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Tao K, Narita SI, Okada U, Murakami S, Tokuda H. Dissection of an ABC transporter LolCDE function analyzed by photo-crosslinking. J Biochem 2024; 175:427-437. [PMID: 38156779 PMCID: PMC11005994 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad118] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The envelope of Escherichia coli contains approximately 100 different species of lipoproteins, most of which are localized to the inner leaflet of the outer membrane. The localization of lipoprotein (Lol) system, consisting of five Lol proteins, is responsible for the trafficking of lipoproteins to the outer membrane. LolCDE binds to lipoproteins destined for the outer membrane and transfers them to the periplasmic chaperone LolA. Although the cryo-EM structures of E. coli LolCDE have been reported, the mechanisms by which outer membrane lipoproteins are transferred to LolA remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the interaction between LolCDE and lipoproteins using site-specific photo-crosslinking. We introduced a photo-crosslinkable amino acid into different locations across the four helices which form the central lipoprotein-binding cavity, and identified domains that crosslink with peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (Pal) in vivo. Using one of the derivatives containing the photo-crosslinkable amino acid, we developed an in vitro system to analyze the binding of lipoproteins to LolCDE. Our results indicate that compound 2, a LolCDE inhibitor, does not inhibit the binding of lipoproteins to LolCDE, but rather promotes the dissociation of bound lipoproteins from LolCDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyuki Tao
- Isotope Science Center, University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunky-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Shin-ichiro Narita
- Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa University of Nutrition Sciences, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-0025, Japan
| | - Ui Okada
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Satoshi Murakami
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Hajime Tokuda
- Faculty of Nutritional Sciences, University of Morioka, Takizawa, Iwate 020-0694, Japan
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2
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Lehman KM, May KL, Marotta J, Grabowicz M. Genetic analysis reveals a robust and hierarchical recruitment of the LolA chaperone to the LolCDE lipoprotein transporter. mBio 2024; 15:e0303923. [PMID: 38193657 PMCID: PMC10865981 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03039-23] [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: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) is an essential organelle of Gram-negative bacteria. Lipoproteins are key to building the OM, performing essential functions in several OM assembly machines. Lipoproteins mature in the inner membrane (IM) and are then trafficked to the OM. In Escherichia coli, the LolCDE transporter is needed to extract lipoproteins from the IM to begin trafficking. Lipoproteins are then transferred from LolCDE to the periplasmic chaperone LolA which ferries them to the OM for insertion by LolB. LolA recruitment by LolC is an essential trafficking step. Structural and biochemical studies suggested that two regions (termed Hook and Pad) within a periplasmic loop of LolC worked in tandem to recruit LolA, leading to a bipartite model for recruitment. Here, we genetically examine the LolC periplasmic loop in vivo using E. coli. Our findings challenge the bipartite interaction model. We show that while the Hook is essential for lipoprotein trafficking in vivo, lipoproteins are still efficiently trafficked when the Pad residues are inactivated. We show with AlphaFold2 multimer modeling that Hook:LolA interactions are likely universal among diverse Gram-negative bacteria. Conversely, Pad:LolA interactions vary across phyla. Our in vivo data redefine LolC:LolA recruitment into a hierarchical interaction model. We propose that the Hook is the major player in LolA recruitment, while the Pad plays an ancillary role that is important for efficiency but is ultimately dispensable. Our findings expand the understanding of a fundamental step in essential lipoprotein trafficking and have implications for efforts to develop new antibacterials that target LolCDE.IMPORTANCEResistance to current antibiotics is increasingly common. New antibiotics that target essential processes are needed to expand clinical options. For Gram-negative bacteria, their cell surface-the outer membrane (OM)-is an essential organelle and antibiotic barrier that is an attractive target for new antibacterials. Lipoproteins are key to building the OM. The LolCDE transporter is needed to supply the OM with lipoproteins and has been a focus of recent antibiotic discovery. In vitro evidence recently proposed a two-part interaction of LolC with LolA lipoprotein chaperone (which traffics lipoproteins to the OM) via "Hook" and "Pad" regions. We show that this model does not reflect lipoprotein trafficking in vivo. Only the Hook is essential for lipoprotein trafficking and is remarkably robust to mutational changes. The Pad is non-essential for lipoprotein trafficking but plays an ancillary role, contributing to trafficking efficiency. These insights inform ongoing efforts to drug LolCDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Lehman
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kerrie L. May
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Julianna Marotta
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marcin Grabowicz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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3
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Lehman KM, May KL, Marotta J, Grabowicz M. Genetic analysis reveals a robust and hierarchical recruitment of the LolA chaperone to the LolCDE lipoprotein transporter. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.08.566237. [PMID: 37986794 PMCID: PMC10659402 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) is an essential organelle of Gram-negative bacteria. Lipoproteins are key to building the OM, performing essential functions in several OM assembly machines. Lipoproteins mature in the inner membrane (IM) and are then trafficked to the OM. In Escherichia coli, the LolCDE transporter is needed to extract lipoproteins from the IM to begin trafficking. Lipoproteins are then transferred from LolCDE to the periplasmic chaperone LolA which ferries them to the OM for insertion by LolB. LolA recruitment by LolC is an essential trafficking step. Structural and biochemical studies suggested that two regions (termed Hook and Pad) within a periplasmic loop of LolC worked in tandem to recruit LolA, leading to a bipartite model for recruitment. Here, we genetically examine the LolC periplasmic loop in vivo using E. coli. Our findings challenge the bipartite interaction model. We show that while the Hook is essential for lipoprotein trafficking in vivo, lipoproteins are still efficiently trafficked when the Pad residues are inactivated. We show with AlphaFold2 multimer modeling that Hook:LolA interactions are likely universal among diverse Gram-negative bacteria. Conversely, Pad:LolA interactions vary across phyla. Our in vivo data redefine LolC:LolA recruitment into a hierarchical interaction model. We propose that the Hook is the major player in LolA recruitment, while the Pad plays an ancillary role that is important for efficiency but is ultimately dispensable. Our findings expand the understanding of a fundamental step in essential lipoprotein trafficking and have implications for efforts to develop new antibacterials that target LolCDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Lehman
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Kelly M. Lehman and Kerrie L. May contributed equally to this work. Author order was determined alphabetically
| | - Kerrie L. May
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Kelly M. Lehman and Kerrie L. May contributed equally to this work. Author order was determined alphabetically
| | - Julianna Marotta
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marcin Grabowicz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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4
