1
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Meyer FM, Bramkamp M. Cell wall synthesizing complexes in Mycobacteriales. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102478. [PMID: 38653035 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Members of the order Mycobacteriales are distinguished by a characteristic diderm cell envelope, setting them apart from other Actinobacteria species. In addition to the conventional peptidoglycan cell wall, these organisms feature an extra polysaccharide polymer composed of arabinose and galactose, termed arabinogalactan. The nonreducing ends of arabinose are covalently linked to mycolic acids (MAs), forming the immobile inner leaflet of the highly hydrophobic MA membrane. The contiguous outer leaflet of the MA membrane comprises trehalose mycolates and various lipid species. Similar to all actinobacteria, Mycobacteriales exhibit apical growth, facilitated by a polar localized elongasome complex. A septal cell envelope synthesis machinery, the divisome, builds instead of the cell wall structures during cytokinesis. In recent years, a growing body of knowledge has emerged regarding the cell wall synthesizing complexes of Mycobacteriales., focusing particularly on three model species: Corynebacterium glutamicum, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian M Meyer
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Marc Bramkamp
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
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2
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Jaisinghani N, Previti ML, Andrade J, Askenazi M, Ueberheide B, Seeliger JC. Proteomics from compartment-specific APEX2 labeling in Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveals Type VII secretion substrates in the cell wall. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:523-533.e4. [PMID: 37967559 PMCID: PMC11106752 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall of mycobacteria plays a key role in interactions with the environment. Its ability to act as a selective filter is crucial to bacterial survival. Proteins in the cell wall enable this function by mediating the import and export of diverse metabolites, from ions to lipids to proteins. Identifying cell wall proteins is an important step in assigning function, especially as many mycobacterial proteins lack functionally characterized homologues. Current methods for protein localization have inherent limitations that reduce accuracy. Here we showed that although chemical labeling of live cells did not exclusively label surface proteins, protein tagging by the engineered peroxidase APEX2 within live Mycobacterium tuberculosis accurately identified the cytosolic and cell wall proteomes. Our data indicate that substrates of the virulence-associated Type VII ESX secretion system are exposed to the periplasm, providing insight into the currently unknown mechanism by which these proteins cross the mycobacterial cell envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neetika Jaisinghani
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Mary L Previti
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Joshua Andrade
- Proteomics Laboratory, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Beatrix Ueberheide
- Proteomics Laboratory, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jessica C Seeliger
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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3
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Li J, Xu X, Shi J, Hermoso JA, Sham LT, Luo M. Regulation of the cell division hydrolase RipC by the FtsEX system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7999. [PMID: 38044344 PMCID: PMC10694151 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The FtsEX complex regulates, directly or via a protein mediator depending on bacterial genera, peptidoglycan degradation for cell division. In mycobacteria and Gram-positive bacteria, the FtsEX system directly activates peptidoglycan-hydrolases by a mechanism that remains unclear. Here we report our investigation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis FtsEX as a non-canonical regulator with high basal ATPase activity. The cryo-EM structures of the FtsEX system alone and in complex with RipC, as well as the ATP-activated state, unveil detailed information on the signal transduction mechanism, leading to the activation of RipC. Our findings indicate that RipC is recognized through a "Match and Fit" mechanism, resulting in an asymmetric rearrangement of the extracellular domains of FtsX and a unique inclined binding mode of RipC. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of FtsEX and RipC regulation in the context of a critical human pathogen, guiding the design of drugs targeting peptidoglycan remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jian Shi
- Center for Bioimaging Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Juan A Hermoso
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física "Blas Cabrera", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Lok-To Sham
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Min Luo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Center for Bioimaging Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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4
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Martinez M, Petit J, Leyva A, Sogues A, Megrian D, Rodriguez A, Gaday Q, Ben Assaya M, Portela MM, Haouz A, Ducret A, Grangeasse C, Alzari PM, Durán R, Wehenkel AM. Eukaryotic-like gephyrin and cognate membrane receptor coordinate corynebacterial cell division and polar elongation. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1896-1910. [PMID: 37679597 PMCID: PMC10522489 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01473-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The order Corynebacteriales includes major industrial and pathogenic Actinobacteria such as Corynebacterium glutamicum or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These bacteria have multi-layered cell walls composed of the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex and a polar growth mode, thus requiring tight coordination between the septal divisome, organized around the tubulin-like protein FtsZ, and the polar elongasome, assembled around the coiled-coil protein Wag31. Here, using C. glutamicum, we report the discovery of two divisome members: a gephyrin-like repurposed molybdotransferase (Glp) and its membrane receptor (GlpR). Our results show how cell cycle progression requires interplay between Glp/GlpR, FtsZ and Wag31, showcasing a crucial crosstalk between the divisome and elongasome machineries that might be targeted for anti-mycobacterial drug discovery. Further, our work reveals that Corynebacteriales have evolved a protein scaffold to control cell division and morphogenesis, similar to the gephyrin/GlyR system that mediates synaptic signalling in higher eukaryotes through network organization of membrane receptors and the microtubule cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Martinez
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Julienne Petit
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Alejandro Leyva
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Adrià Sogues
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Structural and Molecular Microbiology, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daniela Megrian
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Azalia Rodriguez
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Quentin Gaday
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Mathildeb Ben Assaya
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Maria Magdalena Portela
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ahmed Haouz
- Plate-forme de cristallographie, C2RT-Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Adrien Ducret
