1
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Coleman SR, Pletzer D, Hancock REW. Contribution of Swarming Motility to Dissemination in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Murine Skin Abscess Infection Model. J Infect Dis 2020; 224:726-733. [PMID: 33349847 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Swarming motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multicellular adaptation induced by semisolid medium with amino acids as a nitrogen source. By phenotypic screening, we differentiated swarming from other complex adaptive phenotypes, such as biofilm formation, swimming and twitching, by identifying a swarming-specific mutant in ptsP, a metabolic regulator. This swarming-deficient mutant was tested in an acute murine skin abscess infection model. Bacteria were recovered at significantly lower numbers from organs of mice infected with the ∆ptsP mutant. We also tested the synthetic peptide 1018 for activity against different motilities and efficacy in vivo. Treatment with peptide 1018 mimicked the phenotype of the ∆ptsP mutant in vitro, as swarming was inhibited at low concentrations (<2 μg/mL) but not swimming or twitching, and in vivo, as mice had a reduced bacterial load recovered from organs. Therefore, PtsP functions as a regulator of swarming, which in turn contributes to dissemination and colonization in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R Coleman
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Daniel Pletzer
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert E W Hancock
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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2
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Ni H, Li M, Wang Q, Wang J, Liu X, Zheng F, Hu D, Yu X, Han Y, Zhang Q, Zhou T, Wang Y, Wang C, Gao J, Shao ZQ, Pan X. Inactivation of the htpsA gene affects capsule development and pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis. Virulence 2020; 11:927-940. [PMID: 32815473 PMCID: PMC7567435 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1792080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (S. suis 2) is an important swine pathogen and also an emerging zoonotic agent. HtpsA has been reported as an immunogenic cell surface protein on the bacterium. In the present study, we constructed an isogenic mutant strain of htpsA, namely ΔhtpsA, to study its role in the development and virulence of S. suis 2. Our results showed that the mutant strain lost its typical encapsulated structure with decreased concentrations of sialic acid. Furthermore, the survival rate in whole blood, the anti-phagocytosis by RAW264.7 murine macrophage, and the adherence ability to HEp-2 cells were all significantly affected in the ΔhtpsA. In addition, the deletion of htpsA sharply attenuated the virulence of S. suis 2 in an infection model of mouse. RNA-seq analysis revealed that 126 genes were differentially expressed between the ΔhtpsA and the wild-type strains, including 28 upregulated and 98 downregulated genes. Among the downregulated genes, many were involved in carbohydrate metabolism and synthesis of virulence-associated factors. Taken together, htpsA was demonstrated to play a role in the morphological development and pathogenesis of the highly virulent S. suis 2 05ZYH33 strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ni
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Ecology of Pamirs Plateau in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, College of Life and Geographic Sciences, Kashi University , Kashi, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,Clinical Laboratory Department of Changzhi, People's Hospital , Changzhi, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University , Wuxi, China
| | - Xumiao Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Dan Hu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Xu Yu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Yifang Han
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Yiwen Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Chunhui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Jimin Gao
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhu-Qing Shao
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University , Nanjing, China
| | - Xiuzhen Pan
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou, China
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3
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Transporters of glucose and other carbohydrates in bacteria. Pflugers Arch 2020; 472:1129-1153. [PMID: 32372286 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-020-02379-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucose arguably is the most important energy carrier, carbon source for metabolites and building block for biopolymers in all kingdoms of life. The proper function of animal organs and tissues depends on the continuous supply of glucose from the bloodstream. Most animals can resorb only a small number of monosaccharides, mostly glucose, galactose and fructose, while all other sugars oligosaccharides and dietary fibers are degraded and metabolized by the microbiota of the lower intestine. Bacteria, in contrast, are omnivorous. They can import and metabolize structurally different sugars and, as a consortium of different species, utilize almost any sugar, sugar derivative and oligosaccharide occurring in nature. Bacteria have membrane transport systems for the uptake of sugars against steep concentration gradients energized by ATP, the proton motive force and the high energy glycolytic intermediate phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). Different uptake mechanisms and the broad range of overlapping substrate specificities allow bacteria to quickly adapt to and colonize changing environments. Here, we review the structures and mechanisms of bacterial representatives of (i) ATP-dependent cassette (ABC) transporters, (ii) major facilitator (MFS) superfamily proton symporters, (iii) sodium solute symporters (SSS) and (iv) enzyme II integral membrane subunits of the bacterial PEP-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS). We give a short overview on the distribution of transporter genes and their phylogenetic relationship in different bacterial species. Some sugar transporters are hijacked for import of bacteriophage DNA and antibacterial toxins (bacteriocins) and they facilitate the penetration of polar antibiotics. Finally, we describe how the expression and activity of certain sugar transporters are controlled in response to the availability of sugars and how the presence and uptake of sugars may affect pathogenicity and host-microbiota interactions.
