1
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Kumar S, Mollo A, Rubino FA, Kahne D, Ruiz N. Chloride Ions Are Required for Thermosipho africanus MurJ Function. mBio 2023; 14:e0008923. [PMID: 36752629 PMCID: PMC9973255 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00089-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Most bacteria have a peptidoglycan cell wall that determines their cell shape and helps them resist osmotic lysis. Peptidoglycan synthesis depends on the translocation of the lipid-linked precursor lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane by the MurJ flippase. Structure-function analyses of MurJ from Thermosipho africanus (MurJTa) and Escherichia coli (MurJEc) have revealed that MurJ adopts multiple conformations and utilizes an alternating-access mechanism to flip lipid II. MurJEc activity relies on membrane potential, but the specific counterion has not been identified. Crystal structures of MurJTa revealed a chloride ion bound to the N-lobe of the flippase and a sodium ion in its C-lobe, but the role of these ions in transport is unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of various ions on the function of MurJTa and MurJEc in vivo. We found that chloride, and not sodium, ions are necessary for MurJTa function, but neither ion is required for MurJEc function. We also showed that murJTa alleles encoding changes at the crystallographically identified sodium-binding site still complement the loss of native murJEc, although they decreased protein stability and/or function. Based on our data and previous work, we propose that chloride ions are necessary for the conformational change that resets MurJTa after lipid II translocation and suggest that MurJ orthologs may function similarly but differ in their requirements for counterions. IMPORTANCE The biosynthetic pathway of the peptidoglycan cell wall is one of the most favorable targets for antibiotic development. Lipid II, the lipid-linked PG precursor, is made in the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane and then transported by the MurJ flippase so that it can be used to build the peptidoglycan cell wall. MurJ functions using an alternating-access mechanism thought to depend on a yet-to-be-identified counterion. This study fills a gap in our understanding of MurJ's energy-coupling mechanism by showing that chloride ions are required for MurJ in some, but not all, organisms. Based on our data and prior studies, we propose that, while the general transport mechanism of MurJ may be conserved, its specific mechanistic details may differ across bacteria, as is common in transporters. These findings are important to understand MurJ function and its development as an antibiotic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Aurelio Mollo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frederick A. Rubino
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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2
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Kohga H, Mori T, Tanaka Y, Yoshikaie K, Taniguchi K, Fujimoto K, Fritz L, Schneider T, Tsukazaki T. Crystal structure of the lipid flippase MurJ in a "squeezed" form distinct from its inward- and outward-facing forms. Structure 2022; 30:1088-1097.e3. [PMID: 35660157 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial peptidoglycan enclosing the cytoplasmic membrane is a fundamental cellular architecture. The integral membrane protein MurJ plays an essential role in flipping the cell wall building block Lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Previously reported crystal structures of MurJ have elucidated its V-shaped inward- or outward-facing forms with an internal cavity for substrate binding. MurJ transports Lipid II using its cavity through conformational transitions between these two forms. Here, we report two crystal structures of inward-facing forms from Arsenophonus endosymbiont MurJ and an unprecedented crystal structure of Escherichia coli MurJ in a "squeezed" form, which lacks a cavity to accommodate the substrate, mainly because of the increased proximity of transmembrane helices 2 and 8. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulations supported the hypothesis that the squeezed form is an intermediate conformation. This study fills a gap in our understanding of the Lipid II flipping mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetaka Kohga
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Takaharu Mori
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Tanaka
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | | | | | - Kei Fujimoto
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Lisa Fritz
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 168, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tanja Schneider
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 168, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tomoya Tsukazaki
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
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3