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Pedro M Alzari
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Rosario Durán
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Anne Marie Wehenkel
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
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5
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Peterson EJR, Brooks AN, Reiss DJ, Kaur A, Do J, Pan M, Wu WJ, Morrison R, Srinivas V, Carter W, Arrieta-Ortiz ML, Ruiz RA, Bhatt A, Baliga NS. MtrA modulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell division in host microenvironments to mediate intrinsic resistance and drug tolerance. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112875. [PMID: 37542718 PMCID: PMC10480492 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is largely attributed to its ability to physiologically adapt and withstand diverse localized stresses within host microenvironments. Here, we present a data-driven model (EGRIN 2.0) that captures the dynamic interplay of environmental cues and genome-encoded regulatory programs in Mtb. Analysis of EGRIN 2.0 shows how modulation of the MtrAB two-component signaling system tunes Mtb growth in response to related host microenvironmental cues. Disruption of MtrAB by tunable CRISPR interference confirms that the signaling system regulates multiple peptidoglycan hydrolases, among other targets, that are important for cell division. Further, MtrA decreases the effectiveness of antibiotics by mechanisms of both intrinsic resistance and drug tolerance. Together, the model-enabled dissection of complex MtrA regulation highlights its importance as a drug target and illustrates how EGRIN 2.0 facilitates discovery and mechanistic characterization of Mtb adaptation to specific host microenvironments within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David J Reiss
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Amardeep Kaur
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Julie Do
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Min Pan
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Wei-Ju Wu
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Robert Morrison
- Laboratory of Malaria, Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Warren Carter
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Rene A Ruiz
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Apoorva Bhatt
- School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Nitin S Baliga
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Departments of Biology and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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6
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Jaisinghani N, Previti ML, Andrade J, Askenazi M, Ueberheide B, Seeliger JC. Cell wall proteomics in live Mycobacterium tuberculosis uncovers exposure of ESX substrates to the periplasm. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.29.534792. [PMID: 37034674 PMCID: PMC10081232 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.29.534792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall of mycobacteria plays a key role in interactions with the environment and its ability to act as a selective filter is crucial to bacterial survival. Proteins in the cell wall enable this function by mediating the import and export of diverse metabolites from ions to lipids to proteins. Accurately identifying cell wall proteins is an important step in assigning function, especially as many mycobacterial proteins lack functionally characterized homologues. Current methods for protein localization have inherent limitations that reduce accuracy. Here we showed that protein tagging by the engineered peroxidase APEX2 within live Mycobacterium tuberculosis enabled the accurate identification of the cytosolic and cell wall proteomes. Our data indicate that substrates of the virulence-associated Type VII ESX secretion system are exposed to the Mtb periplasm, providing insight into the currently unknown mechanism by which these proteins cross the mycobacterial cell envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neetika Jaisinghani
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Mary L Previti
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Joshua Andrade
- Proteomics Laboratory, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Beatrix Ueberheide
- Proteomics Laboratory, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jessica C Seeliger
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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7
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Smrt ST, Escobar CA, Dey S, Cross TA, Zhou HX. An Arg/Ala-rich helix in the N-terminal region of M. tuberculosis FtsQ is a potential membrane anchor of the Z-ring. Commun Biol 2023; 6:311. [PMID: 36959324 PMCID: PMC10036325 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04686-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mtb infects a quarter of the worldwide population. Most drugs for treating tuberculosis target cell growth and division. With rising drug resistance, it becomes ever more urgent to better understand Mtb cell division. This process begins with the formation of the Z-ring via polymerization of FtsZ and anchoring of the Z-ring to the inner membrane. Here we show that the transmembrane protein FtsQ is a potential membrane anchor of the Mtb Z-ring. In the otherwise disordered cytoplasmic region of FtsQ, a 29-residue, Arg/Ala-rich α-helix is formed that interacts with upstream acidic residues in solution and with acidic lipids at the membrane surface. This helix also binds to the GTPase domain of FtsZ, with implications for drug binding and Z-ring formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T Smrt
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Cristian A Escobar
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Souvik Dey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Timothy A Cross
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Huan-Xiang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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8
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Martinez M, Petit J, Leyva A, Sogues A, Megrian D, Rodriguez A, Gaday Q, Ben Assaya M, Portela M, Haouz A, Ducret A, Grangeasse C, Alzari PM, Durán R, Wehenkel A. Eukaryotic-like gephyrin and cognate membrane receptor coordinate corynebacterial cell division and polar elongation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.01.526586. [PMID: 36778425 PMCID: PMC9915583 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.01.526586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The order Corynebacteriales includes major industrial and pathogenic actinobacteria such as Corynebacterium glutamicum or Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Their elaborate multi-layered cell wall, composed primarily of the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex, and their polar growth mode impose a stringent coordination between the septal divisome, organized around the tubulin-like protein FtsZ, and the polar elongasome, assembled around the tropomyosin-like protein Wag31. Here, we report the identification of two new divisome members, a gephyrin-like repurposed molybdotransferase (GLP) and its membrane receptor (GLPR). We show that the interplay between the GLPR/GLP module, FtsZ and Wag31 is crucial for orchestrating cell cycle progression. Our results provide a detailed molecular understanding of the crosstalk between two essential machineries, the divisome and elongasome, and reveal that Corynebacteriales have evolved a protein scaffold to control cell division and morphogenesis similar to the gephyrin/GlyR system that in higher eukaryotes mediates synaptic signaling through network organization of membrane receptors and the microtubule cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Martinez