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4
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Jeckelmann JM, Erni B. Carbohydrate Transport by Group Translocation: The Bacterial Phosphoenolpyruvate: Sugar Phosphotransferase System. Subcell Biochem 2019; 92:223-274. [PMID: 31214989 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-18768-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Bacterial Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) : Sugar Phosphotransferase System (PTS) mediates the uptake and phosphorylation of carbohydrates, and controls the carbon- and nitrogen metabolism in response to the availability of sugars. PTS occur in eubacteria and in a few archaebacteria but not in animals and plants. All PTS comprise two cytoplasmic phosphotransferase proteins (EI and HPr) and a species-dependent, variable number of sugar-specific enzyme II complexes (IIA, IIB, IIC, IID). EI and HPr transfer phosphorylgroups from PEP to the IIA units. Cytoplasmic IIA and IIB units sequentially transfer phosphates to the sugar, which is transported by the IIC and IICIID integral membrane protein complexes. Phosphorylation by IIB and translocation by IIC(IID) are tightly coupled. The IIC(IID) sugar transporters of the PTS are in the focus of this review. There are four structurally different PTS transporter superfamilies (glucose, glucitol, ascorbate, mannose) . Crystal structures are available for transporters of two superfamilies: bcIICmal (MalT, 5IWS, 6BVG) and bcIICchb (ChbC, 3QNQ) of B. subtilis from the glucose family, and IICasc (UlaA, 4RP9, 5ZOV) of E. coli from the ascorbate superfamily . They are homodimers and each protomer has an independent transport pathway which functions by an elevator-type alternating-access mechanism. bcIICmal and bcIICchb have the same fold, IICasc has a completely different fold. Biochemical and biophysical data accumulated in the past with the transporters for mannitol (IICBAmtl) and glucose (IICBglc) are reviewed and discussed in the context of the bcIICmal crystal structures. The transporters of the mannose superfamily are dimers of protomers consisting of a IIC and a IID protein chain. The crystal structure is not known and the topology difficult to predict. Biochemical data indicate that the IICIID complex employs a different transport mechanism . Species specific IICIID serve as a gateway for the penetration of bacteriophage lambda DNA across, and insertion of class IIa bacteriocins into the inner membrane. PTS transporters are inserted into the membrane by SecYEG translocon and have specific lipid requirements. Immunoelectron- and fluorescence microscopy indicate a non-random distribution and supramolecular complexes of PTS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marc Jeckelmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bernhard Erni
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
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5
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The Legionella pneumophila Incomplete Phosphotransferase System Is Required for Optimal Intracellular Growth and Maximal Expression of PmrA-Regulated Effectors. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00121-17. [PMID: 28373357 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00121-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nitrogen phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr) is a regulatory cascade present in many bacteria, where it controls different functions. This system is usually composed of three basic components: enzyme INtr (EINtr), NPr, and EIIANtr (encoded by the ptsP, ptsO, and ptsN genes, respectively). In Legionella pneumophila, as well as in many other Legionella species, the EIIANtr component is missing. However, we found that deletion mutations in both ptsP and ptsO are partially attenuated for intracellular growth. Furthermore, these two PTSNtr components were found to be required for maximal expression of effector-encoding genes regulated by the transcriptional activator PmrA. Genetic analyses which include the construction of single and double deletion mutants and overexpression of wild-type and mutated forms of EINtr, NPr, and PmrA indicated that the PTSNtr components affect the expression of PmrA-regulated genes via PmrA and independently from PmrB and that EINtr and NPr are part of the same cascade and require their conserved histidine residues in order to function. Furthermore, expression of the Legionella micdadei EIINtr component in L. pneumophila resulted in a reduction in the levels of expression of PmrA-regulated genes which was completely dependent on the L. pneumophila PTS components and the L. micdadei EIINtr conserved histidine residue. Moreover, reconstruction of the L. pneumophila PTS in vitro indicated that EINtr is phosphorylated by phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and transfers its phosphate to NPr. Our results demonstrate that the L. pneumophila incomplete PTSNtr is functional and involved in the expression of effector-encoding genes regulated by PmrA.
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6
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Enzyme IIA Ntr Regulates Salmonella Invasion Via 1,2-Propanediol And Propionate Catabolism. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44827. [PMID: 28333132 PMCID: PMC5363084 DOI: 10.1038/srep44827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Many Proteobacteria possess a nitrogen-metabolic phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr) consisting of EINtr, NPr, and EIIANtr (encoded by ptsP, ptsO, and ptsN, respectively). The PTSNtr plays diverse regulatory roles, but the substrate phosphorylated by EIIANtr and its primary functions have not yet been identified. To comprehensively understand the roles of PTSNtr in Salmonella Typhimurium, we compared the whole transcriptomes of wild-type and a ΔptsN mutant. Genome-wide RNA sequencing revealed that 3.5% of the annotated genes were up- or down-regulated by three-fold or more in the absence of EIIANtr. The ΔptsN mutant significantly down-regulated the expression of genes involved in vitamin B12 synthesis, 1,2-propanediol utilization, and propionate catabolism. Moreover, the invasiveness of the ΔptsN mutant increased about 5-fold when 1,2-propanediol or propionate was added, which was attributable to the increased stability of HilD, the transcriptional regulator of Salmonella pathogenicity island-1. Interestingly, an abundance of 1,2-propanediol or propionate promoted the production of EIIANtr, suggesting the possibility of a positive feedback loop between EIIANtr and two catabolic pathways. These results demonstrate that EIIANtr is a key factor for the utilization of 1,2-propanediol and propionate as carbon and energy sources, and thereby modulates the invasiveness of Salmonella via 1,2-propanediol or propionate catabolism.
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7
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Mercante JW, Morrison SS, Desai HP, Raphael BH, Winchell JM. Genomic Analysis Reveals Novel Diversity among the 1976 Philadelphia Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak Isolates and Additional ST36 Strains. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164074. [PMID: 27684472 PMCID: PMC5042515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila was first recognized as a cause of severe and potentially fatal pneumonia during a large-scale outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) at a Pennsylvania veterans’ convention in Philadelphia, 1976. The ensuing investigation and recovery of four clinical isolates launched the fields of Legionella epidemiology and scientific research. Only one of the original isolates, “Philadelphia-1”, has been widely distributed or extensively studied. Here we describe the whole-genome sequencing (WGS), complete assembly, and comparative analysis of all Philadelphia LD strains recovered from that investigation, along with L. pneumophila isolates sharing the Philadelphia sequence type (ST36). Analyses revealed that the 1976 outbreak was due to multiple serogroup 1 strains within the same genetic lineage, differentiated by an actively mobilized, self-replicating episome that is shared with L. pneumophila str. Paris, and two large, horizontally-transferred genomic loci, among other polymorphisms. We also found a completely unassociated ST36 strain that displayed remarkable genetic similarity to the historical Philadelphia isolates. This similar strain implies the presence of a potential clonal population, and suggests important implications may exist for considering epidemiological context when interpreting phylogenetic relationships among outbreak-associated isolates. Additional extensive archival research identified the Philadelphia isolate associated with a non-Legionnaire case of “Broad Street pneumonia”, and provided new historical and genetic insights into the 1976 epidemic. This retrospective analysis has underscored the utility of fully-assembled WGS data for Legionella outbreak investigations, highlighting the increased resolution that comes from long-read sequencing and a sequence type-matched genomic data set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey W. Mercante
- Pneumonia Response and Surveillance Laboratory, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shatavia S. Morrison
- Pneumonia Response and Surveillance Laboratory, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Heta P. Desai
- Pneumonia Response and Surveillance Laboratory, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Brian H. Raphael
- Pneumonia Response and Surveillance Laboratory, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jonas M. Winchell
