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Willdigg JR, Patel Y, Arquilevich BE, Subramanian C, Frank MW, Rock CO, Helmann JD. The Bacillus subtilis cell envelope stress-inducible ytpAB operon modulates membrane properties and contributes to bacitracin resistance. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0001524. [PMID: 38323910 PMCID: PMC10955860 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00015-24] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis trigger the activation of both specific and general protective responses. σM responds to diverse antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis. Here, we demonstrate that cell wall-inhibiting drugs, such as bacitracin and cefuroxime, induce the σM-dependent ytpAB operon. YtpA is a predicted hydrolase previously proposed to generate the putative lysophospholipid antibiotic bacilysocin (lysophosphatidylglycerol), and YtpB is the branchpoint enzyme for the synthesis of membrane-localized C35 terpenoids. Using targeted lipidomics, we reveal that YtpA is not required for the production of lysophosphatidylglycerol. Nevertheless, ytpA was critical for growth in a mutant strain defective for homeoviscous adaptation due to a lack of genes for the synthesis of branched chain fatty acids and the Des phospholipid desaturase. Consistently, overexpression of ytpA increased membrane fluidity as monitored by fluorescence anisotropy. The ytpA gene contributes to bacitracin resistance in mutants additionally lacking the bceAB or bcrC genes, which directly mediate bacitracin resistance. These epistatic interactions support a model in which σM-dependent induction of the ytpAB operon helps cells tolerate bacitracin stress, either by facilitating the flipping of the undecaprenyl phosphate carrier lipid or by impacting the assembly or function of membrane-associated complexes involved in cell wall homeostasis.IMPORTANCEPeptidoglycan synthesis inhibitors include some of our most important antibiotics. In Bacillus subtilis, peptidoglycan synthesis inhibitors induce the σM regulon, which is critical for intrinsic antibiotic resistance. The σM-dependent ytpAB operon encodes a predicted hydrolase (YtpA) and the enzyme that initiates the synthesis of C35 terpenoids (YtpB). Our results suggest that YtpA is critical in cells defective in homeoviscous adaptation. Furthermore, we find that YtpA functions cooperatively with the BceAB and BcrC proteins in conferring intrinsic resistance to bacitracin, a peptide antibiotic that binds tightly to the undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate lipid carrier that sustains peptidoglycan synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yesha Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Chitra Subramanian
- Department of Host Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Matthew W. Frank
- Department of Host Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Charles O. Rock
- Department of Host Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - John D. Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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2
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Zhu J, Wang S, Wang C, Wang Z, Luo G, Li J, Zhan Y, Cai D, Chen S. Microbial synthesis of bacitracin: Recent progress, challenges, and prospects. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:314-322. [PMID: 37122958 PMCID: PMC10130698 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are important sources of various natural products that have been commercialized for human medicine and animal healthcare. Bacitracin is an important antibacterial natural product predominantly produced by Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis, and it is characterized by a broad antimicrobial spectrum, strong activity and low resistance, thus bacitracin is extensively applied in animal feed and veterinary medicine industries. In recent years, various strategies have been proposed to improve bacitracin production. Herein, we systematically describe the regulation of bacitracin biosynthesis in genus Bacillus and its associated mechanism, to provide a theoretical basis for bacitracin overproduction. The metabolic engineering strategies applied for bacitracin production are explored, including improving substrate utilization, using an enlarged precursor amino acid pool, increasing ATP supply and NADPH generation, and engineering transcription regulators. We also present several approaches of fermentation process optimization to facilitate the industrial large-scale production of bacitracin. Finally, the challenges and prospects associated with microbial bacitracin synthesis are discussed to facilitate the establishment of high-yield and low-cost biological factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, PR China
| | - Shiyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, PR China
| | - Cheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, PR China
| | - Zhi Wang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, PR China
| | - Gan Luo
- Lifecome Biochemistry Co. Ltd, Nanping, 353400, PR China
| | - Junhui Li
- Lifecome Biochemistry Co. Ltd, Nanping, 353400, PR China
| | - Yangyang Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, PR China
| | - Dongbo Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, PR China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Shouwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, PR China
- Corresponding author. 368 Youyi Avenue, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430062, Hubei, PR China.
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Willdigg JR, Patel Y, Helmann JD. A Decrease in Fatty Acid Synthesis Rescues Cells with Limited Peptidoglycan Synthesis Capacity. mBio 2023; 14:e0047523. [PMID: 37017514 PMCID: PMC10128001 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00475-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper synthesis and maintenance of a multilayered cell envelope are critical for bacterial fitness. However, whether mechanisms exist to coordinate synthesis of the membrane and peptidoglycan layers is unclear. In Bacillus subtilis, synthesis of peptidoglycan (PG) during cell elongation is mediated by an elongasome complex acting in concert with class A penicillin-binding proteins (aPBPs). We previously described mutant strains limited in their capacity for PG synthesis due to a loss of aPBPs and an inability to compensate by upregulation of elongasome function. Growth of these PG-limited cells can be restored by suppressor mutations predicted to decrease membrane synthesis. One suppressor mutation leads to an altered function repressor, FapR*, that functions as a super-repressor and leads to decreased transcription of fatty acid synthesis (FAS) genes. Consistent with fatty acid limitation mitigating cell wall synthesis defects, inhibition of FAS by cerulenin also restored growth of PG-limited cells. Moreover, cerulenin can counteract the inhibitory effect of β-lactams in some strains. These results imply that limiting PG synthesis results in impaired growth, in part, due to an imbalance of PG and cell membrane synthesis and that B. subtilis lacks a robust physiological mechanism to reduce membrane synthesis when PG synthesis is impaired. IMPORTANCE Understanding how a bacterium coordinates cell envelope synthesis is essential to fully appreciate how bacteria grow, divide, and resist cell envelope stresses, such as β-lactam antibiotics. Balanced synthesis of the peptidoglycan cell wall and the cell membrane is critical for cells to maintain shape and turgor pressure and to resist external cell envelope threats. Using Bacillus subtilis, we show that cells deficient in peptidoglycan synthesis can be rescued by compensatory mutations that decrease the synthesis of fatty acids. Further, we show that inhibiting fatty acid synthesis with cerulenin is sufficient to restore growth of cells deficient in peptidoglycan synthesis. Understanding the coordination of cell wall and membrane synthesis may provide insights relevant to antimicrobial treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yesha Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - John D. Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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4
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Ge Z, Kuang Z, Chen J, Chen J, Liu T, She Z, Lu Y. Comparative genomics analysis of Bacillus velezensis LOH112 isolated from a nonagenarian provides insights into its biocontrol and probiotic traits. Gene 2022; 835:146644. [PMID: 35680027 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus velezensis has recently received increasing attention as a biological fungicide and a potential probiotic agent because of its broad spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal activities. Here, we evaluated the beneficial traits of a newly isolated B. velezensis strain LOH112 using comprehensive bioinformatics and comparative genomic analyses and in vitro experimental approaches. Whole genome sequencing and assembly results showed that the genome of LOH112 consists of a circular chromosome and a circular plasmid, which encodes proteins involved in important biological processes such as sporulation, quorum sensing, and antibiotic synthesis. LOH112 contains 13 secondary metabolism gene clusters responsible for the production of antimicrobial compounds. In vitro experiments showed that LOH112 effectively inhibits several fungi and Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, hydrolyzes protein and cellulose, and is capable of forming strong adhesive biofilms. Furthermore, comparative genomics revealed that LOH112 contains 34 strain-specific orthologous gene clusters, including two caseinolytic protease P (clpP) genes responsible for proteomic homeostasis. Selective pressure analysis indicated that the transmembrane transporter and ATP-dependent alanine/valine adenylase genes were strongly positively selected, which may endow LOH112 with better biocontrol ability and potential probiotic properties. Collectively, these results not only provide insights into a deeper understanding of the genomic characterization of LOH112 but also imply the potential application of LOH112 as biocontrol and probiotic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhuang Ge
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Zhiqi Kuang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Junyi Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Tianhao Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Zhigang She
- School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yongjun Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Run Ze Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Microbiome Study, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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5
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Shinjyo Y, Midorikawa N, Matsumoto T, Sugaya Y, Ozawa Y, Oana A, Horie C, Yoshikawa H, Takahashi Y, Hasegawa T, Asai K. Analysis of cell death in Bacillus subtilis caused by sesquiterpenes from Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty. J GEN APPL MICROBIOL 2022; 68:62-70. [PMID: 35418537 DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the antibacterial effects of essential oils have been investigated in addition to their therapeutic purposes. Owing to their hydrophobic nature, they are thought to perturb the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane, leading to cell death. Against such antibiotic challenges, bacteria develop mechanisms for cell envelope stress responses (CESR). In Bacillus subtilis, a gram-positive sporulating soil bacterium, the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor-mediated response system plays a pivotal role in CESR. Among them, σM is strongly involved in response to cell envelope stress, including a shortage of available bactoprenol. Vetiver essential oil, a product of Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty root, is also known to possess bactericidal activity. σM was exclusively and strongly induced when the cells were exposed to Vetiver extract, and depletion of multi-ECF sigma factors (ΔsigM, ΔsigW, ΔsigX, and ΔsigV) enhanced sensitivity to it. From this quadruple mutant strain, the suppressor strains, which restored resistance to the bactericidal activity of Vetiver extract, emerged, although attempts to obtain resistant strains from the wild type did not succeed. Whole-genome resequencing of the suppressor strains and genetic analysis revealed inactivation of xseB or pnpA, which code for exodeoxyribonuclease or polynucleotide phosphorylase, respectively. This allowed the quadruple mutant strain to escape from cell death caused by Vetiver extract. Composition analysis suggested that the sesquiterpene, khusimol, might contribute to the bactericidal activity of the Vetiver extract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shinjyo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Naoya Midorikawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Takashi Matsumoto
- Genome Research Center, NODAI Research Institute, Tokyo University of Agriculture
| | - Yuki Sugaya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Yoshiki Ozawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Ayumi Oana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Chiaki Horie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Hirofumi Yoshikawa
- Genome Research Center, NODAI Research Institute, Tokyo University of Agriculture.,Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture
| | - Yasuhiro Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Toshio Hasegawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Kei Asai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University.,Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture
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6
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Huang L, Ahmed S, Gu Y, Huang J, An B, Wu C, Zhou Y, Cheng G. The Effects of Natural Products and Environmental Conditions on Antimicrobial Resistance. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26144277. [PMID: 34299552 PMCID: PMC8303546 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26144277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the extensive application of antibiotics in medical and farming practices, the continued diversification and development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has attracted serious public concern. With the emergence of AMR and the failure to treat bacterial infections, it has led to an increased interest in searching for novel antibacterial substances such as natural antimicrobial substances, including microbial volatile compounds (MVCs), plant-derived compounds, and antimicrobial peptides. However, increasing observations have revealed that AMR is associated not only with the use of antibacterial substances but also with tolerance to heavy metals existing in nature and being used in agriculture practice. Additionally, bacteria respond to environmental stresses, e.g., nutrients, oxidative stress, envelope stress, by employing various adaptive strategies that contribute to the development of AMR and the survival of bacteria. Therefore, we need to elucidate thoroughly the factors and conditions affecting AMR to take comprehensive measures to control the development of AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Huang
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.H.); (Y.G.); (J.H.); (B.A.); (C.W.)
