pyrophosphate) (ppGpp) functions as a second messenger in bacteria to adjust their physiology in response to environmental changes. In recent years, the ppGpp-specific hydrolase, metazoan SpoT homolog-1 (Mesh1), was shown to have important roles for growth under nutrient deficiency in Drosophila melanogaster. Curiously, however, ppGpp has never been detected in animal cells, and therefore the physiological relevance of this molecule, if any, in metazoans has not been established. Here, we report the detection of ppGpp in Drosophila and human cells and demonstrate that ppGpp accumulation induces metabolic changes, cell death, and eventually lethality in Drosophila. Our results provide the evidence of the existence and function of the ppGpp-dependent stringent response in animals. Ito et al. succeed in detecting guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) in measurable levels in metazoan, specifically in Drosophila. They further demonstrate that the ppGpp-specific hydrolase, metazoan SpoT homolog-1 (Mesh1), is necessary, at least in certain conditions, to maintain low ppGpp levels, hence providing insights into the role of Mesh1 as a ppGpp hydrolase in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doshun Ito
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hinata Kawamura
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akira Oikawa
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, Tsuruoka, Japan
| | - Yuta Ihara
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshio Shibata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tsunaki Asano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | | | - Takashi Suzuki
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shinji Masuda
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
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