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - J. Petit
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - A. Leyva
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A. Sogues
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - D. Megrian
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - A. Rodriguez
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Q. Gaday
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - M. Ben Assaya
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - M. Portela
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A. Haouz
- Plate-forme de cristallographie, C2RT-Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - A. Ducret
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, 7 passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - C. Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, 7 passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - P. M. Alzari
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - R. Durán
- Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A. Wehenkel
- Structural Microbiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
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Habibi Arejan N, Ensinck D, Diacovich L, Patel PB, Quintanilla SY, Emami Saleh A, Gramajo H, Boutte CC. Polar protein Wag31 both activates and inhibits cell wall metabolism at the poles and septum. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1085918. [PMID: 36713172 PMCID: PMC9878328 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1085918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterial cell elongation occurs at the cell poles; however, it is not clear how cell wall insertion is restricted to the pole or how it is organized. Wag31 is a pole-localized cytoplasmic protein that is essential for polar growth, but its molecular function has not been described. In this study we used alanine scanning mutagenesis to identify Wag31 residues involved in cell morphogenesis. Our data show that Wag31 helps to control proper septation as well as new and old pole elongation. We have identified key amino acid residues involved in these essential functions. Enzyme assays revealed that Wag31 interacts with lipid metabolism by modulating acyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) activity. We show that Wag31 does not control polar growth by regulating the localization of cell wall precursor enzymes to the Intracellular Membrane Domain, and we also demonstrate that phosphorylation of Wag31 does not substantively regulate peptidoglycan metabolism. This work establishes new regulatory functions of Wag31 in the mycobacterial cell cycle and clarifies the need for new molecular models of Wag31 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Habibi Arejan
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States
| | - Delfina Ensinck
- Laboratory of Physiology and Genetics of Actinomycetes, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Lautaro Diacovich
- Laboratory of Physiology and Genetics of Actinomycetes, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | | | | | - Arash Emami Saleh
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States
| | - Hugo Gramajo
- Laboratory of Physiology and Genetics of Actinomycetes, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Cara C. Boutte
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States,*Correspondence: Cara C. Boutte,
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10
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Kaur H, Lynn AM. Mapping the FtsQBL divisome components in bacterial NTD pathogens as potential drug targets. Front Genet 2023; 13:1010870. [PMID: 36685953 PMCID: PMC9846249 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1010870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is an essential process in bacterial cell division, and it involves more than 25 essential/non-essential cell division proteins that form a protein complex known as a divisome. Central to the divisome are the proteins FtsB and FtsL binding to FtsQ to form a complex FtsQBL, which helps link the early proteins with late proteins. The FtsQBL complex is highly conserved as a component across bacteria. Pathogens like Vibrio cholerae, Mycobacterium ulcerans, Mycobacterium leprae, and Chlamydia trachomatis are the causative agents of the bacterial Neglected Tropical Diseases Cholera, Buruli ulcer, Leprosy, and Trachoma, respectively, some of which seemingly lack known homologs for some of the FtsQBL complex proteins. In the absence of experimental characterization, either due to insufficient resources or the massive increase in novel sequences generated from genomics, functional annotation is traditionally inferred by sequence similarity to a known homolog. With the advent of accurate protein structure prediction methods, features both at the fold level and at the protein interaction level can be used to identify orthologs that cannot be unambiguously identified using sequence similarity methods. Using the FtsQBL complex proteins as a case study, we report potential remote homologs using Profile Hidden Markov models and structures predicted using AlphaFold. Predicted ortholog structures show conformational similarity with corresponding E. coli proteins irrespective of their level of sequence similarity. Alphafold multimer was used to characterize remote homologs as FtsB or FtsL, when they were not sufficiently distinguishable at both the sequence or structure level, as their interactions with FtsQ and FtsW play a crucial role in their function. The structures were then analyzed to identify functionally critical regions of the proteins consistent with their homologs and delineate regions potentially useful for inhibitor discovery.
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11
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FtsEX-independent control of RipA-mediated cell separation in Corynebacteriales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2214599119. [PMID: 36469781 PMCID: PMC9897464 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214599119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell wall is a multi-layered mesh, whose major component is peptidoglycan (PG), a sugar polymer cross-linked by short peptide stems. During cell division, a careful balance of PG synthesis and degradation, precisely coordinated both in time and space, is necessary to prevent uncontrolled destruction of the cell wall. In Corynebacteriales, the D,L endopeptidase RipA has emerged as a major PG hydrolase for cell separation, and RipA defaults have major implications for virulence of the human pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium diphtheriae. However, the precise mechanisms by which RipA mediates cell separation remain elusive. Here we report phylogenetic, biochemical, and structural analysis of the Corynebacterium glutamicum homologue of RipA, Cg1735. The crystal structures of full-length Cg1735 in two different crystal forms revealed the C-terminal NlpC/P60 catalytic domain obtruded by its N-terminal conserved coiled-coil domain, which locks the enzyme in an autoinhibited state. We show that this autoinhibition is relieved by the extracellular core domain of the transmembrane septal protein Cg1604. The crystal structure of Cg1604 revealed a (β/α) protein with an overall topology similar to that of receiver domains from response regulator proteins. The atomic model of the Cg1735-Cg1604 complex, based on bioinformatical and mutational analysis, indicates that a conserved, distal-membrane helical insertion in Cg1604 is responsible for Cg1735 activation. The reported data provide important insights into how intracellular cell division signal(s), yet to be identified, control PG hydrolysis during RipA-mediated cell separation in Corynebacteriales.