- Pneumonia Response and Surveillance Laboratory, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Yoo W, Yoon H, Seok YJ, Lee CR, Lee HH, Ryu S. Fine-tuning of amino sugar homeostasis by EIIA(Ntr) in Salmonella Typhimurium. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33055. [PMID: 27628932 PMCID: PMC5024086 DOI: 10.1038/srep33055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The nitrogen-metabolic phosphotransferase system, PTS(Ntr), consists of the enzymes I(Ntr), NPr and IIA(Ntr) that are encoded by ptsP, ptsO, and ptsN, respectively. Due to the proximity of ptsO and ptsN to rpoN, the PTS(Ntr) system has been postulated to be closely related with nitrogen metabolism. To define the correlation between PTS(Ntr) and nitrogen metabolism, we performed ligand fishing with EIIA(Ntr) as a bait and revealed that D-glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GlmS) directly interacted with EIIA(Ntr). GlmS, which converts D-fructose-6-phosphate (Fru6P) into D-glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P), is a key enzyme producing amino sugars through glutamine hydrolysis. Amino sugar is an essential structural building block for bacterial peptidoglycan and LPS. We further verified that EIIA(Ntr) inhibited GlmS activity by direct interaction in a phosphorylation-state-dependent manner. EIIA(Ntr) was dephosphorylated in response to excessive nitrogen sources and was rapidly degraded by Lon protease upon amino sugar depletion. The regulation of GlmS activity by EIIA(Ntr) and the modulation of glmS translation by RapZ suggest that the genes comprising the rpoN operon play a key role in maintaining amino sugar homeostasis in response to nitrogen availability and the amino sugar concentration in the bacterial cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woongjae Yoo
- Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Hyunjin Yoon
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Applied Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea
| | - Yeong-Jae Seok
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Chang-Ro Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggido 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Ho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Sangryeol Ryu
- Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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9
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Li YZ, Wang D, Feng XY, Jiao J, Chen WX, Tian CF. Genetic Analysis Reveals the Essential Role of Nitrogen Phosphotransferase System Components in Sinorhizobium fredii CCBAU 45436 Symbioses with Soybean and Pigeonpea Plants. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:1305-15. [PMID: 26682851 PMCID: PMC4751829 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03454-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nitrogen phosphotransferase system (PTS(Ntr)) consists of EI(Ntr), NPr, and EIIA(Ntr). The active phosphate moiety derived from phosphoenolpyruvate is transferred through EI(Ntr) and NPr to EIIA(Ntr). Sinorhizobium fredii can establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with the legume crops soybean (as determinate nodules) and pigeonpea (as indeterminate nodules). In this study, S. fredii strains with mutations in ptsP and ptsO (encoding EI(Ntr) and NPr, respectively) formed ineffective nodules on soybeans, while a strain with a ptsN mutation (encoding EIIA(Ntr)) was not defective in symbiosis with soybeans. Notable reductions in the numbers of bacteroids within each symbiosome and of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate granules in bacteroids were observed in nodules infected by the ptsP or ptsO mutant strains but not in those infected with the ptsN mutant strain. However, these defects of the ptsP and ptsO mutant strains were recovered in ptsP ptsN and ptsO ptsN double-mutant strains, implying a negative role of unphosphorylated EIIA(Ntr) in symbiosis. Moreover, the symbiotic defect of the ptsP mutant was also recovered by expressing EI(Ntr) with or without the GAF domain, indicating that the putative glutamine-sensing domain GAF is dispensable in symbiotic interactions. The critical role of PTS(Ntr) in symbiosis was also observed when related PTS(Ntr) mutant strains of S. fredii were inoculated on pigeonpea plants. Furthermore, nodule occupancy and carbon utilization tests suggested that multiple outputs could be derived from components of PTS(Ntr) in addition to the negative role of unphosphorylated EIIA(Ntr).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Dan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Xue Ying Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Jian Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Wen Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Chang Fu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
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10
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Phosphoenolpyruvate Phosphotransferase System Components Modulate Gene Transcription and Virulence of Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun 2015; 84:754-64. [PMID: 26712207 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00917-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PEP-PTS) and adenylate cyclase (AC) IV (encoded by BB0723 [cyaB]) are well conserved in different species of Borrelia. However, the functional roles of PEP-PTS and AC in the infectious cycle of Borrelia have not been characterized previously. We examined 12 PEP-PTS transporter component mutants by needle inoculation of mice to assess their ability to cause mouse infection. Transposon mutants with mutations in the EIIBC components (ptsG) (BB0645, thought to be involved in glucose-specific transport) were unable to cause infection in mice, while all other tested PEP-PTS mutants retained infectivity. Infectivity was partially restored in an in trans-complemented strain of the ptsG mutant. While the ptsG mutant survived normally in unfed as well as fed ticks, it was unable to cause infection in mice by tick transmission, suggesting that the function of ptsG is essential to establish infection by either needle inoculation or tick transmission. In Gram-negative organisms, the regulatory effects of the PEP-PTS are mediated by adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. A recombinant protein encoded by B. burgdorferi BB0723 (a putative cyaB homolog) was shown to have adenylate cyclase activity in vitro; however, mutants with mutations in this gene were fully infectious in the tick-mouse infection cycle, indicating that its function is not required in this process. By transcriptome analysis, we demonstrated that the ptsG gene may directly or indirectly modulate gene expression of Borrelia burgdorferi. Overall, the PEP-PTS glucose transporter PtsG appears to play important roles in the pathogenesis of B. burgdorferi that extend beyond its transport functions.
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11
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Lee J, Park YH, Kim YR, Seok YJ, Lee CR. Dephosphorylated NPr is involved in an envelope stress response of Escherichia coli. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2015; 161:1113-1123. [PMID: 25701731 PMCID: PMC4635465 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Besides the canonical phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) for carbohydrate transport, most Proteobacteria possess the so-called nitrogen PTS (PTSNtr) that transfers a phosphate group from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) over enzyme INtr (EINtr) and NPr to enzyme IIANtr (EIIANtr). The PTSNtr lacks membrane-bound components and functions exclusively in a regulatory capacity. While EIIANtr has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes such as potassium homeostasis, phosphate starvation, nitrogen metabolism, carbon metabolism, regulation of ABC transporters and poly-β-hydroxybutyrate accumulation in many Proteobacteria, the only identified role of NPr is the regulation of biosynthesis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) layer by direct interaction with LpxD in Escherichia coli. In this study, we provide another phenotype related to NPr. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that E. coli strains with increased levels of dephosphorylated NPr are sensitive to envelope stresses, such as osmotic, ethanol and SDS stresses, and these phenotypes are independent of LpxD. The C-terminal region of NPr plays an important role in sensitivity to envelope stresses. Thus, our data suggest that the dephospho-form of NPr affects adaptation to envelope stresses through a C-terminus-dependent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeseop Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggido 449-728, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Ha Park
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Ran Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeong-Jae Seok
- Department of Biophysics and Chemical Biology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Ro Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggido 449-728, Republic of Korea
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12
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The unphosphorylated EIIA(Ntr) protein represses the synthesis of alkylresorcinols in Azotobacter vinelandii. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117184. [PMID: 25642700 PMCID: PMC4314083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon encystment induction, Azotobacter vinelandii produces the phenolic lipids alkylresorcinols (ARs) that are structural components of the cysts. The enzymes responsible for the ARs synthesis are encoded in the arsABCD operon, whose expression is activated by ArpR. The transcription of arpR is initiated from an RpoS dependent promoter. The nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr) is a global regulatory system present in Gram negative bacteria. It comprises the EINtr, NPr and EIIANtr proteins encoded by ptsP, ptsO and ptsN genes respectively. These proteins participate in a phosphoryl-group transfer from phosphoenolpyruvate to protein EIIANtr via the phosphotransferases EINtr and NPr. In A. vinelandii, the non-phosphorylated form of EIIANtr was previously shown to repress the synthesis of poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate. In this work, we show that PTSNtr also regulates the synthesis of ARs. In a strain that carries unphosphorylated EIIANtr, the expression of arpR was reduced, while synthesis of ARs and transcription of arsA were almost abrogated. The expression of arpR from an RpoS-independent promoter in this strain restored the ARs synthesis. Taken together these results indicate that unphosphorylated EIIANtr negatively affects activation of arpR transcription by RpoS.