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McClain MS, Bryant KN, McDonald WH, Algood HMS, Cover TL. Identification of an Essential LolD-Like Protein in Helicobacter pylori. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0005223. [PMID: 36971548 PMCID: PMC10127691 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00052-23] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The localization of lipoprotein (Lol) system is used by Gram-negative bacteria to export lipoproteins to the outer membrane. Lol proteins and models of how Lol transfers lipoproteins from the inner to the outer membrane have been extensively characterized in the model organism Escherichia coli, but in numerous bacterial species, lipoprotein synthesis and export pathways deviate from the E. coli paradigm. For example, in the human gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori, a homolog of the E. coli outer membrane component LolB is not found, E. coli LolC and LolE correspond to a single inner membrane component (LolF), and a homolog of the E. coli cytoplasmic ATPase LolD has not been identified. In the present study, we sought to identify a LolD-like protein in H. pylori. We used affinity-purification mass spectrometry to identify interaction partners of the H. pylori ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family permease LolF and identified the ABC family ATP-binding protein HP0179 as its interaction partner. We engineered H. pylori to conditionally express HP0179 and showed that HP0179 and its conserved ATP binding and ATP hydrolysis motifs are essential for H. pylori growth. We then performed affinity purification-mass spectrometry using HP0179 as the bait and identified LolF as its interaction partner. These results indicate that H. pylori HP0179 is a LolD-like protein and provide a more complete understanding of lipoprotein localization processes in H. pylori, a bacterium in which the Lol system deviates from the E. coli paradigm. IMPORTANCE Lipoproteins are critical in Gram-negative-bacteria for cell surface assembly of LPS, insertion of outer membrane proteins, and sensing envelope stress. Lipoproteins also contribute to bacterial pathogenesis. For many of these functions, lipoproteins must localize to the Gram-negative outer membrane. Transporting lipoproteins to the outer membrane involves the Lol sorting pathway. Detailed analyses of the Lol pathway have been performed in the model organism Escherichia coli, but many bacteria utilize altered components or are missing essential components of the E. coli Lol pathway. Identifying a LolD-like protein in Helicobacter pylori is important to better understand the Lol pathway in diverse bacterial classes. This becomes particularly relevant as lipoprotein localization is targeted for antimicrobial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S. McClain
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kaeli N. Bryant
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - W. Hayes McDonald
- Proteomics Laboratory, Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Holly M. Scott Algood
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Timothy L. Cover
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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5
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Vercruysse M, Dylus D. Special issue of BBA reviews — Molecular Cell Research: The Gram-negative envelope and potential targets for novel antibiotics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA (BBA) - MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119472. [PMID: 37011731 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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Structural basis of lipoprotein recognition by the bacterial Lol trafficking chaperone LolA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208662119. [PMID: 36037338 PMCID: PMC9457489 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208662119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoproteins in gram-negative bacteria underpin the formation and maintenance of the outer membrane that constitutes a vital protective barrier against antibiotics and other noxious molecules. An essential transport system comprising the LolABCDE proteins is required to traffic lipoproteins to the outer membrane. Following maturation on the inner membrane and extraction by the LolCDE transporter, lipoproteins are passed to the chaperone LolA that carries them across the periplasm prior to insertion into the outer membrane by the LolB receptor. Here, we report the molecular details of lipoprotein interaction with the chaperone LolA, a key intermediate located at the heart of the Lol pathway. The structure provides valuable insights into this important system and could be exploited to develop new antimicrobials. In gram-negative bacteria, lipoproteins are vital structural components of the outer membrane (OM) and crucial elements of machineries central to the physiology of the cell envelope. A dedicated apparatus, the Lol system, is required for the correct localization of OM lipoproteins and is essential for viability. The periplasmic chaperone LolA is central to this trafficking pathway, accepting triacylated lipoproteins from the inner membrane transporter LolCDE, before carrying them across the periplasm to the OM receptor LolB. Here, we report a crystal structure of liganded LolA, generated in vivo, revealing the molecular details of lipoprotein association. The structure highlights how LolA, initially primed to receive lipoprotein by interaction with LolC, further opens to accommodate the three ligand acyl chains in a precise conformation within its cavity. LolA forms extensive interactions with the acyl chains but not with any residue of the cargo, explaining the chaperone’s ability to transport structurally diverse lipoproteins. Structural characterization of a ligandedLolA variant incapable of lipoprotein release reveals aberrant association, demonstrating the importance of the LolCDE-coordinated, sequential opening of LolA for inserting lipoprotein in a manner productive for subsequent trafficking. Comparison with existing structures of LolA in complex with LolC or LolCDE reveals substantial overlap of the lipoprotein and LolC binding sites within the LolA cavity, demonstrating that insertion of lipoprotein acyl chains physically disengages the chaperone protein from the transporter by perturbing interaction with LolC. Taken together, our data provide a key step toward a complete understanding of a fundamentally important trafficking pathway.
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7
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Grossman AS, Escobar CA, Mans EJ, Mucci NC, Mauer TJ, Jones KA, Moore CC, Abraham PE, Hettich RL, Schneider L, Campagna SR, Forest KT, Goodrich-Blair H. A Surface Exposed, Two-Domain Lipoprotein Cargo of a Type XI Secretion System Promotes Colonization of Host Intestinal Epithelia Expressing Glycans. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:800366. [PMID: 35572647 PMCID: PMC9100927 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.800366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The only known required component of the newly described Type XI secretion system (TXISS) is an outer membrane protein (OMP) of the DUF560 family. TXISSOMPs are broadly distributed across proteobacteria, but properties of the cargo proteins they secrete are largely unexplored. We report biophysical, histochemical, and phenotypic evidence that Xenorhabdus nematophila NilC is surface exposed. Biophysical data and structure predictions indicate that NilC is a two-domain protein with a C-terminal, 8-stranded β-barrel. This structure has been noted as a common feature of TXISS effectors and may be important for interactions with the TXISSOMP. The NilC N-terminal domain is more enigmatic, but our results indicate it is ordered and forms a β-sheet structure, and bioinformatics suggest structural similarities to carbohydrate-binding proteins. X. nematophila NilC and its presumptive TXISSOMP partner NilB are required for colonizing the anterior intestine of Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes: the receptacle of free-living, infective juveniles and the anterior intestinal cecum (AIC) in juveniles and adults. We show that, in adult nematodes, the AIC expresses a Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA)-reactive material, indicating the presence of N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylneuraminic acid sugars on the AIC surface. A role for this material in colonization is supported by the fact that exogenous addition of WGA can inhibit AIC colonization by X. nematophila. Conversely, the addition of exogenous purified NilC increases the frequency with which X. nematophila is observed at the AIC, demonstrating that abundant extracellular NilC can enhance colonization. NilC may facilitate X. nematophila adherence to the nematode intestinal surface by binding to host glycans, it might support X. nematophila nutrition by cleaving sugars from the host surface, or it might help protect X. nematophila from nematode host immunity. Proteomic and metabolomic analyses of wild type X. nematophila compared to those lacking nilB and nilC revealed differences in cell wall and secreted polysaccharide metabolic pathways. Additionally, purified NilC is capable of binding peptidoglycan, suggesting that periplasmic NilC may interact with the bacterial cell wall. Overall, these findings support a model that NilB-regulated surface exposure of NilC mediates interactions between X. nematophila and host surface glycans during colonization. This is a previously unknown function for a TXISS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S. Grossman