| | - Saeed Ahmed
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan;
| | - Yufeng Gu
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.H.); (Y.G.); (J.H.); (B.A.); (C.W.)
| | - Junhong Huang
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.H.); (Y.G.); (J.H.); (B.A.); (C.W.)
| | - Boyu An
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.H.); (Y.G.); (J.H.); (B.A.); (C.W.)
| | - Cuirong Wu
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.H.); (Y.G.); (J.H.); (B.A.); (C.W.)
| | - Yujie Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Guyue Cheng
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.H.); (Y.G.); (J.H.); (B.A.); (C.W.)
- Correspondence:
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7
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Willdigg JR, Helmann JD. Mini Review: Bacterial Membrane Composition and Its Modulation in Response to Stress. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:634438. [PMID: 34046426 PMCID: PMC8144471 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.634438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics and other agents that perturb the synthesis or integrity of the bacterial cell envelope trigger compensatory stress responses. Focusing on Bacillus subtilis as a model system, this mini-review summarizes current views of membrane structure and insights into how cell envelope stress responses remodel and protect the membrane. Altering the composition and properties of the membrane and its associated proteome can protect cells against detergents, antimicrobial peptides, and pore-forming compounds while also, indirectly, contributing to resistance against compounds that affect cell wall synthesis. Many of these regulatory responses are broadly conserved, even where the details of regulation may differ, and can be important in the emergence of antibiotic resistance in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John D. Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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8
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Alternative σ Factors Regulate Overlapping as Well as Distinct Stress Response and Metabolic Functions in Listeria monocytogenes under Stationary Phase Stress Condition. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10040411. [PMID: 33915780 PMCID: PMC8066629 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10040411] [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: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes can regulate and fine-tune gene expression, to adapt to diverse stress conditions encountered during foodborne transmission. To further understand the contributions of alternative sigma (σ) factors to the regulation of L. monocytogenes gene expression, RNA-Seq was performed on L. monocytogenes strain 10403S and five isogenic mutants (four strains bearing in-frame null mutations in three out of four alternative σ factor genes, ΔCHL, ΔBHL, ΔBCL, and ΔBCH, and one strain bearing null mutations in all four genes, ΔBCHL), grown to stationary phase. Our data showed that 184, 35, 34, and 20 genes were positively regulated by σB, σL, σH, and σC (posterior probability > 0.9 and Fold Change (FC) > 5.0), respectively. Moreover, σB-dependent genes showed the highest FC (based on comparisons between the ΔCHL and the ΔBCHL strain), with 44 genes showing an FC > 100; only four σL-dependent, and no σH- or σC-dependent genes showed FC >100. While σB-regulated genes identified in this study are involved in stress-associated functions and metabolic pathways, σL appears to largely regulate genes involved in a few specific metabolic pathways, including positive regulation of operons encoding phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent phosphotransferase systems (PTSs). Overall, our data show that (i) σB and σL directly and indirectly regulate genes involved in several energy metabolism-related functions; (ii) alternative σ factors are involved in complex regulatory networks and appear to have epistatic effects in stationary phase cells; and (iii) σB regulates multiple stress response pathways, while σL and σH positively regulate a smaller number of specific pathways.
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9
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Hou Q, Kolodkin-Gal I. Harvesting the complex pathways of antibiotic production and resistance of soil bacilli for optimizing plant microbiome. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 96:5872479. [PMID: 32672816 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A sustainable future increasing depends on our capacity to utilize beneficial plant microbiomes to meet our growing needs. Plant microbiome symbiosis is a hallmark of the beneficial interactions between bacteria and their host. Specifically, colonization of plant roots by biocontrol agents and plant growth-promoting bacteria can play an important role in maintaining the optimal rhizosphere environment, supporting plant growth and promoting its fitness. Rhizosphere communities confer immunity against a wide range of foliar diseases by secreting antibiotics and activating plant defences. At the same time, the rhizosphere is a highly competitive niche, with multiple microbial species competing for space and resources, engaged in an arms race involving the production of a vast array of antibiotics and utilization of a variety of antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms that govern antibiotic production and resistance in the rhizosphere is of great significance for designing beneficial communities with enhanced biocontrol properties. In this review, we used Bacillus subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens as models to investigate the genetics of antibiosis and the potential for its translation of into improved plant microbiome performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihui Hou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ilana Kolodkin-Gal
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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10
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Willdigg JR, Helmann JD. Mini Review: Bacterial Membrane Composition and Its Modulation in Response to Stress. Front Mol Biosci 2021. [PMID: 34046426 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.634438/bibtex] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics and other agents that perturb the synthesis or integrity of the bacterial cell envelope trigger compensatory stress responses. Focusing on Bacillus subtilis as a model system, this mini-review summarizes current views of membrane structure and insights into how cell envelope stress responses remodel and protect the membrane. Altering the composition and properties of the membrane and its associated proteome can protect cells against detergents, antimicrobial peptides, and pore-forming compounds while also, indirectly, contributing to resistance against compounds that affect cell wall synthesis. Many of these regulatory responses are broadly conserved, even where the details of regulation may differ, and can be important in the emergence of antibiotic resistance in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Willdigg
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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11
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Patel Y, Zhao H, Helmann JD. A regulatory pathway that selectively up-regulates elongasome function in the absence of class A PBPs. eLife 2020; 9:57902. [PMID: 32897856 PMCID: PMC7478892 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria surround themselves with peptidoglycan, an adaptable enclosure that contributes to cell shape and stability. Peptidoglycan assembly relies on penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) acting in concert with SEDS-family transglycosylases RodA and FtsW, which support cell elongation and division respectively. In Bacillus subtilis, cells lacking all four PBPs with transglycosylase activity (aPBPs) are viable. Here, we show that the alternative sigma factor σI is essential in the absence of aPBPs. Defects in aPBP-dependent wall synthesis are compensated by σI-dependent upregulation of an MreB homolog, MreBH, which localizes the LytE autolysin to the RodA-containing elongasome complex. Suppressor analysis reveals that cells unable to activate this σI stress response acquire gain-of-function mutations in the essential histidine kinase WalK, which also elevates expression of sigI, mreBH and lytE. These results reveal compensatory mechanisms that balance the directional peptidoglycan synthesis arising from the elongasome complex with the more diffusive action of aPBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesha Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - Heng Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
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12
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Lautenschläger N, Popp PF, Mascher T. Development of a novel heterologous β-lactam-specific whole-cell biosensor in Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Eng 2020; 14:21. [PMID: 32765644 PMCID: PMC7394692 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-020-00243-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Whole-cell biosensors are a powerful and easy-to-use screening tool for the fast and sensitive detection of chemical compounds, such as antibiotics. β-Lactams still represent one of the most important antibiotic groups in therapeutic use. They interfere with late stages of the bacterial cell wall biosynthesis and result in irreversible perturbations of cell division and growth, ultimately leading to cell lysis. In order to simplify the detection of these antibiotics from solutions, solid media or directly from producing organisms, we aimed at developing a novel heterologous whole-cell biosensor in Bacillus subtilis, based on the β-lactam-induced regulatory system BlaR1/BlaI from Staphylococcus aureus. Results The BlaR1/BlaI system was heterologously expressed in B. subtilis and combined with the luxABCDE operon of Photorhabdus luminescens under control of the BlaR1/BlaI target promoter to measure the output of the biosensor. A combination of codon adaptation, constitutive expression of blaR1 and blaI and the allelic replacement of penP increased the inducer spectrum and dynamic range of the biosensor. β-Lactams from all four classes induced the target promoter PblaZ in a concentration-dependent manner, with a dynamic range of 7- to 53-fold. We applied our biosensor to a set of Streptomycetes soil isolates and demonstrated its potential to screen for the production of β-lactams. In addition to the successful implementation of a highly sensitive β-lactam biosensor, our results also provide the first experimental evidence to support previous suggestions that PenP functions as a β-lactamase in B. subtilis. Conclusion We have successfully established a novel heterologous whole-cell biosensor in B. subtilis that is highly sensitive for a broad spectrum of β-lactams from all four chemical classes. Therefore, it increases the detectable spectrum of compounds with respect to previous biosensor designs. Our biosensor can readily be applied for identifying β-lactams in liquid or on solid media, as well as for identifying potential β-lactam producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Lautenschläger
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp F Popp
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01217 Dresden, Germany
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13
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Zhao H, Roistacher DM, Helmann JD. Deciphering the essentiality and function of the anti-σ M factors in Bacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:482-497. [PMID: 30715747 PMCID: PMC6679829 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria use alternative sigma factors to adapt to different growth and stress conditions. The Bacillus subtilis extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigM regulates genes for cell wall synthesis and is crucial for maintaining cell wall homeostasis under stress conditions. The activity of SigM is regulated by its anti-sigma factor, YhdL, and the accessory protein YhdK. Here, we show that dysregulation of SigM caused by the absence of either component of the anti-sigma factor complex leads to toxic levels of SigM and severe growth defects. High SigM activity results from a dysregulated positive feedback loop, and can be suppressed by overexpression of the housekeeping sigma, SigA. Using a sigM merodiploid strain, we selected for suppressor mutations that allow survival of yhdL depletion strain. The recovered suppressor mutations map to the beta and beta-prime subunits of RNA polymerase core enzyme and selectively reduce SigM activity, and in some cases increase the activity of other alternative sigma factors. This work highlights the ability of mutations in RNA polymerase that remodel the sigma-core interface to differentially affect sigma factor activity, and thereby alter the transcriptional landscape of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhao