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Lee CR, Park YH, Kim M, Kim YR, Park S, Peterkofsky A, Seok YJ. Reciprocal regulation of the autophosphorylation of enzyme INtr by glutamine and α-ketoglutarate in Escherichia coli. Mol Microbiol 2013; 88:473-85. [PMID: 23517463 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In addition to the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (sugar PTS), most proteobacteria possess a paralogous system (nitrogen phosphotransferase system, PTS(Ntr)). The first proteins in both pathways are enzymes (enzyme I(sugar) and enzyme I(Ntr)) that can be autophosphorylated by phosphoenolpyruvate. The most striking difference between enzyme I(sugar) and enzyme I(Ntr) is the presence of a GAF domain at the N-terminus of enzyme I(Ntr). Since the PTS(Ntr) was identified in 1995, it has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes in many proteobacteria and many of these regulations have been shown to be dependent on the phosphorylation state of PTS(Ntr) components. However, there has been little evidence that any component of this so-called PTS(Ntr) is directly involved in nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, a signal regulating the phosphorylation state of the PTS(Ntr) had not been uncovered. Here, we demonstrate that glutamine and α-ketoglutarate, the canonical signals of nitrogen availability, reciprocally regulate the phosphorylation state of the PTS(Ntr) by direct effects on enzyme I(Ntr) autophosphorylation and the GAF signal transduction domain is necessary for the regulation of enzyme I(Ntr) activity by the two signal molecules. Taken together, our results suggest that the PTS(Ntr) senses nitrogen availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ro Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, Korea
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Erni B. The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS): an interface between energy and signal transduction. JOURNAL OF THE IRANIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s13738-012-0185-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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15
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Edelstein PH, Edelstein MA, Shephard LJ, Ward KW, Ratcliff RM. Legionella steelei sp. nov., isolated from human respiratory specimens in California, USA, and South Australia. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2011; 62:1766-1771. [PMID: 21948093 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.035709-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella-like bacteria were isolated from the respiratory tract of two patients in California, USA, and South Australia, but were not thought to cause disease. These bacteria, strains F2632 and IMVS-3376(T), were found to have identical Legionella macrophage infectivity potentiator (mip) gene sequences and were therefore further characterized to determine their genetic and phenotypic relatedness and properties. Both of these Gram-negative-staining bacterial strains grew on buffered charcoal yeast extract medium, were cysteine auxotrophs and made a characteristic diffusible bright yellow fluorescent pigment, with one strain making a late appearing colony-bound blue-white fluorescent pigment. The optimal in vitro growth temperature was 35 °C, with very poor growth at 37 °C in broth or on solid media. There was no growth in human A549 cells at either 35 or 37 °C, but excellent growth in Acanthamoeba castellani at 30 °C and poorer growth at 35 °C. Phylogenetic analysis of these bacteria was performed by sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, mip, ribonuclease P, ribosomal polymerase B and zinc metalloprotease genes. These studies confirmed that the new strains represented a single novel species of the genus Legionella for which the name Legionella steelei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IMVS-3376(T) ( = IMVS 3113(T) = ATCC BAA-2169(T)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Edelstein
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Martha A Edelstein
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa J Shephard
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, SA Pathology, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Kevin W Ward
- UCLA Health System Clinical Laboratories-Microbiology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rodney M Ratcliff
- School of Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, SA Pathology, Adelaide, Australia
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Kim HJ, Lee CR, Kim M, Peterkofsky A, Seok YJ. Dephosphorylated NPr of the nitrogen PTS regulates lipid A biosynthesis by direct interaction with LpxD. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 409:556-61. [PMID: 21605551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase systems (PTS) play multiple roles in addition to sugar transport. Recent studies revealed that enzyme IIA(Ntr) of the nitrogen PTS regulates the intracellular concentration of K(+) by direct interaction with TrkA and KdpD. In this study, we show that dephosphorylated NPr of the nitrogen PTS interacts with Escherichia coli LpxD which catalyzes biosynthesis of lipid A of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) layer. Mutations in lipid A biosynthetic genes such as lpxD are known to confer hypersensitivity to hydrophobic antibiotics such as rifampin; a ptsO (encoding NPr) deletion mutant showed increased resistance to rifampin and increased LPS biosynthesis. Taken together, our data suggest that unphosphorylated NPr decreases lipid A biosynthesis by inhibiting LpxD activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Jin Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
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Lee CR, Cho SH, Kim HJ, Kim M, Peterkofsky A, Seok YJ. Potassium mediates Escherichia coli enzyme IIANtr-dependent regulation of sigma factor selectivity. Mol Microbiol 2010; 78:1468-83. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07419.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Regulatory roles of the bacterial nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system. Trends Microbiol 2010; 18:205-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2010.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 02/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Bartfeld S, Engels C, Bauer B, Aurass P, Flieger A, Brüggemann H, Meyer TF. Temporal resolution of two-tracked NF-kappaB activation by Legionella pneumophila. Cell Microbiol 2009; 11:1638-51. [PMID: 19573161 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2009.01354.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila activates the transcription factor NF-kappaB in macrophages and human epithelial cells, contributing to cytokine production and anti-apoptosis. The former is important for the innate immune response to infection, the latter for intracellular replication by securing host cell survival. Here, we demonstrate biphasic activation of NF-kappaB by L. pneumophila in human epithelial cells, using a p65-GFP expressing variant of A549 cells. Early in infection, a strong but transient nuclear translocation of p65 was observed. Only flagellin-deficient (DeltafliA and DeltaflaA) mutants could not induce this first, TLR5 and MyD88-dependent activation. The second p65 translocation event, however, is a long-term activation, independent of flagellin, TLR5 and MyD88, and marked by permanent nuclear localization of p65-GFP without oscillation for 30 h. Persistent p65 translocation also involved degradation of IkappaBalpha and upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes. L. pneumophila mutants lacking a functional Dot/Icm secretion system (DeltadotA; DeltaicmB/dotO), Dot/Icm effectors (DeltasdbA; DeltalubX) and two bacterial effector mutants (DeltaenhC; DeltaptsP) could not induce persistent p65 translocation. Strikingly, all these mutants were deficient in intracellular replication in A549 cells. Our data underline the strong connection between NF-kappaB activation and intracellular replication and hints at an active interference of NF-kappaB signalling by L. pneumophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Bartfeld
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, Berlin, Germany
