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Hu J, Yao J, Lei C, Sun X. c-di-AMP accumulation impairs toxin expression of Bacillus anthracis by down-regulating potassium importers. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0378623. [PMID: 38899864 PMCID: PMC11302148 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03786-23] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax and a bioterrorism threat worldwide. As a crucial second messenger in many bacterial species, cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) modulates various key processes for bacterial homeostasis and pathogenesis. Overaccumulation of c-di-AMP alters cellular growth and reduces anthrax toxin expression as well as virulence in Bacillus anthracis by unresolved underlying mechanisms. In this report, we discovered that c-di-AMP binds to a series of receptors involved in potassium uptake in B. anthracis. By analyzing Kdp and Ktr mutants for osmotic stress, gene expression, and anthrax toxin expression, we also showed that c-di-AMP inhibits Kdp operon expression through binding to the KdpD and ydaO riboswitch; up-regulating intracellular potassium promotes anthrax toxin expression in c-di-AMP accumulated B. anthracis. Decreased anthrax toxin expression at high c-di-AMP occurs through the inhibition of potassium uptake. Understanding the molecular basis of how potassium uptake affects anthrax toxin has the potential to provide new insight into the control of B. anthracis.IMPORTANCEThe bacterial second messenger cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is a conserved global regulator of potassium homeostasis. How c-di-AMP regulates bacterial virulence is unknown. With this study, we provide a link between potassium uptake and anthrax toxin expression in Bacillus anthracis. c-di-AMP accumulation might inhibit anthrax toxin expression by suppressing potassium uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Hu
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junmin Yao
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengfeng Lei
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiulian Sun
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Neumann P, Heidemann JL, Wollenhaupt J, Dickmanns A, Agthe M, Weiss MS, Ficner R. A small step towards an important goal: fragment screen of the c-di-AMP-synthesizing enzyme CdaA. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:350-361. [PMID: 38682668 PMCID: PMC11066881 DOI: 10.1107/s205979832400336x] [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: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
CdaA is the most widespread diadenylate cyclase in many bacterial species, including several multidrug-resistant human pathogens. The enzymatic product of CdaA, cyclic di-AMP, is a secondary messenger that is essential for the viability of many bacteria. Its absence in humans makes CdaA a very promising and attractive target for the development of new antibiotics. Here, the structural results are presented of a crystallographic fragment screen against CdaA from Listeria monocytogenes, a saprophytic Gram-positive bacterium and an opportunistic food-borne pathogen that can cause listeriosis in humans and animals. Two of the eight fragment molecules reported here were localized in the highly conserved ATP-binding site. These fragments could serve as potential starting points for the development of antibiotics against several CdaA-dependent bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Neumann
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jana L. Heidemann
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Wollenhaupt
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Achim Dickmanns
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Agthe
- Institut für Nanostruktur- und Festkörperphysik, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred S. Weiss
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Ficner
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells’ (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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Neumann P, Kloskowski P, Ficner R. Computer-aided design of a cyclic di-AMP synthesizing enzyme CdaA inhibitor. MICROLIFE 2023; 4:uqad021. [PMID: 37223749 PMCID: PMC10167629 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is an essential secondary messenger regulating cell wall homeostasis and myriads of physiological processes in several Gram-positive and mycobacteria, including human pathogens. Hence, c-di-AMP synthesizing enzymes (DACs) have become a promising antibacterial drug target. To overcome a scarcity of small molecule inhibitors of c-di-AMP synthesizing enzyme CdaA, a computer-aided design of a new compound that should block the enzyme has been performed. This has led to the identification of a molecule comprising two thiazole rings and showing inhibitory potential based on ITC measurements. Thiazole scaffold is a good pharmacophore nucleus known due to its various pharmaceutical applications. It is contained in more than 18 FDA-approved drugs as well as in dozens of experimental drugs. Hence, the designed inhibitor can serve as a potent lead compound for further development of inhibitor against CdaA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Neumann
- Corresponding author. Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany. Tel: +495513928624; Fax: +495513928629; E-mail:
| | - Patrick Kloskowski
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ralf Ficner
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
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Oberkampf M, Hamiot A, Altamirano-Silva P, Bellés-Sancho P, Tremblay YDN, DiBenedetto N, Seifert R, Soutourina O, Bry L, Dupuy B, Peltier J. c-di-AMP signaling is required for bile salt resistance, osmotolerance, and long-term host colonization by Clostridioides difficile. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabn8171. [PMID: 36067333 PMCID: PMC9831359 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abn8171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
To colonize the host and cause disease, the human enteropathogen Clostridioides difficile must sense, respond, and adapt to the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract. We showed that the production and degradation of cyclic diadenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) were necessary during different phases of C. difficile growth, environmental adaptation, and infection. The production of this nucleotide second messenger was essential for growth because it controlled the uptake of potassium and also contributed to biofilm formation and cell wall homeostasis, whereas its degradation was required for osmotolerance and resistance to detergents and bile salts. The c-di-AMP binding transcription factor BusR repressed the expression of genes encoding the compatible solute transporter BusAA-AB. Compared with the parental strain, a mutant lacking BusR was more resistant to hyperosmotic and bile salt stresses, whereas a mutant lacking BusAA was more susceptible. A short exposure of C. difficile cells to bile salts decreased intracellular c-di-AMP concentrations, suggesting that changes in membrane properties induce alterations in the intracellular c-di-AMP concentration. A C. difficile strain that could not degrade c-di-AMP failed to persist in a mouse gut colonization model as long as the wild-type strain did. Thus, the production and degradation of c-di-AMP in C. difficile have pleiotropic effects, including the control of osmolyte uptake to confer osmotolerance and bile salt resistance, and its degradation is important for host colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Oberkampf
