Secretion of phospholipase C by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Exploring the Genomic Landscape of Bacillus paranthracis PUMB_17 as a Proficient Phosphatidylcholine-Specific Phospholipase C Producer

Phospholipases find versatile applications across industries, including detergent production, food modification, pharmaceuticals (especially in drug delivery systems), and cell signaling research. In this study, we present a strain of Bacillus paranthracis for the first time, demonstrating significant potential in the production of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC). The investigation thoroughly examines the B. paranthracis PUMB_17 strain, focusing on the activity of PC-PLC and its purification process. Notably, the PUMB_17 strain displays extracellular PC-PLC production with high specific activity during the late exponential growth phase. To unravel the genetic makeup of PUMB_17, we employed nanopore-based whole-genome sequencing and subsequently conducted a detailed genome annotation. The genome comprises a solitary circular chromosome spanning 5,250,970 bp, featuring a guanine-cytosine ratio of 35.49. Additionally, two plasmids of sizes 64,250 bp and 5845 bp were identified. The annotation analysis reveals the presence of 5328 genes, encompassing 5186 protein-coding sequences, and 142 RNA genes, including 39 rRNAs, 103 tRNAs, and 5 ncRNAs. The aim of this study was to make a comprehensive genomic exploration that promises to enhance our understanding of the previously understudied and recently documented capabilities of Bacillus paranthracis and to shed light on a potential use of the strain in the industrial production of PC-PLC.

The biology of habitat dominance; can microbes behave as weeds?

Competition between microbial species is a product of, yet can lead to a reduction in, the microbial diversity of specific habitats. Microbial habitats can resemble ecological battlefields where microbial cells struggle to dominate and/or annihilate each other and we explore the hypothesis that (like plant weeds) some microbes are genetically hard-wired to behave in a vigorous and ecologically aggressive manner. These 'microbial weeds' are able to dominate the communities that develop in fertile but uncolonized--or at least partially vacant--habitats via traits enabling them to out-grow competitors; robust tolerances to habitat-relevant stress parameters and highly efficient energy-generation systems; avoidance of or resistance to viral infection, predation and grazers; potent antimicrobial systems; and exceptional abilities to sequester and store resources. In addition, those associated with nutritionally complex habitats are extraordinarily versatile in their utilization of diverse substrates. Weed species typically deploy multiple types of antimicrobial including toxins; volatile organic compounds that act as either hydrophobic or highly chaotropic stressors; biosurfactants; organic acids; and moderately chaotropic solutes that are produced in bulk quantities (e.g. acetone, ethanol). Whereas ability to dominate communities is habitat-specific we suggest that some microbial species are archetypal weeds including generalists such as: Pichia anomala, Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas putida; specialists such as Dunaliella salina, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus spp. and other lactic acid bacteria; freshwater autotrophs Gonyostomum semen and Microcystis aeruginosa; obligate anaerobes such as Clostridium acetobutylicum; facultative pathogens such as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Pantoea ananatis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and other extremotolerant and extremophilic microbes such as Aspergillus spp., Salinibacter ruber and Haloquadratum walsbyi. Some microbes, such as Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Pseudoxylaria spp., exhibit characteristics of both weed and non-weed species. We propose that the concept of nonweeds represents a 'dustbin' group that includes species such as Synodropsis spp., Polypaecilum pisce, Metschnikowia orientalis, Salmonella spp., and Caulobacter crescentus. We show that microbial weeds are conceptually distinct from plant weeds, microbial copiotrophs, r-strategists, and other ecophysiological groups of microorganism. Microbial weed species are unlikely to emerge from stationary-phase or other types of closed communities; it is open habitats that select for weed phenotypes. Specific characteristics that are common to diverse types of open habitat are identified, and implications of weed biology and open-habitat ecology are discussed in the context of further studies needed in the fields of environmental and applied microbiology.

Critical evaluation of p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine (p-NPPC) as artificial substrate for the detection of phospholipase C*

Phospholipase C (PLC) activity secreted by bacteria as a virulence factor is commonly detected by use of the artificial substrate p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine (p-NPPC). We examined several commercially available enzymes (phosphodiesterases, phosphomonoesterases, phospholipase A, lipase, protease) for their hydrolytic activity towards p-NPPC and compared these results with those of PLC tests using phospholipid substrates. Our data indicate that, in addition to PLC, several other enzymes which can affect phosphate esters are able to hydrolyze p-NPPC. We therefore suggest to use lipid substrates for correct characterization of bacterial PLCs, especially when whole bacteria or crude enzyme preparations are investigated.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with cystic fibrosis affects function of pulmonary surfactant