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Kumar S, Mollo A, Kahne D, Ruiz N. The Bacterial Cell Wall: From Lipid II Flipping to Polymerization. Chem Rev 2022; 122:8884-8910. [PMID: 35274942 PMCID: PMC9098691 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall is an extra-cytoplasmic glycopeptide polymeric structure that protects bacteria from osmotic lysis and determines cellular shape. Since the cell wall surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane, bacteria must add new material to the PG matrix during cell elongation and division. The lipid-linked precursor for PG biogenesis, Lipid II, is synthesized in the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane and is subsequently translocated across the bilayer so that the PG building block can be polymerized and cross-linked by complex multiprotein machines. This review focuses on major discoveries that have significantly changed our understanding of PG biogenesis in the past decade. In particular, we highlight progress made toward understanding the translocation of Lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane by the MurJ flippase, as well as the recent discovery of a novel class of PG polymerases, the SEDS (shape, elongation, division, and sporulation) glycosyltransferases RodA and FtsW. Since PG biogenesis is an effective target of antibiotics, these recent developments may lead to the discovery of much-needed new classes of antibiotics to fight bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Aurelio Mollo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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4
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Abstract
Biosynthesis of many important polysaccharides (including peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide, and N-linked glycans) necessitates the transport of lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLO) across membranes from their cytosolic site of synthesis to their sites of utilization. Much of our current understanding of LLO transport comes from genetic, biochemical, and structural studies of the multidrug/oligosaccharidyl-lipid/polysaccharide (MOP) superfamily protein MurJ, which flips the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II. MurJ plays a pivotal role in bacterial cell wall synthesis and is an emerging antibiotic target. Here, we review the mechanism of LLO flipping by MurJ, including the structural basis for lipid II flipping and ion coupling. We then discuss inhibition of MurJ by antibacterials, including humimycins and the phage M lysis protein, as well as how studies on MurJ could provide insight into other flippases, both within and beyond the MOP superfamily. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 91 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin C Y Kuk
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA; .,Current affiliation: Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Aili Hao
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Seok-Yong Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
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5
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Liston SD, Willis LM. Racing to build a wall: glycoconjugate assembly in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 68:55-65. [PMID: 33429200 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The last two years have seen major advances in understanding the structural basis of bacterial cell envelope glycoconjugate biosynthesis, including capsules, lipopolysaccharide, teichoic acid, cellulose, and peptidoglycan. The recent crystal and cryo-electron microscopy structures of proteins involved in the initial glycosyltransferase steps in the cytoplasm, the transport of large and small lipid-linked glycoconjugates across the inner membrane, the polymerization of glycans in the periplasm, and the export of molecules from the cell have shed light on the mechanisms by which cell envelope glycoconjugates are made. We discuss these recent advances and highlight remaining unanswered questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean D Liston
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G1M1, Canada
| | - Lisa M Willis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G2T2, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G2T2, Canada; Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G2T2, Canada.
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6
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Tancer RJ, Baynes K, Wiedman GR. Synergy among humimycins against methicillin‐resistant
Staphylococcus aureus. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Tancer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Seton Hall University South Orange New Jersey USA
| | - Kazim Baynes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Seton Hall University South Orange New Jersey USA
| | - Gregory R. Wiedman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Seton Hall University South Orange New Jersey USA
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7
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Rubino FA, Mollo A, Kumar S, Butler EK, Ruiz N, Walker S, Kahne DE. Detection of Transport Intermediates in the Peptidoglycan Flippase MurJ Identifies Residues Essential for Conformational Cycling. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:5482-5486. [PMID: 32129990 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b12185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cell wall synthesis is an essential process in bacteria and one of the best targets for antibiotics. A critical step on this pathway is the export of the lipid-linked cell wall monomer, Lipid II, by its transporter MurJ. The mechanism by which MurJ mediates the transbilayer movement of Lipid II is not understood because intermediate states of this process have not been observed. Here we demonstrate a method to capture and detect interactions between MurJ and its substrate Lipid II by photo-cross-linking and subsequent biotin-tagging. We show that this method can be used to covalently capture intermediate transport states of Lipid II on MurJ in living cells. Using this strategy we probed several lethal arginine mutants and found that they retain appreciable substrate-binding ability despite being defective in Lipid II transport. We propose that Lipid II binding to these residues during transport induces a conformational change in MurJ required to proceed through the Lipid II transport cycle. The methods described to detect intermediate transport states of MurJ will be useful for characterizing mechanisms of inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick A Rubino
