1
|
Alarico S, Nunes-Costa D, Silva A, Costa M, Macedo-Ribeiro S, Empadinhas N. A genuine mycobacterial thermophile: Mycobacterium hassiacum growth, survival and GpgS stability at near-pasteurization temperatures. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 166:474-483. [PMID: 32100712 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium hassiacum is so far the most thermophilic among mycobacteria as it grows optimally at 50 °C and up to 65 °C in a glycerol-based medium, as verified in this study. Since this and other nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) thrive in diverse natural and artificial environments, from where they may access and infect humans, we deemed essential to probe M. hassiacum resistance to heat, a strategy routinely used to control microbial growth in water-supply systems, as well as in the food and drink industries. In addition to possibly being a threat in its own right in rare occasions, M. hassiacum is also a good surrogate for studying other NTM species more often associated with opportunistic infection, namely Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium abscessus as well as their strictly pathogenic counterparts Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae. In this regard, this thermophilic species is likely to be useful as a source of stable proteins that may provide more detailed structures of potential drug targets. Here, we investigate M. hassiacum growth at near-pasteurization temperatures and at different pHs and also characterize its thermostable glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase (GpgS), an enzyme considered essential for M. tuberculosis growth and associated with both nitrogen starvation and thermal stress in different NTM species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susana Alarico
- IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela Nunes-Costa
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,PDBEB - PhD Programme in Biomedicine and Experimental Biology, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mafalda Costa
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Empadinhas
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nunes-Costa D, Maranha A, Costa M, Alarico S, Empadinhas N. Glucosylglycerate metabolism, bioversatility and mycobacterial survival. Glycobiology 2016; 27:213-227. [DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cww132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
|
3
|
Maranha A, Moynihan PJ, Miranda V, Correia Lourenço E, Nunes-Costa D, Fraga JS, José Barbosa Pereira P, Macedo-Ribeiro S, Ventura MR, Clarke AJ, Empadinhas N. Octanoylation of early intermediates of mycobacterial methylglucose lipopolysaccharides. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13610. [PMID: 26324178 PMCID: PMC4555173 DOI: 10.1038/srep13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria synthesize unique intracellular methylglucose lipopolysaccharides (MGLP) proposed to modulate fatty acid metabolism. In addition to the partial esterification of glucose or methylglucose units with short-chain fatty acids, octanoate was invariably detected on the MGLP reducing end. We have identified a novel sugar octanoyltransferase (OctT) that efficiently transfers octanoate to glucosylglycerate (GG) and diglucosylglycerate (DGG), the earliest intermediates in MGLP biosynthesis. Enzymatic studies, synthetic chemistry, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry approaches suggest that, in contrast to the prevailing consensus, octanoate is not esterified to the primary hydroxyl group of glycerate but instead to the C6 OH of the second glucose in DGG. These observations raise important new questions about the MGLP reducing end architecture and about subsequent biosynthetic steps. Functional characterization of this unique octanoyltransferase, whose gene has been proposed to be essential for M. tuberculosis growth, adds new insights into a vital mycobacterial pathway, which may inspire new drug discovery strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maranha
- CNC – Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patrick J. Moynihan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vanessa Miranda
- ITQB – Instituto de Tecnologia Química Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Eva Correia Lourenço
- ITQB – Instituto de Tecnologia Química Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Daniela Nunes-Costa
- CNC – Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana S. Fraga
- IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro José Barbosa Pereira
- IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - M. Rita Ventura
- ITQB – Instituto de Tecnologia Química Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Anthony J. Clarke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nuno Empadinhas
- CNC – Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
- III/UC– Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Huang TY, Zulueta MML, Hung SC. Regioselective one-pot protection, protection-glycosylation and protection-glycosylation-glycosylation of carbohydrates: a case study with D-glucose. Org Biomol Chem 2014; 12:376-82. [PMID: 24263464 DOI: 10.1039/c3ob42097c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Well-defined oligosaccharides are important requirements in evaluating structure-activity relationships to decipher the roles of carbohydrates in various physiological processes. These oligosaccharides are accessed mainly through chemical synthesis, which nonetheless remains a huge undertaking despite the many advances in recent years. A combinatorial and regioselective one-pot protection strategy was previously disclosed by us to reduce the effort and wastes associated with carbohydrate synthesis. With the tetra-trimethylsilylated 4-methylphenyl thioglucoside as the starting material, we herein show the one-pot preparations of diols, triols and fully protected derivatives of thioglucosides, and, more importantly, we generated building blocks in situ that effectively acted as glycosyl donors and glycosyl acceptors for further coupling with other monosaccharide building blocks. Our one-pot protection-glycosylation and protection-glycosylation-glycosylation approaches made use of the perceived reactivity differences between thioglycoside donors to