Glutathione is required for maximal transcription of the cobalamin biosynthetic and 1,2-propanediol utilization (cob/pdu) regulon and for the catabolism of ethanolamine, 1,2-propanediol, and propionate in Salmonella typhimurium LT2

Ethanolamine enhances adhesion, promotes microcompartment formation, and modulates gene expression in Levilactobacillus brevis ATCC 14869

Ethanolamine is an abundant compound in the gastrointestinal tract and a valuable source of carbon and nitrogen for pathogenic bacteria harboring ethanolamine utilization (eut) genes. Eut-positive pathogens can consume free ethanolamine to outcompete commensal microbes, which often lack eut genes, and establish infection. Ethanolamine can also act as a host recognition signal for eut-positive pathogens to upregulate virulence genes during colonization. Therefore, reducing free ethanolamine titers may represent a novel approach to preventing infection by eut-positive pathogens. Interestingly, the commensal microorganism Levilactobacillus brevis ATCC 14869 was found to encode over 18 eut genes within its genome. This led us to hypothesize that L. brevis can compete with eut-positive pathogens by clearing free ethanolamine from the environment. Our results demonstrate that despite being unable to metabolize ethanolamine under most conditions, L. brevis ATCC 14869 responds to the compound by increasing the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in microcompartment formation and adhesion to the intestinal epithelial barrier. The improved intestinal adhesion of L. brevis in the presence of ethanolamine also enhanced the exclusion of eut-positive pathogens from adhering to intestinal epithelial cells. These findings support further studies to test whether L. brevis ATCC 14869 can counter enteric pathogens and prevent or reduce the severity of infections. Overall, the metabolic capabilities of L. brevis ATCC 14869 offer a unique opportunity to add to the armamentarium of antimicrobial therapies as well as our understanding of the mechanisms used by beneficial microbes to sense and adapt to host microenvironments.

Mucosal metabolites fuel the growth and virulence of E. coli linked to Crohn's disease

Elucidating how resident enteric bacteria interact with their hosts to promote health or inflammation is of central importance to diarrheal and inflammatory bowel diseases across species. Here, we integrated the microbial and chemical microenvironment of a patient’s ileal mucosa with their clinical phenotype and genotype to identify factors favoring the growth and virulence of adherent and invasive E. coli (AIEC) linked to Crohn’s disease. We determined that the ileal niche of AIEC was characterized by inflammation, dysbiosis, coculture of Enterococcus, and oxidative stress. We discovered that mucosal metabolites supported general growth of ileal E. coli, with a selective effect of ethanolamine on AIEC that was augmented by cometabolism of ileitis-associated amino acids and glutathione and by symbiosis-associated fucose. This metabolic plasticity was facilitated by the eut and pdu microcompartments, amino acid metabolism, γ-glutamyl-cycle, and pleiotropic stress responses. We linked metabolism to virulence and found that ethanolamine and glutamine enhanced AIEC motility, infectivity, and proinflammatory responses in vitro. We connected use of ethanolamine to intestinal inflammation and L-fuculose phosphate aldolase (fucA) to symbiosis in AIEC monoassociated IL10^–/– mice. Collectively, we established that AIEC were pathoadapted to utilize mucosal metabolites associated with health and inflammation for growth and virulence, enabling the transition from symbiont to pathogen in a susceptible host.

A Nitrogen Metabolic Enzyme Provides Salmonella Fitness Advantage by Promoting Utilization of Microbiota-Derived Carbon Source

Microbes support their growth in vertebrate hosts by exploiting a large variety of dietary components as nutrients, which determines the composition of gut microbiota. A pathogen Salmonella expands by utilizing 1,2-propanediol, a microbiota-fermented product, during mucosal inflammation. However, it remains largely unknown how the pathogen decides which nutrient to consume from the complex mixture in the gut. Here, we show that Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium utilizes 1,2-propanediol by EIIA^Ntr (a nitrogen-metabolic PTS component implicated in virulence)-mediated regulation of the pdu operon, thereby expanding in the murine intestine. Propionyl-CoA, a metabolic intermediate produced by 1,2-propanediol catabolism, elevates EIIA^Ntr protein amounts, entailing positive feedback, thereby boosting the 1,2-propanediol-utilization process. EIIA^Ntr promotes pdu expression by enhancing glutathione synthesis. CRP (cAMP receptor protein) induces pdu genes by increasing EIIA^Ntr expression in response to glucose availability. Notably, EIIA^Ntr-mediated 1,2-propanediol-utilization conferred a growth benefit even under high glucose conditions which reduces CRP activity. The EIIA^Ntr-mediated activation is likely conserved in pathogenic enterobacteria including Escherichia coli. Collectively, our findings suggest that Salmonella promotes its fitness by precisely modulating the utilization system for microbiota-derived carbon source. They also suggest that Salmonella may integrate signals, processed via EIIA^Ntr, into its metabolic program as well as virulence circuit.

Genome Analysis of Vallitalea guaymasensis Strain L81 Isolated from a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent System

Abyssivirga alkaniphila strain L81T, recently isolated from a black smoker biofilm at the Loki’s Castle hydrothermal vent field, was previously described as a mesophilic, obligately anaerobic heterotroph able to ferment carbohydrates, peptides, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. The strain was classified as a new genus within the family Lachnospiraceae. Herein, its genome is analyzed and A. alkaniphila is reassigned to the genus Vallitalea as a new strain of V. guaymasensis, designated V. guaymasensis strain L81. The 6.4 Mbp genome contained 5651 protein encoding genes, whereof 4043 were given a functional prediction. Pathways for fermentation of mono-saccharides, di-saccharides, peptides, and amino acids were identified whereas a complete pathway for the fermentation of n-alkanes was not found. Growth on carbohydrates and proteinous compounds supported methane production in co-cultures with Methanoplanus limicola. Multiple confurcating hydrogen-producing hydrogenases, a putative bifurcating electron-transferring flavoprotein—butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase complex, and a Rnf-complex form a basis for the observed hydrogen-production and a putative reverse electron-transport in V. guaymasensis strain L81. Combined with the observation that n-alkanes did not support growth in co-cultures with M. limicola, it seemed more plausible that the previously observed degradation patterns of crude-oil in strain L81 are explained by unspecific activation and may represent a detoxification mechanism, representing an interesting ecological function. Genes encoding a capacity for polyketide synthesis, prophages, and resistance to antibiotics shows interactions with the co-occurring microorganisms. This study enlightens the function of the fermentative microorganisms from hydrothermal vents systems and adds valuable information on the bioprospecting potential emerging in deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

The N Terminus of the PduB Protein Binds the Protein Shell of the Pdu Microcompartment to Its Enzymatic Core

Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are extremely large proteinaceous organelles that consist of an enzymatic core encapsulated within a complex protein shell. A key question in MCP biology is the nature of the interactions that guide the assembly of thousands of protein subunits into a well-ordered metabolic compartment. In this report, we show that the N-terminal 37 amino acids of the PduB protein have a critical role in binding the shell of the 1,2-propanediol utilization (Pdu) microcompartment to its enzymatic core. Several mutations were constructed that deleted short regions of the N terminus of PduB. Growth tests indicated that three of these deletions were impaired MCP assembly. Attempts to purify MCPs from these mutants, followed by gel electrophoresis and enzyme assays, indicated that the protein complexes isolated consisted of MCP shells depleted of core enzymes. Electron microscopy substantiated these findings by identifying apparently empty MCP shells but not intact MCPs. Analyses of 13 site-directed mutants indicated that the key region of the N terminus of PduB required for MCP assembly is a putative helix spanning residues 6 to 18. Considering the findings presented here together with prior work, we propose a new model for MCP assembly.IMPORTANCE Bacterial microcompartments consist of metabolic enzymes encapsulated within a protein shell and are widely used to optimize metabolic process. Here, we show that the N-terminal 37 amino acids of the PduB shell protein are essential for assembly of the 1,2-propanediol utilization microcompartment. The results indicate that it plays a key role in binding the outer shell to the enzymatic core. We propose that this interaction might be used to define the relative orientation of the shell with respect to the core. This finding is of fundamental importance to our understanding of microcompartment assembly and may have application to engineering microcompartments as nanobioreactors for chemical production.