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Aurelio Mollo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Emily K Butler
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Daniel E Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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8
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Kumar S, Ruiz N. Probing Conformational States of a Target Protein in Escherichia coli Cells by in vivo Cysteine Cross-linking Coupled with Proteolytic Gel Analysis. Bio Protoc 2019; 9:e3271. [PMID: 33654790 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Transporters are dynamic membrane proteins that are essential to the physiology of cells. To function, transporters must cycle between various conformational states, so to understand their mechanistic details, it is critical to characterize how their structure changes during the transport cycle. One approach to studying the dynamics of transporters takes advantage of the chemistry of cysteine by using sulfhydryl-reactive, bi-functional cross-linkers to probe changes in the distance between two specific residues that have been substituted to cysteine. This approach is mostly used to study transporters in vitro, not in their natural cellular environment. Here we describe a protocol based on structure-guided cysteine cross-linking and proteolysis-coupled gel analysis to probe conformational changes of a target transporter in live Escherichia coli cells. Although cross-linking approaches have been used to probe the proximity between transmembrane segments in membrane proteins in vivo, to our knowledge this protocol is the first to be used to interrogate transporter dynamics in cells. The use of this protocol is optimal for proteins with known or modeled structures to guide the replacement of specific residues with cysteines and the selection of cross-linking agents with various spacer arm lengths. This protocol allows for discriminating easily cross-linked and uncross-linked species and does not require the often difficult or unavailable reconstitution of transport activity in an in vitro system. In addition, this protocol could be used to probe the conformation of transporters in cells treated with transport inhibitors in order to better understand their mechanism of action, and potentially dynamic interactions between domains in proteins that are not transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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9
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Kuk ACY, Hao A, Guan Z, Lee SY. Visualizing conformation transitions of the Lipid II flippase MurJ. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1736. [PMID: 30988294 PMCID: PMC6465408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09658-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of many polysaccharides, including bacterial peptidoglycan and eukaryotic N-linked glycans, requires transport of lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) precursors across the membrane by specialized flippases. MurJ is the flippase for the lipid-linked peptidoglycan precursor Lipid II, a key player in bacterial cell wall synthesis, and a target of recently discovered antibacterials. However, the flipping mechanism of LLOs including Lipid II remains poorly understood due to a dearth of structural information. Here we report crystal structures of MurJ captured in inward-closed, inward-open, inward-occluded and outward-facing conformations. Together with mutagenesis studies, we elucidate the conformational transitions in MurJ that mediate lipid flipping, identify the key ion for function, and provide a framework for the development of inhibitors. MurJ is the flippase for the lipid-linked peptidoglycan precursor Lipid II, a key player in bacterial cell wall synthesis, but the flipping mechanism remains poorly understood. Here authors report crystal structures of MurJ in different conformations which shed light on the MurJ transitions that mediate lipid flipping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin C Y Kuk
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, 303 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Aili Hao
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, 303 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, 303 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Seok-Yong Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, 303 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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10
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Abstract
The peptidoglycan sacculus is a net-like polymer that surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane in most bacteria. It is essential to maintain the bacterial cell shape and protect from turgor. The peptidoglycan has a basic composition, common to all bacteria, with species-specific variations that can modify its biophysical properties or the pathogenicity of the bacteria. The synthesis of peptidoglycan starts in the cytoplasm and the precursor lipid II is flipped across the cytoplasmic membrane. The new peptidoglycan strands are synthesised and incorporated into the pre-existing sacculus by the coordinated activities of peptidoglycan synthases and hydrolases. In the model organism Escherichia coli there are two complexes required for the elongation and division. Each of them is regulated by different proteins from both the cytoplasmic and periplasmic sides that ensure the well-coordinated synthesis of new peptidoglycan.