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Cristian A. Escobar
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Erin J. Mans
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Nicholas C. Mucci
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Terra J. Mauer
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Katarina A. Jones
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Cameron C. Moore
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Paul E. Abraham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Liesel Schneider
- Department of Animal Sciences, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Shawn R. Campagna
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Biological and Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Core, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
- The University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Katrina T. Forest
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Katrina T. Forest,
| | - Heidi Goodrich-Blair
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- *Correspondence: Heidi Goodrich-Blair,
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Smithers L, Olatunji S, Caffrey M. Bacterial Lipoprotein Posttranslational Modifications. New Insights and Opportunities for Antibiotic and Vaccine Development. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:788445. [PMID: 34950121 PMCID: PMC8689077 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.788445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoproteins are some of the most abundant proteins in bacteria. With a lipid anchor to the cell membrane, they function as enzymes, inhibitors, transporters, structural proteins, and as virulence factors. Lipoproteins activate the innate immune system and have biotechnological applications. The first lipoprotein was described by Braun and Rehn in 1969. Up until recently, however, work on lipoproteins has been sluggish, in part due to the challenges of handling proteins that are anchored to membranes by covalently linked lipids or are membrane integral. Activity in the area has quickened of late. In the past 5 years, high-resolution structures of the membrane enzymes of the canonical lipoprotein synthesis pathway have been determined, new lipoprotein types have been discovered and the enzymes responsible for their synthesis have been characterized biochemically. This has led to a flurry of activity aimed at developing novel antibiotics targeting these enzymes. In addition, surface exposed bacterial lipoproteins have been utilized as candidate vaccine antigens, and their potential to act as self-adjuvanting antigens is increasingly recognized. A summary of the latest developments in lipoproteins and their synthesis, as well as how this information is being exploited for therapeutic purposes is presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Smithers
- School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Samir Olatunji
- School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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9
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Sharma S, Zhou R, Wan L, Feng S, Song K, Xu C, Li Y, Liao M. Mechanism of LolCDE as a molecular extruder of bacterial triacylated lipoproteins. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4687. [PMID: 34344901 PMCID: PMC8333309 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipoproteins are important for bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance. These proteins use lipid acyl chains attached to the N-terminal cysteine residue to anchor on the outer surface of cytoplasmic membrane. In Gram-negative bacteria, many lipoproteins are transported to the outer membrane (OM), a process dependent on the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter LolCDE which extracts the OM-targeted lipoproteins from the cytoplasmic membrane. Lipid-anchored proteins pose a unique challenge for transport machinery as they have both hydrophobic lipid moieties and soluble protein component, and the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here we determined the cryo-EM structures of nanodisc-embedded LolCDE in the nucleotide-free and nucleotide-bound states at 3.8-Å and 3.5-Å resolution, respectively. The structural analyses, together with biochemical and mutagenesis studies, uncover how LolCDE recognizes its substrate by interacting with the lipid and N-terminal peptide moieties of the lipoprotein, and identify the amide-linked acyl chain as the key element for LolCDE interaction. Upon nucleotide binding, the transmembrane helices and the periplasmic domains of LolCDE undergo large-scale, asymmetric movements, resulting in extrusion of the captured lipoprotein. Comparison of LolCDE and MacB reveals the conserved mechanism of type VII ABC transporters and emphasizes the unique properties of LolCDE as a molecule extruder of triacylated lipoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuti Sharma
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Ruoyu Zhou
- grid.494629.40000 0004 8008 9315Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Wan
- grid.494629.40000 0004 8008 9315Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shan Feng
- grid.494629.40000 0004 8008 9315Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - KangKang Song
- grid.168645.80000 0001 0742 0364Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA USA ,grid.168645.80000 0001 0742 0364Cryo-EM Core Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Chen Xu
- grid.168645.80000 0001 0742 0364Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA USA ,grid.168645.80000 0001 0742 0364Cryo-EM Core Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Yanyan Li
- grid.494629.40000 0004 8008 9315Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Maofu Liao
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
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10
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Inhibition of Escherichia coli Lipoprotein Diacylglyceryl Transferase Is Insensitive to Resistance Caused by Deletion of Braun's Lipoprotein. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0014921. [PMID: 33875545 PMCID: PMC8316002 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00149-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase (Lgt) catalyzes the first step in the biogenesis of Gram-negative bacterial lipoproteins which play crucial roles in bacterial growth and pathogenesis. We demonstrate that Lgt depletion in a clinical uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain leads to permeabilization of the outer membrane and increased sensitivity to serum killing and antibiotics. Importantly, we identify G2824 as the first-described Lgt inhibitor that potently inhibits Lgt biochemical activity in vitro and is bactericidal against wild-type Acinetobacter baumannii and E. coli strains. While deletion of a gene encoding a major outer membrane lipoprotein, lpp, leads to rescue of bacterial growth after genetic depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of the downstream type II signal peptidase, LspA, no such rescue of growth is detected after Lgt depletion or treatment with G2824. Inhibition of Lgt does not lead to significant accumulation of peptidoglycan-linked Lpp in the inner membrane. Our data validate Lgt as a novel antibacterial target and suggest that, unlike downstream steps in lipoprotein biosynthesis and transport, inhibition of Lgt may not be sensitive to one of the most common resistance mechanisms that invalidate inhibitors of bacterial lipoprotein biosynthesis and transport. IMPORTANCE As the emerging threat of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria continues to increase, no new classes of antibiotics have been discovered in the last 50 years. While previous attempts to inhibit the lipoprotein biosynthetic (LspA) or transport (LolCDE) pathways have been made, most efforts have been hindered by the emergence of a common mechanism leading to resistance, namely, the deletion of the gene encoding a major Gram-negative outer membrane lipoprotein lpp. Our unexpected finding that inhibition of Lgt is not susceptible to lpp deletion-mediated resistance uncovers the complexity of bacterial lipoprotein biogenesis and the corresponding enzymes involved in this essential outer membrane biogenesis pathway and potentially points to new antibacterial targets in this pathway.