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bdhA-patD operon as a virulence determinant, revealed by a novel large-scale approach for identification of Legionella pneumophila mutants defective for amoeba infection. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009; 75:4506-15. [PMID: 19411431 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00187-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is an intracellular parasite of eukaryotic cells. In the environment, it colonizes amoebae. After being inhaled into the human lung, the bacteria infect and damage alveolar cells in a way that is mechanistically similar to the amoeba infection. Several L. pneumophila traits, among those the Dot/Icm type IVB protein secretion machinery, are essential for exploiting host cells. In our search for novel Legionella virulence factors, we developed an agar plate assay, designated the scatter screen, which allowed screening for mutants deficient in infecting Acanthamoeba castellanii amoebae. Likewise, an L. pneumophila clone bank consisting of 23,000 transposon mutants was investigated here, and 19 different established Legionella virulence genes, for example, dot/icm genes, were identified. Importantly, 70 novel virulence-associated genes were found. One of those is L. pneumophila bdhA, coding for a protein with homology to established 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases involved in poly-3-hydroxybutyrate metabolism. Our study revealed that bdhA is cotranscribed with patD, encoding a patatin-like protein of L. pneumophila showing phospholipase A and lysophospholipase A activities. In addition to strongly reduced lipolytic activities and increased poly-3-hydroxybutyrate levels, the L. pneumophila bdhA-patD mutant showed a severe replication defect in amoebae and U937 macrophages. Our data suggest that the operon is involved in poly-3-hydroxybutyrate utilization and phospholipolysis and show that the bdhA-patD operon is a virulence determinant of L. pneumophila. In summary, the screen for amoeba-sensitive Legionella clones efficiently isolated mutants that do not grow in amoebae and, in the case of the bdhA-patD mutant, also human cells.
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Padilla-Carlin DJ, McMurray DN, Hickey AJ. The guinea pig as a model of infectious diseases. Comp Med 2008; 58:324-340. [PMID: 18724774 PMCID: PMC2706043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2007] [Revised: 12/05/2007] [Accepted: 12/27/2007] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The words 'guinea pig' are synonymous with scientific experimentation, but much less is known about this species than many other laboratory animals. This animal model has been used for approximately 200 y and was the first to be used in the study of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and diphtheria. Today the guinea pig is used as a model for a number of infectious bacterial diseases, including pulmonary, sexually transmitted, ocular and aural, gastrointestinal, and other infections that threaten the lives of humans. Most studies on the immune response to these diseases, with potential therapies and vaccines, have been conducted in animal models (for example, mouse) that may have less similarity to humans because of the large number of immunologic reagents available for these other species. This review presents some of the diseases for which the guinea pig is regarded as the premier model to study infections because of its similarity to humans with regard to symptoms and immune response. Furthermore, for diseases in which guinea pigs share parallel pathogenesis of disease with humans, they are potentially the best animal model for designing treatments and vaccines. Future studies of immune regulation of these diseases, novel therapies, and preventative measures require the development of new immunologic reagents designed specifically for the guinea pig.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Padilla-Carlin
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - David N McMurray
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, College Station, TX
| | - Anthony J Hickey
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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Furugen M, Higa F, Hibiya K, Teruya H, Akamine M, Haranaga S, Yara S, Koide M, Tateyama M, Mori N, Fujita J. Legionella pneumophila infection induces programmed cell death, caspase activation, and release of high-mobility group box 1 protein in A549 alveolar epithelial cells: inhibition by methyl prednisolone. Respir Res 2008; 9:39. [PMID: 18447956 PMCID: PMC2390540 DOI: 10.1186/1465-9921-9-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2008] [Accepted: 05/01/2008] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Legionella pneumophila pneumonia often exacerbates acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells is considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ALI and ARDS. In this study, we investigated the precise mechanism by which A549 alveolar epithelial cells induced by L. pneumophila undergo apoptosis. We also studied the effect of methyl prednisolone on apoptosis in these cells. Methods Nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation and caspase activation in L. pneumophila-infected A549 alveolar epithelial cells were assessed using the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated triphosphate (dUTP)-biotin nick end labeling method (TUNEL method) and colorimetric caspase activity assays. The virulent L. pneumophila strain AA100jm and the avirulent dotO mutant were used and compared in this study. In addition, we investigated whether methyl prednisolone has any influence on nuclear DNA fragmentation and caspase activation in A549 alveolar epithelial cells infected with L. pneumophila. Results The virulent strain of L. pneumophila grew within A549 alveolar epithelial cells and induced subsequent cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The avirulent strain dotO mutant showed no such effect. The virulent strains of L. pneumophila induced DNA fragmentation (shown by TUNEL staining) and activation of caspases 3, 8, 9, and 1 in A549 cells, while the avirulent strain did not. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein was released from A549 cells infected with virulent Legionella. Methyl prednisolone (53.4 μM) did not influence the intracellular growth of L. pneumophila within alveolar epithelial cells, but affected DNA fragmentation and caspase activation of infected A549 cells. Conclusion Infection of A549 alveolar epithelial cells with L. pneumophila caused programmed cell death, activation of various caspases, and release of HMGB1. The dot/icm system, a major virulence factor of L. pneumophila, is involved in the effects we measured in alveolar epithelial cells. Methyl prednisolone may modulate the interaction of Legionella and these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Furugen
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara-Town, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
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Cases I, Velázquez F, de Lorenzo V. The ancestral role of the phosphoenolpyruvate–carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) as exposed by comparative genomics. Res Microbiol 2007; 158:666-70. [PMID: 17913467 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2007.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2007] [Revised: 08/01/2007] [Accepted: 08/02/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The normal role of the phosphoenolpyruvate-carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) is phosphorylation and subsequent uptake of specific sugars. However, analysis of the distribution of PTS proteins in 206 genomes covering major bacterial groups indicates that the conventional function of PTS proteins as devices for carbohydrate phosphorylation and transport is an exception found in Enterobacteriacea, Vibrionales and Firmicutes, rather than a rule for all bacteria. Instead, available evidence suggests that a core set of C-responsive phosphotransferases have been evolutionarily drafted towards diversity of regulatory functions in response inter alia to the global economy of the C and N pools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildefonso Cases
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain.