The EutQ and EutP proteins are novel acetate kinases involved in ethanolamine catabolism: physiological implications for the function of the ethanolamine metabolosome in Salmonella enterica

Salmonella enterica catabolizes ethanolamine inside a compartment known as the metabolosome. The ethanolamine utilization (eut) operon of this bacterium encodes all functions needed for the assembly and function of this structure. To date, the roles of EutQ and EutP were not known. Herein we show that both proteins have acetate kinase activity and that EutQ is required during anoxic growth of S. enterica on ethanolamine and tetrathionate. EutP and EutQ-dependent ATP synthesis occurred when enzymes were incubated with ADP, Mg(II) ions and acetyl-phosphate. EutQ and EutP also synthesized acetyl-phosphate from ATP and acetate. Although EutP had acetate kinase activity, ΔeutP strains lacked discernible phenotypes under the conditions where ΔeutQ strains displayed clear phenotypes. The kinetic parameters indicate that EutP is a faster enzyme than EutQ. Our evidence supports the conclusion that EutQ and EutP represent novel classes of acetate kinases. We propose that EutQ is necessary to drive flux through the pathway under physiological conditions, preventing a buildup of acetaldehyde. We also suggest that ATP generated by these enzymes may be used as a substrate for EutT, the ATP-dependent corrinoid adenosyltransferase and for the EutA ethanolamine ammonia-lyase reactivase.

Biosynthesis and Use of Cobalamin (B12)

This review summarizes research performed over the last 23 years on the genetics, enzyme structures and functions, and regulation of the expression of the genes encoding functions involved in adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl, or coenzyme B12) biosynthesis. It also discusses the role of coenzyme B12 in the physiology of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 and Escherichia coli. John Roth's seminal contributions to the field of coenzyme B12 biosynthesis research brought the power of classical and molecular genetic, biochemical, and structural approaches to bear on the extremely challenging problem of dissecting the steps of what has turned out to be one of the most complex biosynthetic pathways known. In E. coli and serovar Typhimurium, uro'gen III represents the first branch point in the pathway, where the routes for cobalamin and siroheme synthesis diverge from that for heme synthesis. The cobalamin biosynthetic pathway in P. denitrificans was the first to be elucidated, but it was soon realized that there are at least two routes for cobalamin biosynthesis, representing aerobic and anaerobic variations. The expression of the AdoCbl biosynthetic operon is complex and is modulated at different levels. At the transcriptional level, a sensor response regulator protein activates the transcription of the operon in response to 1,2-Pdl in the environment. Serovar Typhimurium and E. coli use ethanolamine as a source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. In addition, and unlike E. coli, serovar Typhimurium can also grow on 1,2-Pdl as the sole source of carbon and energy.

Bacterial microcompartments: widespread prokaryotic organelles for isolation and optimization of metabolic pathways

Prokaryotes use subcellular compartments for a variety of purposes. An intriguing example is a family of complex subcellular organelles known as bacterial microcompartments (MCPs). MCPs are widely distributed among bacteria and impact processes ranging from global carbon fixation to enteric pathogenesis. Overall, MCPs consist of metabolic enzymes encased within a protein shell, and their function is to optimize biochemical pathways by confining toxic or volatile metabolic intermediates. MCPs are fundamentally different from other organelles in having a complex protein shell rather than a lipid-based membrane as an outer barrier. This unusual feature raises basic questions about organelle assembly, protein targeting and metabolite transport. In this review, we discuss the three best-studied MCPs highlighting atomic-level models for shell assembly, targeting sequences that direct enzyme encapsulation, multivalent proteins that organize the lumen enzymes, the principles of metabolite movement across the shell, internal cofactor recycling, a potential system of allosteric regulation of metabolite transport and the mechanism and rationale behind the functional diversification of the proteins that form the shell. We also touch on some potential biotechnology applications of an unusual compartment designed by nature to optimize metabolic processes within a cellular context.

In Salmonella enterica, Ethanolamine Utilization Is Repressed by 1,2-Propanediol To Prevent Detrimental Mixing of Components of Two Different Bacterial Microcompartments

Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are a diverse family of protein-based organelles composed of metabolic enzymes encapsulated within a protein shell. The function of bacterial MCPs is to optimize metabolic pathways by confining toxic and/or volatile metabolic intermediates. About 20% of bacteria produce MCPs, and there are at least seven different types. Different MCPs vary in their encapsulated enzymes, but all have outer shells composed of highly conserved proteins containing bacterial microcompartment domains. Many organisms have genes encoding more than one type of MCP, but given the high homology among shell proteins, it is uncertain whether multiple MCPs can be functionally expressed in the same cell at the same time. In these studies, we examine the regulation of the 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) utilization (Pdu) and ethanolamine utilization (Eut) MCPs in Salmonella. Studies showed that 1,2-PD (shown to induce the Pdu MCP) represses transcription of the Eut MCP and that the PocR regulatory protein is required. The results indicate that repression of the Eut MCP by 1,2-PD is needed to prevent detrimental mixing of shell proteins from the Eut and Pdu MCPs. Coexpression of both MCPs impaired the function of the Pdu MCP and resulted in the formation of hybrid MCPs composed of Eut and Pdu MCP components. We also show that plasmid-based expression of individual shell proteins from the Eut MCP or the β-carboxysome impaired the function of Pdu MCP. Thus, the high conservation among bacterial microcompartment (BMC) domain shell proteins is problematic for coexpression of the Eut and Pdu MCPs and perhaps other MCPs as well.

IMPORTANCE

Bacterial MCPs are encoded by nearly 20% of bacterial genomes, and almost 40% of those genomes contain multiple MCP gene clusters. In this study, we examine how the regulation of two different MCP systems (Eut and Pdu) is integrated in Salmonella. Our findings indicate that 1,2-PD (shown to induce the Pdu MCP) represses the Eut MCP to prevent detrimental mixing of Eut and Pdu shell proteins. These findings suggest that numerous organisms which produce more than one type of MCP likely need some mechanism to prevent aberrant shell protein interactions.

Diverse bacterial microcompartment organelles

Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are sophisticated protein-based organelles used to optimize metabolic pathways. They consist of metabolic enzymes encapsulated within a protein shell, which creates an ideal environment for catalysis and facilitates the channeling of toxic/volatile intermediates to downstream enzymes. The metabolic processes that require MCPs are diverse and widely distributed and play important roles in global carbon fixation and bacterial pathogenesis. The protein shells of MCPs are thought to selectively control the movement of enzyme cofactors, substrates, and products (including toxic or volatile intermediates) between the MCP interior and the cytoplasm of the cell using both passive electrostatic/steric and dynamic gated mechanisms. Evidence suggests that specialized shell proteins conduct electrons between the cytoplasm and the lumen of the MCP and/or help rebuild damaged iron-sulfur centers in the encapsulated enzymes. The MCP shell is elaborated through a family of small proteins whose structural core is known as a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) domain. BMC domain proteins oligomerize into flat, hexagonally shaped tiles, which assemble into extended protein sheets that form the facets of the shell. Shape complementarity along the edges allows different types of BMC domain proteins to form mixed sheets, while sequence variation provides functional diversification. Recent studies have also revealed targeting sequences that mediate protein encapsulation within MCPs, scaffolding proteins that organize lumen enzymes and the use of private cofactor pools (NAD/H and coenzyme A [HS-CoA]) to facilitate cofactor homeostasis. Although much remains to be learned, our growing understanding of MCPs is providing a basis for bioengineering of protein-based containers for the production of chemicals/pharmaceuticals and for use as molecular delivery vehicles.