- Cornell University, Department of Microbiology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - John D. Helmann
- Cornell University, Department of Microbiology, Ithaca, NY, USA
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14
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Ho TD, Ellermeier CD. Activation of the extracytoplasmic function σ factor σ V by lysozyme. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:410-419. [PMID: 31286585 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
σV is an extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factor that is found exclusively in Firmicutes including Bacillus subtilis and the opportunistic pathogens Clostridioides difficile and Enterococcus faecalis. σV is activated by lysozyme and is required for lysozyme resistance. The activity of σV is normally inhibited by the anti-σ factor RsiV, a transmembrane protein. RsiV acts as a receptor for lysozyme. The binding of lysozyme to RsiV triggers a signal transduction cascade which results in degradation of RsiV and activation of σV . Like the anti-σ factors for several other ECF σ factors, RsiV is degraded by a multistep proteolytic cascade that is regulated at the step of site-1 cleavage. Unlike other anti-σ factors, site-1 cleavage of RsiV is not dependent upon a site-1 protease whose activity is regulated. Instead constitutively active signal peptidase cleaves RsiV at site-1 in a lysozyme-dependent manner. The activation of σV leads to the transcription of genes, which encode proteins required for lysozyme resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa D Ho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 431 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Craig D Ellermeier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 431 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.,Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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15
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Gaballa A, Guariglia-Oropeza V, Dürr F, Butcher BG, Chen AY, Chandrangsu P, Helmann JD. Modulation of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor promoter selectivity by spacer region sequence. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:134-145. [PMID: 29069433 PMCID: PMC5758882 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to adapt to stress depends on the conditional expression of specific sets of genes. Bacillus subtilis encodes seven extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma (σ) factors that regulate functions important for survival under conditions eliciting cell envelope stress. Of these, four have been studied in detail: σM, σW, σX and σV. These four σ factors recognize overlapping sets of promoters, although the sequences that determine this overlapping recognition are incompletely understood. A major role in promoter selectivity has been ascribed to the core −10 and −35 promoter elements. Here, we demonstrate that a homopolymeric T-tract motif, proximal to the −35 element, functions in combination with the core promoter sequences to determine selectivity for ECF sigma factors. This motif is most critical for promoter activation by σV, and contributes variably to activation by σM, σX and σW. We propose that this motif, which is a feature of the deduced promoter consensus for a subset of ECF σ factors from many species, imparts intrinsic DNA curvature to influence promoter activity. The differential effect of this region among ECF σ factors thereby provides a mechanism to modulate the nature and extent of regulon overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Gaballa
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | | | - Franziska Dürr
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Bronwyn G Butcher
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Albert Y Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Pete Chandrangsu
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
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16
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Gottschlich L, Geiser P, Bortfeld-Miller M, Field CM, Vorholt JA. Complex general stress response regulation in Sphingomonas melonis Fr1 revealed by transcriptional analyses. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9404. [PMID: 31253827 PMCID: PMC6599016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45788-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The general stress response (GSR) represents an important trait to survive in the environment by leading to multiple stress resistance. In alphaproteobacteria, the GSR is under the transcriptional control of the alternative sigma factor EcfG. Here we performed transcriptome analyses to investigate the genes controlled by EcfG of Sphingomonas melonis Fr1 and the plasticity of this regulation under stress conditions. We found that EcfG regulates genes for proteins that are typically associated with stress responses. Moreover, EcfG controls regulatory proteins, which likely fine-tune the GSR. Among these, we identified a novel negative GSR feedback regulator, termed NepR2, on the basis of gene reporter assays, phenotypic analyses, and biochemical assays. Transcriptional profiling of signaling components upstream of EcfG under complex stress conditions showed an overall congruence with EcfG-regulated genes. Interestingly however, we found that the GSR is transcriptionally linked to the regulation of motility and biofilm formation via the single domain response regulator SdrG and GSR-activating histidine kinases. Altogether, our findings indicate that the GSR in S. melonis Fr1 underlies a complex regulation to optimize resource allocation and resilience in stressful and changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Gottschlich
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Geiser
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Miriam Bortfeld-Miller
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher M Field
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julia A Vorholt
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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17
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Helmann JD. Where to begin? Sigma factors and the selectivity of transcription initiation in bacteria. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:335-347. [PMID: 31119812 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Transcription is the fundamental process that enables the expression of genetic information. DNA-directed RNA polymerase (RNAP) uses one strand of the DNA duplex as template to produce complementary RNA molecules that serve in translation (rRNA, tRNA), protein synthesis (mRNA) and regulation (sRNA). Although the RNAP core is catalytically competent for RNA synthesis, the selectivity of transcription initiation requires a sigma (σ) factor for promoter recognition and opening. Expression of alternative σ factors provides a powerful mechanism to control the expression of discrete sets of genes (a σ regulon) in response to specific nutritional, developmental or stress-related signals. Here, I review the key insights that led to the original discovery of σ factor 50 years ago and the subsequent discovery of alternative σ factors as a ubiquitous mechanism of bacterial gene regulation. These studies form a prelude to the more recent, genomics-enabled insights into the vast diversity of σ factors in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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18
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Tran NT, Huang X, Hong HJ, Bush MJ, Chandra G, Pinto D, Bibb MJ, Hutchings MI, Mascher T, Buttner MJ. Defining the regulon of genes controlled by σ E , a key regulator of the cell envelope stress response in Streptomyces coelicolor. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:461-481. [PMID: 30907454 PMCID: PMC6767563 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factor, σE , is a key regulator of the cell envelope stress response in Streptomyces coelicolor. Although its role in maintaining cell wall integrity has been known for over a decade, a comprehensive analysis of the genes under its control has not been undertaken. Here, using a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq), microarray transcriptional profiling and bioinformatic analysis, we attempt to define the σE regulon. Approximately half of the genes identified encode proteins implicated in cell envelope function. Seventeen novel targets were validated by S1 nuclease mapping or in vitro transcription, establishing a σE -binding consensus. Subsequently, we used bioinformatic analysis to look for conservation of the σE target promoters identified in S. coelicolor across 19 Streptomyces species. Key proteins under σE control across the genus include the actin homolog MreB, three penicillin-binding proteins, two L,D-transpeptidases, a LytR-CpsA-Psr-family protein predicted to be involved in cell wall teichoic acid deposition and a predicted MprF protein, which adds lysyl groups to phosphatidylglycerol to neutralize membrane surface charge. Taken together, these analyses provide biological insight into the σE -mediated cell envelope stress response in the genus Streptomyces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngat T Tran
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Xiaoluo Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.,Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2-4, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Hee-Jeon Hong
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Matthew J Bush
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Govind Chandra
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Daniela Pinto
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2-4, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Maureen J Bibb
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Matthew I Hutchings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2-4, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Mark J Buttner
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
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19
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A bacterial checkpoint protein for ribosome assembly moonlights as an essential metabolite-proofreading enzyme. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1526. [PMID: 30948730 PMCID: PMC6449344 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09508-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, adventitious oxidation of erythrose-4-phosphate, an intermediate of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), generates 4-phosphoerythronate (4PE), which inhibits 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. 4PE is detoxified by metabolite-proofreading phosphatases such as yeast Pho13. Here, we report that a similar function is carried out in Bacillus subtilis by CpgA, a checkpoint protein known to be important for ribosome assembly, cell morphology and resistance to cell wall-targeting antibiotics. We find that ΔcpgA cells are intoxicated by glucose or other carbon sources that feed into the PPP, and that CpgA has high phosphatase activity with 4PE. Inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (GndA) leads to intoxication by 6-phosphogluconate, a potent inhibitor of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI). The coordinated shutdown of PPP and glycolysis leads to metabolic gridlock. Overexpression of GndA, PGI, or yeast Pho13 suppresses glucose intoxication of ΔcpgA cells, but not cold sensitivity, a phenotype associated with ribosome assembly defects. Our results suggest that CpgA is a multifunctional protein, with genetically separable roles in ribosome assembly and metabolite proofreading. Adventitious oxidation of erythrose-4-phosphate generates 4-phosphoerythronate, which is detoxified by metabolite-proofreading phosphatases in eukaryotes. Here, Sachla & Helmann show that a similar function is carried out in Bacillus subtilis by a checkpoint protein involved in ribosome assembly.