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12
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Akusobi C, Benghomari BS, Zhu J, Wolf ID, Singhvi S, Dulberger CL, Ioerger TR, Rubin EJ. Transposon mutagenesis in Mycobacterium abscessus identifies an essential penicillin-binding protein involved in septal peptidoglycan synthesis and antibiotic sensitivity. eLife 2022; 11:71947. [PMID: 35659317 PMCID: PMC9170245 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) that causes a wide range of infections. Treatment of Mab infections is difficult because the bacterium is intrinsically resistant to many classes of antibiotics. Developing new and effective treatments against Mab requires a better understanding of the unique vulnerabilities that can be targeted for future drug development. To achieve this, we identified essential genes in Mab by conducting transposon sequencing (TnSeq) on the reference Mab strain ATCC 19977. We generated ~51,000 unique transposon mutants and used this high-density library to identify 362 essential genes for in vitro growth. To investigate species-specific vulnerabilities in Mab, we further characterized MAB_3167c, a predicted penicillin-binding protein and hypothetical lipoprotein (PBP-lipo) that is essential in Mab and non-essential in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We found that PBP-lipo primarily localizes to the subpolar region and later to the septum as cells prepare to divide. Depletion of Mab PBP-lipo causes cells to elongate, develop ectopic branches, and form multiple septa. Knockdown of PBP-lipo along with PbpB, DacB1, and a carboxypeptidase, MAB_0519 lead to synergistic growth arrest. In contrast, these genetic interactions were absent in the Mtb model organism, Mycobacterium smegmatis, indicating that the PBP-lipo homologs in the two species exist in distinct genetic networks. Finally, repressing PBP-lipo sensitized the reference strain and 11 Mab clinical isolates to several classes of antibiotics, including the β-lactams, ampicillin, and amoxicillin by greater than 128-fold. Altogether, this study presents PBP-lipo as a key enzyme to study Mab-specific processes in cell wall synthesis and importantly positions PBP-lipo as an attractive drug target to treat Mab infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chidiebere Akusobi
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | | | - Junhao Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Ian D Wolf
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Shreya Singhvi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Charles L Dulberger
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Thomas R Ioerger
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Eric J Rubin
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
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13
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Kevorkian YL, MacGilvary NJ, Giacalone D, Johnson C, Tan S. Rv0500A is a transcription factor that links Mycobacterium tuberculosis environmental response with division and impacts host colonization. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1048-1062. [PMID: 35167150 PMCID: PMC9382876 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
For Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to successfully infect a host, it must be able to adapt to changes in its microenvironment, including to variations in ionic signals such as pH and chloride (Cl- ), and link these responses to its growth. Transcriptional changes are a key mechanism for Mtb environmental adaptation, and we identify here Rv0500A as a novel transcriptional regulator that links Mtb environmental response and division processes. Global transcriptional profiling revealed that Rv0500A acts as a repressor and influences the expression of genes related to division, with the magnitude of its effect modulated by pH and Cl- . Rv0500A can directly bind the promoters of several of these target genes, and we identify key residues required for its DNA-binding ability and biological effect. Overexpression of rv0500A disrupted Mtb growth morphology, resulting in filamentation that was exacerbated by high environmental Cl- levels and acidic pH. Finally, we show that perturbation of rv0500A leads to attenuation of the ability of Mtb to colonize its host in vivo. Our work highlights the important link between Mtb environmental response and growth characteristics, and uncovers a new transcription factor involved in this critical facet of Mtb biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzo L Kevorkian
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathan J MacGilvary
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Giacalone
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Calvin Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shumin Tan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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14
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Gupta KR, Gwin CM, Rahlwes KC, Biegas KJ, Wang C, Park JH, Liu J, Swarts BM, Morita YS, Rego EH. An essential periplasmic protein coordinates lipid trafficking and is required for asymmetric polar growth in mycobacteria. eLife 2022; 11:80395. [PMID: 36346214 PMCID: PMC9678360 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria, including the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, grow by inserting new cell wall material at their poles. This process and that of division are asymmetric, producing a phenotypically heterogeneous population of cells that respond non-uniformly to stress (Aldridge et al., 2012; Rego et al., 2017). Surprisingly, deletion of a single gene - lamA - leads to more symmetry, and to a population of cells that is more uniformly killed by antibiotics (Rego et al., 2017). How does LamA create asymmetry? Here, using a combination of quantitative time-lapse imaging, bacterial genetics, and lipid profiling, we find that LamA recruits essential proteins involved in cell wall synthesis to one side of the cell - the old pole. One of these proteins, MSMEG_0317, here renamed PgfA, was of unknown function. We show that PgfA is a periplasmic protein that interacts with MmpL3, an essential transporter that flips mycolic acids in the form of trehalose monomycolate (TMM), across the plasma membrane. PgfA interacts with a TMM analog suggesting a direct role in TMM transport. Yet our data point to a broader function as well, as cells with altered PgfA levels have differences in the abundance of other lipids and are differentially reliant on those lipids for survival. Overexpression of PgfA, but not MmpL3, restores growth at the old poles in cells missing lamA. Together, our results suggest that PgfA is a key determinant of polar growth and cell envelope composition in mycobacteria, and that the LamA-mediated recruitment of this protein to one side of the cell is a required step in the establishment of cellular asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeepkumar R Gupta
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
| | - Celena M Gwin
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
| | - Kathryn C Rahlwes
- Department of Microbiology, University of MassachusettsAmherstUnited States
| | - Kyle J Biegas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Michigan UniversityMount PleasantUnited States,Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Program, Central Michigan UniversityMount PleasantUnited States
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States,Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale UniversityWest HavenUnited States
| | - Jin Ho Park
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States,Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale UniversityWest HavenUnited States
| | - Benjamin M Swarts
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Michigan UniversityMount PleasantUnited States,Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Program, Central Michigan UniversityMount PleasantUnited States
| | - Yasu S Morita
- Department of Microbiology, University of MassachusettsAmherstUnited States
| | - E Hesper Rego
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenUnited States
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15
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Spatiotemporal localization of proteins in mycobacteria. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110154. [PMID: 34965429 PMCID: PMC8861988 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although prokaryotic organisms lack traditional organelles, they must still organize cellular structures in space and time, challenges that different species solve differently. To systematically define the subcellular architecture of mycobacteria, we perform high-throughput imaging of a library of fluorescently tagged proteins expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis and develop a customized computational pipeline, MOMIA and GEMATRIA, to analyze these data. Our results establish a spatial organization network of over 700 conserved mycobacterial proteins and reveal a coherent localization pattern for many proteins of known function, including those in translation, energy metabolism, cell growth and division, as well as proteins of unknown function. Furthermore, our pipeline exploits morphologic proxies to enable a pseudo-temporal approximation of protein localization and identifies previously uncharacterized cell-cycle-dependent dynamics of essential mycobacterial proteins. Collectively, these data provide a systems perspective on the subcellular organization of mycobacteria and provide tools for the analysis of bacteria with non-standard growth characteristics. Zhu et al. develop a two-stage image analysis pipeline, MOMIA and GEMATRIA, that efficiently models the spatial and temporal dynamics of over 700 conserved proteins in M. smegmatis. Through the analysis they report spatial constraints of mycobacterial ribosomes and membrane complexes and reconstruct temporal dynamics from still image data.