Exploring bacterial organelle interactomes: a model of the protein-protein interaction network in the Pdu microcompartment

Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are protein-bound organelles that carry out diverse metabolic pathways in a wide range of bacteria. These supramolecular assemblies consist of a thin outer protein shell, reminiscent of a viral capsid, which encapsulates sequentially acting enzymes. The most complex MCP elucidated so far is the propanediol utilizing (Pdu) microcompartment. It contains the reactions for degrading 1,2-propanediol. While several experimental studies on the Pdu system have provided hints about its organization, a clear picture of how all the individual components interact has not emerged yet. Here we use co-evolution-based methods, involving pairwise comparisons of protein phylogenetic trees, to predict the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network governing the assembly of the Pdu MCP. We propose a model of the Pdu interactome, from which selected PPIs are further inspected via computational docking simulations. We find that shell protein PduA is able to serve as a “universal hub” for targeting an array of enzymes presenting special N-terminal extensions, namely PduC, D, E, L and P. The varied N-terminal peptides are predicted to bind in the same cleft on the presumptive luminal face of the PduA hexamer. We also propose that PduV, a protein of unknown function with remote homology to the Ras-like GTPase superfamily, is likely to localize outside the MCP, interacting with the protruding β-barrel of the hexameric PduU shell protein. Preliminary experiments involving a bacterial two-hybrid assay are presented that corroborate the existence of a PduU-PduV interaction. This first systematic computational study aimed at characterizing the interactome of a bacterial microcompartment provides fresh insight into the organization of the Pdu MCP.

Many bacteria produce giant proteinaceous structures within their cells, which they use to carry out special metabolic reactions in their interior. Much has been learned recently about the individual components—shell proteins and encapsulated enzymes—that assemble together, thousands of subunits in all, to make these bacterial microcompartments or MCPs. However, in order to carry out their biological functions, these systems must be highly organized through specific protein-protein interactions, and such a higher level understanding of organization in MCP systems is lacking. In this study, we use genomic data and phylogenetic analysis to predict the network of interactions between the approximately 20 different kinds of proteins and enzymes present in the Pdu MCP. Then, we use computational docking to examine a subset of those that are predicted to involve enzymes bound to the interior surface of the shell proteins, and show that the results are consistent with recent experimental data. We further provide new experimental evidence for one of the predicted protein-protein interactions. This study expands our understanding of a complex system of proteins serving as a metabolic organelle in bacterial cells, and provides a foundation for further experimental investigations.

Diverse bacterial microcompartment organelles

Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are sophisticated protein-based organelles used to optimize metabolic pathways. They consist of metabolic enzymes encapsulated within a protein shell, which creates an ideal environment for catalysis and facilitates the channeling of toxic/volatile intermediates to downstream enzymes. The metabolic processes that require MCPs are diverse and widely distributed and play important roles in global carbon fixation and bacterial pathogenesis. The protein shells of MCPs are thought to selectively control the movement of enzyme cofactors, substrates, and products (including toxic or volatile intermediates) between the MCP interior and the cytoplasm of the cell using both passive electrostatic/steric and dynamic gated mechanisms. Evidence suggests that specialized shell proteins conduct electrons between the cytoplasm and the lumen of the MCP and/or help rebuild damaged iron-sulfur centers in the encapsulated enzymes. The MCP shell is elaborated through a family of small proteins whose structural core is known as a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) domain. BMC domain proteins oligomerize into flat, hexagonally shaped tiles, which assemble into extended protein sheets that form the facets of the shell. Shape complementarity along the edges allows different types of BMC domain proteins to form mixed sheets, while sequence variation provides functional diversification. Recent studies have also revealed targeting sequences that mediate protein encapsulation within MCPs, scaffolding proteins that organize lumen enzymes and the use of private cofactor pools (NAD/H and coenzyme A [HS-CoA]) to facilitate cofactor homeostasis. Although much remains to be learned, our growing understanding of MCPs is providing a basis for bioengineering of protein-based containers for the production of chemicals/pharmaceuticals and for use as molecular delivery vehicles.

Acs is essential for propionate utilization in Escherichia coli

Bacteria like Escherichia coli can use propionate as sole carbon and energy source. All pathways for degradation of propionate start with propionyl-CoA. However, pathways of propionyl-CoA synthesis from propionate and their regulation mechanisms have not been carefully examined in E. coli. In this study, roles of the acetyl-CoA synthetase encoding gene acs and the NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase encoding gene cobB on propionate utilization in E. coli were investigated. Results from biochemical analysis showed that, reversible acetylation also modulates the propionyl-CoA synthetase activity of Acs. Subsequent genetic analysis revealed that, deletion of acs in E. coli results in blockage of propionate utilization, suggesting that acs is essential for propionate utilization in E. coli. Besides, deletion of cobB in E. coli also results in growth defect, but only under lower concentrations of propionate (5mM and 10mM propionate), suggesting the existence of other propionyl-CoA synthesis pathways. In combination with previous observations, our data implies that, for propionate utilization in E. coli, a primary amount of propionyl-CoA seems to be required, which is synthesized by Acs.

From food to cell: nutrient exploitation strategies of enteropathogens

Upon entering the human gastrointestinal tract, foodborne bacterial enteropathogens encounter, among numerous other stress conditions, nutrient competition with the host organism and the commensal microbiota. The main carbon, nitrogen and energy sources exploited by pathogens during proliferation in, and colonization of, the gut have, however, not been identified completely. In recent years, a huge body of literature has provided evidence that most enteropathogens are equipped with a large set of specific metabolic pathways to overcome nutritional limitations in vivo, thus increasing bacterial fitness during infection. These adaptations include the degradation of myo-inositol, ethanolamine cleaved from phospholipids, fucose derived from mucosal glycoconjugates, 1,2-propanediol as the fermentation product of fucose or rhamnose and several other metabolites not accessible for commensal bacteria or present in competition-free microenvironments. Interestingly, the data reviewed here point to common metabolic strategies of enteric pathogens allowing the exploitation of nutrient sources that not only are present in the gut lumen, the mucosa or epithelial cells, but also are abundant in food. An increased knowledge of the metabolic strategies developed by enteropathogens is therefore a key factor to better control foodborne diseases.

The shells of BMC-type microcompartment organelles in bacteria

Bacterial microcompartments are large proteinaceous structures that act as metabolic organelles in many bacterial cells. A shell or capsid, which is composed of a few thousand protein subunits, surrounds a series of sequentially acting enzymes and controls the diffusion of substrates and products into and out of the lumen. The carboxysome and the propanediol utilization microcompartment represent two well-studied systems among seven or more distinct types that can be delineated presently. Recent structural studies have highlighted a number of sophisticated mechanisms that underlie the function of bacterial microcompartment shell proteins. This review updates our understanding of bacterial microcompartment shells, how they are assembled, and how they carry out their functions in molecular transport and enzyme organization.

Involvement of a bacterial microcompartment in the metabolism of fucose and rhamnose by Clostridium phytofermentans

Background

Clostridium phytofermentans, an anaerobic soil bacterium, can directly convert plant biomass into biofuels. The genome of C. phytofermentans contains three loci with genes encoding shell proteins of bacterial microcompartments (BMC), organelles composed entirely of proteins.