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20
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Promoter RNA sequencing (PRSeq) for the massive and quantitative promoter analysis in vitro. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3118. [PMID: 30816266 PMCID: PMC6395800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of promoter strength and specificity is important for understanding and engineering gene regulation. Here, we report an in vitro promoter analysis method that can achieve both massiveness and quantitativeness. In this approach, a pool of single-stranded DNA with a partially randomized promoter sequence to be analyzed is chemically synthesized. Through enzymatic reactions, the randomized sequence will be copied to the downstream region, resulting in a template DNA pool that carries its own promoter information on its transcribed region. After in vitro transcription of the DNA pool with an RNA polymerase of interest, the sequences of the resulting transcripts will be analyzed. Since the promoter strength linearly correlates to the copy number of transcript, the strength of each promoter sequence can be evaluated. A model experiment of T7 promoter variants demonstrated the quantitativeness of the method, and the method was applied for the analysis of the promoter of cyanophage Syn5 RNA polymerase. This method provides a powerful approach for analyzing the complexity of promoter specificity and discrimination for highly abundant and often redundant alternative sigma factors such as the extracellular function (ECF) sigma factors.
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21
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Bucher T, Keren-Paz A, Hausser J, Olender T, Cytryn E, Kolodkin-Gal I. An active β-lactamase is a part of an orchestrated cell wall stress resistance network of Bacillus subtilis and related rhizosphere species. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:1068-1085. [PMID: 30637927 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of the Gram-positive bacteria, such as the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis, is their cell wall. Here, we report that d-leucine and flavomycin, biofilm inhibitors targeting the cell wall, activate the β-lactamase PenP. This β-lactamase contributes to ampicillin resistance in B. subtilis under all conditions tested. In contrast, both Spo0A, a master regulator of nutritional stress, and the general cell wall stress response, differentially contribute to β-lactam resistance under different conditions. To test whether β-lactam resistance and β-lactamase genes are widespread in other Bacilli, we isolated Bacillus species from undisturbed soils, and found that their genomes can encode up to five β-lactamases with differentiated activity spectra. Surprisingly, the activity of environmental β-lactamases and PenP, as well as the general stress response, resulted in a similarly reduced lag phase of the culture in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics, with little or no impact on the logarithmic growth rate. The length of the lag phase may determine the outcome of the competition between β-lactams and β-lactamases producers. Overall, our work suggests that antibiotic resistance genes in B. subtilis and related species are ancient and widespread, and could be selected by interspecies competition in undisturbed soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabitha Bucher
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Alona Keren-Paz
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Jean Hausser
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Tsviya Olender
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Institute of Soil and Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Research Center, 68 HaMakabim Road, 7505101, Rishon Lezion, Israel
| | - Ilana Kolodkin-Gal
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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22
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Ortiz de Ora L, Lamed R, Liu YJ, Xu J, Cui Q, Feng Y, Shoham Y, Bayer EA, Muñoz-Gutiérrez I. Regulation of biomass degradation by alternative σ factors in cellulolytic clostridia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11036. [PMID: 30038431 PMCID: PMC6056542 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29245-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria can adjust their genetic programs via alternative σ factors to face new environmental pressures. Here, we analyzed a unique set of paralogous alternative σ factors, termed σIs, which fine-tune the regulation of one of the most intricate cellulolytic systems in nature, the bacterial cellulosome, that is involved in degradation of environmental polysaccharides. We combined bioinformatics with experiments to decipher the regulatory networks of five σIs in Clostridium thermocellum, the epitome of cellulolytic microorganisms, and one σI in Pseudobacteroides cellulosolvens which produces the cellulosomal system with the greatest known complexity. Despite high homology between different σIs, our data suggest limited cross-talk among them. Remarkably, the major cross-talk occurs within the main cellulosomal genes which harbor the same σI-dependent promoter elements, suggesting a promoter-based mechanism to guarantee the expression of relevant genes. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms used by σIs to differentiate among their corresponding regulons, representing a comprehensive overview of the regulation of the cellulosome to date. Finally, we show the advantage of using a heterologous host system for analysis of multiple σIs, since information generated by their analysis in their natural host can be misinterpreted owing to a cascade of interactions among the different σIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizett Ortiz de Ora
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Raphael Lamed
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jian Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Qiu Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yingang Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yuval Shoham
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-IIT, Haifa, Israel
| | - Edward A Bayer
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Iván Muñoz-Gutiérrez
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. .,Outreach Research Training and Minority Science Programs, Francisco Ayala School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.
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23
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Howlett R, Read N, Varghese A, Kershaw C, Hancock Y, Smith MCM. Streptomyces coelicolor strains lacking polyprenol phosphate mannose synthase and protein O-mannosyl transferase are hyper-susceptible to multiple antibiotics. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:369-382. [PMID: 29458553 PMCID: PMC5882110 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Polyprenol phosphate mannose (PPM) is a lipid-linked sugar donor used by extra-cytoplasmic glycosyl tranferases in bacteria. PPM is synthesized by polyprenol phosphate mannose synthase, Ppm1, and in most Actinobacteria is used as the sugar donor for protein O-mannosyl transferase, Pmt, in protein glycosylation. Ppm1 and Pmt have homologues in yeasts and humans, where they are required for protein O-mannosylation. Actinobacteria also use PPM for lipoglycan biosynthesis. Here we show that ppm1 mutants of Streptomyces coelicolor have increased susceptibility to a number of antibiotics that target cell wall biosynthesis. The pmt mutants also have mildly increased antibiotic susceptibilities, in particular to β-lactams and vancomycin. Despite normal induction of the vancomycin gene cluster, vanSRJKHAX, the pmt and ppm1 mutants remained highly vancomycin sensitive indicating that the mechanism of resistance is blocked post-transcriptionally. Differential RNA expression analysis indicated that catabolic pathways were downregulated and anabolic ones upregulated in the ppm1 mutant compared to the parent or complemented strains. Of note was the increase in expression of fatty acid biosynthetic genes in the ppm1- mutant. A change in lipid composition was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy, which showed that the ppm1- mutant had a greater relative proportion of unsaturated fatty acids compared to the parent or the complemented mutant. Taken together, these data suggest that an inability to synthesize PPM (ppm1) and loss of the glycoproteome (pmt- mutant) can detrimentally affect membrane or cell envelope functions leading to loss of intrinsic and, in the case of vancomycin, acquired antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anpu Varghese
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Y Hancock
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, UK.,York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York, UK
| | - Margaret C M Smith
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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24
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Rojas-Tapias DF, Helmann JD. Induction of the Spx regulon by cell wall stress reveals novel regulatory mechanisms in Bacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol 2018; 107:659-674. [PMID: 29271514 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Spx is the master regulator of the disulfide stress response in Bacillus subtilis. Intriguingly, the activation of Spx by diamide relies entirely on posttranslational regulatory events in spite of the complex transcriptional control of the spx gene. Here, we show that cell wall stress, but not membrane stress, also results in induction of the Spx regulon. Remarkably, two major differences were found regarding the mechanism of induction of Spx under cell wall stress in comparison to disulfide stress. First, transcriptional induction of the spx gene from a σM -dependent promoter is required for accumulation of Spx in response to cell wall stress. Second, activation of the Spx regulon during cell wall stress is not accompanied by oxidation of the Spx disulfide switch. Finally, we demonstrate that cells lacking Spx have increased sensitivity toward antibiotics inhibiting both early and late steps in peptidoglycan synthesis, suggesting that the Spx regulon plays an important adaptive role in the cell wall stress response. This study expands the functional role of the Spx regulon and reveals novel regulatory mechanisms that result in induction of Spx in B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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25
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Asai K. Anti-sigma factor-mediated cell surface stress responses in Bacillus subtilis. Genes Genet Syst 2018; 92:223-234. [PMID: 29343670 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.17-00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins belonging to the sigma factor family in eubacteria initiate transcription by associating with RNA polymerase. A subfamily, the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors, which form a widely distributed bacterial signal transduction system comprising a sigma factor and a cognate membrane-embedded anti-sigma factor, regulates genes in response to stressors that threaten cell envelope integrity including the cell wall and membrane. The Gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis provides a valuable model for investigation of the ECF sigma factors. This review focuses on the function and regulation of ECF sigma factors in B. subtilis, in which anti-sigma factors play a role in connecting an external stimulus with gene regulation. As representative examples, the regulon and regulatory mechanism of σW are closely associated with membrane-active stressors, whereas σM is strongly induced by conditions that impair peptidoglycan synthesis. These studies demonstrate that the mechanisms of ECF-dependent signaling are divergent and constitute a multi-layered hierarchy, and provide useful insights into the elucidation of unknown mechanisms related to ECF sigma factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Asai
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture
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26
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Bervoets I, Charlier D. A novel and versatile dual fluorescent reporter tool for the study of gene expression and regulation in multi- and single copy number. Gene 2017; 642:474-482. [PMID: 29191759 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