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16
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Joshi H, Kandari D, Bhatnagar R. Insights into the molecular determinants involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence and their therapeutic implications. Virulence 2021; 12:2721-2749. [PMID: 34637683 PMCID: PMC8565819 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1990660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The establishment of persistent infections and the reactivation of persistent bacteria to active bacilli are the two hurdles in effective tuberculosis treatment. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an etiologic tuberculosis agent, adapts to numerous antibiotics and resists the host immune system causing a disease of public health concern. Extensive research has been employed to combat this disease due to its sheer ability to persist in the host system, undetected, waiting for the opportunity to declare itself. Persisters are a bacterial subpopulation that possesses transient tolerance to high doses of antibiotics. There are certain inherent mechanisms that facilitate the persister cell formation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, some of those had been characterized in the past namely, stringent response, transcriptional regulators, energy production pathways, lipid metabolism, cell wall remodeling enzymes, phosphate metabolism, and proteasome protein degradation. This article reviews the recent advancements made in various in vitro persistence models that assist to unravel the mechanisms involved in the persister cell formation and to hunt for the possible preventive or treatment measures. To tackle the persister population the immunodominant proteins that express specifically at the latent phase of infection can be used for diagnosis to distinguish between the active and latent tuberculosis, as well as to select potential drug or vaccine candidates. In addition, we discuss the genes engaged in the persistence to get more insights into resuscitation and persister cell formation. The in-depth understanding of persistent cells of mycobacteria can certainly unravel novel ways to target the pathogen and tackle its persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant Joshi
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Divya Kandari
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rakesh Bhatnagar
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Amity University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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17
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Wang R, Ehrt S. Rv0954 Is a Member of the Mycobacterial Cell Division Complex. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:626461. [PMID: 33959103 PMCID: PMC8093794 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.626461] [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] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper control of cell division in the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is central to its growth, survival, pathogenesis, and resistance to antibiotics. Nevertheless, the divisome components and mechanisms by which mycobacteria regulate their cell cycle are not entirely understood. Here we demonstrate that the previously uncharacterized Rv0954 protein localizes to the mid-cell during cell division and interacts with the division-related proteins LamA, PbpA, and PknH. Deletion of rv0954 did not result in alterations in cell morphology or sensitivity to cell wall-targeting antibiotics but transposon mutagenesis demonstrated genetic interactions with genes related to cell division. This work suggests that Rv0954 participates in cell division and reveals potential components of the mycobacterial divisome for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruojun Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sabine Ehrt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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18
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Judd JA, Canestrari J, Clark R, Joseph A, Lapierre P, Lasek-Nesselquist E, Mir M, Palumbo M, Smith C, Stone M, Upadhyay A, Wirth SE, Dedrick RM, Meier CG, Russell DA, Dills A, Dove E, Kester J, Wolf ID, Zhu J, Rubin ER, Fortune S, Hatfull GF, Gray TA, Wade JT, Derbyshire KM. A Mycobacterial Systems Resource for the Research Community. mBio 2021; 12:e02401-20. [PMID: 33653882 PMCID: PMC8092266 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02401-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional characterization of bacterial proteins lags far behind the identification of new protein families. This is especially true for bacterial species that are more difficult to grow and genetically manipulate than model systems such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis To facilitate functional characterization of mycobacterial proteins, we have established a Mycobacterial Systems Resource (MSR) using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis This resource focuses specifically on 1,153 highly conserved core genes that are common to many mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in order to provide the most relevant information and resources for the mycobacterial research community. The MSR includes both biological and bioinformatic resources. The biological resource includes (i) an expression plasmid library of 1,116 genes fused to a fluorescent protein for determining protein localization; (ii) a library of 569 precise deletions of nonessential genes; and (iii) a set of 843 CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) plasmids specifically targeted to silence expression of essential core genes and genes for which a precise deletion was not obtained. The bioinformatic resource includes information about individual genes and a detailed assessment of protein localization. We anticipate that integration of these initial functional analyses and the availability of the biological resource will facilitate studies of these core proteins in many Mycobacterium species, including the less experimentally tractable pathogens M. abscessus, M. avium, M. kansasii, M. leprae, M. marinum, M. tuberculosis, and M. ulceransIMPORTANCE Diseases caused by mycobacterial species result in millions of deaths per year globally, and present a substantial health and economic burden, especially in immunocompromised patients. Difficulties inherent in working with mycobacterial pathogens have hampered the development and application of high-throughput genetics that can inform genome annotations and subsequent functional assays. To facilitate mycobacterial research, we have created a biological and bioinformatic resource (https://msrdb.org/) using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model organism. The resource focuses specifically on 1,153 proteins that are highly conserved across the mycobacterial genus and, therefore, likely perform conserved mycobacterial core functions. Thus, functional insights from the MSR will apply to all mycobacterial species. We believe that the availability of this mycobacterial systems resource will accelerate research throughout the mycobacterial research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Judd
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - J Canestrari
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - R Clark
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - A Joseph
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - P Lapierre
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - E Lasek-Nesselquist
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - M Mir
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - M Palumbo
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - C Smith
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - M Stone