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11
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Nguyen MT, Matsuo M, Niemann S, Herrmann M, Götz F. Lipoproteins in Gram-Positive Bacteria: Abundance, Function, Fitness. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:582582. [PMID: 33042100 PMCID: PMC7530257 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.582582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
When one thinks of the Gram+ cell wall, the peptidoglycan (PG) scaffold in particular comes to mind. However, the cell wall also consists of many other components, for example those that are covalently linked to the PG: the wall teichoic acid and the cell wall proteins tethered by the sortase. In addition, there are completely different molecules that are anchored in the cytoplasmic membrane and span the cell wall. These are lipoteichoic acids and bacterial lipoproteins (Lpp). The latter are in the focus of this review. Lpp are present in almost all bacteria. They fulfill a wealth of different tasks. They represent the window to the outside world by recognizing nutrients and incorporating them into the bacterial cell via special transport systems. Furthermore, they perform very diverse and special tasks such as acting as chaperonin, as cyclomodulin, contributing to invasion of host cells or uptake of plasmids via conjugation. All these functions are taken over by the protein part. Nevertheless, the lipid part of the Lpp plays an as important role as the protein part. It is the released lipoproteins and derived lipopeptides that massively modulate our immune system and ultimately play an important role in immune tolerance or non-tolerance. All these varied activities of the Lpp are considered in this review article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh-Thu Nguyen
- Section of Medical and Geographical Infectiology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Miki Matsuo
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Microbial Genetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Silke Niemann
- Section of Medical and Geographical Infectiology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Mathias Herrmann
- Section of Medical and Geographical Infectiology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Friedrich Götz
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Microbial Genetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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12
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Belmont-Monroy L, Saitz-Rojas W, Soria-Bustos J, Mickey AS, Sherman NE, Orsburn BC, Ruiz-Perez F, Santiago AE. Characterization of a novel AraC/XylS-regulated family of N-acyltransferases in pathogens of the order Enterobacterales. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008776. [PMID: 32845938 PMCID: PMC7478709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a diarrheagenic pathotype associated with traveler’s diarrhea, foodborne outbreaks and sporadic diarrhea in industrialized and developing countries. Regulation of virulence in EAEC is mediated by AggR and its negative regulator Aar. Together, they control the expression of at least 210 genes. On the other hand, we observed that about one third of Aar-regulated genes are related to metabolism and transport. In this study we show the AggR/Aar duo controls the metabolism of lipids. Accordingly, we show that AatD, encoded in the AggR-regulated aat operon (aatPABCD) is an N-acyltransferase structurally similar to the essential Apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase Lnt and is required for the acylation of Aap (anti-aggregation protein). Deletion of aatD impairs post-translational modification of Aap and causes its accumulation in the bacterial periplasm. trans-complementation of 042aatD mutant with the AatD homolog of ETEC or with the N-acyltransferase Lnt reestablished translocation of Aap. Site-directed mutagenesis of the E207 residue in the putative acyltransferase catalytic triad disrupted the activity of AatD and caused accumulation of Aap in the periplasm due to reduced translocation of Aap at the bacterial surface. Furthermore, Mass spectroscopy revealed that Aap is acylated in a putative lipobox at the N-terminal of the mature protein, implying that Aap is a lipoprotein. Lastly, deletion of aatD impairs bacterial colonization of the streptomycin-treated mouse model. Our findings unveiled a novel N-acyltransferase family associated with bacterial virulence, and that is tightly regulated by AraC/XylS regulators in the order Enterobacterales. Although the regulatory scheme of AggR is well understood, the biological relevance of half of AggR-regulated proteins remains unknown. In this study we provide experimental evidence that the AggR-regulated AatD is a novel N-acyltransferase restricted to pathogens of the order Enterobacterales, including EAEC, ETEC, Yersinia sp., and C. rodentium. AatD is structurally similar to Lnt. However, unlike Lnt which is essential for cellular functions, AatD is a dedicated N-acyltransferase required for post-translational modification of virulence factors. Aap was identified as a lipoprotein acylated by AatD. Lipid modification in Aap provides an important post-translational mechanism to regulate the trafficking, stability and subcellular localization of Aap. In the absence of AatD, Aap is retained in the periplasmic space and cannot be translocated to the bacterial surface, presumably, restricting the biological function of the protein. Our data suggest that AggR and Aar virulence regulators, not only regulate the expression of Aap virulence factor at the transcriptional level, but also regulate translocation of Aap to the bacterial surface, which is required for full virulence of EAEC, unveiling an important mechanism of virulence regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Belmont-Monroy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Public Health, UNAM School of Medicine and Federico Gomez Children’s Hospital, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Waleska Saitz-Rojas
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jorge Soria-Bustos
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Abigail S. Mickey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Nicholas E. Sherman
- W. M. Keck Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Lab. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Benjamin C. Orsburn
- W. M. Keck Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Lab. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Fernando Ruiz-Perez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Araceli E. Santiago
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: .
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13
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Armbruster KM, Komazin G, Meredith TC. Bacterial lyso-form lipoproteins are synthesized via an intramolecular acyl chain migration. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10195-10211. [PMID: 32471867 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
All bacterial lipoproteins share a variably acylated N-terminal cysteine residue. Gram-negative bacterial lipoproteins are triacylated with a thioether-linked diacylglycerol moiety and an N-acyl chain. The latter is transferred from a membrane phospholipid donor to the α-amino terminus by the enzyme lipoprotein N-acyltransferase (Lnt), using an active-site cysteine thioester covalent intermediate. Many Gram-positive Firmicutes also have N-acylated lipoproteins, but the enzymes catalyzing N-acylation remain uncharacterized. The integral membrane protein Lit (lipoprotein intramolecular transacylase) from the opportunistic nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis synthesizes a specific lysoform lipoprotein (N-acyl S-monoacylglycerol) chemotype by an unknown mechanism that helps this bacterium evade immune recognition by the Toll-like receptor 2 family complex. Here, we used a deuterium-labeled lipoprotein substrate with reconstituted Lit to investigate intramolecular acyl chain transfer. We observed that Lit transfers the sn-2 ester-linked lipid from the diacylglycerol moiety to the α-amino terminus without forming a covalent thioester intermediate. Utilizing Mut-Seq to analyze an alanine scan library of Lit alleles, we identified two stretches of functionally important amino acid residues containing two conserved histidines. Topology maps based on reporter fusion assays and cysteine accessibility placed both histidines in the extracellular half of the cytoplasmic membrane. We propose a general acid base-promoted catalytic mechanism, invoking direct nucleophilic attack by the substrate α-amino group on the sn-2 ester to form a cyclic tetrahedral intermediate that then collapses to produce lyso-lipoprotein. Lit is a unique example of an intramolecular transacylase differentiated from that catalyzed by Lnt, and provides insight into the heterogeneity of bacterial lipoprotein biosynthetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista M Armbruster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gloria Komazin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Timothy C Meredith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA .,The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park Pennsylvania, USA
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14
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McClain MS, Voss BJ, Cover TL. Lipoprotein Processing and Sorting in Helicobacter pylori. mBio 2020; 11:e00911-20. [PMID: 32430470 PMCID: PMC7240156 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00911-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Our current understanding of lipoprotein synthesis and localization in Gram-negative bacteria is based primarily on studies of Escherichia coli Newly synthesized E. coli prolipoproteins undergo posttranslational modifications catalyzed by three essential enzymes (Lgt, LspA, and Lnt). The mature lipoproteins are then sorted to the inner or outer membrane via the Lol system (LolABCDE). Recent studies suggested that this paradigm may not be universally applicable among different classes of proteobacteria. In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of lipoprotein processing and sorting in Helicobacter pylori, a member of the Epsilonproteobacteria that colonizes the human stomach. We show that H. pylorilgt, lspA, and lnt homologs can complement conditionally lethal E. coli mutant strains in which expression of these genes is conditionally regulated. Mutagenesis studies and analyses of conditionally lethal H. pylori mutant strains indicate that lgt and lspA are essential for H. pylori growth but lnt is dispensable. H. pylorilolA and the single lolC (or lolE) homolog are also essential genes. We then explored the role of lipoproteins in H. pylori Cag type IV secretion system (Cag T4SS) activity. Comparative analysis of the putative VirB7 homolog CagT in wild-type and lnt mutant H. pylori strains indicates that CagT undergoes amino-terminal modifications consistent with lipidation, and we show that CagT lipidation is essential for CagT stability and Cag T4SS function. This work demonstrates that lipoprotein synthesis and localization in H. pylori diverge from the canonical pathways and that lipidation of a T4SS component is necessary for H. pylori Cag T4SS activity.IMPORTANCE Bacterial lipoproteins have diverse roles in multiple aspects of bacterial physiology, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogenesis. Dedicated pathways direct the posttranslational lipidation and localization of lipoproteins, but there is considerable variation in these pathways among the proteobacteria. In this study, we characterized the proteins responsible for lipoprotein synthesis and localization in Helicobacter pylori, a member of the Epsilonproteobacteria that contributes to stomach cancer pathogenesis. We also provide evidence suggesting that lipidation of CagT, a component of the H. pylori Cag T4SS, is required for delivery of the H. pylori CagA oncoprotein into human gastric cells. Overall, these results constitute the first systematic analysis of H. pylori lipoprotein production and localization pathways and reveal how these processes in H. pylori differ from corresponding pathways in model proteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S McClain
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Bradley J Voss
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Timothy L Cover
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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15
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Abstract
Lipoproteins are produced by both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Once secreted, lipoproteins are quickly acylated, anchoring them into the plasma membrane. Recent work has shown that Gram-positive bacteria are able to generate considerable diversity in the acylation of their lipoproteins, though the mechanisms involved are only just beginning to emerge. In Gram-negative organisms, most lipoproteins are subsequently trafficked to the outer membrane (OM). Lipoprotein trafficking is an essential pathway in these bacteria. At least one OM lipoprotein component is required by each of the essential machines that assemble the OM (such as the Bam and Lpt machines) and build the peptidoglycan cell wall (Lpo-penicillin-binding protein complexes). The Lol pathway has been the paradigm for OM lipoprotein trafficking: a complex of LolCDE extracts lipoproteins from the plasma membrane, LolA shuttles them through the periplasmic space, and LolB anchors them into the OM. The peptide signals responsible for OM-targeting via LolCDE have long been known for Escherichia coli. Remarkably, production of novel lipoprotein acyl forms in E. coli has reinforced the idea that lipid signals also contribute to OM targeting via LolCDE. Moreover, recent work has shown that lipoprotein trafficking can occur in E. coli without either LolA or LolB. Therefore, current evidence suggests that at least one additional, LolAB-independent route for OM lipoprotein trafficking exists. This chapter reviews the posttranslocation modifications of all lipoproteins, with a focus on the trafficking of lipoproteins to the OM of Gram-negative bacteria.