Methodology and Principal Findings

One of the BMC loci has homology to a BMC-encoding locus implicated in the conversion of fucose to propanol and propionate in a human gut commensal, Roseburia inulinivorans. We hypothesized that it had a similar role in C. phytofermentans. When C. phytofermentans was grown on fucose, the major products identified were ethanol, propanol and propionate. Transmission electron microscopy of fucose- and rhamnose-grown cultures revealed polyhedral structures, presumably BMCs. Microarray analysis indicated that during growth on fucose, operons coding for the BMC locus, fucose dissimilatory enzymes, and an ATP-binding cassette transporter became the dominant transcripts. These data are consistent with fucose fermentation producing a 1,2-propanediol intermediate that is further metabolized in the microcompartment encoded in the BMC locus. Growth on another deoxyhexose sugar, rhamnose, resulted in the expression of the same BMC locus and similar fermentation products. However, a different set of dissimilatory enzymes and transport system genes were induced. Quite surprisingly, growth on fucose or rhamnose also led to the expression of a diverse array of complex plant polysaccharide-degrading enzymes.

Conclusions/Significance

Based on physiological, genomic, and microarray analyses, we propose a model for the fermentation of fucose and rhamnose in C. phytofermentans that includes enzymes encoded in the same BMC locus. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that this BMC may be present in other clostridial species.

The PduQ enzyme is an alcohol dehydrogenase used to recycle NAD+ internally within the Pdu microcompartment of Salmonella enterica

Salmonella enterica uses a bacterial microcompartment (MCP) for coenzyme B(12)-dependent 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) utilization (Pdu). The Pdu MCP consists of a protein shell that encapsulates enzymes and cofactors required for metabolizing 1,2-PD as a carbon and energy source. Here we show that the PduQ protein of S. enterica is an iron-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase used for 1,2-PD catabolism. PduQ is also demonstrated to be a new component of the Pdu MCP. In addition, a series of in vivo and in vitro studies show that a primary function of PduQ is to recycle NADH to NAD(+) internally within the Pdu MCP in order to supply propionaldehyde dehydrogenase (PduP) with its required cofactor (NAD(+)). Genetic tests determined that a pduQ deletion mutant grew slower than wild-type Salmonella on 1,2-PD and that this phenotype was not complemented by a non-MCP associated Adh2 from Zymomonas that catalyzes the same reaction. This suggests that PduQ has a MCP-specific function. We also found that a pduQ deletion mutant had no growth defect in a genetic background having a second mutation that prevents MCP formation which further supports a MCP-specific role for PduQ. Moreover, studies with purified Pdu MCPs demonstrated that the PduQ enzyme can convert NADH to NAD(+) to supply the PduP reaction in vitro. Cumulatively, these studies show that the PduQ enzyme is used to recycle NADH to NAD(+) internally within the Pdu MCP. To our knowledge, this is the first report of internal recycling as a mechanism for cofactor homeostasis within a bacterial MCP.

The PduM protein is a structural component of the microcompartments involved in coenzyme B(12)-dependent 1,2-propanediol degradation by Salmonella enterica

Diverse bacteria use proteinaceous microcompartments (MCPs) to optimize metabolic pathways that have toxic or volatile intermediates. MCPs consist of metabolic enzymes encased within a protein shell that provides a defined environment. In Salmonella enterica, a MCP is involved in B(12)-dependent 1,2-propanediol utilization (Pdu MCP). In this report, we show that the protein PduM is required for the assembly and function of the Pdu MCP. The results of tandem mass spectrometry and Western blot analyses show that PduM is a component of the Pdu MCP. Electron microscopy shows that a pduM deletion mutant forms MCPs with abnormal morphology. Growth tests and metabolite measurements establish that a pduM deletion mutant is unable to form functional MCPs. PduM is unrelated in sequence to proteins of known function and hence may represent a new class of MCP structural proteins. We also report a modified protocol for the purification of Pdu MCP from Salmonella which allows isolation of milligram amounts of MCPs in about 4 h. We believe that this protocol can be extended or modified for the purification of MCPs from diverse bacteria.

Self-assembling, protein-based intracellular bacterial organelles: emerging vehicles for encapsulating, targeting and delivering therapeutical cargoes

Many bacterial species contain intracellular nano- and micro-compartments consisting of self-assembling proteins that form protein-only shells. These structures are built up by combinations of a reduced number of repeated elements, from 60 repeated copies of one unique structural element self-assembled in encapsulins of 24 nm to 10,000-20,000 copies of a few protein species assembled in a organelle of around 100-150 nm in cross-section. However, this apparent simplicity does not correspond to the structural and functional sophistication of some of these organelles. They package, by not yet definitely solved mechanisms, one or more enzymes involved in specific metabolic pathways, confining such reactions and sequestering or increasing the inner concentration of unstable, toxics or volatile intermediate metabolites. From a biotechnological point of view, we can use the self assembling properties of these particles for directing shell assembling and enzyme packaging, mimicking nature to design new applications in biotechnology. Upon appropriate engineering of the building blocks, they could act as a new family of self-assembled, protein-based vehicles in Nanomedicine to encapsulate, target and deliver therapeutic cargoes to specific cell types and/or tissues. This would provide a new, intriguing platform of microbial origin for drug delivery.

Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium colonizing the lumen of the chicken intestine grows slowly and upregulates a unique set of virulence and metabolism genes

The pattern of global gene expression in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteria harvested from the chicken intestinal lumen (cecum) was compared with that of a late-log-phase LB broth culture using a whole-genome microarray. Levels of transcription, translation, and cell division in vivo were lower than those in vitro. S. Typhimurium appeared to be using carbon sources, such as propionate, 1,2-propanediol, and ethanolamine, in addition to melibiose and ascorbate, the latter possibly transformed to d-xylulose. Amino acid starvation appeared to be a factor during colonization. Bacteria in the lumen were non- or weakly motile and nonchemotactic but showed upregulation of a number of fimbrial and Salmonella pathogenicity island 3 (SPI-3) and 5 genes, suggesting a close physical association with the host during colonization. S. Typhimurium bacteria harvested from the cecal mucosa showed an expression profile similar to that of bacteria from the intestinal lumen, except that levels of transcription, translation, and cell division were higher and glucose may also have been used as a carbon source.

The protein shells of bacterial microcompartment organelles

Details are emerging on the structure and function of a remarkable class of capsid-like protein assemblies that serve as simple metabolic organelles in many bacteria. These bacterial microcompartments consist of a few thousand shell proteins, which encapsulate two or more sequentially acting enzymes in order to enhance or sequester certain metabolic pathways, particularly those involving toxic or volatile intermediates. Genomic data indicate that bacterial microcompartment shell proteins are present in a wide range of bacterial species, where they encapsulate varied reactions. Crystal structures of numerous shell proteins from distinct types of microcompartments have provided keys for understanding how the shells are assembled and how they conduct molecular transport into and out of microcompartments. The structural data emphasize a high level of mechanistic sophistication in the protein shell, and point the way for further studies on this fascinating but poorly appreciated class of subcellular structures.