To unravel intricate mechanisms of gene regulation it is imperative to work in physiologically relevant conditions and therefore preferentially in single copy constructs, which are not always easy to manipulate. Such in vivo studies are generally based on enzymatic assays, microarrays, RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, or multicopy reporter gene systems, frequently with β-galactosidase, luciferase or a fluorescent protein as reporter. Each method has its advantages and shortcomings and may require validation. Enzyme assays are generally reliable but may be quite complex, time consuming, and require a (expensive) substrate. Microarrays and RNA-seq provide a genome wide view of gene expression but may rapidly become expensive and time consuming especially for detailed studies with large numbers of mutants, different growth conditions and multiple time points. Multicopy reporter gene systems are handy to generate numerous constructs but may not provide accurate information due to titration effects of trans-acting regulatory elements. Therefore and in spite of the existence of various reporter systems, there is still need for an efficient and user-friendly tool for detailed studies and high throughput screenings. Here we develop and validate a novel and versatile fluorescent reporter tool to study gene regulation in single copy mode that enables real-time measurement. This tool bears two independent fluorescent reporters that allow high throughput screening and standardization, and combines modern efficient cloning methods (multicopy, in vitro manipulation) with classical genetics (in vivo homologous recombination with a stable, self-transmissible episome) to generate multi- and single copy reporter systems. We validate the system with constitutive and differentially regulated promoters and show that the tool can equally be used with heterologous transcription factors. The flexibility and versatility of this dual reporter tool in combination with an easy conversion from a multicopy plasmid to a stable, single copy reporter system makes this system unique and attractive for a variety of applications. Examples are in vivo studies of DNA-binding transcription factors (single copy) or screening of promoter and RBS libraries (multicopy) for synthetic biology purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Bervoets
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Daniel Charlier
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
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27
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Zhao H, Patel V, Helmann JD, Dörr T. Don't let sleeping dogmas lie: new views of peptidoglycan synthesis and its regulation. Mol Microbiol 2017; 106:847-860. [PMID: 28975672 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cell wall synthesis is the target for some of our most powerful antibiotics and has thus been the subject of intense research focus for more than 50 years. Surprisingly, we still lack a fundamental understanding of how bacteria build, maintain and expand their cell wall. Due to technical limitations, directly testing hypotheses about the coordination and biochemistry of cell wall synthesis enzymes or architecture has been challenging, and interpretation of data has therefore often relied on circumstantial evidence and implicit assumptions. A number of recent papers have exploited new technologies, like single molecule tracking and real-time, high resolution temporal mapping of cell wall synthesis processes, to address fundamental questions of bacterial cell wall biogenesis. The results have challenged established dogmas and it is therefore timely to integrate new data and old observations into a new model of cell wall biogenesis in rod-shaped bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Vaidehi Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA.,Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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28
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Liu Y, Orsi RH, Boor KJ, Wiedmann M, Guariglia-Oropeza V. Home Alone: Elimination of All but One Alternative Sigma Factor in Listeria monocytogenes Allows Prediction of New Roles for σ B. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1910. [PMID: 29075236 PMCID: PMC5641562 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among Listeria monocytogenes' four alternative σ factors, σB controls the largest regulon. As σB-dependent transcription of some genes may be masked by overlaps among regulons, and as some σB-dependent genes are expressed only under very specific conditions, we hypothesized that the σB regulon is not yet fully defined. To further extend our understanding of the σB regulon, we used RNA-seq to identify σB-dependent genes in an L. monocytogenes strain that expresses σB following rhamnose induction, and in which genes encoding the other alternative sigma factors have been deleted. Analysis of RNA-seq data with multiple bioinformatics approaches, including a sliding window method that detects differentially transcribed 5' untranslated regions (UTRs), identified 105 σB-dependent transcription units (TUs) comprising 201 genes preceded by σB-dependent promoters. Of these 105 TUs, 7 TUs comprising 15 genes had not been identified previously as σB-dependent. An additional 23 genes not reported previously as σB-dependent were identified in 9 previously recognized σB-dependent TUs. Overall, 38 of these 201 genes had not been identified previously as members of the L. monocytogenes σB regulon. These newly identified σB-dependent genes encode proteins annotated as being involved in transcriptional regulation, oxidative and osmotic stress response, and in metabolism of energy, carbon and nucleotides. In total, 18 putative σB-dependent promoters were newly identified. Interestingly, a number of genes previously identified as σB-dependent did not show significant evidence for σB-dependent transcription in our experiments. Based on promoter analyses, a number of these genes showed evidence for co-regulation by σB and other transcriptional factors, suggesting that some σB-dependent genes require additional transcriptional regulators along with σB for transcription. Over-expression of a single alternative sigma factor in the absence of all other alternative sigma factors allowed us to: (i) identify new σB-dependent functions in L. monocytogenes, such as regulation of genes involved in 1,2-propanediol utilization (LMRG_00594-LMRG_00611) and biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides (LMRG_00978-LMRG_00985); and (ii) identify new σB-dependent genes involved in stress response and pathogenesis functions. These data further support that σB not only regulates stress response functions, but also plays a broad role in L. monocytogenes homeostasis and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichang Liu
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Renato H Orsi
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Kathryn J Boor
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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29
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Sineva E, Savkina M, Ades SE. Themes and variations in gene regulation by extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 36:128-137. [PMID: 28575802 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The ECF sigma family was identified 23 years ago as a distinct group of σ70-like factors. ECF sigma factors have since emerged as a major form of bacterial signal transduction that can be grouped into over 50 phylogenetically distinct subfamilies. Advances in our understanding of these sigma factors and the signaling pathways governing their activity have elucidated conserved features as well as aspects that have evolved over time. All ECF sigma factors are predicted to share a common streamlined domain structure and mode of promoter interaction. The activity of most ECF sigma factors is controlled by an anti-sigma factor. The nature of the anti-sigma factor and the activating signaling pathways appear to be conserved within ECF families, while considerable diversity exists between different families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Sineva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 408 Althouse Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Maria Savkina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 408 Althouse Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sarah E Ades
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 408 Althouse Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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30
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Cai Y, Chandrangsu P, Gaballa A, Helmann JD. Lack of formylated methionyl-tRNA has pleiotropic effects on Bacillus subtilis. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2017; 163:185-196. [PMID: 27983482 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria initiate translation using a modified amino acid, N-formylmethionine (fMet), adapted specifically for this function. Most proteins are processed co-translationally by peptide deformylase (PDF) to remove this modification. Although PDF activity is essential in WT cells and is the target of the antibiotic actinonin, bypass mutations in the fmt gene that eliminate the formylation of Met-tRNAMet render PDF dispensable. The extent to which the emergence of fmt bypass mutations might compromise the therapeutic utility of actinonin is determined, in part, by the effects of these bypass mutations on fitness. Here, we characterize the phenotypic consequences of an fmt null mutation in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. An fmt null mutant is defective for several post-exponential phase adaptive programmes including antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, swarming and swimming motility and sporulation. In addition, a survey of well-characterized stress responses reveals an increased sensitivity to metal ion excess and oxidative stress. These diverse phenotypes presumably reflect altered synthesis or stability of key proteins involved in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Cai
- Department of Soil Science, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.,Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Pete Chandrangsu
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ahmed Gaballa
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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31
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Woods EC, McBride SM. Regulation of antimicrobial resistance by extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors. Microbes Infect 2017; 19:238-248. [PMID: 28153747 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are a subfamily of σ70 sigma factors that activate genes involved in stress-response functions. In many bacteria, ECF sigma factors regulate resistance to antimicrobial compounds. This review will summarize the ECF sigma factors that regulate antimicrobial resistance in model organisms and clinically relevant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Woods
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shonna M McBride
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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32
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Santos-Beneit F, Ordóñez-Robles M, Martín JF. Glycopeptide resistance: Links with inorganic phosphate metabolism and cell envelope stress. Biochem Pharmacol 2016; 133:74-85. [PMID: 27894856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2016.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a critical health issue today. Many pathogens have become resistant to many or all available antibiotics and limited new antibiotics are in the pipeline. Glycopeptides are used as a 'last resort' antibiotic treatment for many bacterial infections, but worryingly, glycopeptide resistance has spread to very important pathogens such as Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus. Bacteria confront multiple stresses in their natural environments, including nutritional starvation and the action of cell-wall stressing agents. These stresses impact bacterial susceptibility to different antimicrobials. This article aims to review the links between glycopeptide resistance and different stresses, especially those related with cell-wall biosynthesis and inorganic phosphate metabolism, and to discuss promising alternatives to classical antibiotics to avoid the problem of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Santos-Beneit
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Medical School, Newcastle University, NE2 4AX Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - María Ordóñez-Robles
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Juan F Martín
- Microbiology Area, Department of Molecular Biology, University of León, 24071 León, Spain.