Patients with cystic fibrosis are severely affected by an infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a microbe known to synthesize phospholipase C. This study was designed to determine whether that enzyme would affect the function of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids. Mucoid and nonmucoid strains of P. aeruginosa, freshly obtained from patients with cystic fibrosis, were cultured for 12 h on agar plates. The bacteria were suspended in saline solution and then pelleted by centrifugation. The supernatant was used to dilute the surfactant preparation, calf lung surfactant extract, from 35 to 2 mg/mL. Surfactant function, before and after incubation, was examined with a capillary surfactometer, an instrument specifically developed for an evaluation of the ability of surfactant to maintain patency of a narrow glass tube, simulating a terminal conducting airway. Phospholipid hydrolysis was also evaluated biochemically by determining the total content of phospholipids in surfactant before and after incubation. In five experiments, the lipids were separated with thin-layer chromatography, and the phosphorus content was determined in the diacylphosphatidylcholine band before and after incubation for 6, 24, and 48 h. Capillary openness and phospholipid concentration decreased as enzyme concentration and time of incubation increased (p<0.0001). Linear regression showed a significant correlation between time of capillary openness and phospholipid concentration (r = 0.957; p<0.0001). Calf lung surfactant extract hydrolysis was catalyzed by extracts of the bacteria, particularly the nonmucoid, analogous to the catalysis observed with phospholipase C. Surfactant hydrolysis catalyzed by enzymes from P. aeruginosa might severely affect surfactant function provided enzyme concentration is high and time of incubation is long.

The influence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on liposomes

The interaction of liposomes loaded with Ponceau red (used as a marker) with Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells was observed and it resulted in marker leakage. The marker leakage from liposomes was low in physiological fluids. The interaction was independent of secreted phospholipase C level and the serotype of the tested strain. Six of 37 examined isolates did not cause any release of the marker from the liposomes. Marker release of over 50% of total encapsulated material was observed only for ten of the strains tested.

Scavenging of neutrophil-derived superoxide anion by 1-hydroxyphenazine, a phenazine derivative associated with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection: relevance to cystic fibrosis

The airways of cystic fibrosis patients colonised by Pseudomonas aeruginosa contain the redox active phenazine derivative, 1-hydroxyphenazine (OHP). As the presence of reactive oxygen species is of importance to tissue damage in cystic fibrosis, OHP was investigated for its ability to reduce molecular oxygen to superoxide. In the presence of NADPH, OHP reduced cytochrome c in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was not inhibited by superoxide dismutase and demonstrates an electron transport role for OHP. The OHP/NADPH system was unable to reduce molecular oxygen to superoxide as judged by an inability to oxidase epinephrine to adrenochrome. However, using lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence to detect superoxide, it was found that pathophysiologically relevant concentrations of OHP (5-25 microM) effectively scavenged superoxide from a xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. Similarly, in the presence of OHP, superoxide availability from contact-activated neutrophils was substantially reduced. It is concluded that OHP is an efficient scavenger of superoxide and that electron transfer from superoxide to OHP represents a major mechanism for reduction of OHP in vivo. Reduced OHP has the potential to alter cellular function by participating in the reduction of iron-containing proteins and in this manner contribute to the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis.

Antimicrobial efficacy of quaternary bisammonium salts and the effect of their sub-MICs on Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors

Antipseudomonadal activity of homologous series of six quaternary bisammonium salts (QBAS) (4,7-dioxo-3,8-dioxadekan-1,1-[bis(alkyldimethyldiammonium dibromide)] as well as the effect of their subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors was studied. Antibacterial activity of QBAS increased up to a certain length of the chain and then decreased with further elongation. All the tested sub-MICs of QBAS caused a significant suppression of phospholipase C activity (to 0-41%). Elastase and proteinase activity were less efficiently reduced. A more effective decrease of these activities was only found after treatment with one-fourth of the MICs of the tested substances. QBAS caused only an erratic decrease of alginate production.

Carnitine resembles choline in the induction of cholinesterase, acid phosphatase, and phospholipase C and in its action as an osmoprotectant in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The present study demonstrates that under conditions of iso or hyperosmolarity, P. aeruginosa utilized carnitine as the carbon, nitrogen or carbon and nitrogen sources. As occurred in the case of choline, the bacteria synthesized cholinesterase (ChE), acid phosphatase (Ac.Pase) and phospholipase C (PLC) under any of these conditions and in the presence of high or low Pi concentrations. Carnitine acted as an osmoprotectant when the cells were grown in the presence of preferred carbon and nitrogen sources and high NaCl concentrations. Under these conditions the three enzyme activities were not produced. The osmotically stressed bacteria grown under any of the above conditions accumulated betaine. Its presence indicated that carnitine may be metabolized by P. aeruginosa to produce betaine which could account for the induction of the three enzyme activities or its action as an osmoprotectant. The phosphatidylcholine encountered in the host cell membranes allows the bacteria to obtain free choline by the coordinated action of PLC and Ac.Pase. Since the consequence of this action may be cell disruption, the increase of free carnitine in the natural environment of the bacteria is also possible. These two compounds, choline and carnitine, acting in conjunction or separately, may increase the production of PLC and Ac.Pase activities by P. aeruginosa and thus enhance the degradative effect upon the host cells.