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11
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Kumar S, Rubino FA, Mendoza AG, Ruiz N. The bacterial lipid II flippase MurJ functions by an alternating-access mechanism. J Biol Chem 2018; 294:981-990. [PMID: 30482840 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall is an essential extracytoplasmic glycopeptide polymer that safeguards bacteria against osmotic lysis and determines cellular morphology. Bacteria use multiprotein machineries for the synthesis of the PG cell wall during cell division and elongation that can be targeted by antibiotics such as the β-lactams. Lipid II, the lipid-linked precursor for PG biogenesis, is synthesized in the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane and then translocated across the bilayer, where it is ultimately polymerized into PG. In Escherichia coli, MurJ, a member of the MOP exporter superfamily, has been recently shown to have lipid II flippase activity that depends on membrane potential. Because of its essentiality, MurJ could potentially be targeted by much needed novel antibiotics. Recent structural information suggests that a central cavity in MurJ alternates between inward- and outward-open conformations to flip lipid II, but how these conformational changes occur are unknown. Here, we utilized structure-guided cysteine cross-linking and proteolysis-coupled gel analysis to probe the conformational changes of MurJ in E. coli cells. We found that paired cysteine substitutions in transmembrane domains 2 and 8 and periplasmic loops of MurJ could be cross-linked with homobifunctional cysteine cross-linkers, indicating that MurJ can adopt both inward- and outward-facing conformations in vivo Furthermore, we show that dissipating the membrane potential with an ionophore decreases the prevalence of the inward-facing, but not the outward-facing state. Our study provides in vivo evidence that MurJ uses an alternating-access mechanism during the lipid II transport cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- From the Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 and
| | - Frederick A Rubino
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Alicia G Mendoza
- From the Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 and
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- From the Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 and
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12
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Liu X, Meiresonne NY, Bouhss A, den Blaauwen T. FtsW activity and lipid II synthesis are required for recruitment of MurJ to midcell during cell division in Escherichia coli. Mol Microbiol 2018; 109:855-884. [PMID: 30112777 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) is the unique cell shape-determining component of the bacterial envelope, and is a key target for antibiotics. PG synthesis requires the transmembrane movement of the precursor lipid II, and MurJ has been shown to provide this activity in Escherichia coli. However, how MurJ functions in vivo has not been reported. Here we show that MurJ localizes both in the lateral membrane and at midcell, and is recruited to midcell simultaneously with late-localizing divisome proteins and proteins MraY and MurG. MurJ septal localization is dependent on the presence of a complete and active divisome, lipid II synthesis and PBP3/FtsW activities. Inactivation of MurJ, either directly by mutation or through binding with MTSES, did not affect the midcell localization of MurJ. Our study visualizes MurJ localization in vivo and reveals a possible mechanism of MurJ recruitment during cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Liu
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nils Y Meiresonne
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ahmed Bouhss
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Laboratoire Structure-Activité des Biomolécules Normales et Pathologiques (SABNP), Univ Evry, INSERM U1204, Université Paris-Saclay, 91025, Evry, France
| | - Tanneke den Blaauwen
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Structure and mutagenic analysis of the lipid II flippase MurJ from Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6709-6714. [PMID: 29891673 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1802192115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The peptidoglycan cell wall provides an essential protective barrier in almost all bacteria, defining cellular morphology and conferring resistance to osmotic stress and other environmental hazards. The precursor to peptidoglycan, lipid II, is assembled on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. However, peptidoglycan polymerization occurs on the outer face of the plasma membrane, and lipid II must be flipped across the membrane by the MurJ protein before its use in peptidoglycan synthesis. Due to its central role in cell wall assembly, MurJ is of fundamental importance in microbial cell biology and is a prime target for novel antibiotic development. However, relatively little is known regarding the mechanisms of MurJ function, and structural data for MurJ are available only from the extremophile Thermosipho africanus Here, we report the crystal structure of substrate-free MurJ from the gram-negative model organism Escherichia coli, revealing an inward-open conformation. Taking advantage of the genetic tractability of E. coli, we performed high-throughput mutagenesis and next-generation sequencing to assess mutational tolerance at every amino acid in the protein, providing a detailed functional and structural map for the enzyme and identifying sites for inhibitor development. Lastly, through the use of sequence coevolution analysis, we identify functionally important interactions in the outward-open state of the protein, supporting a rocker-switch model for lipid II transport.