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Audrey Hamiot
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Pamela Altamirano-Silva
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Paula Bellés-Sancho
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Yannick D. N. Tremblay
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Nicholas DiBenedetto
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roland Seifert
- Institute of Pharmacology and Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Olga Soutourina
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lynn Bry
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bruno Dupuy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Johann Peltier
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015 Paris, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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InvL, an Invasin-Like Adhesin, Is a Type II Secretion System Substrate Required for Acinetobacter baumannii Uropathogenesis. mBio 2022; 13:e0025822. [PMID: 35638734 PMCID: PMC9245377 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00258-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen of growing concern, as isolates are commonly multidrug resistant. While A. baumannii is most frequently associated with pulmonary infections, a significant proportion of clinical isolates come from urinary sources, highlighting its uropathogenic potential. The type II secretion system (T2SS) of commonly used model Acinetobacter strains is important for virulence in various animal models, but the potential role of the T2SS in urinary tract infection (UTI) remains unknown. Here, we used a catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI) model to demonstrate that a modern urinary isolate, UPAB1, requires the T2SS for full virulence. A proteomic screen to identify putative UPAB1 T2SS effectors revealed an uncharacterized lipoprotein with structural similarity to the intimin-invasin family, which serve as type V secretion system (T5SS) adhesins required for the pathogenesis of several bacteria. This protein, designated InvL, lacked the β-barrel domain associated with T5SSs but was confirmed to require the T2SS for both surface localization and secretion. This makes InvL the first identified T2SS effector belonging to the intimin-invasin family. InvL was confirmed to be an adhesin, as the protein bound to extracellular matrix components and mediated adhesion to urinary tract cell lines in vitro. Additionally, the invL mutant was attenuated in the CAUTI model, indicating a role in Acinetobacter uropathogenesis. Finally, bioinformatic analyses revealed that InvL is present in nearly all clinical isolates belonging to international clone 2, a lineage of significant clinical importance. In all, we conclude that the T2SS substrate InvL is an adhesin required for A. baumannii uropathogenesis. IMPORTANCE While pathogenic Acinetobacter can cause various infections, we recently found that 20% of clinical isolates come from urinary sources. Despite the clinical relevance of Acinetobacter as a uropathogen, few virulence factors involved in urinary tract colonization have been defined. Here, we identify a novel type II secretion system effector, InvL, which is required for full uropathogenesis by a modern urinary isolate. Although InvL has predicted structural similarity to the intimin-invasin family of autotransporter adhesins, InvL is predicted to be anchored to the membrane as a lipoprotein. Similar to other invasin homologs, however, we demonstrate that InvL is a bona fide adhesin capable of binding extracellular matrix components and mediating adhesion to urinary tract cell lines. In all, this work establishes InvL as an adhesin important for Acinetobacter's urinary tract virulence and represents the first report of a type II secretion system effector belonging to the intimin-invasin family.
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Heidemann JL, Neumann P, Krüger L, Wicke D, Vinhoven L, Linden A, Dickmanns A, Stülke J, Urlaub H, Ficner R. Structural basis for c-di-AMP-dependent regulation of the bacterial stringent response by receptor protein DarB. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102144. [PMID: 35714772 PMCID: PMC9293649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102144] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial second messenger c-di-AMP controls essential cellular processes, including potassium and osmolyte homeostasis. This makes synthesizing enzymes and components involved in c-di-AMP signal transduction intriguing as potential targets for drug development. The c-di-AMP receptor protein DarB of Bacillus subtilis is known to bind the Rel protein and trigger the Rel-dependent stringent response to stress conditions; however, the structural basis for this trigger is unclear. Here we report crystal structures of DarB in the ligand-free state and of DarB complexed with c-di-AMP, 3´3´-cGAMP, and AMP. We show that DarB forms a homodimer with a parallel, head-to-head assembly of the monomers. We also confirm the DarB dimer binds two cyclic di-nucleotide molecules or two AMP molecules; only one adenine of bound c-di-AMP is specifically recognized by DarB, while the second protrudes out of the donut-shaped protein. This enables DarB to bind also 3´3´-cGAMP, as only the adenine fits in the active site. In absence of c-di-AMP, we show DarB binds to Rel and stimulates (p)ppGpp synthesis, whereas the presence of c-di-AMP abolishes this interaction. Furthermore, the DarB crystal structures reveal no conformational changes upon c-di-AMP binding, leading us to conclude the regulatory function of DarB on Rel must be controlled directly by the bound c-di-AMP. We thus derived a structural model of the DarB-Rel complex via in silico docking, which was validated with mass spectrometric analysis of the chemically cross-linked DarB-Rel complex and mutagenesis studies. We suggest, based on the predicted complex structure, a mechanism of stringent response regulation by c-di-AMP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Larissa Krüger
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute for Microbiology & Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dennis Wicke
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute for Microbiology & Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Linden
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Jörg Stülke
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute for Microbiology & Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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