Enzymic and permeability activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa after treatment with sub-MICs of organic ammonium salts

The effects of subinhibitory concentrations (1/4, 1/8, 1/16 of the MIC) of 12 organic ammonium salts of A (hard-alkyltrimethylammonium bromides) and B (soft--2-(dodecanoylamino)ethylalkyldimethylammonium bromides) homologous series on phospholipase C, proteinase, elastase and permeability activity were studied. The substances with longer substituents were more effective in reducing phospholipase C activity (hard and soft series) as well as proteinase (hard series). Phospholipase C was the most frequently and the most markedly inhibited enzyme. The organic ammonium salts were less effective in inhibiting elastase and permeability activity. Only one of the substances under study reduced all the tested activities.

A simple and reliable method for the purification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phospholipase C produced in a high phosphate medium containing choline

1. Pseudomonas aeruginosa phospholipase C from culture supernatants of bacteria grown in high-Pi basal salt medium with choline, as the sole carbon and nitrogen source, was purified by precipitation with 70% saturation ammonium sulfate in the presence of celite. 2. The PLC activity was eluted of this mixture by the use of a reverse gradient of 70-0% ammonium sulfate. 3. The peak containing the PLC activity revealed a single protein after SDS-PAGE. 4. The method could also be applied to purify PLC produced in a low-Pi complex medium. The resultant preparation was not homogeneous. 5. The molecular weight for both PLC preparations was about 70 kDa. 6. Both PLC used phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as substrates, displayed hemolytic activity an exhibited an apparent KM of 25 mM for p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine. 7. They were not inhibited by 1% sodium deoxycholate but were 30% inhibited by 1% Triton X-100. 8. 2% sodium dodecylsulfate and 1% tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide inhibited the PLC from the HP1-BSM plus choline but not the enzyme from the LP1-CM.

Isolation and characterization of two immunochemically distinct alkaline phosphatases from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

We have isolated two alkaline phosphatases (H-AP and L-AP, for high and low molecular mass, respectively) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01. These two enzymes were found to differ in mobility on sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gels (H-AP, M(r) = 51,000 and L-AP, M(r) = 39,500), amino-terminal amino acid sequence and did not cross-react. Both enzymes were active as phosphomonoesterases while only L-AP demonstrated any phosphodiesterase activity. Both enzymes were purified from P. aeruginosa grown in phosphate limiting conditions using the same protocol and were identified in both periplasmic and extracellular locations. A low level of H-AP was produced constitutively whereas L-AP was produced only after induction by reduced phosphate concentration in the growth medium. An L-AP-like enzyme has been previously described, however, this is the first report of a second P. aeruginosa alkaline phosphatase.

Potential effects of erythromycin on host defense systems and virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

We evaluated several potential effects of erythromycin (EM) on host defense systems and the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Peritoneal macrophages obtained from mice given 250 mg of EM per kg of body weight for 7 days by the intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous, or oral route produced significantly greater amounts of thymocyte-activating factors. These data suggest that EM enhances the in vivo production of cytokines, such as interleukins 1 and 6. Treatment of P. aeruginosa D4 with subinhibitory concentrations of EM enhanced the association of bacteria with murine Kupffer cells in vitro and increased bacterial clearance from the blood in mice. EM suppressed the in vitro production of exotoxin A, total protease, elastase, and phospholipase C by P. aeruginosa D4; exotoxin A production by P. aeruginosa PA-103; and total protease production by P. aeruginosa B16 and PAO1 in a generally dose-dependent manner. These data demonstrate that EM produces various effects in addition to its direct antimicrobial activity, suggesting that it has potential as an immunomodulator or bacterial virulence-suppressing agent against P. aeruginosa and other infections.

Bacterial metabolism of human polymorphonuclear leukocyte-derived arachidonic acid

Evidence for transcellular bacterial metabolism of phagocyte-derived arachidonic acid was sought by exposing human blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes, prelabelled with [3H]arachidonic acid, to opsonized, stationary-phase Pseudomonas aeruginosa (bacteria-to-phagocyte ratio of 50:1) for 90 min at 37 degrees C. Control leukocytes were stimulated with the calcium ionophore A23187 (5 microM) for 5 min. Radiochromatograms of arachidonic acid metabolites, extracted from A23187-stimulated cultures and then separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, revealed leukotriene B4, its omega-oxidation products, and 5-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid. In contrast, two major metabolite peaks, distinct from known polymorphonuclear leukocyte arachidonic acid products by high-performance liquid chromatography or by thin-layer chromatography, were identified in cultures of P. aeruginosa with [3H]arachidonic acid-labelled polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Respective chromatographic characteristics of these novel products were identical to those of two major metabolite peaks produced by incubation of stationary-phase P. aeruginosa with [3H]arachidonic acid. Production of the metabolites was dependent upon pseudomonal viability. UV spectral data were consistent with a conjugated diene structure. Metabolism of arachidonic acid by P. aeruginosa was not influenced by the presence of catalase, superoxide dismutase, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, or ferrous ions but was inhibited by carbon monoxide, ketoconazole, and 1,2-epoxy-3,3,3-trichloropropane. Our data suggest that pseudomonal metabolism of polymorphonuclear leukocyte-derived arachidonic acid occurs during phagocytosis, probably by enzymatic epoxidation and hydroxylation via an oxygenase. By this means, potential proinflammatory effects of arachidonic acid or its metabolites may be modulated by P. aeruginosa at sites of infection in vivo.