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - A Upadhyay
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - S E Wirth
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - R M Dedrick
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - C G Meier
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - D A Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - A Dills
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - E Dove
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J Kester
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - I D Wolf
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - E R Rubin
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - S Fortune
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - G F Hatfull
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - T A Gray
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - J T Wade
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - K M Derbyshire
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
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19
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Cantlay S, Sen BC, Flärdh K, McCormick JR. Influence of core divisome proteins on cell division in Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 10712. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 33400639 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The sporulating, filamentous soil bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 10712 differentiates under submerged and surface growth conditions. In order to lay a solid foundation for the study of development-associated division for this organism, a congenic set of mutants was isolated, individually deleted for a gene encoding either a cytoplasmic (i.e. ftsZ) or core inner membrane (i.e. divIC, ftsL, ftsI, ftsQ, ftsW) component of the divisome. While ftsZ mutants are completely blocked for division, single mutants in the other core divisome genes resulted in partial, yet similar, blocks in sporulation septum formation. Double and triple mutants for core divisome membrane components displayed phenotypes that were similar to those of the single mutants, demonstrating that the phenotypes were not synergistic. Division in this organism is still partially functional without multiple core divisome proteins, suggesting that perhaps other unknown lineage-specific proteins perform redundant functions. In addition, by isolating an ftsZ2p mutant with an altered -10 region, the conserved developmentally controlled promoter was also shown to be required for sporulation-associated division. Finally, microscopic observation of FtsZ-YFP dynamics in the different mutant backgrounds led to the conclusion that the initial assembly of regular Z rings does not per se require the tested divisome membrane proteins, but the stability of Z rings is dependent on the divisome membrane components tested. The observation is consistent with the interpretation that Z ring instability likely results from and further contributes to the observed defects in sporulation septation in mutants lacking core divisome proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Cantlay
- Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV 26074, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA
| | | | - Klas Flärdh
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Joseph R McCormick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA
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20
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de Wet TJ, Winkler KR, Mhlanga M, Mizrahi V, Warner DF. Arrayed CRISPRi and quantitative imaging describe the morphotypic landscape of essential mycobacterial genes. eLife 2020; 9:e60083. [PMID: 33155979 PMCID: PMC7647400 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses a large number of genes of unknown or predicted function, undermining fundamental understanding of pathogenicity and drug susceptibility. To address this challenge, we developed a high-throughput functional genomics approach combining inducible CRISPR-interference and image-based analyses of morphological features and sub-cellular chromosomal localizations in the related non-pathogen, M. smegmatis. Applying automated imaging and analysis to 263 essential gene knockdown mutants in an arrayed library, we derive robust, quantitative descriptions of bacillary morphologies consequent on gene silencing. Leveraging statistical-learning, we demonstrate that functionally related genes cluster by morphotypic similarity and that this information can be used to inform investigations of gene function. Exploiting this observation, we infer the existence of a mycobacterial restriction-modification system, and identify filamentation as a defining mycobacterial response to histidine starvation. Our results support the application of large-scale image-based analyses for mycobacterial functional genomics, simultaneously establishing the utility of this approach for drug mechanism-of-action studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J de Wet
- SAMRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Kristy R Winkler
- SAMRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Musa Mhlanga
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Valerie Mizrahi
- SAMRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Digby F Warner
- SAMRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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21
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Bandekar AC, Subedi S, Ioerger TR, Sassetti CM. Cell-Cycle-Associated Expression Patterns Predict Gene Function in Mycobacteria. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3961-3971.e6. [PMID: 32916109 PMCID: PMC7578119 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Although the major events in prokaryotic cell cycle progression are likely to be coordinated with transcriptional and metabolic changes, these processes remain poorly characterized. Unlike many rapidly growing bacteria, DNA replication and cell division are temporally resolved in mycobacteria, making these slow-growing organisms a potentially useful system to investigate the prokaryotic cell cycle. To determine whether cell-cycle-dependent gene regulation occurs in mycobacteria, we characterized the temporal changes in the transcriptome of synchronously replicating populations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). By enriching for genes that display a sinusoidal expression pattern, we discover 485 genes that oscillate with a period consistent with the cell cycle. During cytokinesis, the timing of gene induction could be used to predict the timing of gene function, as mRNA abundance was found to correlate with the order in which proteins were recruited to the developing septum. Similarly, the expression pattern of primary metabolic genes could be used to predict the relative importance of these pathways for different cell cycle processes. Pyrimidine synthetic genes peaked during DNA replication, and their depletion caused a filamentation phenotype that phenocopied defects in this process. In contrast, the inosine monophasphate dehydrogenase dedicated to guanosine synthesis, GuaB2, displayed the opposite expression pattern and its depletion perturbed septation. Together, these data imply obligate coordination between primary metabolism and cell division and identify periodically regulated genes that can be related to specific cell biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya C Bandekar
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sishir Subedi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Thomas R Ioerger
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Christopher M Sassetti
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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22