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14
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A viral protein antibiotic inhibits lipid II flippase activity. Nat Microbiol 2017; 2:1480-1484. [PMID: 28894177 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-017-0023-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
For bacteriophage infections, the cell walls of bacteria, consisting of a single highly polymeric molecule of peptidoglycan (PG), pose a major problem for the release of progeny virions. Phage lysis proteins that overcome this barrier can point the way to new antibacterial strategies 1 , especially small lytic single-stranded DNA (the microviruses) and RNA phages (the leviviruses) that effect host lysis using a single non-enzymatic protein 2 . Previously, the A2 protein of levivirus Qβ and the E protein of the microvirus ϕX174 were shown to be 'protein antibiotics' that inhibit the MurA and MraY steps of the PG synthesis pathway 2-4 . Here, we investigated the mechanism of action of an unrelated lysis protein, LysM, of the Escherichia coli levivirus M 5 . We show that LysM inhibits the translocation of the final lipid-linked PG precursor called lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane by interfering with the activity of MurJ. The finding that LysM inhibits a distinct step in the PG synthesis pathway from the A2 and E proteins indicates that small phages, particularly the single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) leviviruses, have a previously unappreciated capacity for evolving novel inhibitors of PG biogenesis despite their limited coding potential.
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15
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Kuk ACY, Mashalidis EH, Lee SY. Crystal structure of the MOP flippase MurJ in an inward-facing conformation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2016; 24:171-176. [PMID: 28024149 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PG) protects bacteria from osmotic lysis, and its biogenesis is a key antibiotic target. A central step in PG biosynthesis is flipping of the lipid-linked PG precursor lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane for subsequent incorporation into PG. MurJ, part of the multidrug/oligosaccharidyl-lipid/polysaccharide (MOP) transporter superfamily, was recently shown to carry out this process. However, understanding of how MurJ flips lipid II, and of how MOP transporters operate in general, remains limited due to a lack of structural information. Here we present a crystal structure of MurJ from Thermosipho africanus in an inward-facing conformation at 2.0-Å resolution. A hydrophobic groove is formed by two C-terminal transmembrane helices, which leads into a large central cavity that is mostly cationic. Our studies not only provide the first structural glimpse of MurJ but also suggest that alternating access is important for MurJ function, which may be applicable to other MOP superfamily transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin C Y Kuk
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ellene H Mashalidis
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Seok-Yong Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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16
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Glycolipid substrates for ABC transporters required for the assembly of bacterial cell-envelope and cell-surface glycoconjugates. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2016; 1862:1394-1403. [PMID: 27793707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Glycoconjugates, molecules that contain sugar components, are major components of the cell envelopes of bacteria and cover much of their exposed surfaces. These molecules are involved in interactions with the surrounding environment and, in pathogens, play critical roles in the interplay with the host immune system. Despite the remarkable diversity in glycoconjugate structures, most are assembled by glycosyltransferases that act on lipid acceptors at the cytosolic membrane. The resulting glycolipids are then transported to the cell surface in processes that frequently begin with ATP-binding cassette transporters. This review summarizes current understanding of the structure and biosynthesis of glycolipid substrates and the structure and functions of their transporters. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Bacterial Lipids edited by Russell E. Bishop.