Osmoprotectants and phosphate regulate expression of phospholipase C in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Phospholipase C has been increasingly recognized as a significant virulence determinant in the pathogenesis of Gram-negative and Gram-positive infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa carries two, non-tandem genes encoding phospholipase C (PLC) activity. One PLC (PLC-H) haemolyses human and sheep erythrocytes while the other is not haemolytic for these kinds of red blood cells. It was previously determined that the synthesis of both PLCs is regulated by inorganic phosphate (Pi), but little else was known regarding the regulation of these potentially important virulence determinants of P. aeruginosa. In this report, data are presented demonstrating that both PLC genes are regulated at the transcriptional level by Pi and by a P. aeruginosa homologue of the positive regulator of genes in the Pi regulon of Escherichia coli, i.e. PhoB. In addition to Pi, it is also shown in this report that the synthesis of both PLC-H and PLC-N is induced by compounds which are not only derived from the substrate product of both enzymes, i.e. phosphorylcholine, but are also known osmoprotectants in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. The osmoprotective derivatives of phosphorylcholine which induce the synthesis of PLC in P. aeruginosa include choline, glycine betaine, and dimethylglycine, but not sarcosine (monomethylglycine) or glycine. By constructing mutants which are deficient in the production of each separate PLC and in the production of PhoB it was determined that induction of PLC-H by the osmoprotective compounds is independent of Pi concentration and PhoB, while induction of PLC-N by these compounds requires Pi-deficient conditions and PhoB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cloning and characterization of a phospholipase gene from Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16

A single gene (plcA) was cloned from a cosmid library of Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16 DNA that encoded an extracellular phospholipase. The gene was subcloned and DNA sequence data showed the presence of a single open reading frame encoding a protein with a predicted size of 39 kDa. The coding region was G+C-rich and the protein had a predicted basic isoelectric point. The protein showed no significant homology with others in the PIR library, including other phospholipases. When overexpressed in Escherichia coli cells, the plcA gene directed production of a c. 39 kDa protein that was largely localized in the periplasm, but its N-terminal amino acid sequence was that of the native protein predicted from DNA sequence data. Unlike the wild-type bacterium, an E. chrysanthemi EC16 marker exchange mutant of the plcA gene did not secrete extracellular phospholipase activity in the medium. However, no detectable change was observed in terms of the virulence of the mutant strain on potato tubers or chrysanthemum stems.

Purification and some properties of phospholipase C from Achromobacter xylosoxidans

A non-haemolytic phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3) was purified from the culture medium of Achromobacter xylosoxidans with a 5% yield and a purification factor of 330. A combination of ultrafiltration, acetone precipitation and two subsequent affinity chromatographic steps was used. The affinity chromatography is a new application of 2-(4-aminophenylsulphonyl)ethyl-cellulose, a sorbent that has previously been used for the purification of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus. The purified enzyme gave four distinct bands on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and each band was catalytically active. Under our experimental conditions, the phospholipids examined were hydrolysed in the following order: phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin. Neither the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine nor phosphatidylinositol was hydrolysed under different experimental conditions. For maximal hydrolytic activity toward phosphatidylcholine, the enzyme required Triton X-100 and Ca2+ ions. EDTA was inhibitory, but the enzyme activity was almost completely restored by Zn2+. The molecular mass of the phospholipase C, estimated by gel permeation, was 34,000 daltons.

Secretion of extracellular proteins by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterial species of commercial value secreting numerous extracellular proteins, involved in pathogenesis. Most strains produce at least a lipase, a phospholipase, an alkaline phosphatase, an exotoxin and 2 proteases (elastase and alkaline protease). Various mechanisms for secretion of exoproteins appear to exist in P aeruginosa. Genetic analysis has led to the identification of 2 secretion pathways: i) a "general" secretion pathway, defined by the xcp mutations, which mediates secretion of most extracellular proteins, and; ii) an independent secretion pathway specific for alkaline protease. Our present knowledge on the pathways and components of the secretion machinery in P aeruginosa is reviewed in this article.

Apparent phosphate retrieval system in Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus secretes three different phospholipases C. We studied the effect of Pi levels in the growth medium on the production of these exoenzymes. Production of both phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase C and sphingomyelinase C was repressed by Pi in the growth medium, whereas production of phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C was unaffected. We also found that B. cereus secretes a phosphate-repressed alkaline phosphatase activity. Together with a previously reported highly efficient, active uptake system for Pi, these three phosphate-repressed exoenzyme activities seem to be part of a phosphate retrieval mechanism that operates under growth-limiting concentrations of Pi. In natural soil systems, which are the natural habitats of B. cereus, the scarcity of Pi is the major growth-limiting factor. A phosphate-repressed metalloprotease activity was also detected in culture supernatants of B. cereus. It is unclear whether this exoenzyme activity also participates in the proposed phosphate-scavenging system.