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Velázquez F, Pflüger K, Cases I, De Eugenio LI, de Lorenzo V. The phosphotransferase system formed by PtsP, PtsO, and PtsN proteins controls production of polyhydroxyalkanoates in Pseudomonas putida. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:4529-33. [PMID: 17416664 PMCID: PMC1913348 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00033-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 encodes five proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate-carbohydrate phosphotransferase system. Two of these (FruA and FruB) form a dedicated system for fructose intake, while enzyme I(Ntr) (EI(Ntr); encoded by ptsP), NPr (ptsO), and EII(Ntr) (ptsN) act in concert to control the intracellular accumulation of polyhydroxyalkanoates, a typical product of carbon overflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Velázquez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología-CSIC, Campus UAM-Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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Deutscher J, Francke C, Postma PW. How phosphotransferase system-related protein phosphorylation regulates carbohydrate metabolism in bacteria. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2007; 70:939-1031. [PMID: 17158705 PMCID: PMC1698508 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00024-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 987] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The phosphoenolpyruvate(PEP):carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) is found only in bacteria, where it catalyzes the transport and phosphorylation of numerous monosaccharides, disaccharides, amino sugars, polyols, and other sugar derivatives. To carry out its catalytic function in sugar transport and phosphorylation, the PTS uses PEP as an energy source and phosphoryl donor. The phosphoryl group of PEP is usually transferred via four distinct proteins (domains) to the transported sugar bound to the respective membrane component(s) (EIIC and EIID) of the PTS. The organization of the PTS as a four-step phosphoryl transfer system, in which all P derivatives exhibit similar energy (phosphorylation occurs at histidyl or cysteyl residues), is surprising, as a single protein (or domain) coupling energy transfer and sugar phosphorylation would be sufficient for PTS function. A possible explanation for the complexity of the PTS was provided by the discovery that the PTS also carries out numerous regulatory functions. Depending on their phosphorylation state, the four proteins (domains) forming the PTS phosphorylation cascade (EI, HPr, EIIA, and EIIB) can phosphorylate or interact with numerous non-PTS proteins and thereby regulate their activity. In addition, in certain bacteria, one of the PTS components (HPr) is phosphorylated by ATP at a seryl residue, which increases the complexity of PTS-mediated regulation. In this review, we try to summarize the known protein phosphorylation-related regulatory functions of the PTS. As we shall see, the PTS regulation network not only controls carbohydrate uptake and metabolism but also interferes with the utilization of nitrogen and phosphorus and the virulence of certain pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Deutscher
- Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaire, INRA-CNRS-INA PG UMR 2585, Thiverval-Grignon, France.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Peterkofsky
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-8017, USA.
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Mavrodi OV, Mavrodi DV, Weller DM, Thomashow LS. Role of ptsP, orfT, and sss recombinase genes in root colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens Q8r1-96. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 72:7111-22. [PMID: 16936061 PMCID: PMC1636191 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01215-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas fluorescens Q8r1-96 produces 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG), a polyketide antibiotic that suppresses a wide variety of soilborne fungal pathogens, including Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, which causes take-all disease of wheat. Strain Q8r1-96 is representative of the D-genotype of 2,4-DAPG producers, which are exceptional because of their ability to aggressively colonize and maintain large populations on the roots of host plants, including wheat, pea, and sugar beet. In this study, three genes, an sss recombinase gene, ptsP, and orfT, which are important in the interaction of Pseudomonas spp. with various hosts, were investigated to determine their contributions to the unusual colonization properties of strain Q8r1-96. The sss recombinase and ptsP genes influence global processes, including phenotypic plasticity and organic nitrogen utilization, respectively. The orfT gene contributes to the pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in plants and animals and is conserved among saprophytic rhizosphere pseudomonads, but its function is unknown. Clones containing these genes were identified in a Q8r1-96 genomic library, sequenced, and used to construct gene replacement mutants of Q8r1-96. Mutants were characterized to determine their 2,4-DAPG production, motility, fluorescence, colony morphology, exoprotease and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production, carbon and nitrogen utilization, and ability to colonize the rhizosphere of wheat grown in natural soil. The ptsP mutant was impaired in wheat root colonization, whereas mutants with mutations in the sss recombinase gene and orfT were not. However, all three mutants were less competitive than wild-type P. fluorescens Q8r1-96 in the wheat rhizosphere when they were introduced into the soil by paired inoculation with the parental strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Mavrodi
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6430, USA
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Xu H, Lin W, Xia H, Xu S, Li Y, Yao H, Bai F, Zhang X, Bai Y, Saris P, Qiao M. Influence of ptsP gene on pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2006; 253:103-9. [PMID: 16239083 DOI: 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2005] [Revised: 06/01/2005] [Accepted: 09/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A pyocyanin overproducer with insertional inactivation of ptsP gene was isolated from a mini-Mu insertion library in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA68. The mutation was complemented by a functional ptsP gene in trans. The pyocyanin-overproducing phenotype was also found in a ptsP mutant constructed by gene replacement in the P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain. Reporter plasmids with P(qscR)-lacZ, P(lasI)-lacZ and P(rhlI)-lacZ were constructed and the beta-galactosidase activity in the ptsP mutant/wild-type background was measured. The results showed that lack of Enzyme I(Ntr) (EI(Ntr), encoded by ptsP) decreased transcription from the P(qscR) promoter and increased the activity of the P(lasI) and P(rhlI) promoters. Normally, QscR represses the quorum-sensing LasR-LasI and RhlR-RhlI systems involved in pyocyanin regulation. Our results showed that the ptsP gene has an important role in the regulation of pyocyanin production and that two quorum-sensing systems and their repressor QscR are involved in this regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijin Xu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China