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33
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van Beilen J, Blohmke CJ, Folkerts H, de Boer R, Zakrzewska A, Kulik W, Vaz FM, Brul S, Ter Beek A. RodZ and PgsA Play Intertwined Roles in Membrane Homeostasis of Bacillus subtilis and Resistance to Weak Organic Acid Stress. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1633. [PMID: 27818647 PMCID: PMC5073135 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Weak organic acids like sorbic and acetic acid are widely used to prevent growth of spoilage organisms such as Bacilli. To identify genes involved in weak acid stress tolerance we screened a transposon mutant library of Bacillus subtilis for sorbic acid sensitivity. Mutants of the rodZ (ymfM) gene were found to be hypersensitive to the lipophilic weak organic acid. RodZ is involved in determining the cell's rod-shape and believed to interact with the bacterial actin-like MreB cytoskeleton. Since rodZ lies upstream in the genome of the essential gene pgsA (phosphatidylglycerol phosphate synthase) we hypothesized that expression of the latter might also be affected in rodZ mutants and hence contribute to the phenotype observed. We show that both genes are co-transcribed and that both the rodZ::mini-Tn10 mutant and a conditional pgsA mutant, under conditions of minimal pgsA expression, were sensitive to sorbic and acetic acid. Both strains displayed a severely altered membrane composition. Compared to the wild-type strain, phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin levels were lowered and the average acyl chain length was elongated. Induction of rodZ expression from a plasmid in our transposon mutant led to no recovery of weak acid susceptibility comparable to wild-type levels. However, pgsA overexpression in the same mutant partly restored sorbic acid susceptibility and fully restored acetic acid sensitivity. A construct containing both rodZ and pgsA as on the genome led to some restored growth as well. We propose that RodZ and PgsA play intertwined roles in membrane homeostasis and tolerance to weak organic acid stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan van Beilen
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christoph J. Blohmke
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hendrik Folkerts
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Richard de Boer
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anna Zakrzewska
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wim Kulik
- Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Academic Medical Center, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fred M. Vaz
- Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Academic Medical Center, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Stanley Brul
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Ter Beek
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands
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34
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SEDS proteins are a widespread family of bacterial cell wall polymerases. Nature 2016; 537:634-638. [PMID: 27525505 PMCID: PMC5161649 DOI: 10.1038/nature19331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Elongation of rod-shaped bacteria is mediated by a dynamic peptidoglycan synthetic machinery called the Rod complex. We report that in Bacillus subtilis this complex is functional in the absence of all known peptidoglycan polymerases. Cells lacking these enzymes survive by inducing an envelope stress response that increases expression of RodA, a widely conserved core component of the Rod complex. RodA is a member of the SEDS family of proteins that play essential but ill-defined roles in cell wall biogenesis during growth, division and sporulation. Our genetic and biochemical analyses indicate that SEDS proteins constitute a new family of peptidoglycan polymerases. Thus, B. subtilis and likely most bacteria use two distinct classes of polymerases to synthesize their exoskeleton. Our findings indicate that SEDS family proteins are core cell wall synthases of the cell elongation and division machinery, and represent attractive targets for antibiotic development.
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35
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Radeck J, Fritz G, Mascher T. The cell envelope stress response of Bacillus subtilis: from static signaling devices to dynamic regulatory network. Curr Genet 2016; 63:79-90. [PMID: 27344142 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-016-0624-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The cell envelope stress response (CESR) encompasses all regulatory events that enable a cell to protect the integrity of its envelope, an essential structure of any bacterial cell. The underlying signaling network is particularly well understood in the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis. It consists of a number of two-component systems (2CS) and extracytoplasmic function σ factors that together regulate the production of both specific resistance determinants and general mechanisms to protect the envelope against antimicrobial peptides targeting the biogenesis of the cell wall. Here, we summarize the current picture of the B. subtilis CESR network, from the initial identification of the corresponding signaling devices to unraveling their interdependence and the underlying regulatory hierarchy within the network. In the course of detailed mechanistic studies, a number of novel signaling features could be described for the 2CSs involved in mediating CESR. This includes a novel class of so-called intramembrane-sensing histidine kinases (IM-HKs), which-instead of acting as stress sensors themselves-are activated via interprotein signal transfer. Some of these IM-HKs are involved in sensing the flux of antibiotic resistance transporters, a unique mechanism of responding to extracellular antibiotic challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jara Radeck
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität (TU) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Georg Fritz
- LOEWE-Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität (TU) Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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36
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Chauhan R, Ravi J, Datta P, Chen T, Schnappinger D, Bassler KE, Balázsi G, Gennaro ML. Reconstruction and topological characterization of the sigma factor regulatory network of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11062. [PMID: 27029515 PMCID: PMC4821874 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Accessory sigma factors, which reprogram RNA polymerase to transcribe specific gene sets, activate bacterial adaptive responses to noxious environments. Here we reconstruct the complete sigma factor regulatory network of the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis by an integrated approach. The approach combines identification of direct regulatory interactions between M. tuberculosis sigma factors in an E. coli model system, validation of selected links in M. tuberculosis, and extensive literature review. The resulting network comprises 41 direct interactions among all 13 sigma factors. Analysis of network topology reveals (i) a three-tiered hierarchy initiating at master regulators, (ii) high connectivity and (iii) distinct communities containing multiple sigma factors. These topological features are likely associated with multi-layer signal processing and specialized stress responses involving multiple sigma factors. Moreover, the identification of overrepresented network motifs, such as autoregulation and coregulation of sigma and anti-sigma factor pairs, provides structural information that is relevant for studies of network dynamics. Sigma factors are regulatory proteins that reprogram the bacterial RNA polymerase in response to stress conditions to transcribe certain genes, including those for other sigma factors. Here, Chauhan et al. describe the complete sigma factor regulatory network of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Chauhan
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Janani Ravi
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Pratik Datta
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Tianlong Chen
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5005, USA.,Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5002, USA
| | - Dirk Schnappinger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA
| | - Kevin E Bassler
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5005, USA.,Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5002, USA.,Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, D-01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gábor Balázsi
- Laufer Center for Physical &Quantitative Biology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Maria Laura Gennaro
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
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37
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Helmann JD. Bacillus subtilis extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors and defense of the cell envelope. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 30:122-132. [PMID: 26901131 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis provides a model for investigation of the bacterial cell envelope, the first line of defense against environmental threats. Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors activate genes that confer resistance to agents that threaten the integrity of the envelope. Although their individual regulons overlap, σ(W) is most closely associated with membrane-active agents, σ(X) with cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance, and σ(V) with resistance to lysozyme. Here, I highlight the role of the σ(M) regulon, which is strongly induced by conditions that impair peptidoglycan synthesis and includes the core pathways of envelope synthesis and cell division, as well as stress-inducible alternative enzymes. Studies of these cell envelope stress responses provide insights into how bacteria acclimate to the presence of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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38
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Decoding Biomass-Sensing Regulons of Clostridium thermocellum Alternative Sigma-I Factors in a Heterologous Bacillus subtilis Host System. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146316. [PMID: 26731480 PMCID: PMC4711584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive, anaerobic, cellulolytic, thermophile Clostridium (Ruminiclostridium) thermocellum secretes a multi-enzyme system called the cellulosome to solubilize plant cell wall polysaccharides. During the saccharolytic process, the enzymatic composition of the cellulosome is modulated according to the type of polysaccharide(s) present in the environment. C. thermocellum has a set of eight alternative RNA polymerase sigma (σ) factors that are activated in response to extracellular polysaccharides and share sequence similarity to the Bacillus subtilis σI factor. The aim of the present work was to demonstrate whether individual C. thermocellum σI-like factors regulate specific cellulosomal genes, focusing on C. thermocellum σI6 and σI3 factors. To search for putative σI6- and σI3-dependent promoters, bioinformatic analysis of the upstream regions of the cellulosomal genes was performed. Because of the limited genetic tools available for C. thermocellum, the functionality of the predicted σI6- and σI3-dependent promoters was studied in B. subtilis as a heterologous host. This system enabled observation of the activation of 10 predicted σI6-dependent promoters associated with the C. thermocellum genes: sigI6 (itself, Clo1313_2778), xyn11B (Clo1313_0522), xyn10D (Clo1313_0177), xyn10Z (Clo1313_2635), xyn10Y (Clo1313_1305), cel9V (Clo1313_0349), cseP (Clo1313_2188), sigI1 (Clo1313_2174), cipA (Clo1313_0627), and rsgI5 (Clo1313_0985). Additionally, we observed the activation of 4 predicted σI3-dependent promoters associated with the C. thermocellum genes: sigI3 (itself, Clo1313_1911), pl11 (Clo1313_1983), ce12 (Clo1313_0693) and cipA. Our results suggest possible regulons of σI6 and σI3 in C. thermocellum, as well as the σI6 and σI3 promoter consensus sequences. The proposed -35 and -10 promoter consensus elements of σI6 are CNNAAA and CGAA, respectively. Additionally, a less conserved CGA sequence next to the C in the -35 element and a highly conserved AT sequence three bases downstream of the -10 element were also identified as important nucleotides for promoter recognition. Regarding σI3, the proposed -35 and -10 promoter consensus elements are CCCYYAAA and CGWA, respectively. The present study provides new clues for understanding these recently discovered alternative σI factors.