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Thomas GH. Microbial Musings - September 2020. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2020; 166:794-796. [PMID: 32993848 PMCID: PMC7654740 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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23
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Pickford H, Alcock E, Singh A, Kelemen G, Bhatt A. A mycobacterial DivIVA domain-containing protein involved in cell length and septation. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2020; 166:817-825. [PMID: 32678058 PMCID: PMC7654743 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterial cells elongate via polar deposition of cell wall material, similar to the filamentous Streptomyces species, which contain a tip-organizing centre. Coiled-coiled proteins such as DivIVA play an important role in this process. The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, encodes many coiled-coil proteins that are homologous to DivIVA with a potential role in mycobacterial cell elongation. Here we describe studies on Mycobacterium smegmatis MSMEG_2416, a homologue of M. tuberculosis Rv2927c. Two previous independent studies showed that MSMEG_2416 was involved in septation (subsequently referred to as sepIVA). Contrary to these previous reports, we found sepIVA to be dispensable for growth in laboratory media by generating a viable null mutant. The mutant strain did, however, show a number of differences, including a change in colony morphology and biofilm formation that could be reversed on complementation with sepIVA as well as Rv2927c, the sepIVA homologue from M. tuberculosis. However, analysis of cell wall lipids did not reveal any alterations in lipid profiles of the mutant strain. Microscopic examination of the mutant revealed longer cells with more septa, which occurred at irregular intervals, often generating mini-compartments, a profile similar to that observed in the previous studies following conditional depletion, highlighting a role for sepIVA in mycobacterial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayleah Pickford
- School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Emily Alcock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Albel Singh
- School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Gabriella Kelemen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Apoorva Bhatt
- School of Biosciences and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, UK
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Choukate K, Gupta A, Basu B, Virk K, Ganguli M, Chaudhuri B. Higher order assembling of the mycobacterial polar growth factor DivIVA/Wag31. J Struct Biol 2019; 209:107429. [PMID: 31778770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.107429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
DivIVA or Wag31, which is an essential pole organizing protein in mycobacteria, can self-assemble at the negatively curved side of the membrane at the growing pole to form a higher order structural scaffold for maintaining cellular morphology and localizing various target proteins for cell-wall biogenesis. The structural organization of polar scaffold formed by polymerization of coiled-coil rich Wag31, which is implicated in the anti-tubercular activities of amino-pyrimidine sulfonamides, remains to be determined. A single-site phosphorylation in Wag31 regulates peptidoglycan biosynthesis in mycobacteria. We report biophysical characterizations of filaments formed by mycobacterial Wag31 using circular dichroism, atomic force microscopy and small angle solution X-ray scattering. Atomic force microscopic images of the wild-type, a phospho-mimetic (T73E) and a phospho-ablative (T73A) form of Wag31 show mostly linear filament formation with occasional curving, kinking and apparent branching. Solution X-ray scattering data indicates that the phospho-mimetic forms of the Wag31 polymers are on average more compact than their phospho-ablative counterparts, which is likely due to the extent of bending/branching. Observed structural features in this first view of Wag31 filaments suggest a basis for higher order Wag31 scaffold formation at the pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Choukate
- CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India
| | - Aanchal Gupta
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Brohmomoy Basu
- CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India
| | - Karman Virk
- CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India
| | - Munia Ganguli
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Barnali Chaudhuri
- CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110001, India.
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25
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Wang R, Kreutzfeldt K, Botella H, Vaubourgeix J, Schnappinger D, Ehrt S. Persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice requires PerM for successful cell division. eLife 2019; 8:49570. [PMID: 31751212 PMCID: PMC6872210 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to persist in its host is central to the pathogenesis of tuberculosis, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. PerM, an integral membrane protein, is required for persistence of Mtb in mice. Here, we show that perM deletion caused a cell division defect specifically during the chronic phase of mouse infection, but did not affect Mtb’s cell replication during acute infection. We further demonstrate that PerM is required for cell division in chronically infected mice and in vitro under host-relevant stresses because it is part of the mycobacterial divisome and stabilizes the essential divisome protein FtsB. These data highlight the importance of sustained cell division for Mtb persistence, define condition-specific requirements for cell division and reveal that survival of Mtb during chronic infection depends on a persistence divisome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruojun Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States.,Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, United States
| | - Kaj Kreutzfeldt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Helene Botella
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Julien Vaubourgeix
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Dirk Schnappinger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Sabine Ehrt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States.,Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, United States
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26
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Abstract
Reproduction in the bacterial kingdom predominantly occurs through binary fission-a process in which one parental cell is divided into two similarly sized daughter cells. How cell division, in conjunction with cell elongation and chromosome segregation, is orchestrated by a multitude of proteins has been an active area of research spanning the past few decades. Together, the monumental endeavors of multiple laboratories have identified several cell division and cell shape regulators as well as their underlying regulatory mechanisms in rod-shaped Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, which serve as model organisms for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Yet our understanding of bacterial cell division and morphology regulation is far from complete, especially in noncanonical and non-rod-shaped organisms. In this review, we focus on two proteins that are highly conserved in Gram-positive organisms, DivIVA and its homolog GpsB, and attempt to summarize the recent advances in this area of research and discuss their various roles in cell division, cell growth, and chromosome segregation in addition to their interactome and posttranslational regulation.