Induction of inflammatory mediators (histamine and leukotrienes) from rat peritoneal mast cells and human granulocytes by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from burn patients

Clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from severely burned patients were analyzed with regard to their capacity to induce inflammatory-mediator release from rat mast cells or human granulocytes. The bacterial strains were characterized according to their cell-associated hemolysin activity as well as their secreted hemolysin and phospholipase C activities. P. aeruginosa expressing heat-labile hemolysin and phospholipase C induced histamine release from rat mast cells and leukotriene formation from human granulocytes, while bacterial strains expressing heat-stable hemolysin were potent releasers of histamine but did not lead to leukotriene formation. The mediator-inducing capacity was dependent on the growth characteristics of the bacterial strains. The purified glycolipid (heat-stable hemolysin) of P. aeruginosa was a potent inducer of histamine release but did not initiate leukotriene formation. Exotoxin A did not affect inflammatory-mediator release. P. aeruginosa with leukotriene-inducing capacity also enhanced omega oxidation of endogenous leukotriene B4, suggesting an additional inactivation of the chemotactic potential. Our data suggest that both hemolysins of P. aeruginosa contribute to the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa by inducing and modulating inflammatory-mediator release from various cells.

Mutations in the hemolytic-phospholipase C operon result in decreased virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 grown under phosphate-limiting conditions

The phospholipase C (PLC) operon of Pseudomonas aeruginosa consists of plcS, which encodes a heat-labile secreted hemolysin, and two in-phase, overlapping genes, plcR1 and plcR2, which may encode Pi-regulatory genes. A 2.8-kilobase-pair deletion mutation in this operon was constructed, and a tetracycline resistance (Tcr) cartridge replaced the deleted sequences. A deletion mutant of strain PAO1 was obtained through recombination between the flanking regions of the mutated cloned PLC operon and the homologous chromosomal regions. The deletion of the chromosomal PLC operon and its replacement by the Tcr cartridge was confirmed by Southern hybridization. The deletion strain, PLC SR, is nonhemolytic. However, it retains PLC activity when measured on a synthetic substrate. A second mutant strain, PLC R, contains a deletion in the plcR genes. This mutant is more hemolytic and produces more enzymatic activity than PAO1. The virulence of both of these mutants was compared with that of PAO1 in the mouse burn model of infection. When mice were infected with cultures grown in a high-Pi medium, there was a 10-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose of the mutants compared with PAO1. In contrast, when the inoculum originated from low-Pi cultures, there was a 200- to 10,000-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose of the mutants over PAO1.

Iron regulation of Serratia marcescens hemolysin gene expression

The hemolytic activity of Serratia marcescens was examined as a function of iron availability. Restriction of iron by the nonmetabolizable chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl or the iron-binding protein transferrin produced a marked increase in hemolytic activity. The hemolytic activity of S. marcescens is determined by two adjacent genes, 5'-shlB-shlA-3', where shlA encodes the hemolysin which requires the ShlB protein for activity. A gene fusion between the promoter-proximal portion of shlA and phoA, the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase gene, was subcloned into a medium-copy-number vector, and the recombinant plasmid was introduced into S. marcescens. The expression of shlA was measured as a function of alkaline phosphatase activity, which increased threefold under iron-restricted conditions. Removal of the 5' noncoding region upstream of shlB in the fusion vector resulted in a 10-fold decrease in alkaline phosphatase activity under iron-sufficient conditions, with no effect of iron limitation on this residual activity. This suggested that the site mediating iron regulation of shlA expression occurs upstream of shlB. Consistent with this, we observed iron-regulated synthesis of the ShlB protein in Western immunoblots of isolated outer membranes. The hemolysin determinant was subsequently expressed on a medium-copy-number vector in fur+/fur isogenic strains of E. coli K-12, where a 10-fold-higher activity was observed in the mutant strain compared with the wild type. A sequence exhibiting some homology to the Fur-binding consensus sequence was identified upstream of the shlB coding region, overlapping the -35 region of a putative promoter.

Influence of growth temperature and lipopolysaccharide on hemolytic activity of Serratia marcescens

Log-phase cells of Serratia marcescens cultured at 30 degrees C were approximately 10-fold more hemolytic than those grown at 37 degrees C. By using a cloned gene fusion of the promoter-proximal part of the hemolysin gene (shlA) to the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase gene (phoA), hemolysin gene expression as a function of alkaline phosphatase activity was measured at 30 and 37 degrees C. No difference in alkaline phosphatase activity was observed as a function of growth temperature, although more hemolysin was detectable immunologically in whole-cell extracts of cells grown at 30 degrees C. The influence of temperature was, however, growth phase dependent, because the hemolytic activities of cells cultured to early log phase at 30 and 37 degrees C were comparable. Given the outer membrane location of the hemolysin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined as a candidate for mediating the temperature effect on hemolytic activity. Silver staining of LPS in polyacrylamide gels revealed a shift towards shorter O-antigen molecules at 37 degrees C relative to 30 degrees C. Moreover, there was less binding of O-antigen-specific bacteriophage to S. marcescens with increasing growth temperature, a finding consistent with temperature-mediated changes in LPS structure. Smooth strains of S. marcescens were 20- to 30-fold more hemolytic than rough derivatives, a result confirming that changes in LPS structure can influence hemolytic activity. The alkaline phosphatase activity of rough strains harboring the shlA-phoA fusion was threefold lower than that of smooth strains harboring the fusion plasmids, a result consistent with a decrease in hemolysin gene expression in rough strains. The absence of a similar effect of temperature on gene expression may be related to less-marked changes in LPS structure as a function of temperature compared with a smooth-to-rough mutational change.