Genetic analysis of the protein shell of the microcompartments involved in coenzyme B12-dependent 1,2-propanediol degradation by Salmonella

Hundreds of bacterial species use microcompartments (MCPs) to optimize metabolic pathways that have toxic or volatile intermediates. MCPs consist of a protein shell encapsulating specific metabolic enzymes. In Salmonella, an MCP is used for 1,2-propanediol utilization (Pdu MCP). The shell of this MCP is composed of eight different types of polypeptides, but their specific functions are uncertain. Here, we individually deleted the eight genes encoding the shell proteins of the Pdu MCP. The effects of each mutation on 1,2-PD degradation and MCP structure were determined by electron microscopy and growth studies. Deletion of the pduBB', pduJ, or pduN gene severely impaired MCP formation, and the observed defects were consistent with roles as facet, edge, or vertex protein, respectively. Metabolite measurements showed that pduA, pduBB', pduJ, or pduN deletion mutants accumulated propionaldehyde to toxic levels during 1,2-PD catabolism, indicating that the integrity of the shell was disrupted. Deletion of the pduK, pduT, or pduU gene did not substantially affect MCP structure or propionaldehyde accumulation, suggesting they are nonessential to MCP formation. However, the pduU or pduT deletion mutants grew more slowly than the wild type on 1,2-PD at saturating B(12), indicating that they are needed for maximal activity of the 1,2-PD degradative enzymes encased within the MCP shell. Considering recent crystallography studies, this suggests that PduT and PduU may mediate the transport of enzyme substrates/cofactors across the MCP shell. Interestingly, a pduK deletion caused MCP aggregation, suggesting a role in the spatial organization of MCP within the cytoplasm or perhaps in segregation at cell division.

Bacterial microcompartments insights into the structure, mechanism, and engineering applications

Bacterial microcompartments are large supramolecular assemblies, resembling viruses in size and shape, found inside many bacterial cells. A protein-based shell encapsulates a series of sequentially acting enzymes in order to sequester certain sensitive metabolic processes within the cell. Crystal structures of the individual shell proteins have revealed details about how they self-assemble and how pores through their centers facilitate molecular transport into and out of the microcompartments. Biochemical and genetic studies have shown that enzymes are directed to the interior in some cases by special targeting sequences in their termini. Together, these findings open up prospects for engineering bacterial microcompartments with novel functionalities for applications ranging from metabolic engineering to targeted drug delivery.

Engineered biological entities for drug delivery and gene therapy protein nanoparticles

The development of genetic engineering techniques has speeded up the growth of the biotechnological industry, resulting in a significant increase in the number of recombinant protein products on the market. The deep knowledge of protein function, structure, biological interactions, and the possibility to design new polypeptides with desired biological activities have been the main factors involved in the increase of intensive research and preclinical and clinical approaches. Consequently, new biological entities with added value for innovative medicines such as increased stability, improved targeting, and reduced toxicity, among others have been obtained. Proteins are complex nanoparticles with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to a few hundred nanometers when complex supramolecular interactions occur, as for example, in viral capsids. However, even though protein production is a delicate process that imposes the use of sophisticated analytical methods and negative secondary effects have been detected in some cases as immune and inflammatory reactions, the great potential of biodegradable and tunable protein nanoparticles indicates that protein-based biotechnological products are expected to increase in the years to come.

Bacterial microcompartments

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are organelles composed entirely of protein. They promote specific metabolic processes by encapsulating and colocalizing enzymes with their substrates and cofactors, by protecting vulnerable enzymes in a defined microenvironment, and by sequestering toxic or volatile intermediates. Prototypes of the BMCs are the carboxysomes of autotrophic bacteria. However, structures of similar polyhedral shape are being discovered in an ever-increasing number of heterotrophic bacteria, where they participate in the utilization of specialty carbon and energy sources. Comparative genomics reveals that the potential for this type of compartmentalization is widespread across bacterial phyla and suggests that genetic modules encoding BMCs are frequently laterally transferred among bacteria. The diverse functions of these BMCs suggest that they contribute to metabolic innovation in bacteria in a broad range of environments.

The carboxysome shell is permeable to protons

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are polyhedral organelles found in an increasingly wide variety of bacterial species. These structures, typified by carboxysomes of cyanobacteria and many chemoautotrophs, function to compartmentalize important reaction sequences of metabolic pathways. Unlike their eukaryotic counterparts, which are surrounded by lipid bilayer membranes, these microbial organelles are bounded by a thin protein shell that is assembled from multiple copies of a few different polypeptides. The main shell proteins form hexamers whose edges interact to create the thin sheets that form the facets of the polyhedral BMCs. Each hexamer contains a central pore hypothesized to mediate flux of metabolites into and out of the organelle. Because several distinctly different metabolic processes are found in the various BMCs studied to date, it has been proposed that a common advantage to packaging these pathways within shell-bound compartments is to optimize the concentration of volatile metabolites in the BMC by maintaining an interior pH that is lower than that of the cytoplasm. We have tested this idea by recombinantly fusing a pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein (GFP) to ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO), the major enzyme component inside the carboxysome. Our results suggest that the carboxysomal pH is similar to that of its external environment and that the protein shell does not constitute a proton barrier. The explanation for the sundry BMC functions must therefore be sought in the characteristics of the pores that traverse their shells.

Two-dimensional crystals of carboxysome shell proteins recapitulate the hexagonal packing of three-dimensional crystals

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are large intracellular bodies that serve as simple organelles in many bacteria. They are proteinaceous structures composed of key enzymes encapsulated by a polyhedral protein shell. In previous studies, the organization of these large shells has been inferred from the conserved packing of the component shell proteins in two-dimensional (2D) layers within the context of three-dimensional (3D) crystals. Here, we show that well-ordered, 2D crystals of carboxysome shell proteins assemble spontaneously when His-tagged proteins bind to a monolayer of nickelated lipid molecules at an air-water interface. The molecular packing within the 2D crystals recapitulates the layered hexagonal sheets observed in 3D crystals. The results reinforce current models for the molecular design of BMC shells.

Structure and mechanisms of a protein-based organelle in Escherichia coli

Many bacterial cells contain proteinaceous microcompartments that act as simple organelles by sequestering specific metabolic processes involving volatile or toxic metabolites. Here we report the three-dimensional (3D) crystal structures, with resolutions between 1.65 and 2.5 angstroms, of the four homologous proteins (EutS, EutL, EutK, and EutM) that are thought to be the major shell constituents of a functionally complex ethanolamine utilization (Eut) microcompartment. The Eut microcompartment is used to sequester the metabolism of ethanolamine in bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. The four Eut shell proteins share an overall similar 3D fold, but they have distinguishing structural features that help explain the specific roles they play in the microcompartment. For example, EutL undergoes a conformational change that is probably involved in gating molecular transport through shell protein pores, whereas structural evidence suggests that EutK might bind a nucleic acid component. Together these structures give mechanistic insight into bacterial microcompartments.

Bacterial microcompartment organelles: protein shell structure and evolution

Some bacteria contain organelles or microcompartments consisting of a large virion-like protein shell encapsulating sequentially acting enzymes. These organized microcompartments serve to enhance or protect key metabolic pathways inside the cell. The variety of bacterial microcompartments provide diverse metabolic functions, ranging from CO(2) fixation to the degradation of small organic molecules. Yet they share an evolutionarily related shell, which is defined by a conserved protein domain that is widely distributed across the bacterial kingdom. Structural studies on a number of these bacterial microcompartment shell proteins are illuminating the architecture of the shell and highlighting its critical role in controlling molecular transport into and out of microcompartments. Current structural, evolutionary, and mechanistic ideas are discussed, along with genomic studies for exploring the function and diversity of this family of bacterial organelles.

Structure of a trimeric bacterial microcompartment shell protein, EtuB, associated with ethanol utilization in Clostridium kluyveri

It has been suggested that ethanol metabolism in the strict anaerobe Clostridium kluyveri occurs within a metabolosome, a subcellular proteinaceous bacterial microcompartment. Two bacterial microcompartment shell proteins [EtuA (ethanol utilization shell protein A) and EtuB] are found encoded on the genome clustered with the genes for ethanol utilization. The function of the bacterial microcompartment is to facilitate fermentation by sequestering the enzymes, substrates and intermediates. Recent structural studies of bacterial microcompartment proteins have revealed both hexamers and pentamers that assemble to generate the pseudo-icosahedral bacterial microcompartment shell. Some of these shell proteins have pores on their symmetry axes. Here we report the structure of the trimeric bacterial microcompartment protein EtuB, which has a tandem structural repeat within the subunit and pseudo-hexagonal symmetry. The pores in the EtuB trimer are within the subunits rather than between symmetry related subunits. We suggest that the evolutionary advantage of this is that it releases the pore from the rotational symmetry constraint allowing more precise control of the fluxes of asymmetric molecules, such as ethanol, across the pore. We also model EtuA and demonstrate that the two proteins have the potential to interact to generate the casing for a metabolosome.