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Miyake M, Watanabe T, Koike H, Molmeret M, Imai Y, Abu Kwaik Y. Characterization of Legionella pneumophila pmiA, a gene essential for infectivity of protozoa and macrophages. Infect Immun 2005; 73:6272-82. [PMID: 16177298 PMCID: PMC1230894 DOI: 10.1128/iai.73.10.6272-6282.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of Legionella pneumophila to cause pneumonia is dependent on intracellular replication within alveolar macrophages. The Icm/Dot secretion apparatus is essential for the ability of L. pneumophila to evade endocytic fusion, to remodel the phagosome by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and to replicate intracellularly. Protozoan and macrophage infectivity (pmi) mutants of L. pneumophila, which include 11 dot/icm mutants, exhibit defects in intracellular growth and replication within both protozoa and macrophages. In this study we characterized one of the pmi loci, pmiA. In contrast to the parental strain, the pmiA mutant is defective in cytopathogenicity for protozoa and macrophages. This is a novel mutant that exhibits a partial defect in survival within U937 human macrophage-like cells but exhibits a severe growth defect within Acanthamoeba polyphaga, which results in elimination from this host. The intracellular defects of this mutant are complemented by the wild-type pmiA gene on a plasmid. In contrast to phagosomes harboring the wild-type strain, which exclude endosomal-lysosomal markers, the pmiA mutant-containing phagosomes acquire the late endosomal-lysosomal markers LAMP-1 and LAMP-2. In contrast to the parental strain-containing phagosomes that are remodeled by the ER, there was a decrease in the number of ER-remodeled phagosomes harboring the pmiA mutant. Among several Legionella species examined, the pmiA gene is specific for L. pneumophila. The predicted amino acid sequence of the PmiA protein suggests that it is a transmembrane protein with three membrane-spanning regions. PmiA is similar to several hypothetical proteins produced by bacteria with a type IV secretion apparatus. Importantly, the defect in pmiA abolishes the pore-forming activity, which has been attributed to the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system. However, the mutant is sensitive to NaCl, and this sensitivity is abrogated in the icm/dot mutants. These results suggest that PmiA is a novel virulence factor that is involved in intracellular survival and replication of L. pneumophila in macrophages and protozoan cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Miyake
- Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Japan.
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Higa F, Akamine M, Haranaga S, Tohyama M, Shinzato T, Tateyama M, Koide M, Saito A, Fujita J. In vitro activity of pazufloxacin, tosufloxacin and other quinolones against Legionella species. J Antimicrob Chemother 2005; 56:1053-7. [PMID: 16260445 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dki391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The activities of pazufloxacin and tosufloxacin against Legionella spp. were evaluated in vitro and compared with those of other quinolones, macrolides and azithromycin. METHODS The conventional MICs were determined by the microbroth dilution method. Intracellular activities of drugs were evaluated by a cfu count. The minimal extracellular concentration inhibiting intracellular growth of bacteria (MIEC) was determined by a colorimetric cytopathic assay. RESULTS MICs of pazuloxacin and tosufloxacin at which 90% (MIC90) of isolates are inhibited in 76 different Legionella spp. strains (38 ATCC strains and 38 clinical isolates) were 0.032 and 0.016 mg/L, whereas the MIC90s of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, garenoxacin, erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin were 0.032, 0.032, 0.032, 2.0, 0.125 and 2.0 mg/L, respectively. Pazufloxacin and tosufloxacin at 4x MIC inhibited intracellular growth of Legionella pneumophila SG1 (80-045 strain), as did other quinolones, clarithromycin and azithromycin, whereas erythromycin at 4x MIC did not. MIECs of pazufloxacin, tosufloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and garenoxacin for the strain were 0.063, 0.004, 0.016, 0.032 and 0.008 mg/L respectively, which were superior to those of macrolides and azithromycin. Pazufloxacin showed potent activity against three additional clinical isolates of L. pneumophila SG1, one clinical isolate each of L. pneumophila SG3 and SG5, as well as Legionella micdadei, Legionella dumoffii and Legionella longbeachae SG1. CONCLUSIONS Pazufloxacin and tosufloxacin, as well as other quinolones, were more potent than macrolides and an azalide. Present data warrant further study on the efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of Legionella infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Futoshi Higa
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
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Edelstein PH, Hu B, Shinzato T, Edelstein MAC, Xu W, Bessman MJ. Legionella pneumophila NudA Is a Nudix hydrolase and virulence factor. Infect Immun 2005; 73:6567-76. [PMID: 16177332 PMCID: PMC1230914 DOI: 10.1128/iai.73.10.6567-6576.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2005] [Revised: 04/12/2005] [Accepted: 05/26/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the identity and function of the 528-bp gene immediately upstream of Legionella pneumophila F2310 ptsP (enzyme I(Ntr)). This gene, nudA, encoded for a Nudix hydrolase based on the inferred protein sequence. NudA had hydrolytic activity typical of other Nudix hydrolases, such as Escherichia coli YgdP, in that Ap(n)A's, in particular diadenosine pentaphosphate (Ap(5)A), were the preferred substrates. NudA hydrolyzed Ap(5)A to ATP plus ADP. Both ptsP and nudA were cotranscribed. Bacterial two-hybrid analysis showed no PtsP-NudA interactions. Gene nudA was present in 19 of 20 different L. pneumophila strains tested and in 5 of 10 different Legionella spp. other than L. pneumophila. An in-frame nudA mutation was made in L. pneumophila F2310 to determine the phenotype. The nudA mutant was an auxotroph that grew slowly in liquid and on solid media and had a smaller colony size than its parent. In addition, the mutant was more salt resistant than its parent and grew very poorly at 25 degrees C; all of these characteristics, as well as auxotrophy and slow-growth rate, were reversed by transcomplementation with nudA. The nudA mutant was outcompeted by about fourfold by the parent in competition studies in macrophages; transcomplementation almost completely restored this defect. Competition studies in guinea pigs with L. pneumophila pneumonia showed that the nudA mutant was outcompeted by its parent in both lung and spleen. NudA is of major importance for resisting stress in L. pneumophila and is a virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Edelstein
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19104-4283, USA.