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16
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Copper-Induced Expression of a Transmissible Lipoprotein Intramolecular Transacylase Alters Lipoprotein Acylation and the Toll-Like Receptor 2 Response to Listeria monocytogenes. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00195-19. [PMID: 30988036 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00195-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are globular proteins anchored to the extracytoplasmic surfaces of cell membranes through lipidation at a conserved N-terminal cysteine. Lipoproteins contribute to an array of important cellular functions for bacteria, as well as being a focal point for innate immune system recognition through binding to Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) heterodimer complexes. Although lipoproteins are conserved among nearly all classes of bacteria, the presence and type of α-amino-linked acyl chain are highly variable and even strain specific within a given bacterial species. The reason for lyso-lipoprotein formation and N-acylation variability in general is presently not fully understood. In Enterococcus faecalis, lipoproteins are anchored by an N-acyl-S-monoacyl-glyceryl cysteine (lyso form) moiety installed by a chromosomally encoded lipoprotein intramolecular transacylase (Lit). Here, we describe a mobile genetic element common to environmental isolates of Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus spp. encoding a functional Lit ortholog (Lit2) that is cotranscribed with several well-established copper resistance determinants. Expression of Lit2 is tightly regulated, and induction by copper converts lipoproteins from the diacylglycerol-modified form characteristic of L. monocytogenes type strains to the α-amino-modified lyso form observed in E. faecalis Conversion to the lyso form through either copper addition to media or constitutive expression of lit2 decreases TLR2 recognition when using an activated NF-κB secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase reporter assay. While lyso formation significantly diminishes TLR2 recognition, lyso-modified lipoprotein is still predominantly recognized by the TLR2/TLR6 heterodimer.IMPORTANCE The induction of lipoprotein N-terminal remodeling in response to environmental copper in Gram-positive bacteria suggests a more general role in bacterial cell envelope physiology. N-terminal modification by lyso formation, in particular, simultaneously modulates the TLR2 response in direct comparison to their diacylglycerol-modified precursors. Thus, use of copper as a frontline antimicrobial control agent and ensuing selection raises the potential of diminished innate immune sensing and enhanced bacterial virulence.
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17
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Abstract
The outer membrane built by Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli forms a barrier that prevents antibiotics from entering the cell, limiting clinical options at a time of prevalent antibiotic resistance. Stress responses ensure that barrier integrity is continuously maintained. We have identified the Cpx signal transduction system as a stress response that monitors the trafficking of lipid-anchored lipoproteins to the outer membrane. These lipoproteins are needed by every machine that builds the outer membrane. Cpx monitors just one lipoprotein, NlpE, to detect the efficiency of lipoprotein trafficking in the cell. NlpE and Cpx were previously shown to play a role in resistance to copper. We show that copper blocks lipoprotein trafficking, reconciling old and new observations. Copper is an important element in innate immunity against pathogens, and our findings suggest that NlpE and Cpx help E. coli survive the assault of copper on a key outer membrane assembly pathway. Gram-negative bacteria produce lipid-anchored lipoproteins that are trafficked to their outer membrane (OM). These lipoproteins are essential components in each of the molecular machines that build the OM, including the Bam machine that assembles β-barrel proteins and the Lpt pathway that transports lipopolysaccharide. Stress responses are known to monitor Bam and Lpt function, yet no stress system has been found that oversees the fundamental process of lipoprotein trafficking. We used genetic and chemical biology approaches to induce several different lipoprotein trafficking stresses in Escherichia coli. Our results identified the Cpx two-component system as a stress response for monitoring trafficking. Cpx is activated by trafficking defects and is required to protect the cell against the consequence of the resulting stress. The OM-targeted lipoprotein NlpE acts as a sensor that allows Cpx to gauge trafficking efficiency. We reveal that NlpE signals to Cpx while it is transiting the inner membrane (IM) en route to the OM and that only a small highly conserved N-terminal domain is required for signaling. We propose that defective trafficking causes NlpE to accumulate in the IM, activating Cpx to mount a transcriptional response that protects cells. Furthermore, we reconcile this new role of NlpE in signaling trafficking defects with its previously proposed role in sensing copper (Cu) stress by demonstrating that Cu impairs acylation of lipoproteins and, consequently, their trafficking to the OM.