Bacterial microcompartments: their properties and paradoxes

Many bacteria conditionally express proteinaceous organelles referred to here as microcompartments (Fig. 1). These microcompartments are thought to be involved in a least seven different metabolic processes and the number is growing. Microcompartments are very large and structurally sophisticated. They are usually about 100-150 nm in cross section and consist of 10,000-20,000 polypeptides of 10-20 types. Their unifying feature is a solid shell constructed from proteins having bacterial microcompartment (BMC) domains. In the examples that have been studied, the microcompartment shell encases sequentially acting metabolic enzymes that catalyze a reaction sequence having a toxic or volatile intermediate product. It is thought that the shell of the microcompartment confines such intermediates, thereby enhancing metabolic efficiency and/or protecting cytoplasmic components. Mechanistically, however, this creates a paradox. How do microcompartments allow enzyme substrates, products and cofactors to pass while confining metabolic intermediates in the absence of a selectively permeable membrane? We suggest that the answer to this paradox may have broad implications with respect to our understanding of the fundamental properties of biological protein sheets including microcompartment shells, S-layers and viral capsids.

Microcompartments for B12-dependent 1,2-propanediol degradation provide protection from DNA and cellular damage by a reactive metabolic intermediate

Salmonella enterica grows on 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) in a coenzyme B(12)-dependent fashion. Prior studies showed that a bacterial microcompartment (MCP) is involved in this process and that an MCP-minus mutant undergoes a 20-h period of growth arrest during 1,2-PD degradation. It was previously proposed that growth arrest resulted from propionaldehyde toxicity, but no direct evidence was presented. Here, high-pressure liquid chromatography analyses of culture medium were used to show that the major products of aerobic 1,2-PD degradation are propionaldehyde, propionate, and 1-propanol. A MCP-minus mutant accumulated a level of propionaldehyde 10-fold higher than that of the wild type (1.6 mM compared to 15.7 mM), associating this compound with growth arrest. The addition of propionaldehyde to cultures of S. enterica caused growth arrest from 8 to 20 mM, but not at 4 mM, providing direct evidence for propionaldehyde toxicity. Studies also indicated that propionaldehyde was toxic due to the inhibition of respiratory processes, and the growth arrest ended when propionaldehyde was depleted primarily by conversion to propionate and 1-propanol and secondarily due to volatility. The Ames test was used to show that propionaldehyde is a mutagen and that mutation frequencies are increased in MCP-minus mutants during 1,2-PD degradation. We propose that a primary function of the MCPs involved in 1,2-PD degradation is the mitigation of toxicity and DNA damage by propionaldehyde.

Identification of novel genes in genomic islands that contribute to Salmonella typhimurium replication in macrophages

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) survives and proliferates within macrophage cells. A mutant library of strain ATCC 14028 based on gene disruption by homologous recombination was screened in order to identify genes that are required for wild-type-like intracellular replication. Randomly generated chromosomal fragments from the genome of S. typhimurium were cloned into a temperature-sensitive vector, and approximately 8000 individual mutant clones were obtained by insertional-duplication mutagenesis (IDM) upon selection at non-permissive temperature. Large-scale screening for replication defects in mouse macrophages, but not during growth in rich or minimal medium, revealed a set of attenuated mutants that were further characterized by PCR amplification and sequencing of the mutagenic fragments. Following analysis of a Salmonella genome map with the annotated positions of vector insertions, an accumulation of 33 attenuating insertions within genes of ten non-collinear regions was found. Insertions in virK, gipA and five SPI-2 genes as well as seven non-polar deletions validated the screen. No invasion deficiencies of the mutants were observed. The cob-cbi-pdu cluster containing the genes for cobalamin synthesis and 1,2-propanediol degradation was shown to be required for Salmonella replication within macrophages. These data gave rise to a model of eukaryotic glycoconjugates and phospholipids as alternative carbon, nitrogen and energy sources for intracellularly replicating bacteria. The contribution of as yet unknown components of SPI-6 and the Gifsy-1 and Gifsy-2 prophage islands to intracellular replication is reported, as well as the fivefold reduced intracellular growth rate of a mutant with a deletion of STM1677, which probably encodes a LysR-like transcriptional regulator. The intracellular replication rate of three double mutants, each lacking two gene products of the cob-cbi-pdu cluster or the Gifsy-1 prophage, was shown to be lower than that of the respective single mutants, suggesting that additive effects of subtle intracellular advantages contribute to Salmonella fitness in vivo.

Evidence that feedback inhibition of NAD kinase controls responses to oxidative stress

Formation of NADP+ from NAD+ is catalyzed by NAD kinase (NadK; EC 2.7.1.23). Evidence is presented that NadK is the only NAD kinase of Salmonella enterica and is essential for growth. NadK is inhibited allosterically by NADPH and NADH. Without effectors, NadK exists as an equilibrium mixture of dimers and tetramers (KD = 1.0 +/- 0.8 mM) but is converted entirely to tetramers in the presence of the inhibitor NADPH. Comparison of NadK kinetic parameters with pool sizes of NADH and NADPH suggests that NadK is substantially inhibited during normal growth and, thus, can increase its activity greatly in response to temporary drops in the pools of inhibitory NADH and NADPH. The primary inhibitor is NADPH during aerobic growth and NADH during anaerobic growth. A model is proposed in which variation of NadK activity is central to the adjustment of pyridine nucleotide pools in response to changes in aeration, oxidative stress, and UV irradiation. It is suggested that each of these environmental factors causes a decrease in the level of reduced pyridine nucleotides, activates NadK, and increases production of NADP(H) at the expense of NAD(H). Activation of NadK may constitute a defensive response that resists loss of protective NADPH.

Conserving a volatile metabolite: a role for carboxysome-like organelles in Salmonella enterica

Salmonellae can use ethanolamine (EA) as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. This ability is encoded by an operon (eut) containing 17 genes, only 6 of which are required under standard conditions (37 degrees C; pH 7.0). Five of the extra genes (eutM, -N, -L, -K, and -G) become necessary under conditions that favor loss of the volatile intermediate, acetaldehyde, which escapes as a gas during growth on EA and is lost at a higher rate from these mutants. The eutM, -N, -L, and -K genes encode homologues of shell proteins of the carboxysome, an organelle shown (in other organisms) to concentrate CO(2). We propose that carboxysome-like organelles help bacteria conserve certain volatile metabolites-CO(2) or acetaldehyde-perhaps by providing a low-pH compartment. The EutG enzyme converts acetaldehyde to ethanol, which may improve carbon retention by forming acetals; alternatively, EutG may recycle NADH within the carboxysome.