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39
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Davis MC, Smith LK, MacLellan SR. The atypical two-subunit σ factor from Bacillus subtilis is regulated by an integral membrane protein and acid stress. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2015; 162:398-407. [PMID: 26651345 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors constitute a major component of the physicochemical sensory apparatus in bacteria. Most ECF σ factors are co-expressed with a negative regulator called an anti-σ factor that binds to its cognate σ factor and sequesters it from productive association with core RNA polymerase (RNAP). Anti-σ factors constitute an important element of signal transduction pathways that mediate an appropriate transcriptional response to changing environmental conditions. The Bacillus subtilis genome encodes seven canonical ECF σ factors and six of these are co-expressed with experimentally verified anti-σ factors. B. subtilis also expresses an ECF-like atypical two-subunit σ factor composed of subunits SigO and RsoA that becomes active after exposure to certain cell-wall-acting antibiotics and to growth under acidic conditions. This work describes the identification and preliminary characterization of a protein (RsiO, formerly YvrL) that constitutes the anti-σ factor cognate to SigO-RsoA. Synthesis of RsiO represses SigO-RsoA-dependent transcription initiation by binding the N-terminus of SigO under neutral (pH 7) conditions. Reconstitution of the SigO-RsoA-RsiO regulatory system into a heterologous host reveals that the imposition of acid stress (pH 5.4) abolishes the ability of RsiO to repress SigO-RsoA-dependent transcription and this correlates with loss of RsiO binding affinity for SigO. A current model for RsiO function indicates that RsiO responds, either directly or indirectly, to increased extracytoplasmic hydrogen ion concentration and becomes inactivated. This results in the release of SigO into the cytoplasm, where it productively associates with RsoA and core RNAP to initiate transcription from target promoters in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Davis
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Logan K Smith
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Shawn R MacLellan
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
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40
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Höfler C, Heckmann J, Fritsch A, Popp P, Gebhard S, Fritz G, Mascher T. Cannibalism stress response in Bacillus subtilis. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2015; 162:164-176. [PMID: 26364265 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
When faced with carbon source limitation, the Gram-positive soil organism Bacillus subtilis initiates a survival strategy called sporulation, which leads to the formation of highly resistant endospores that allow B. subtilis to survive even long periods of starvation. In order to avoid commitment to this energy-demanding and irreversible process, B. subtilis employs another strategy called 'cannibalism' to delay sporulation as long as possible. Cannibalism involves the production and secretion of two cannibalism toxins, sporulation delaying protein (SDP) and sporulation killing factor (SKF), which are able to lyse sensitive siblings. The lysed cells are thought to then provide nutrients for the cannibals to slow down or even prevent them from entering sporulation. In this study, we uncovered the role of the cell envelope stress response (CESR), especially the Bce-like antimicrobial peptide detoxification modules, in the cannibalism stress response during the stationary phase. SDP and SKF specifically induce Bce-like systems and some extracytoplasmic function σ factors in stationary-phase cultures, but only the latter provide some degree of protection. A full Bce response is only triggered by mature toxins, and not by toxin precursors. Our study provides insights into the close relationship between stationary-phase survival and the CESR of B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Höfler
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Judith Heckmann
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anne Fritsch
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Philipp Popp
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Georg Fritz
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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41
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Guan G, Pinochet-Barros A, Gaballa A, Patel SJ, Argüello JM, Helmann JD. PfeT, a P1B4 -type ATPase, effluxes ferrous iron and protects Bacillus subtilis against iron intoxication. Mol Microbiol 2015; 98:787-803. [PMID: 26261021 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Iron is an essential element for nearly all cells and limited iron availability often restricts growth. However, excess iron can also be deleterious, particularly when cells expressing high affinity iron uptake systems transition to iron rich environments. Bacillus subtilis expresses numerous iron importers, but iron efflux has not been reported. Here, we describe the B. subtilis PfeT protein (formerly YkvW/ZosA) as a P1B4 -type ATPase in the PerR regulon that serves as an Fe(II) efflux pump and protects cells against iron intoxication. Iron and manganese homeostasis in B. subtilis are closely intertwined: a pfeT mutant is iron sensitive, and this sensitivity can be suppressed by low levels of Mn(II). Conversely, a pfeT mutant is more resistant to Mn(II) overload. In vitro, the PfeT ATPase is activated by both Fe(II) and Co(II), although only Fe(II) efflux is physiologically relevant in wild-type cells, and null mutants accumulate elevated levels of intracellular iron. Genetic studies indicate that PfeT together with the ferric uptake repressor (Fur) cooperate to prevent iron intoxication, with iron sequestration by the MrgA mini-ferritin playing a secondary role. Protection against iron toxicity may also be a key role for related P1B4 -type ATPases previously implicated in bacterial pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Guan
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,State Key Laboratories for Agro-biotechnology and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | | | - Ahmed Gaballa
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Sarju J Patel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA
| | - José M Argüello
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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42
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van der Steen JB, Hellingwerf KJ. Activation of the General Stress Response of Bacillus subtilis by Visible Light. Photochem Photobiol 2015; 91:1032-45. [PMID: 26189730 DOI: 10.1111/php.12499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A key challenge for microbiology is to understand how evolution has shaped the wiring of regulatory networks. This is amplified by the paucity of information of power-spectra of physicochemical stimuli to which microorganisms are exposed. Future studies of genome evolution, driven by altered stimulus regimes, will therefore require a versatile signal transduction system that allows accurate signal dosing. Here, we review the general stress response of Bacillus subtilis, and its upstream signal transduction network, as a candidate system. It can be activated by red and blue light, and by many additional stimuli. Signal integration therefore is an intricate function of this system. The blue-light response is elicited via the photoreceptor YtvA, which forms an integral part of stressosomes, to activate expression of the stress regulon of B. subtilis. Signal transfer through this network can be assayed with reporter enzymes, while intermediate steps can be studied with live-cell imaging of fluorescently tagged proteins. Different parts of this system have been studied in vitro, such that its computational modeling has made significant progress. One can directly relate the microscopic characteristics of YtvA with activation of the general stress regulon, making this system a very well-suited system for network evolution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen B van der Steen
- Molecular Microbial Physiology Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Klaas J Hellingwerf
- Molecular Microbial Physiology Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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43
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Paget MS. Bacterial Sigma Factors and Anti-Sigma Factors: Structure, Function and Distribution. Biomolecules 2015; 5:1245-65. [PMID: 26131973 PMCID: PMC4598750 DOI: 10.3390/biom5031245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sigma factors are multi-domain subunits of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) that play critical roles in transcription initiation, including the recognition and opening of promoters as well as the initial steps in RNA synthesis. This review focuses on the structure and function of the major sigma-70 class that includes the housekeeping sigma factor (Group 1) that directs the bulk of transcription during active growth, and structurally-related alternative sigma factors (Groups 2-4) that control a wide variety of adaptive responses such as morphological development and the management of stress. A recurring theme in sigma factor control is their sequestration by anti-sigma factors that occlude their RNAP-binding determinants. Sigma factors are then released through a wide variety of mechanisms, often involving branched signal transduction pathways that allow the integration of distinct signals. Three major strategies for sigma release are discussed: regulated proteolysis, partner-switching, and direct sensing by the anti-sigma factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Paget
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK.