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18
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Gwin CM, Prakash N, Christian Belisario J, Haider L, Rosen ML, Martinez LR, Rigel NW. The apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase Lnt is dispensable for growth in Acinetobacter species. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:1547-1556. [PMID: 30307391 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Directing the flow of protein traffic is a critical task faced by all cellular organisms. In Gram-negative bacteria, this traffic includes lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are synthesized as precursors in the cytoplasm and receive their acyl modifications upon export across the inner membrane. The third and final acyl chain is added by Lnt, which until recently was thought to be essential in all Gram-negatives. In this report, we show that Acinetobacter species can also tolerate a complete loss-of-function mutation in lnt. Absence of a fully functional Lnt impairs modification of lipoproteins, increases outer membrane permeability and susceptibility to antibiotics, and alters normal cellular morphology. In addition, we show that loss of lnt triggers a global transcriptional response to this added cellular stress. Taken together, our findings provide new insights on and support the growing revisions to the Gram-negative lipoprotein biogenesis paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celena M Gwin
- 1Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA.,2Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Natalia Prakash
- 1Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - J Christian Belisario
- 3Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA
| | - Lubaina Haider
- 1Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA.,4College of Medicine, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Marlene L Rosen
- 1Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Luis R Martinez
- 3Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA.,5Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Nathan W Rigel
- 1Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Grabowicz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta GA 30322 USA
- Division of Infectious Disease; Department of Medicine; Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta GA 30322 USA
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20
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Busset N, Di Lorenzo F, Palmigiano A, Sturiale L, Gressent F, Fardoux J, Gully D, Chaintreuil C, Molinaro A, Silipo A, Giraud E. The Very Long Chain Fatty Acid (C 26:25OH) Linked to the Lipid A Is Important for the Fitness of the Photosynthetic Bradyrhizobium Strain ORS278 and the Establishment of a Successful Symbiosis with Aeschynomene Legumes. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1821. [PMID: 28983292 PMCID: PMC5613085 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In rhizobium strains, the lipid A is modified by the addition of a very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) shown to play an important role in rigidification of the outer membrane, thereby facilitating their dual life cycle, outside and inside the plant. In Bradyrhizobium strains, the lipid A is more complex with the presence of at least two VLCFAs, one covalently linked to a hopanoid molecule, but the importance of these modifications is not well-understood. In this study, we identified a cluster of VLCFA genes in the photosynthetic Bradyrhizobium strain ORS278, which nodulates Aeschynomene plants in a Nod factor-independent process. We tried to mutate the different genes of the VLCFA gene cluster to prevent the synthesis of the VLCFAs, but only one mutant in the lpxXL gene encoding an acyltransferase was obtained. Structural analysis of the lipid A showed that LpxXL is involved in the transfer of the C26:25OH VLCFA to the lipid A but not in the one of the C30:29OH VLCFA which harbors the hopanoid molecule. Despite maintaining the second VLCFA, the ability of the mutant to cope with various stresses (low pH, high temperature, high osmolarity, and antimicrobial peptides) and to establish an efficient nitrogen-fixing symbiosis was drastically reduced. In parallel, we investigated whether the BRADO0045 gene, which encodes a putative acyltransferase displaying a weak identity with the apo-lipoprotein N-acyltransferase Lnt, could be involved in the transfer of the C30:29OH VLCFA to the lipid A. Although the mutant exhibited phenotypes similar to the lpxXL mutant, no difference in the lipid A structure was observed from that in the wild-type strain, indicating that this gene is not involved in the modification of lipid A. Our results advance our knowledge of the biosynthesis pathway and the role of VLCFAs-modified lipid A in free-living and symbiotic states of Bradyrhizobium strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Busset
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LSTM, UMR IRD, SupAgro, INRA, Université de Montpellier, CIRADMontpellier, France
| | - Flaviana Di Lorenzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Università di Napoli Federico IINaples, Italy
| | - Angelo Palmigiano
- Istituto per i Polimeri, Compositi e Biomateriali IPCB, Consiglio Nazionale delle RicercheCatania, Italy
| | - Luisa Sturiale
- Istituto per i Polimeri, Compositi e Biomateriali IPCB, Consiglio Nazionale delle RicercheCatania, Italy
| | - Frederic Gressent
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LSTM, UMR IRD, SupAgro, INRA, Université de Montpellier, CIRADMontpellier, France
| | - Joël Fardoux
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LSTM, UMR IRD, SupAgro, INRA, Université de Montpellier, CIRADMontpellier, France
| | - Djamel Gully
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LSTM, UMR IRD, SupAgro, INRA, Université de Montpellier, CIRADMontpellier, France
| | - Clémence Chaintreuil
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LSTM, UMR IRD, SupAgro, INRA, Université de Montpellier, CIRADMontpellier, France
| | - Antonio Molinaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Università di Napoli Federico IINaples, Italy
| | - Alba Silipo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Università di Napoli Federico IINaples, Italy
| | - Eric Giraud
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LSTM, UMR IRD, SupAgro, INRA, Université de Montpellier, CIRADMontpellier, France
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21
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Kumari N, Götz F, Nguyen MT. Aspartate tightens the anchoring of staphylococcal lipoproteins to the cytoplasmic membrane. Microbiologyopen 2017; 6. [PMID: 28901671 PMCID: PMC5727369 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In gram-negative bacteria, the ABC transporter LolCDE complex translocates outer membrane-specific lipoproteins (Lpp) from the inner membrane to the outer membrane. Lpp possessing aspartate (Asp) at position +2 are not translocated because it functions as a LolCDE avoidance signal. In gram-positive bacteria, lacking an outer membrane and the Lol system, Lpp are only anchored at the outer leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane. However, the release of Lpp particularly in pathogenic or commensal species is crucial for immune modulation. Here, we provide evidence that in Staphylococcus aureus Asp at position +2 plays a role in withholding Lpp to the cytoplasmic membrane. Screening of published exoproteomic data of S. aureus revealed that Lpp mainly with Gly or Ser at position +2 were found in exoproteome, but there was no Lpp with Asp+2. The occurrence of Lpp with Asp+2 is infrequent in gram-positive bacteria. In S. aureus USA300 only seven of the 67 Lpp possess Asp+2; among them five Lpp represented Lpl lipoproteins involved in host cell invasion. Our study demonstrated that replacing the Asp+2 present in Lpl8 with a Ser enhances its release into the supernatant. However, there is no different release of Asp+2 and Ser+2 in mprF mutant that lacks the positive charge of lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (Lys-PG). Moreover, substitution of Ser+2 by Asp in SitC (MntC) did not lead to a decreased release indicating that in staphylococci positions +3 and +4 might also be important for a tighter anchoring of Lpp. Here, we show that Asp in position +2 and adjacent amino acids contribute in tightening the anchoring of Lpp by interaction of the negative charged Asp with the positive charged Lys-PG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimerta Kumari
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Microbial Genetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - Friedrich Götz
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Microbial Genetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Minh-Thu Nguyen
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Microbial Genetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,School of Biological and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
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22
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Identification of the Lyso-Form N-Acyl Intramolecular Transferase in Low-GC Firmicutes. J Bacteriol 2017; 199:JB.00099-17. [PMID: 28320885 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00099-17] [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: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are embedded in the cell membrane of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, where they serve numerous functions central to cell envelope physiology. Lipoproteins are tethered to the membrane by an N-acyl-S-(mono/di)-acyl-glyceryl-cysteine anchor that is variously acylated depending on the genus. In several low-GC, Gram-positive firmicutes, a monoacyl-glyceryl-cysteine with an N-terminal fatty acid (known as the lyso form) has been reported, though how it is formed is unknown. Here, through an intergenic complementation rescue assay in Escherichia coli, we report the identification of a common orthologous transmembrane protein in both Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus cereus that is capable of forming lyso-form lipoproteins. When deleted from the native host, lipoproteins remain diacylated with a free N terminus, as maturation to the N-acylated lyso form is abolished. Evidence is presented suggesting that the previously unknown gene product functions through a novel intramolecular transacylation mechanism, transferring a fatty acid from the diacylglycerol moiety to the α-amino group of the lipidated cysteine. As such, the discovered gene has been named lipoprotein intramolecular transacylase (lit), to differentiate it from the gene for the intermolecular N-acyltransferase (lnt) involved in triacyl lipoprotein biosynthesis in Gram-negative organisms.IMPORTANCE This study identifies a new enzyme, conserved among low-GC, Gram-positive bacteria, that is involved in bacterial lipoprotein biosynthesis and synthesizes lyso-form lipoproteins. Its discovery is an essential first step in determining the physiological role of N-terminal lipoprotein acylation in Gram-positive bacteria and how these modifications impact bacterial cell envelope function.