conveniently supply disaccharide and trisaccharide skeletons as well as the backbone of a recently discovered compatible solute from two thermophilic bacteria of the Petrotoga species. The demonstrated protocol is another step in reducing the enormous work in carbohydrate synthesis and efficiently delivering sugar constructs for application in other areas of glycobiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teng-Yi Huang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cunha S, d'Avó AF, Mingote A, Lamosa P, da Costa MS, Costa J. Mannosylglucosylglycerate biosynthesis in the deep-branching phylum Planctomycetes: characterization of the uncommon enzymes from Rhodopirellula baltica. Sci Rep 2014; 3:2378. [PMID: 23921581 PMCID: PMC3736172 DOI: 10.1038/srep02378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthetic pathway for the rare compatible solute mannosylglucosylglycerate (MGG) accumulated by Rhodopirellula baltica, a marine member of the phylum Planctomycetes, has been elucidated. Like one of the pathways used in the thermophilic bacterium Petrotoga mobilis, it has genes coding for glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase (GpgS) and mannosylglucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate (MGPG) synthase (MggA). However, unlike Ptg. mobilis, the mesophilic R. baltica uses a novel and very specific MGPG phosphatase (MggB). It also lacks a key enzyme of the alternative pathway in Ptg. mobilis – the mannosylglucosylglycerate synthase (MggS) that catalyses the condensation of glucosylglycerate with GDP-mannose to produce MGG. The R. baltica enzymes GpgS, MggA, and MggB were expressed in E. coli and characterized in terms of kinetic parameters, substrate specificity, temperature and pH dependence. This is the first characterization of genes and enzymes for the synthesis of compatible solutes in the phylum Planctomycetes and for the synthesis of MGG in a mesophile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Cunha
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
d’Avó AF, Cunha S, Mingote A, Lamosa P, da Costa MS, Costa J. A Unique Pool of Compatible Solutes on Rhodopirellula baltica, Member of the Deep-Branching Phylum Planctomycetes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68289. [PMID: 23826385 PMCID: PMC3694870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular accumulation of small organic solutes was described in the marine bacterium Rhodopirellula baltica, which belongs to the globally distributed phylum Planctomycetes whose members exhibit an intriguing lifestyle and cell morphology. Sucrose, α-glutamate, trehalose and mannosylglucosylglycerate (MGG) are the main solutes involved in the osmoadaptation of R. baltica. The ratio and total intracellular organic solutes varied significantly in response to an increase in salinity, temperature and nitrogen content. R. baltica displayed an initial response to both osmotic and thermal stresses that includes α-glutamate accumulation. This trend was followed by a rather unique and complex osmoadaptation mechanism characterized by a dual response to sub-optimal and supra-optimal salinities. A reduction in the salinity to sub-optimal conditions led primarily to the accumulation of trehalose. In contrast, R. baltica responded to salt stress mostly by increasing the intracellular levels of sucrose. The switch between the accumulation of trehalose and sucrose was by far the most significant effect caused by increasing the salt levels of the medium. Additionally, MGG accumulation was found to be salt- as well as nitrogen-dependent. MGG accumulation was regulated by nitrogen levels replacing α-glutamate as a K+ counterion in nitrogen-poor environments. This is the first report of the accumulation of compatible solutes in the phylum Planctomycetes and of the MGG accumulation in a mesophilic organism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filipa d’Avó
- Center for Neurosciences and Cellular Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sofia Cunha
- Center for Neurosciences and Cellular Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Mingote
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pedro Lamosa
- Centro de Ressonância Magnética António Xavier, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Milton S. da Costa
- Center for Neurosciences and Cellular Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Costa
- Center for Neurosciences and Cellular Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
A new bacterial hydrolase specific for the compatible solutes α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1→2)-d-glycerate and α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-d-glycerate. Enzyme Microb Technol 2013; 52:77-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2012.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Revised: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
8
|
Organic solutes in the deepest phylogenetic branches of the Bacteria: identification of α(1–6)glucosyl-α(1–2)glucosylglycerate in Persephonella marina. Extremophiles 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00792-012-0500-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
9
|
Mendes V, Maranha A, Alarico S, da Costa MS, Empadinhas N. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2419c, the missing glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate phosphatase for the second step in methylglucose lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Sci Rep 2011; 1:177. [PMID: 22355692 PMCID: PMC3240985 DOI: 10.1038/srep00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria synthesize intracellular methylglucose lipopolysaccharides (MGLP) proposed to regulate fatty acid synthesis. Although their structures have been elucidated, the identity of most biosynthetic genes remains unknown. The first step in MGLP biosynthesis is catalyzed by a glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase (GpgS, Rv1208 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv). However, a typical glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate phosphatase (GpgP, EC3.1.3.70) for dephosphorylation of glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate to glucosylglycerate, was absent from mycobacterial genomes. We purified the native GpgP from Mycobacterium vanbaalenii and identified the corresponding gene deduced from amino acid sequences by mass spectrometry. The M. tuberculosis ortholog (Rv2419c), annotated as a putative phosphoglycerate mutase (PGM, EC5.4.2.1), was expressed and functionally characterized as a new GpgP. Regardless of the high specificity for glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate, the mycobacterial GpgP is not a sequence homolog of known isofunctional GpgPs. The assignment of a new function in M. tuberculosis genome expands our understanding of this organism's genetic repertoire and of the early events in MGLP biosynthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vítor Mendes