Minimal functions and physiological conditions required for growth of salmonella enterica on ethanolamine in the absence of the metabolosome

During growth on ethanolamine, Salmonella enterica synthesizes a multimolecular structure that mimics the carboxysome used by some photosynthetic bacteria to fix CO(2). In S. enterica, this carboxysome-like structure (hereafter referred to as the ethanolamine metabolosome) is thought to contain the enzymatic machinery needed to metabolize ethanolamine into acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). Analysis of the growth behavior of mutant strains of S. enterica lacking specific functions encoded by the 17-gene ethanolamine utilization (eut) operon established the minimal biochemical functions needed by this bacterium to use ethanolamine as a source of carbon and energy. The data obtained support the conclusion that the ethanolamine ammnonia-lyase (EAL) enzyme (encoded by the eutBC genes) and coenzyme B(12) are necessary and sufficient to grow on ethanolamine. We propose that the EutD phosphotransacetylase and EutG alcohol dehydrogenase are important to maintain metabolic balance. Glutathione (GSH) had a strong positive effect that compensated for the lack of the EAL reactivase EutA protein under aerobic growth on ethanolamine. Neither GSH nor EutA was needed during growth on ethanolamine under reduced-oxygen conditions. GSH also stimulated growth of a strain lacking the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (EutE) enzyme. The role of GSH in ethanolamine catabolism is complex and requires further investigation. Our data show that the ethanolamine metabolosome is not involved in the biochemistry of ethanolamine catabolism. We propose the metabolosome is needed to concentrate low levels of ethanolamine catabolic enzymes, to keep the level of toxic acetaldehyde low, to generate enough acetyl-CoA to support cell growth, and to maintain a pool of free CoA.

Acetate excretion during growth of Salmonella enterica on ethanolamine requires phosphotransacetylase (EutD) activity, and acetate recapture requires acetyl-CoA synthetase (Acs) and phosphotransacetylase (Pta) activities

This report shows thatSalmonella entericacatabolizes ethanolamine to acetyl-CoA (Ac-CoA), which enters the glyoxylate bypass and tricarboxylic acid cycle for the generation of energy and central metabolites. During growth on ethanolamine,S. entericaexcreted acetate, whose recapture depended on Ac-CoA synthetase (Acs) and the housekeeping phosphotransacetylase (Pta) enzyme activities. The Pta enzyme did not play a role in acetate excretion during growth ofS. entericaon ethanolamine. It is proposed that during growth on ethanolamine, acetate excretion is necessary to maintain a pool of free CoA. Acetate excretion requires theeutoperon-encoded phosphotransacetylase (EutD) and acetate kinase (Ack) enzymes. EutD function was not required for growth on ethanolamine, and aneutDstrain showed only a slight reduction in growth rate. The existence of an as-yet-unidentified system that releases acetate was revealed during growth of a strain lacking Acs, the housekeeping phosphotransacetylase (Pta), and EutD. The functions of pyruvate oxidase (PoxB), Ack and STM3118 protein [a homologue of theSaccharomyces cerevisiaeAc-CoA hydrolase (Ach1p) enzyme] were not involved in the release of acetate by theacs pta eutDstrain.

A pH-sensitive function and phenotype: evidence that EutH facilitates diffusion of uncharged ethanolamine in Salmonella enterica

The eutH gene is part of an operon that allows Salmonella enterica to use ethanolamine as a sole source of nitrogen, carbon, and energy. Although the sequence of EutH suggests a role in transport, eutH mutants use ethanolamine normally under standard conditions (pH 7.0). These mutants fail to use ethanolamine at a low pH. Evidence is presented that protonated ethanolamine (Eth0) does not enter cells, while uncharged ethanolamine (Eth0) diffuses freely across the membrane. The external concentration of Eth0 varies with the pH (pK=9.5). At pH 7.0, the standard ethanolamine concentration (41 mM) provides enough Eth0 for an influx rate that can support growth with or without EutH. When a lowered pH and/or ethanolamine concentration reduced the Eth0 concentration below 25 microM, EutH was needed to facilitate diffusion. EutH+ cells grew normally at Eth0 concentrations above 3 microM, close to the Km (9 microM) of the first degradative enzyme, ethanolamine ammonia lyase. It is suggested that EutH facilitates diffusion of Eth0. As predicted for a transporter, EutH contributed to the toxicity of ethanolamine seen under some conditions; furthermore, fusion of EutH to fluorescent Yfp protein provided evidence that EutH is a membrane protein.

Propionyl coenzyme A is a common intermediate in the 1,2-propanediol and propionate catabolic pathways needed for expression of the prpBCDE operon during growth of Salmonella enterica on 1,2-propanediol

The studies reported here identify propionyl coenzyme A (propionyl-CoA) as the common intermediate in the 1,2-propanediol and propionate catabolic pathways of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2. Growth on 1,2-propanediol as a carbon and energy source led to the formation and excretion of propionate, whose activation to propionyl-CoA relied on the activities of the propionate kinase (PduW)/phosphotransacetylase (Pta) enzyme system and the CobB sirtuin-controlled acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA (Acs, PrpE) synthetases. The different affinities of these systems for propionate ensure sufficient synthesis of propionyl-CoA to support wild-type growth of S. enterica under low or high concentrations of propionate in the environment. These redundant systems of propionyl-CoA synthesis are needed because the prpE gene encoding the propionyl-CoA synthetase enzyme is part of the prpBCDE operon under the control of the PrpR regulatory protein, which needs 2-methylcitrate as a coactivator. Because the synthesis of 2-methylcitrate by PrpC (i.e., the 2-methylcitrate synthase enzyme) requires propionyl-CoA as a substrate, the level of propionyl-CoA needs to be raised by the Acs or PduW-Pta system before 2-methylcitrate can be synthesized and prpBCDE transcription can be activated.

Metabolic context and possible physiological themes of sigma(54)-dependent genes in Escherichia coli

Sigma(54) has several features that distinguish it from other sigma factors in Escherichia coli: it is not homologous to other sigma subunits, sigma(54)-dependent expression absolutely requires an activator, and the activator binding sites can be far from the transcription start site. A rationale for these properties has not been readily apparent, in part because of an inability to assign a common physiological function for sigma(54)-dependent genes. Surveys of sigma(54)-dependent genes from a variety of organisms suggest that the products of these genes are often involved in nitrogen assimilation; however, many are not. Such broad surveys inevitably remove the sigma(54)-dependent genes from a potentially coherent metabolic context. To address this concern, we consider the function and metabolic context of sigma(54)-dependent genes primarily from a single organism, Escherichia coli, in which a reasonably complete list of sigma(54)-dependent genes has been identified by computer analysis combined with a DNA microarray analysis of nitrogen limitation-induced genes. E. coli appears to have approximately 30 sigma(54)-dependent operons, and about half are involved in nitrogen assimilation and metabolism. A possible physiological relationship between sigma(54)-dependent genes may be based on the fact that nitrogen assimilation consumes energy and intermediates of central metabolism. The products of the sigma(54)-dependent genes that are not involved in nitrogen metabolism may prevent depletion of metabolites and energy resources in certain environments or partially neutralize adverse conditions. Such a relationship may limit the number of physiological themes of sigma(54)-dependent genes within a single organism and may partially account for the unique features of sigma(54) and sigma(54)-dependent gene expression.

The propanediol utilization (pdu) operon of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 includes genes necessary for formation of polyhedral organelles involved in coenzyme B(12)-dependent 1, 2-propanediol degradation

The propanediol utilization (pdu) operon of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 contains genes needed for the coenzyme B(12)-dependent catabolism of 1,2-propanediol. Here the completed DNA sequence of the pdu operon is presented. Analyses of previously unpublished pdu DNA sequence substantiated previous studies indicating that the pdu operon was acquired by horizontal gene transfer and allowed the identification of 16 hypothetical genes. This brings the total number of genes in the pdu operon to 21 and the total number of genes at the pdu locus to 23. Of these, six encode proteins of unknown function and are not closely related to sequences of known function found in GenBank. Two encode proteins involved in transport and regulation. Six probably encode enzymes needed for the pathway of 1,2-propanediol degradation. Two encode proteins related to those used for the reactivation of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl)-dependent diol dehydratase. Five encode proteins related to those involved in the formation of polyhedral organelles known as carboxysomes, and two encode proteins that appear distantly related to those involved in carboxysome formation. In addition, it is shown that S. enterica forms polyhedral bodies that are involved in the degradation of 1,2-propanediol. Polyhedra are formed during either aerobic or anaerobic growth on propanediol, but not during growth on other carbon sources. Genetic tests demonstrate that genes of the pdu operon are required for polyhedral body formation, and immunoelectron microscopy shows that AdoCbl-dependent diol dehydratase is associated with these polyhedra. This is the first evidence for a B(12)-dependent enzyme associated with a polyhedral body. It is proposed that the polyhedra consist of AdoCbl-dependent diol dehydratase (and perhaps other proteins) encased within a protein shell that is related to the shell of carboxysomes. The specific function of these unusual polyhedral bodies was not determined, but some possibilities are discussed.