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The Peptidoglycan Pattern of Staphylococcus carnosus TM300-Detailed Analysis and Variations Due to Genetic and Metabolic Influences. Antibiotics (Basel) 2016; 5:antibiotics5040033. [PMID: 27669322 PMCID: PMC5187514 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics5040033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus carnosus (S. carnosus) TM300 is an apathogenic staphylococcal species commonly used in meat starter cultures. As with all Gram-positive bacteria, its cytoplasmic membrane is surrounded by a thick peptidoglycan (PGN) or murein sacculus consisting of several layers of glycan strands cross-linked by peptides. In contrast to pathogenic staphylococci, mainly Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the chemical composition of S. carnosus PGN is not well studied so far. UPLC/MS analysis of enzymatically digested S. carnosus TM300 PGN revealed substantial differences in its composition compared to the known pattern of S. aureus. While in S. aureus the uncross-linked stem peptide consists of a pentapeptide, in S. carnosus, this part of the PGN is shortened to tripeptides. Furthermore, we found the PGN composition to vary when cells were incubated under certain conditions. The collective overproduction of HlyD, FtsE and FtsX—a putative protein complex interacting with penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2)—caused the reappearance of classical penta stem peptides. In addition, under high sugar conditions, tetra stem peptides occur due to overflow metabolism. This indicates that S. carnosus TM300 cells adapt to various conditions by modification of their PGN.
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Elhenawy W, Davis RM, Fero J, Salama NR, Felman MF, Ruiz N. The O-Antigen Flippase Wzk Can Substitute for MurJ in Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161587. [PMID: 27537185 PMCID: PMC4990322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall is an essential component of the cell envelope of most bacteria. Biogenesis of PG involves a lipid-linked disaccharide-pentapeptide intermediate called lipid II, which must be translocated across the cytoplasmic membrane after it is synthesized in the inner leaflet of this bilayer. Accordingly, it has been demonstrated that MurJ, the proposed lipid II flippase in Escherichia coli, is required for PG biogenesis, and thereby viability. In contrast, MurJ is not essential in Bacillus subtilis because this bacterium produces AmJ, an unrelated protein that is functionally redundant with MurJ. In this study, we investigated why MurJ is not essential in the prominent gastric pathogen, Helicobacter pylori. We found that in this bacterium, Wzk, the ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter that flips the lipid-linked O- or Lewis- antigen precursors across the inner membrane, is redundant with MurJ for cell viability. Heterologous expression of wzk in E. coli also suppresses the lethality caused by the loss of murJ. Furthermore, we show that this cross-species complementation is abolished when Wzk is inactivated by mutations that target a domain predicted to be required for ATPase activity. Our results suggest that Wzk can flip lipid II, implying that Wzk is the flippase with the most relaxed specificity for lipid-linked saccharides ever identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael Elhenawy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2E9, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rebecca M. Davis
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America
| | - Jutta Fero
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, United States of America
| | - Nina R. Salama
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, United States of America
| | - Mario F. Felman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2E9, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ruiz N. Filling holes in peptidoglycan biogenesis of Escherichia coli. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 34:1-6. [PMID: 27449418 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The peptidoglycan cell wall is an essential mesh-like structure in most bacteria. It is built outside the cytoplasmic membrane by polymerizing a disaccharide-pentapeptide into glycan chains that are crosslinked by peptides. The disaccharide-pentapeptide is synthetized as a lipid-linked precursor called lipid II, which is exported across the cytoplasmic membrane so that synthases can make new glycan chains. Growth of the peptidoglycan wall requires careful balancing of synthesis of glycan chains and hydrolysis of the preexisting structure to allow incorporation of new material. Recent studies in Escherichia coli have advanced our understanding of lipid II translocation across the membrane and how synthases are regulated to ensure proper envelope growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Ruiz N. Lipid Flippases for Bacterial Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis. Lipid Insights 2016; 8:21-31. [PMID: 26792999 PMCID: PMC4714577 DOI: 10.4137/lpi.s31783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of cellular polysaccharides and glycoconjugates often involves lipid-linked intermediates that need to be translocated across membranes. Essential pathways such as N-glycosylation