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23
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da Silva RAG, Churchward CP, Karlyshev AV, Eleftheriadou O, Snabaitis AK, Longman MR, Ryan A, Griffin R. The role of apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase, Lnt, in the lipidation of factor H binding protein of Neisseria meningitidis strain MC58 and its potential as a drug target. Br J Pharmacol 2016; 174:2247-2260. [PMID: 27784136 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The level of cell surface expression of the meningococcal vaccine antigen, Factor H binding protein (FHbp) varies between and within strains and this limits the breadth of strains that can be targeted by FHbp-based vaccines. The molecular pathway controlling expression of FHbp at the cell surface, including its lipidation, sorting to the outer membrane and export, and the potential regulation of this pathway have not been investigated until now. This knowledge will aid our evaluation of FHbp vaccines. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH A meningococcal transposon library was screened by whole cell immuno-dot blotting using an anti-FHbp antibody to identify a mutant with reduced binding and the disrupted gene was determined. KEY RESULTS In a mutant with markedly reduced binding, the transposon was located in the lnt gene which encodes apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase, Lnt, responsible for the addition of the third fatty acid to apolipoproteins prior to their sorting to the outer membrane. We provide data indicating that in the Lnt mutant, FHbp is diacylated and its expression within the cell is reduced 10 fold, partly due to inhibition of transcription. Furthermore the Lnt mutant showed 64 fold and 16 fold increase in susceptibility to rifampicin and ciprofloxacin respectively. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS We speculate that the inefficient sorting of diacylated FHbp in the meningococcus results in its accumulation in the periplasm inducing an envelope stress response to down-regulate its expression. We propose Lnt as a potential novel drug target for combination therapy with antibiotics. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Drug Metabolism and Antibiotic Resistance in Micro-organisms. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.14/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A G da Silva
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - C P Churchward
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - A V Karlyshev
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - O Eleftheriadou
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - A K Snabaitis
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - M R Longman
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - A Ryan
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
| | - R Griffin
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK
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24
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Narita SI, Tokuda H. Bacterial lipoproteins; biogenesis, sorting and quality control. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2016; 1862:1414-1423. [PMID: 27871940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are a subset of membrane proteins localized on either leaflet of the lipid bilayer. These proteins are anchored to membranes through their N-terminal lipid moiety attached to a conserved Cys. Since the protein moiety of most lipoproteins is hydrophilic, they are expected to play various roles in a hydrophilic environment outside the cytoplasmic membrane. Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli possess an outer membrane, to which most lipoproteins are sorted. The Lol pathway plays a central role in the sorting of lipoproteins to the outer membrane after lipoprotein precursors are processed to mature forms in the cytoplasmic membrane. Most lipoproteins are anchored to the inner leaflet of the outer membrane with their protein moiety in the periplasm. However, recent studies indicated that some lipoproteins further undergo topology change in the outer membrane, and play critical roles in the biogenesis and quality control of the outer membrane. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Bacterial Lipids edited by Russell E. Bishop.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hajime Tokuda
- University of Morioka, Takizawa, Iwate 020-0694, Japan.
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25
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Szewczyk J, Collet JF. The Journey of Lipoproteins Through the Cell: One Birthplace, Multiple Destinations. Adv Microb Physiol 2016; 69:1-50. [PMID: 27720009 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are a very diverse group of proteins characterized by the presence of an N-terminal lipid moiety that serves as a membrane anchor. Lipoproteins have a wide variety of crucial functions, ranging from envelope biogenesis to stress response. In Gram-negative bacteria, lipoproteins can be targeted to various destinations in the cell, including the periplasmic side of the cytoplasmic or outer membrane, the cell surface or the external milieu. The sorting mechanisms have been studied in detail in Escherichia coli, but exceptions to the rules established in this model bacterium exist in other bacteria. In this chapter, we will present the current knowledge on lipoprotein sorting in the cell. Our particular focus will be on the surface-exposed lipoproteins that appear to be much more common than previously assumed. We will discuss the different targeting strategies, provide numerous examples of surface-exposed lipoproteins and discuss the techniques used to assess their surface exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Szewczyk
- WELBIO, Brussels, Belgium; de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J-F Collet
- WELBIO, Brussels, Belgium; de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
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26
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Buddelmeijer N. The molecular mechanism of bacterial lipoprotein modification—How, when and why? FEMS Microbiol Rev 2015; 39:246-61. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuu006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Secretion of bacterial lipoproteins: through the cytoplasmic membrane, the periplasm and beyond. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2014; 1843:1509-16. [PMID: 24780125 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are peripherally anchored membrane proteins that play a variety of roles in bacterial physiology and virulence in monoderm (single membrane-enveloped, e.g., gram-positive) and diderm (double membrane-enveloped, e.g., gram-negative) bacteria. After export of prolipoproteins through the cytoplasmic membrane, which occurs predominantly but not exclusively via the general secretory or Sec pathway, the proteins are lipid-modified at the cytoplasmic membrane in a multistep process that involves sequential modification of a cysteine residue and cleavage of the signal peptide by the signal II peptidase Lsp. In both monoderms and diderms, signal peptide processing is preceded by acylation with a diacylglycerol through preprolipoprotein diacylglycerol transferase (Lgt). In diderms but also some monoderms, lipoproteins are further modified with a third acyl chain through lipoprotein N-acyl transferase (Lnt). Fully modified lipoproteins that are destined to be anchored in the inner leaflet of the outer membrane (OM) are selected, transported and inserted by the Lol (lipoprotein outer membrane localization) pathway machinery, which consists of the inner-membrane (IM) ABC transporter-like LolCDE complex, the periplasmic LolA chaperone and the OM LolB lipoprotein receptor. Retention of lipoproteins in the cytoplasmic membrane results from Lol avoidance signals that were originally described as the "+2 rule". Surface localization of lipoproteins in diderms is rare in most bacteria, with the exception of several spirochetal species. Type 2 (T2SS) and type 5 (T5SS) secretion systems are involved in secretion of specific surface lipoproteins of γ-proteobacteria. In the model spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, surface lipoprotein secretion does not follow established sorting rules, but remains dependent on N-terminal peptide sequences. Secretion through the outer membrane requires maintenance of lipoproteins in a translocation-competent unfolded conformation, likely through interaction with a periplasmic holding chaperone, which delivers the proteins to an outer membrane lipoprotein flippase. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein trafficking and secretion in bacteria. Guest Editors: Anastassios Economou and Ross Dalbey.