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44
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Kalai Chelvam K, Yap KP, Chai LC, Thong KL. Variable Responses to Carbon Utilization between Planktonic and Biofilm Cells of a Human Carrier Strain of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126207. [PMID: 25946205 PMCID: PMC4422432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) is a foodborne pathogen that causes typhoid fever and infects only humans. The ability of S. Typhi to survive outside the human host remains unclear, particularly in human carrier strains. In this study, we have investigated the catabolic activity of a human carrier S. Typhi strain in both planktonic and biofilm cells using the high-throughput Biolog Phenotype MicroArray, Minimum Biofilm Eradication Concentration (MBEC) biofilm inoculator (96-well peg lid) and whole genome sequence data. Additional strains of S. Typhi were tested to further validate the variation of catabolism in selected carbon substrates in the different bacterial growth phases. The analyzes of the carbon utilization data indicated that planktonic cells of the carrier strain, S. Typhi CR0044 could utilize a broader range of carbon substrates compared to biofilm cells. Pyruvic acid and succinic acid which are related to energy metabolism were actively catabolised in the planktonic stage compared to biofilm stage. On the other hand, glycerol, L-fucose, L-rhamnose (carbohydrates) and D-threonine (amino acid) were more actively catabolised by biofilm cells compared to planktonic cells. Notably, dextrin and pectin could induce strong biofilm formation in the human carrier strain of S. Typhi. However, pectin could not induce formation of biofilm in the other S. Typhi strains. Phenome data showed the utilization of certain carbon substrates which was supported by the presence of the catabolism-associated genes in S. Typhi CR0044. In conclusion, the findings showed the differential carbon utilization between planktonic and biofilm cells of a S. Typhi human carrier strain. The differences found in the carbon utilization profiles suggested that S. Typhi uses substrates mainly found in the human biliary mucus glycoprotein, gallbladder, liver and cortex of the kidney of the human host. The observed diversity in the carbon catabolism profiles among different S. Typhi strains has suggested the possible involvement of various metabolic pathways that might be related to the virulence and pathogenesis of this host-restricted human pathogen. The data serve as a caveat for future in-vivo studies to investigate the carbon metabolic activity to the pathogenesis of S. Typhi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalaivani Kalai Chelvam
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kien Pong Yap
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lay Ching Chai
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kwai Lin Thong
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- * E-mail:
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45
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Tripathi L, Zhang Y, Lin Z. Bacterial sigma factors as targets for engineered or synthetic transcriptional control. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2014; 2:33. [PMID: 25232540 PMCID: PMC4153023 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2014.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sigma (σ) factors are the predominant constituents of transcription regulation in bacteria. σ Factors recruit the core RNA polymerase to recognize promoters with specific DNA sequences. Recently, engineering of transcriptional regulators has become a significant tool for strain engineering. The present review summarizes the recent advances in σ factor based engineering or synthetic design. The manipulation of σ factors presents insights into the bacterial stress tolerance and metabolite productivity. We envision more synthetic design based on σ factors that can be used to tune the regulatory network of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Tripathi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing , China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing , China
| | - Zhanglin Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing , China
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46
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Feklístov A, Sharon BD, Darst SA, Gross CA. Bacterial sigma factors: a historical, structural, and genomic perspective. Annu Rev Microbiol 2014; 68:357-76. [PMID: 25002089 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-092412-155737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 334] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Transcription initiation is the crucial focal point of gene expression in prokaryotes. The key players in this process, sigma factors (σs), associate with the catalytic core RNA polymerase to guide it through the essential steps of initiation: promoter recognition and opening, and synthesis of the first few nucleotides of the transcript. Here we recount the key advances in σ biology, from their discovery 45 years ago to the most recent progress in understanding their structure and function at the atomic level. Recent data provide important structural insights into the mechanisms whereby σs initiate promoter opening. We discuss both the housekeeping σs, which govern transcription of the majority of cellular genes, and the alternative σs, which direct RNA polymerase to specialized operons in response to environmental and physiological cues. The review concludes with a genome-scale view of the extracytoplasmic function σs, the most abundant group of alternative σs.
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47
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Kingston AW, Zhao H, Cook GM, Helmann JD. Accumulation of heptaprenyl diphosphate sensitizes Bacillus subtilis to bacitracin: implications for the mechanism of resistance mediated by the BceAB transporter. Mol Microbiol 2014; 93:37-49. [PMID: 24806199 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Heptaprenyl diphosphate (C35 -PP) is an isoprenoid intermediate in the synthesis of both menaquinone and the sesquarterpenoids. We demonstrate that inactivation of ytpB, encoding a C35 -PP utilizing enzyme required for sesquarterpenoid synthesis, leads to an increased sensitivity to bacitracin, an antibiotic that binds undecaprenyl pyrophosphate (C55 -PP), a key intermediate in cell wall synthesis. Genetic studies indicate that bacitracin sensitivity is due to accumulation of C35 -PP, rather than the absence of sesquarterpenoids. Sensitivity is accentuated in a ytpB menA double mutant, lacking both known C35 -PP consuming enzymes, and in a ytpB strain overexpressing the HepST enzyme that synthesizes C35 -PP. Conversely, sensitivity in the ytpB background is suppressed by mutation of hepT or by supplementation with 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate, a co-substrate with C35 -PP for MenA. Bacitracin sensitivity results from impairment of the BceAB and BcrC resistance mechanisms by C35 -PP: in a bceAB bcrC double mutant disruption of ytpB no longer increases bacitracin sensitivity. These results suggest that C35 -PP inhibits both BcrC (a C55 -PP phosphatase) and BceAB (an ABC transporter that confers bacitracin resistance). These findings lead to a model in which BceAB protects against bacitracin by transfer of the target, C55 -PP, rather than the antibiotic across the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W Kingston
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-8101, USA
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48
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Kingston AW, Liao X, Helmann JD. Contributions of the σ(W) , σ(M) and σ(X) regulons to the lantibiotic resistome of Bacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol 2013; 90:502-18. [PMID: 23980836 PMCID: PMC4067139 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In Bacillus subtilis, the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors σ(M) , σ(W) and σ(X) all contribute to resistance against lantibiotics. Nisin, a model lantibiotic, has a dual mode of action: it inhibits cell wall synthesis by binding lipid II, and this complex also forms pores in the cytoplasmic membrane. These activities can be separated in a nisin hinge-region variant (N20P M21P) that binds lipid II, but no longer permeabilizes membranes. The major contribution of σ(M) to nisin resistance is expression of ltaSa, encoding a stress-activated lipoteichoic acid synthase, and σ(X) functions primarily by activation of the dlt operon controlling d-alanylation of teichoic acids. Together, σ(M) and σ(X) regulate cell envelope structure to decrease access of nisin to its lipid II target. In contrast, σ(W) is principally involved in protection against membrane permeabilization as it provides little protection against the nisin hinge region variant. σ(W) contributes to nisin resistance by regulation of a signal peptide peptidase (SppA), phage shock proteins (PspA and YvlC, a PspC homologue) and tellurite resistance related proteins (YceGHI). These defensive mechanisms are also effective against other lantibiotics such as mersacidin, gallidermin and subtilin and comprise an important subset of the intrinsic antibiotic resistome of B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaojie Liao
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - John D. Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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49
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Rhodius VA, Segall-Shapiro TH, Sharon BD, Ghodasara A, Orlova E, Tabakh H, Burkhardt DH, Clancy K, Peterson TC, Gross CA, Voigt CA. Design of orthogonal genetic switches based on a crosstalk map of σs, anti-σs, and promoters. Mol Syst Biol 2013; 9:702. [PMID: 24169405 PMCID: PMC3817407 DOI: 10.1038/msb.2013.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells react to their environment through gene regulatory networks. Network integrity requires minimization of undesired crosstalk between their biomolecules. Similar constraints also limit the use of regulators when building synthetic circuits for engineering applications. Here, we mapped the promoter specificities of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σs as well as the specificity of their interaction with anti-σs. DNA synthesis was used to build 86 ECF σs (two from every subgroup), their promoters, and 62 anti-σs identified from the genomes of diverse bacteria. A subset of 20 σs and promoters were found to be highly orthogonal to each other. This set can be increased by combining the -35 and -10 binding domains from different subgroups to build chimeras that target sequences unrepresented in any subgroup. The orthogonal σs, anti-σs, and promoters were used to build synthetic genetic switches in Escherichia coli. This represents a genome-scale resource of the properties of ECF σs and a resource for synthetic biology, where this set of well-characterized regulatory parts will enable the construction of sophisticated gene expression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virgil A Rhodius
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas H Segall-Shapiro
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian D Sharon
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amar Ghodasara
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ekaterina Orlova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Tabakh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David H Burkhardt
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Clancy
- Synthetic Biology Research and Development, Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Todd C Peterson
- Synthetic Biology Research and Development, Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Carol A Gross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Department of Biological Engineering, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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50
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Saha S, Lindeberg M. Bound to Succeed: transcription factor binding-site prediction and its contribution to understanding virulence and environmental adaptation in bacterial plant pathogens. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2013; 26:1123-1130. [PMID: 23802990 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-04-13-0090-cr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial plant pathogens rely on a battalion of transcription factors to fine-tune their response to changing environmental conditions and to marshal the genetic resources required for successful pathogenesis. Prediction of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) represents an important tool for elucidating regulatory networks and has been conducted in multiple genera of plant-pathogenic bacteria for the purpose of better understanding mechanisms of survival and pathogenesis. The major categories of TFBS that have been characterized are reviewed here, with emphasis on in silico methods used for site identification and challenges therein, their applicability to different types of sequence datasets, and insights into mechanisms of virulence and survival that have been gained through binding-site mapping. An improved strategy for establishing E-value cutoffs when using existing models to screen uncharacterized genomes is also discussed.
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