Molecular characterization of the hemolysin determinant of Serratia marcescens

The nucleotide sequence of a 7.3-kilobase-pair fragment of DNA encoding a hemolytic activity from Serratia marcescens was determined. Two large open reading frames were identified, designated shlA (Serratia hemolysin) and shlB, capable of encoding polypeptides of 165, 056 and 61,897 molecular weight, respectively. Both reading frames were expressed in vivo. The shlB gene product was localized to the outer membrane of Escherichia coli cells harboring the S. marcescens hemolysin determinant. Consistent with this location, a signallike sequence was identified at the N terminus of the polypeptide predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the shlB gene. Hyperexpression of the shlB locus permitted the identification of two shlB-encoded polypeptides of 65,000 and 62,000 molecular weight, respectively. Determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified 62,000-molecular-weight protein confirmed that it was the mature form of the ShlB protein initially synthesized as a precursor (65,000-molecular-weight protein). By using polyclonal antisera raised against the purified proteins, ShlA and ShlB were identified in the outer membrane of S. marcescens. The shlA gene product was shown to interact with erythrocyte membranes, confirming it as the hemolysin proper. Both hemolysis and the interaction of ShlA with erythrocyte membranes did, however, require the ShlB function. Progressive deletion of the C terminus of the ShlA protein gradually reduced hemolytic activity until 37% of the amino acids had been removed. Elimination of 54% of the amino acids produced a nonhemolytic protein which, however, was still capable of associating with erythrocyte membranes.

Production of lipase by clinical isolates of Pseudomonas cepacia

Ten clinical isolates of Pseudomonas cepacia from the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients were examined for the ability to produce lipase. Lipase substrates used included egg yolk agar, four different polyoxyethylene sorbitans (Tweens), and p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine, a chromogenic substrate used to assay for phospholipase C. Lipase activity was detected in the filtrates of organisms grown to the exponential phase in either tryptose minimal medium or chemically defined medium. Lipase activity increased in the filtrates if the cultures were allowed to proceed into the stationary phase. None of the isolates produced phospholipase C. Lipase activity on Tween 20 ranged from 41.6 X 10(-3) to 640.0 X 10(-3) U/micrograms of protein. The activity was similar or slightly lower when Tween 40, 60, or 80 was used as the substrate. There was no correlation between lipase activity on Tween and that demonstrated on egg yolk agar. Lipase activity increased as pH increased from 7.0 to 9.0. Boiling for 5 min resulted in 66% loss of enzyme activity. The remaining activity continued to decrease with increasing boiling time. The enzyme was purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and the resultant preparation, when subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, resulted in a single protein band (molecular weight, approximately 25,000) from which lipase activity could be eluted. The purified lipase was not cytotoxic to HeLa cells, nor was it toxic when injected intravenously into mice.

Identification of a new phospholipase C activity by analysis of an insertional mutation in the hemolytic phospholipase C structural gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The phospholipase C (PLC) gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes a heat-labile secreted hemolysin which is part of a Pi-regulated operon. The structural gene for PLC, plcS, was mutated in vitro by insertion of a tetracycline resistance gene cartridge. Gene replacement techniques were used to introduce the mutated plcS gene into the P. aeruginosa chromosome in place of the wild-type gene. The precise replacement of wild-type sequences by mutant sequences was confirmed by Southern hybridization. The mutant strain, designated PLC S, is nonhemolytic and lacks a 78-kilodalton protein corresponding to the size of the wild-type PLC. However, there is an additional phospholipase activity present in PLC S capable of hydrolyzing p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine, a synthetic PLC substrate, and phosphatidylcholine. This enzymatic activity is not a result of a truncated product produced from the mutated plcS gene. The phospholipase activity of PLC S was identified as a nonhemolytic PLC.

Nucleotide sequences and expression in Escherichia coli of the in-phase overlapping Pseudomonas aeruginosa plcR genes

The translation products of chromosomal DNAs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa encoding phospholipase C (heat-labile hemolysin) have been examined in T7 promoter plasmid vectors and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. A plasmid carrying a 4.7-kilobase (kb) DNA fragment was found to encode the 80-kilodalton (kDa) phospholipase C as well as two more proteins with an apparent molecular mass of 26 and 19 kDa. Expression directed by this DNA fragment with various deletions suggested that the coding region for the two smaller proteins was contained in a 1-kb DNA region. Moreover, the size of both proteins was reduced by the same amount by an internal BglII-BglII DNA deletion, suggesting that they were translated from overlapping genes. Similar results were obtained with another independently cloned 6.1-kb Pseudomonas DNA, which in addition coded for a 31-kDa protein of opposite orientation. The nucleotide sequence of the 1-kb region above revealed an open reading frame with a signal sequence typical of secretory proteins and a potential in-phase internal translation initiation site. Pulse-chase and localization studies in E. coli showed that the 26-kDa protein was a precursor of a secreted periplasmic 23-kDa protein (PlcR1) while the 19-kDa protein (PlcR2) was mostly cytoplasmic. These results indicate the expression of Pseudomonas in-phase overlapping genes in E. coli.