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Ismail TM, Hart CA, McLennan AG. Regulation of dinucleoside polyphosphate pools by the YgdP and ApaH hydrolases is essential for the ability of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium to invade cultured mammalian cells. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:32602-7. [PMID: 12824172 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m305994200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The ygdP and apaH genes of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) encode two unrelated dinucleoside polyphosphate (NpnN) hydrolases. For example, YgdP cleaves diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) producing AMP and ATP, while ApaH cleaves Ap4A producing 2ADP. Disruption of ygdP, apaH individually, and disruption of both genes together reduced intracellular invasion of human HEp-2 epithelial cells by S. Typhimurium by 9-, 250-, and 3000-fold, respectively. Adhesion of the mutants was also greatly reduced compared with the wild type. Invasive capacity of both single mutants was restored by transcomplementation with the ygdP gene, suggesting that loss of invasion was due to increased intracellular NpnN. The normal level of 3 microM adenylated NpnN (ApnN) was increased 1.5-, 3.5-, and 10-fold in the ygdP, apaH and double mutants, respectively. Expression of the putative ptsP virulence gene downstream of ygdP was not affected in the ygdP mutant. Analysis of 19 metabolic enzyme activities and the ability to use a range of carbohydrate carbon sources revealed a number of differences between the mutants and wild type. The increase in intracellular NpnN in the mutants appears to cause changes in gene expression that limit the ability of S. Typhimurium to adhere to and invade mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thamir M Ismail
- School of Biological Sciences and Department of Medical Microbiology and Genito-urinary Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Several novel Legionella pneumophila virulence genes were previously discovered by use of signature-tagged mutagenesis (P. H. Edelstein, M. A. Edelstein, F. Higa, and S. Falkow, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96:8190-8195, 1999). One of these mutants appeared to be defective in multiplication in guinea pig lungs and spleens, yet it multiplies normally in guinea pig alveolar macrophages. Here we report further characterization of the mutated gene and its protein and the virulence role of the gene. The complete sequence of the gene, now called lvgA, is 627 bp long, and its protein product is approximately 27 kDa in size. lvgA was present in all 50 strains of L. pneumophila tested. No significant nucleic acid or protein homology was found in the GenBank database for the gene, nor were any distinctive motifs discovered in a search of other databases. The expression of both DotA and IcmX in the lvgA mutant was normal. Subcellular fractionation studies localized LvgA to the outer membrane fraction, and protease digestion studies suggested that at least some of the protein is surface expressed. No change in bacterial lipopolysaccharide composition or reactivity to serogroup-specific antisera was detected in the mutant. Growth competition studies with alveolar macrophages showed that the mutant was outcompeted by its parent 3-fold in 24 h and 24-fold in 48 h, in contrast to what was observed with the null phenotype in parallel testing with alveolar macrophages or with the A549 alveolar epithelial cell line. This macrophage defect of the mutant bacterium was due to slower growth, as the mutant invaded alveolar macrophages normally. Electron microscopy showed that the mutant bacterium resided in a ribosome-studded phagosome in alveolar macrophages, with no distinction from its parent. The lvgA mutant was outcompeted by its parent about sixfold in guinea pig lungs and spleens; prolonged observation of infected animals showed no late-onset virulence of the mutant. Transcomplementation of the mutant restored the parental phenotype in guinea pigs. The lvgA mutant was twofold more susceptible to killing by human beta-defensin 2 but not to killing by other cationic peptides, serum complement, or polymorphonuclear neutrophils. lvgA is a novel virulence gene that is responsible for pleiotropic functions involving both extracellular and intracellular bacterial resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Edelstein
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4283, USA.
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Hu KY, Saier MH. Phylogeny of phosphoryl transfer proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar-transporting phosphotransferase system. Res Microbiol 2002; 153:405-15. [PMID: 12405346 DOI: 10.1016/s0923-2508(02)01339-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Some bacteria lack sugar permeases of the bacterial phosphotransferase system (PTS) but encode within their genomes phosphoryl transfer proteins of the PTS that probably function in regulation. These proteins include homologues of HPr (PtsH), the ATP-dependent HPr(ser) kinase/phosphatase (PtsK) and the PEP-dependent HPr(his) kinase known as Enzyme I (PtsI). We identify all currently sequenced homologues of these proteins, multiply align their sequences and construct phylogenetic trees in order to derive functional, structural and evolutionary conclusions. We show that no bacterium possesses more than one HPr kinase and that these proteins are probably all orthologous. alpha-Proteobacteria possess truncated HPr kinases which probably serve a unified regulatory function together with other PTS proteins. The Enzymes I are orthologous in all Gram-positive bacteria and some Gram-negative bacteria, but other Gram-negative bacteria exhibit paralogues that fall into 5 functional types. No bacterium with a fully sequenced genome exhibits all of these types. With the exception of the classical Enzymes I, each of these functional types exhibits a distinctive set of accompanying domains, usually with a characteristic domain order. One functional type, the fructose-specific type, includes two phylogenetically different subgroups with different domain orders. The results establish that domain associations occurred early during evolutionary history of the PTS, and that subsequent domain rearrangements occurred rarely. Our findings define the evolutionary histories of these important bacterial proteins and provide guides for functional assignment of PTS-related proteins encoded by genes revealed by genome sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuang-Yu Hu
- Division of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0116, USA
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Ewann F, Jackson M, Pethe K, Cooper A, Mielcarek N, Ensergueix D, Gicquel B, Locht C, Supply P. Transient requirement of the PrrA-PrrB two-component system for early intracellular multiplication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Infect Immun 2002; 70:2256-63. [PMID: 11953357 PMCID: PMC127906 DOI: 10.1128/iai.70.5.2256-2263.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive regulation of gene expression in response to environmental changes is a general property of bacterial pathogens. By screening an ordered transposon mutagenesis library of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we have identified three mutants containing a transposon in the coding sequence or in the 5' regions of genes coding for two-component signal transduction systems (trcS, regX3, prrA). The intracellular multiplication capacity of the three mutants was investigated in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages. Only the prrA mutant showed a defect in intracellular growth during the early phase of infection, and this defect was fully reverted when the mutant was complemented with prrA-prrB wild-type copies. The mutant phenotype was transient, as after 1 week this strain recovered full growth capacity to reach levels similar to that of the wild type at day 9. Moreover, a transient induction of prrA promoter activity was observed during the initial phase of macrophage infection, as shown by a prrA promoter-gfp fusion in M. bovis BCG infecting the mouse macrophages. The concordant transience of the prrA mutant phenotype and prrA promoter activity indicates that the PrrA-PrrB two-component system is involved in the environmental adaptation of M. tuberculosis, specifically in an early phase of the intracellular growth, and that, similar to other facultative intracellular parasites, M. tuberculosis can use genes temporarily required at different stages in the course of macrophage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Ewann
- Laboratoire des Mécanismes Moléculaires de la Pathogenèse Bactérienne, INSERM U447, Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59019 Lille Cedex
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