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lourenço EC, Ventura MR. Synthesis of Potassium (2R)-2-O-α-D-Mannopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-D-glucopyranosyl-2,3-dihydroxypropanoate: A Naturally Compatible Solute. European J Org Chem 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201100934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
11
|
Luley-Goedl C, Nidetzky B. Glycosides as compatible solutes: biosynthesis and applications. Nat Prod Rep 2011; 28:875-96. [DOI: 10.1039/c0np00067a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
12
|
Empadinhas N, da Costa MS. Diversity, biological roles and biosynthetic pathways for sugar-glycerate containing compatible solutes in bacteria and archaea. Environ Microbiol 2010; 13:2056-77. [PMID: 21176052 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02390.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A decade ago the compatible solutes mannosylglycerate (MG) and glucosylglycerate (GG) were considered to be rare in nature. Apart from two species of thermophilic bacteria, Thermus thermophilus and Rhodothermus marinus, and a restricted group of hyperthermophilic archaea, the Thermococcales, MG had only been identified in a few red algae. Glucosylglycerate was considered to be even rarer and had only been detected as an insignificant solute in two halophilic microorganisms, a cyanobacterium, as a component of a polysaccharide and of a glycolipid in two actinobacteria. Unlike the hyper/thermophilic MG-accumulating microorganisms, branching close to the root of the Tree of Life, those harbouring GG shared a mesophilic lifestyle. Exceptionally, the thermophilic bacterium Persephonella marina was reported to accumulate GG. However, and especially owing to the identification of the key-genes for MG and GG synthesis and to the escalating numbers of genomes available, a plethora of new organisms with the resources to synthesize these solutes has been recognized. The accumulation of GG as an 'emergency' compatible solute under combined salt stress and nitrogen-deficient conditions now seems to be a disseminated survival strategy from enterobacteria to marine cyanobacteria. In contrast, the thermophilic and extremely radiation-resistant bacterium Rubrobacter xylanophilus is the only actinobacterium known to accumulate MG, and under all growth conditions tested. This review addresses the environmental factors underlying the accumulation of MG, GG and derivatives in bacteria and archaea and their roles during stress adaptation or as precursors for more elaborated macromolecules. The diversity of pathways for MG and GG synthesis as well as those for some of their derivatives is also discussed. The importance of glycerate-derived organic solutes in the microbial world is only now being recognized. Their stress-dependent accumulation and the molecular aspects of their interactions with biomolecules have already fuelled several emerging applications in biotechnology and biomedicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Empadinhas
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Empadinhas N, Pereira PJB, Albuquerque L, Costa J, Sá-Moura B, Marques AT, Macedo-Ribeiro S, da Costa MS. Functional and structural characterization of a novel mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase from Rubrobacter xylanophilus reveals its dual substrate specificity. Mol Microbiol 2010; 79:76-93. [PMID: 21166895 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07432.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Rubrobacter xylanophilus is the only actinobacterium known to accumulate the organic solute mannosylglycerate (MG); moreover, the accumulation of MG is constitutive. The key enzyme for MG synthesis, catalysing the conversion of GDP-mannose (GDP-Man) and D-3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) into the phosphorylated intermediate mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate and GDP, was purified from R. xylanophilus cell extracts and the corresponding gene was expressed in E. coli. Despite the related solute glucosylglycerate (GG) having never been detected in R. xylanophilus, the cell extracts and the pure recombinant mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase (MpgS) could also synthesize glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate (GPG), the precursor of GG, in agreement with the higher homology of the novel MpgS towards GPG-synthesizing mycobacterial glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthases (GpgS) than towards MpgSs from hyper/thermophiles, known to accumulate MG under salt or thermal stress. To understand the specificity and substrate ambiguity of this novel enzyme, we determined the crystal structure of the unliganded MpgS and of its complexes with the nucleotide and sugar donors, at 2.2, 2.8 and 2.5 Å resolution respectively. The first three-dimensional structures of a protein from this extremely gamma-radiation-resistant thermophile here reported show that MpgS (GT81 family) contains a GT-A like fold and clearly explain its nucleotide and sugar-donor specificity. In the GDP-Man complex, a flexible loop ((254) RQNRHQ(259) ), located close to the active site moves towards the incoming sugar moiety, providing the ligands for both magnesium ion co-ordination and sugar binding. A triple mutant of R. xylanophilus MpgS, mimicking the (206) PLAGE(210) loop stabilizing hydrogen bond network observed for mycobacterial GpgSs, reduces significantly the affinity to GDP-Man, implicating this loop in the sugar-donor discrimination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Empadinhas
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|