Nucleotide sequence and expression of a phosphate-regulated gene encoding a secreted hemolysin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A 3.3-kilobase-pair fragment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DNA containing the phospholipase C (heat-labile hemolysin) gene was sequenced, and the location of the gene was determined. The gene product contains at its NH2 terminus a 38-amino acid sequence which structurally resembles the signal peptides of other secreted proteins but is unusually long and positively charged (6+). The location of the translation start codon was determined by constructing a series of plasmids in which the promoter of a transcription vector was ligated to Pseudomonas DNA containing deletions at the 5' end of the gene. The plasmids were used to transform Escherichia coli, and the resulting clones were assayed for hemolysin activity. In addition, sizes of truncated proteins produced by mutants with translation terminators introduced at specific sites were analyzed in E. coli maxicells. The gene is transcribed, starting just upstream of the hemolysin gene, as an mRNA of approximately 2,800 bases. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence, analysis of mutants in maxicells, and transcriptional studies indicate that the hemolysin is part of an operon composed of two genes. Phosphate regulation of the operon is at the transcriptional level. The location of the 5' end of the transcript was determined by S1 mapping.

Characterization of the phospholipase C gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cloned in Escherichia coli

We have cloned a 4.9-kb fragment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DNA containing the structural gene of phospholipase C (PLC), by inserting it into the BamHI site of plasmid pBR322. Strains of Escherichia coli carrying this recombinant plasmid produce PLC, but expression of the gene differs from that in P. aeruginosa in two respects: (i) synthesis of the enzyme appears to be constitutive, i.e., not repressible by the presence of inorganic phosphate in the growth medium, and (ii) most of the enzyme remains associated with the outer membrane instead of being secreted. Insertion mutagenesis at a unique restriction site within the PLC gene destroyed the ability of the plasmid to code, in maxicells, for phospholipase C activity and for an Mr 80000 polypeptide.

Cloning, and expression in Escherichia coli K-12, of the chromosomal hemolysin (phospholipase C) determinant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A hemolysin determinant was cloned from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA103 by inserting Sau3a-generated DNA fragments between the BamHI sites of the lambda replacement vector WL47.1. A 9.5-kilobase HindIII fragment encoding the hemolysin was subcloned from this phage and inserted into the plasmid vector pHC79 to generate the recombinant plasmid pKC95. Escherichia coli K-12 strains harboring pKC95 exhibited zones of hemolysis after several days of growth on blood agar plates. Hemolysis was shown to be due to phospholipase C activity by using the chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine. Deletion mutants of pKC95 were isolated, and polypeptides expressed from these plasmids were examined by using the E. coli minicell system. A polypeptide of 78,000 daltons was associated with phospholipase C activity. The hemolytic activity was cell associated when expressed in E. coli.

Lysis of Trypanosoma cruzi by Pseudomonas fluorescens

Trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi isolated from the blood of infected mice were lysed within 24 h by an extracellular substance produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens. Isolation of the anti-trypanosomal factor (ATF) was accomplished by growth of the organisms in a defined medium, extracellular secretion by the sedimented cells, sterilization by filtration, lyophilization, dialysis, and gel filtration. Chromatographic separation with Sephadex G-25 and G-200 disclosed the occurrence of three active fractions. ATF-I(1) exhibited a molecular weight higher than 440,000. ATF-II and ATF-III were considerably smaller (molecular weights approximately 1,355 and 1,060, respectively). The lytic substance contained protein and lipopolysaccharide, was resistant to heat and freezing, was not proteolytic or hemolytic, and was not inhibited by trypsin but was suppressed by pronase.

Phospholipase C (heat-labile hemolysin) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: purification and preliminary characterization

Phospholipase C (heat-labile hemolysin) was purified from Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture supernatants to near homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by a novel application of DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. Enzymatic activity remained associated with DEAE-Sephacel even in the presence of 1 M NaCl, but was eluted with a linear gradient of 0 to 5% tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide. Elution from DEAE-Sephacel was also obtained with 2% lysophosphatidylcholine, and to a lesser extent with 2% phosphorylcholine, but not at all with choline. The enzyme was highly active toward phospholipids possessing substituted ammonium groups (e.g., phosphatidycholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin); however, it had little if any activity toward phospholipids lacking substituted ammonium groups (e.g., phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphaditylglycerol). Collectively, these data suggest that phospholipase C from P. aeruginosa exhibits high affinity for substituted ammonium groups, but requires an additional hydrophobic moiety for optimum binding. The specific activity of the purified enzyme preparation increased 1,900-fold compared with that of culture supernatants. The molecular weight of the phospholipase C was estimated to be 78,000 by both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Sephacryl S-200 column chromatography and was 76,000 by high-performance size exclusion chromatography. The isoelectric point was 5.5. Amino acid analysis showed that phospholipase C was rich in glycine, serine, threonine, aspartyl, glutamyl, and aromatic amino acids, but was cystine free.