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28
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Hayashi Y, Tsurumizu R, Tsukahara J, Takeda K, Narita SI, Mori M, Miki K, Tokuda H. Roles of the protruding loop of factor B essential for the localization of lipoproteins (LolB) in the anchoring of bacterial triacylated proteins to the outer membrane. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:10530-10539. [PMID: 24569999 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.539270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lol system comprising five Lol proteins, LolA through LolE, sorts Escherichia coli lipoproteins to outer membranes. The LolCDE complex, an ATP binding cassette transporter in inner membranes, releases outer membrane-specific lipoproteins in an ATP-dependent manner, causing formation of the LolA-lipoprotein complex in the periplasm. LolA transports lipoproteins through the periplasm to LolB on outer membranes. LolB is itself a lipoprotein anchored to outer membranes, although the membrane anchor is functionally dispensable. LolB then localizes lipoproteins to outer membranes through largely unknown mechanisms. The crystal structure of LolB is similar to that of LolA, and it possesses a hydrophobic cavity that accommodates acyl chains of lipoproteins. To elucidate the molecular function of LolB, a periplasmic version of LolB, mLolB, was mutagenized at various conserved residues. Despite the lack of acyl chains, most defective mutants were insoluble. However, a derivative with glutamate in place of leucine 68 was soluble and unable to localize lipoproteins to outer membranes. This leucine is present in a loop protruding from mLolB into an aqueous environment, and no analogous loop is present in LolA. Thus, leucine 68 was replaced with other residues. Replacement by acidic, but not hydrophobic, residues generated for the first time mLolB derivatives that can accept but cannot localize lipoproteins to outer membranes. Moreover, deletion of the leucine with neighboring residues impaired the lipoprotein receptor activity. Based on these observations, the roles of the protruding loop of LolB in the last step of lipoprotein sorting are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Hayashi
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Ryoji Tsurumizu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Jun Tsukahara
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Kazuki Takeda
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Narita
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Morioka, Takizawa 020-0694 Iwate, Japan
| | - Makiko Mori
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Morioka, Takizawa 020-0694 Iwate, Japan
| | - Kunio Miki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hajime Tokuda
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Morioka, Takizawa 020-0694 Iwate, Japan.
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29
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Brülle JK, Tschumi A, Sander P. Lipoproteins of slow-growing Mycobacteria carry three fatty acids and are N-acylated by apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase BCG_2070c. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:223. [PMID: 24093492 PMCID: PMC3850990 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lipoproteins are virulence factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Bacterial lipoproteins are modified by the consecutive action of preprolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase (Lgt), prolipoprotein signal peptidase (LspA) and apolipoprotein N- acyltransferase (Lnt) leading to the formation of mature triacylated lipoproteins. Lnt homologues are found in Gram-negative and high GC-rich Gram-positive, but not in low GC-rich Gram-positive bacteria, although N-acylation is observed. In fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis, the molecular structure of the lipid modification of lipoproteins was resolved recently as a diacylglyceryl residue carrying ester-bound palmitic acid and ester-bound tuberculostearic acid and an additional amide-bound palmitic acid. Results We exploit the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG as model organism to investigate lipoprotein modifications in slow-growing mycobacteria. Using Escherichia coli Lnt as a query in BLASTp search, we identified BCG_2070c and BCG_2279c as putative lnt genes in M. bovis BCG. Lipoproteins LprF, LpqH, LpqL and LppX were expressed in M. bovis BCG and BCG_2070c lnt knock-out mutant and lipid modifications were analyzed at molecular level by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight analysis. Lipoprotein N-acylation was observed in wildtype but not in BCG_2070c mutants. Lipoprotein N- acylation with palmitoyl and tuberculostearyl residues was observed. Conclusions Lipoproteins are triacylated in slow-growing mycobacteria. BCG_2070c encodes a functional Lnt in M. bovis BCG. We identified mycobacteria-specific tuberculostearic acid as further substrate for N-acylation in slow-growing mycobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane K Brülle
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 30/32, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
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30
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Cain JA, Solis N, Cordwell SJ. Beyond gene expression: the impact of protein post-translational modifications in bacteria. J Proteomics 2013; 97:265-86. [PMID: 23994099 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2013.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins plays a critical role in the regulation of a broad range of cellular processes in eukaryotes. Yet their role in governing similar systems in the conventionally presumed 'simpler' forms of life has been largely neglected and, until recently, was thought to occur only rarely, with some modifications assumed to be limited to higher organisms alone. Recent developments in mass spectrometry-based proteomics have provided an unparalleled power to enrich, identify and quantify peptides with PTMs. Additional modifications to biological molecules such as lipids and carbohydrates that are essential for bacterial pathophysiology have only recently been detected on proteins. Here we review bacterial protein PTMs, focusing on phosphorylation, acetylation, proteolytic degradation, methylation and lipidation and the roles they play in bacterial adaptation - thus highlighting the importance of proteomic techniques in a field that is only just in its infancy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Trends in Microbial Proteomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel A Cain
- School of Molecular Bioscience, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Nestor Solis
- School of Molecular Bioscience, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Stuart J Cordwell
- School of Molecular Bioscience, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia; Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia.
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31
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Nakayama H, Kurokawa K, Lee BL. Lipoproteins in bacteria: structures and biosynthetic pathways. FEBS J 2012; 279:4247-68. [PMID: 23094979 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Revised: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 10/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are characterized by the presence of a conserved N-terminal lipid-modified cysteine residue that allows the hydrophilic protein to anchor onto bacterial cell membranes. These proteins play important roles in a wide variety of bacterial physiological processes, including virulence, and induce innate immune reactions by functioning as ligands of the mammalian Toll-like receptor 2. We review recent advances in our understanding of bacterial lipoprotein structure, biosynthesis and structure-function relationships between bacterial lipoproteins and Toll-like receptor 2. Notably, 40 years after the first report of the triacyl structure of Braun's lipoprotein in Escherichia coli, recent intensive MS-based analyses have led to the discovery of three new lipidated structures of lipoproteins in monoderm bacteria: the lyso, N-acetyl and peptidyl forms. Moreover, the bacterial lipoprotein structure is considered to be constant in each bacterium; however, lipoprotein structures in Staphylococcus aureus vary between the diacyl and triacyl forms depending on the environmental conditions. Thus, the lipidation state of bacterial lipoproteins, particularly in monoderm bacteria, is more complex than previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Nakayama
- Biomolecular Characterization Team, RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
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32
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A phylum level analysis reveals lipoprotein biosynthesis to be a fundamental property of bacteria. Protein Cell 2012; 3:163-70. [PMID: 22410786 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-012-2023-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins are proteins that are post-translationally modified with a diacylglyceride at an N-terminal cysteine, which serves to tether these proteins to the outer face of the plasma membrane or to the outer membrane. This paper reviews recent insights into the enzymology of bacterial lipoprotein biosynthesis and localization. Moreover, we use bioinformatic analyses of bacterial lipoprotein signal peptide features and of the key biosynthetic enzymes to consider the distribution of lipoprotein biosynthesis at the phylum level. These analyses support the important conclusion that lipoprotein biosynthesis is a fundamental pathway utilized across the domain bacteria. Moreover, with the exception of a small number of sequences likely to derive from endosymbiont genomes, the enzymes of bacterial lipoprotein biosynthesis appear unique to bacteria, making this pathway an attractive target for the development of novel antimicrobials. Whilst lipoproteins with comparable signal peptide features are encoded in the genomes of Archaea, it is clear that these lipoproteins have a distinctive biosynthetic pathway that has yet to be characterized.
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