In vivo impact of Met221 substitution in GOB metallo-β-lactamase

Crystal Structure of the Metallo-β-Lactamase GOB in the Periplasmic Dizinc Form Reveals an Unusual Metal Site

Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) are broad-spectrum, Zn(II)-dependent lactamases able to confer resistance to virtually every β-lactam antibiotic currently available. The large diversity of active-site structures and metal content among MBLs from different sources has limited the design of a pan-MBL inhibitor. GOB-18 is a divergent MBL from subclass B3 that is expressed by the opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen Elizabethkingia meningoseptica This MBL is atypical, since several residues conserved in B3 enzymes (such as a metal ligand His) are substituted in GOB enzymes. Here, we report the crystal structure of the periplasmic di-Zn(II) form of GOB-18. This enzyme displays a unique active-site structure, with residue Gln116 coordinating the Zn1 ion through its terminal amide moiety, replacing a ubiquitous His residue. This situation contrasts with that of B2 MBLs, where an equivalent His116Asn substitution leads to a di-Zn(II) inactive species. Instead, both the mono- and di-Zn(II) forms of GOB-18 are active against penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. In silico docking and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that residue Met221 is not involved in substrate binding, in contrast to Ser221, which otherwise is conserved in most B3 enzymes. These distinctive features are conserved in recently reported GOB orthologues in environmental bacteria. These findings provide valuable information for inhibitor design and also posit that GOB enzymes have alternative functions.

Triton Hodge Test: Improved Protocol for Modified Hodge Test for Enhanced Detection of NDM and Other Carbapenemase Producers

Accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli is of utmost importance for the control of nosocomial spread and the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The modified Hodge test (MHT), a carbapenem inactivation assay, has shown poor sensitivity in detecting the worldwide spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM). Recent studies demonstrated that NDM is a lipoprotein anchored to the outer membrane in Gram-negative bacteria, unlike all other known carbapenemases. Here we report that membrane anchoring of β-lactamases precludes detection of carbapenemase activity by the MHT. We also show that this limitation can be overcome by the addition of Triton X-100 during the test, which allows detection of NDM. We propose an improved version of the assay, called the Triton Hodge test (THT), which allows detection of membrane-bound carbapenemases with the addition of this nonionic surfactant. This test was challenged with a panel of 185 clinical isolates (145 carrying known carbapenemase-encoding genes and 40 carbapenemase nonproducers). The THT displayed test sensitivity of >90% against NDM-producing clinical isolates, while improving performance against other carbapenemases. Ertapenem provided the highest sensitivity (97 to 100%, depending on the type of carbapenemase), followed by meropenem (92.5 to 100%). Test specificity was not affected by the addition of Triton (87.5% and 92.5% with ertapenem and meropenem, respectively). This simple inexpensive test confers a large improvement to the sensitivity of the MHT for the detection of NDM and other carbapenemases.

Biochemical Characterization of CPS-1, a Subclass B3 Metallo-β-Lactamase from a Chryseobacterium piscium Soil Isolate

CPS-1 is a subclass B3 metallo-β-lactamase from a Chryseobacterium piscium isolate collected from soil, showing 68% amino acid identity to the GOB-1 enzyme. CPS-1 was overproduced in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3), purified by chromatography, and biochemically characterized. This enzyme exhibits a broad-spectrum substrate profile, including penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems, which overall resembles those of L1, GOB-1, and acquired subclass B3 enzymes AIM-1 and SMB-1.

Low-molecular-mass penicillin binding protein 6b (DacD) is required for efficient GOB-18 metallo-β-lactamase biogenesis in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are Zn(2+)-containing secretory enzymes of clinical relevance, whose final folding and metal ion assembly steps in Gram-negative bacteria occur after secretion of the apo form to the periplasmic space. In the search of periplasmic factors assisting MBL biogenesis, we found that dacD null (ΔdacD) mutants of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli expressing the pre-GOB-18 MBL gene from plasmids showed significantly reduced resistance to cefotaxime and concomitant lower accumulation of GOB-18 in the periplasm. This reduced accumulation of GOB-18 resulted from increased accessibility to proteolytic attack in the periplasm, suggesting that the lack of DacD negatively affects the stability of secreted apo MBL forms. Moreover, ΔdacD mutants of S. enterica and E. coli showed an altered ability to develop biofilm growth. DacD is a widely distributed low-molecular-mass (LMM) penicillin binding protein (PBP6b) endowed with low dd-carboxypeptidase activity whose functions are still obscure. Our results indicate roles for DacD in assisting biogenesis of particular secretory macromolecules in Gram-negative bacteria and represent to our knowledge the first reported phenotypes for bacterial mutants lacking this LMM PBP.

Probing the role of Met221 in the unusual metallo-β-lactamase GOB-18

Metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs) are the main mechanism of bacterial resistance against last generation β-lactam antibiotics such as carbapenems. Most MβLs display unusual structural features in their active sites, such as binuclear zinc centers without carboxylate bridging ligands and/or a Cys ligand in a catalytic zinc site. Cys221 is an essential residue for catalysis conserved in B1 and B2 lactamases, while most B3 enzymes present a Ser in this position. GOB lactamases stand as an exception within this picture, with a Met residue in position 221. Then, we obtained a series of GOB-18 point mutants in order to analyze the role of this unusual Met221 residue. We found that Met221 is essential for the protein stability, most likely due to its involvement in a hydrophobic core. In contrast to other known MβLs, residue 221 is not involved in metal binding or in catalysis in GOB enzymes, according to spectroscopic and kinetic studies. Our findings show that the essential catalytic features are maintained despite the structural heterogeneity among MβLs and suggest that a strategy to design general inhibitors should be undertaken on the basis of mechanistic rather than structural information.