Degradation of human myelin phospholipids by phospholipase-enriched culture media of pathogenic Naegleria fowleri

Cell-free media from cultures of virulent Naegleria fowleri were tested for phospholipase activities and their ability to degrade phospholipids of human myelin. Virulent N. fowleri selectively released lipolytic enzymes into the media at various times during growth and hydrolyzed the phospholipids of human myelin, while media from virulent-attenuated and nonpathogenic Naegleria spp. were almost totally inactive. Hydrolysis of myelin phospholipid increased concomitantly with amebal growth, and the relative rate of breakdown at pH 7.5 was sphingomyelin greater than phosphatidylcholine greater than phosphatidylethanolamine. Elevated levels of lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine were also noted.

Phospholipase C regulatory mutation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that results in constitutive synthesis of several phosphate-repressible proteins

We describe here a new mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO, strain D10C (genotype plcB), which produces phospholipase C and alkaline phosphatase constitutively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the extracellular proteins produced by this mutant in high- and low-Pi media revealed that the mutation resulted in a marked deficiency of one major Pi-regulated protein of 41,000 molecular weight and constitutive synthesis of all other major extracellular Pi-regulated proteins. Furthermore, the plcB mutant was deficient in phosphate transport. A plcA mutation, which also led to a loss of the 41,000-molecular-weight protein, was similarly deficient in Pi transport. The genetic loci, plcA and plcB, located at 22 to 23 min on the PAO chromosome, were indistinguishable by conjugational and transductional mapping, and may therefore be in the same gene or in a cluster of genes which regulate the synthesis of Pi-repressible proteins.

Outer membrane protein P of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: regulation by phosphate deficiency and formation of small anion-specific channels in lipid bilayer membranes

A new major outer membrane protein, P, was induced in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 upon growth in medium containing 0.2 mM or less inorganic phosphate. Studies with media containing different levels of phosphate and with mutants of PAO1 suggested that protein P was coregulated with alkaline phosphatase and phospholipase C. Protein P was substantially purified and shown to form sodium dodecyl sulfate-resistant oligomers on polyacrylamide gels. The incorporation of purified protein P into artificial lipid bilayers resulted in an increase of the membrane conductance by many orders of magnitude. Single-channel experiments demonstrated that protein P channels were substantially smaller than all previously studied porins from P. aeruginosa and enteric bacteria, with an average single-channel conductance in 1 M NaCl of 0.25 nS. The protein P channel was apparently not voltage induced or regulated. The results of single-channel conductance experiments, using a variety of different salts, allowed a minimum channel diameter estimate of 0.7 nm. Furthermore, from these results it was concluded that the protein P channel was highly specific for anions. Zero-current potential measurements confirmed that protein P was at least 30-fold more permeable for Cl- than for K+ ions. The possible biological role of the small, anion-specific protein P channels in phosphate uptake from the medium is discussed.

Studies of phospholipase C (heat-labile hemolysin) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine was used to measure phospholipase C (heat-labile hemolysin) production by clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Analysis of strains from various types of infection showed that phospholipase C production by urinary tract isolates was significantly greater than that by lung, blood, or other isolates (e.g., wounds, etc.). The above method was also found to be effective for the isolation of several classes of phospholipase C mutants.

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutant non-derepressible for orthophosphate-regulated proteins

Using a rapid screening assay based on the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine, we isolated several mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa deficient in the production of phospholipase C. One, designated strain A50N, was also markedly deficient in the synthesis of alkaline phosphatase and several unidentified extracellular proteins. Because strain A50N produces these proteins under conditions of derepression at levels equal to those produced by the parental strain PAO1 grown in medium containing excess phosphate, it appears to have a mutation in a genetic element involved in the derepression of phosphate-repressible proteins.

Toxin A-deficient mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA103: isolation and characterization

An immunological assay utilizing double-diffusion principles was developed for identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants deficient in toxin A. Mutations were chemically induced, and mutants were isolated from P. aeruginosa strain PA103. Quantitative assays, both enzymatic and immunological, indicated that five mutants produced toxin A in vitro at levels of 0.3% or less of parental strain levels. Characterization indicated that the mutants fell into four classes and suggested that multiple genes are involved in the regulation of toxin A yields. Classes 1 to 3 produced less than 1% of parental levels of extracellular toxin A. Class 1 mutants are apparently specific for toxin A. Class 2 mutants are pleotropic and produced toxin A, protease, and other extracellular proteins at reduced yields. Class 3 mutants are pleotropic and in addition have relatively high levels of cell-bound toxin A. Class 4 mutants produce toxin A at levels greater than 1% of parental yields. Of 16 toxin A-deficient mutants examined, only 1 was a class 1 mutant. This mutant (PA103-29) was shown to be identical to the parental strain in all respects tested except for its marked deficiency in toxin A. The suitability of this class 1 mutant for use in virulence studies is discussed.