in eukaryotes and biogenesis of the peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall in bacteria share a common strategy where nucleotide-sugars are used to build a membrane-bound oligosaccharide precursor that is linked to a phosphorylated isoprenoid lipid. Once made, these lipid-linked intermediates must be translocated across a membrane so that they can serve as substrates in a different cellular compartment. How translocation occurs is poorly understood, although it clearly requires a transporter or flippase. Identification of these transporters is notoriously difficult, and, in particular, the identity of the flippase of lipid II, an intermediate required for PG biogenesis, has been the subject of much debate. Here, I will review the body of work that has recently fueled this controversy, centered on proposed flippase candidates FtsW, MurJ, and AmJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natividad Ruiz
- Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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21
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Abstract
Nearly all bacteria contain a peptidoglycan cell wall. The peptidoglycan precursor molecule is LipidII, containing the basic peptidoglycan building block attached to a lipid. Although the suitability of LipidII as an antibacterial target has long been recognized, progress on elucidating the role(s) of LipidII in bacterial cell biology has been slow. The focus of this review is on exciting new developments, both with respect to antibacterials targeting LipidII as well as the emerging role of LipidII in organizing the membrane and cell wall synthesis. It appears that on both sides of the membrane, LipidII plays crucial roles in organizing cytoskeletal proteins and peptidoglycan synthesis machineries. Finally, the recent discovery of no less than three different categories of LipidII flippases will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk-Jan Scheffers
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Menno B. Tol
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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Teo ACK, Roper DI. Core Steps of Membrane-Bound Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis: Recent Advances, Insight and Opportunities. Antibiotics (Basel) 2015; 4:495-520. [PMID: 27025638 PMCID: PMC4790310 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics4040495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 10/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We are entering an era where the efficacy of current antibiotics is declining, due to the development and widespread dispersion of antibiotic resistance mechanisms. These factors highlight the need for novel antimicrobial discovery. A large number of antimicrobial natural products elicit their effect by directly targeting discrete areas of peptidoglycan metabolism. Many such natural products bind directly to the essential cell wall precursor Lipid II and its metabolites, i.e., preventing the utlisation of vital substrates by direct binding rather than inhibiting the metabolising enzymes themselves. Concurrently, there has been an increase in the knowledge surrounding the proteins essential to the metabolism of Lipid II at and across the cytoplasmic membrane. In this review, we draw these elements together and look to future antimicrobial opportunities in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin C K Teo
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - David I Roper
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
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Taylor VL, Huszczynski SM, Lam JS. Membrane Translocation and Assembly of Sugar Polymer Precursors. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2015; 404:95-128. [PMID: 26853690 DOI: 10.1007/82_2015_5014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial polysaccharides play an essential role in cell viability, virulence, and evasion of host defenses. Although the polysaccharides themselves are highly diverse, the pathways by which bacteria synthesize these essential polymers are conserved in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms. By utilizing a lipid linker, a series of glycosyltransferases and integral membrane proteins act in concert to synthesize capsular polysaccharide, teichoic acid, and teichuronic acid. The pathways used to produce these molecules are the Wzx/Wzy-dependent, the ABC-transporter-dependent, and the synthase-dependent pathways. This chapter will cover the initiation, synthesis of the various polysaccharides on the cytoplasmic face of the membrane using nucleotide sugar precursors, and export of the nascent chain from the cytoplasm to the extracellular milieu. As microbial glycobiology is an emerging field in Gram-positive bacteria research, parallels will be drawn to the more widely studied polysaccharide biosynthesis systems in Gram-negative species in order to provide greater understanding of these biologically significant molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique L Taylor
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Steven M Huszczynski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Joseph S Lam
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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