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27
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Belardinelli JM, Stevens CM, Li W, Tan YZ, Jones V, Mancia F, Zgurskaya HI, Jackson M. The MmpL3 interactome reveals a complex crosstalk between cell envelope biosynthesis and cell elongation and division in mycobacteria. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10728. [PMID: 31341202 PMCID: PMC6656915 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47159-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Integral membrane transporters of the Mycobacterial Membrane Protein Large (MmpL) family and their interactome play important roles in the synthesis and export of mycobacterial outer membrane lipids. Despite the current interest in the mycolic acid transporter, MmpL3, from the perspective of drug discovery, the nature and biological significance of its interactome remain largely unknown. We here report on a genome-wide screening by two-hybrid system for MmpL3 binding partners. While a surprisingly low number of proteins involved in mycolic acid biosynthesis was found to interact with MmpL3, numerous enzymes and transporters participating in the biogenesis of peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan and lipoglycans, and the cell division regulatory protein, CrgA, were identified among the hits. Surface plasmon resonance and co-immunoprecipitation independently confirmed physical interactions for three proteins in vitro and/or in vivo. Results are in line with the focal localization of MmpL3 at the poles and septum of actively-growing bacilli where the synthesis of all major constituents of the cell wall core are known to occur, and are further suggestive of a role for MmpL3 in the coordination of new cell wall deposition during cell septation and elongation. This novel aspect of the physiology of MmpL3 may contribute to the extreme vulnerability and high therapeutic potential of this transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel Belardinelli
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1682, USA
| | - Casey M Stevens
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1682, USA
| | - Yong Zi Tan
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Victoria Jones
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1682, USA
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Mary Jackson
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1682, USA.
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Abstract
How do mycobacteria divide? Cell division has been studied extensively in the model rod-shaped bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, but much less is understood about cell division in mycobacteria, a genus that includes the major human pathogens M. tuberculosis and M. leprae. In general, bacterial cell division requires the concerted effort of many proteins in both space and time to elongate the cell, replicate and segregate the chromosome, and construct and destruct the septum - processes which result in the creation of two new daughter cells. Here, we describe these distinct stages of cell division in B. subtilis and follow with the current knowledge in mycobacteria. As will become apparent, there are many differences between mycobacteria and B. subtilis in terms of both the broad outline of cell division and the molecular details. So, while the fundamental challenge of spatially and temporally organizing cell division is shared between these rod-shaped bacteria, they have solved these challenges in often vastly different ways.
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29
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Jain P, Malakar B, Khan MZ, Lochab S, Singh A, Nandicoori VK. Delineating FtsQ-mediated regulation of cell division in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:12331-12349. [PMID: 29903917 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying and characterizing the individual contributors to bacterial cellular elongation and division will improve our understanding of their impact on cell growth and division. Here, we delineated the role of ftsQ, a terminal gene of the highly conserved division cell wall (dcw) operon, in growth, survival, and cell length maintenance in the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We found that FtsQ overexpression significantly increases the cell length and number of multiseptate cells. FtsQ depletion in Mtb resulted in cells that were shorter than WT cells during the initial growth stages (4 days after FtsQ depletion) but were longer than WT cells at later stages (10 days after FtsQ depletion) and compromised the survival in vitro and in differentiated THP1 macrophages. Overexpression of N- and C-terminal FtsQ regions altered the cell length, and the C-terminal domain alone complemented the FtsQ depletion phenotype. MS analyses suggested robust FtsQ phosphorylation on Thr-24, and although phosphoablative and -mimetic mutants rescued the FtsQ depletion-associated cell viability defects, they failed to complement the cell length defects. MS and coimmunoprecipitation experiments identified 63 FtsQ-interacting partners, and we show that the interaction of FtsQ with the recently identified cell division protein SepIVA is independent of FtsQ phosphorylation and suggests a role of FtsQ in modulating cell division. FtsQ exhibited predominantly septal localization in both the presence and absence of SepIVA. Our results suggest a role for FtsQ in modulating the length, division, and survival of Mtb cells both in vitro and in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Jain
- From the National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 and
| | - Basanti Malakar
- From the National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 and
| | - Mehak Zahoor Khan
- From the National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 and
| | - Savita Lochab
- From the National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 and
| | - Archana Singh
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110025, India
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30
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den Blaauwen T. Is Longitudinal Division in Rod-Shaped Bacteria a Matter of Swapping Axis? Front Microbiol 2018; 9:822. [PMID: 29867786 PMCID: PMC5952006 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The morphology of bacterial species shows a wealth of variation from star-shaped to spherical and rod- to spiral-shaped, to mention a few. Their mode of growth and division is also very diverse and flexible ranging from polar growth and lateral surface increase to midcell expansion and from perpendicular to longitudinal asymmetric division. Gammaproteobacterial rod-shaped species such as Escherchia coli divide perpendicularly and grow in length, whereas the genetically very similar rod-shaped symbiotic Thiosymbion divide longitudinally, and some species even divide asynchronously while growing in width. The ovococcal Streptococcus pneumoniae also lengthens and divides perpendicularly, yet it is genetically very different from E. coli. Are these differences as dramatic as is suggested by visual inspection, or can they all be achieved by subtle variation in the regulation of the same protein complexes that synthesize the cell envelope? Most bacteria rely on the cytoskeletal polymer FtsZ to organize cell division, but only a subset of species use the actin homolog MreB for length growth, although some of them are morphologically not that different. Poles are usually negative determinant for cell division. Curved cell poles can be inert or active with respect to peptidoglycan synthesis, can localize chemotaxis and other sensing proteins or other bacterial equipment, such as pili, depending on the species. But what is actually the definition of a pole? This review discusses the possible common denominators for growth and division of distinct and similar bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanneke den Blaauwen
- Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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31
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Puffal J, García-Heredia A, Rahlwes KC, Siegrist MS, Morita YS. Spatial control of cell envelope biosynthesis in mycobacteria. Pathog Dis 2018; 76:4953754. [DOI: 10.1093/femspd/fty027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Puffal
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Alam García-Heredia
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Kathryn C Rahlwes
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - M Sloan Siegrist
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yasu S Morita
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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