Chloroplast endoribonuclease p54 involved in RNA 3'-end processing is regulated by phosphorylation and redox state

Chloroplast RNA-binding protein p54 is an endoribonuclease required for 3'end-processing of plastid precursor transcripts. We find that purified p54 can serve as a phosphate acceptor for protein kinases in vitro. Both the processing and RNA-binding activities of p54 are enhanced by phosphorylation and decreased by dephosphorylation. In addition, the enzyme is activated by the oxidized form of glutathione and inhibited by the reduced form, whereas other redox reagents that were tested showed no effect. Kinase treatment of p54 prior to oxidation by glutathione resulted in highest levels of activation, suggesting that phosphorylation and redox state act together to control p54 activity in vitro and possibly also in vivo.

Integration host factor is required for 1,2-propanediol-dependent transcription of the cob/pdu regulon in Salmonella typhimurium LT2

We show that integration host factor (IHF) is required for the activation of transcription of the cobalamin biosynthetic (cob) and 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDL) utilization (pdu) operons in Salmonella typhimurium LT2. A lack of IHF affected transcription of the cob/pdu regulon in at least two ways. First, the level of the regulatory protein PocR was decreased in ihfB (formerly himD) mutants, as judged by Western blot analysis with polyclonal antiserum raised against PocR. Second, even when PocR was available, in the absence of IHF, PocR was unable to activate transcription of cob/pdu in response to 1,2-PDL. This result suggested an additional role for IHF in PocR-dependent transcription activation. Consistent with these findings, ihfB mutants of this bacterium were unable to use 1,2-PDL as a carbon or energy source.

Propionate catabolism in Salmonella typhimurium LT2: two divergently transcribed units comprise the prp locus at 8.5 centisomes, prpR encodes a member of the sigma-54 family of activators, and the prpBCDE genes constitute an operon

We present the initial genetic and biochemical characterization of the propionate (prp) locus at 8.5 centisomes of the Salmonella typhimurium LT2 chromosome (T. A. Hammelman et al., FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 137: 233-239, 1996). In this paper, we report the nucleotide sequences of two divergently transcribed transcriptional units. One unit is comprised of the prpR gene (1,626 bp) encoding a member of the sigma-54 family of transcriptional activators; the second unit contains an operon of four genes designated prpB (888 bp), prpC (1,170 bp), prpD (1,452 bp), and prpE (1,923 bp). The heme biosynthetic gene hemB was shown by DNA sequencing to be located immediately downstream of the prpBCDE operon; hemB is divergently transcribed from prpBCDE and is separated from prpE by a 66-bp gap. In addition, we demonstrate the involvement of PrpB, PrpC, and PrpD in propionate catabolism by complementation analysis of mutants using plasmids carrying a single prp gene under the control of the arabinose-responsive P(BAD) promoter. Expression of prpB to high levels was deleterious to the growth of a prp+ strain on minimal medium supplemented with propionate as a carbon and energy source. We also report the cloning and overexpression of prpB, prpC, prpD, and prpE in the T7 system. PrpB, PrpC, PrpD, and PrpE had molecular masses of ca. 32, ca. 44, ca. 53, and ca. 70 kDa, respectively. PrpB showed homology to carboxyphosphonoenolpyruvate phosphonomutase of Streptomyces hygroscopicus and to its homolog in the carnation Dianthus caryophyllus; PrpC was homologous to both archaeal and bacterial citrate synthases; PrpD showed homology to yeast and Bacillus subtilis proteins of unknown function; PrpE showed homology to acetyl coenzyme A synthetases. We identified a sigma-54 (RpoN)-dependent promoter with a consensus RpoN binding site upstream of the initiating methionine codon of prpB, the promoter-proximal gene of the prp operon. Consistent with this finding, an rpoN prp+ mutant failed to use propionate as carbon and energy source. Finally, we report the location of MudI1734 elements inserted in prpC or prpD and of a Tn10delta16delta17 element in prpB and provide genetic evidence supporting the conclusion that the prpBCDE genes constitute an operon.

Identification of a new prp locus required for propionate catabolism in Salmonella typhimurium LT2

A new propionate (prp) locus of S. typhimurium was defined by mutation, was located to minute 8 of the chromosome, and was shown to be transcribed in the clockwise direction. A plasmid carrying the wild-type prp+ locus was isolated by complementation and its initial physical characterization is presented. Transcriptional regulation of prp was studied using MudI1734(lacZ+) operon fusions. Propionate stimulated prp transcription in a merodiploid strain containing prp+ and a prp::MudI1734 fusion, but failed to stimulate transcription of the same fusion in a haploid genetic background. prp transcription was reduced by a factor of 2 in strains deficient in the synthesis of the global regulatory protein FruR; fruR mutants failed to grow on propionate. Propionate blocked growth of prp mutants on medium containing succinate as carbon/energy source.

In vitro analysis of the interactions between the PocR regulatory protein and the promoter region of the cobalamin biosynthetic (cob) operon of Salmonella typhimurium LT2

The PocR protein of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 was overexpressed and used to demonstrate in vitro that it specifically binds to the cobalamin biosynthetic operon (cob) promoter region. Evidence is presented to show that PocR DNA-binding activity in vitro is regulated by the effector molecule 1,2-propanediol. Deletion analysis of the cob promoter (Pcob) suggested that two regions upstream of the promoter are needed for optimal activation of Pcob by PocR in vivo. DNase I footprinting experiments demonstrated that PocR binds to two sites within Pcob. The transcription initiation site of cob mRNA in response to 1,2-propanediol was identified and shown to be different from the one reported for transcription initiation under anoxic conditions in the absence of 1,2-propanediol.

DNA polymerase I function is required for the utilization of ethanolamine, 1,2-propanediol, and propionate by Salmonella typhimurium LT2

Evidence documenting the requirement for a functional DNA polymerase I when Salmonella typhimurium LT2 uses ethanolamine (EA), 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDL), or propionate (PRP) as the sole carbon and energy source is presented. Providing rat polymerase beta in trans demonstrated that the growth phenotypes observed were due exclusively to the lack of DNA polymerase I functions. The location of the mutation (a MudI1734 insertion) that rendered cells unable to grow on EA, 1,2-PDL, or PRP was determined by DNA sequencing to be within the polA gene. polA mutants of this bacterium may be unable to repair the damage caused by reactive aldehydes generated during the catabolism of EA, 1,2-PDL, or PRP. Consistent with this hypothesis, the inhibitory effects of acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde on the growth of this polA mutant were demonstrated. A derivative of the polA mutant unable to synthesize glutathione (GSH) was markedly more sensitive to acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde than was the polA mutant proficient in GSH synthesis. This finding was in agreement with the recently proposed role of GSH as a mechanism for quenching reactive aldehydes generated during the catabolism of these compounds (M. R. Rondon, R. Kazmierczack, and J. C. Escalante-Semerena, J. Bacteriol. 177:5434-5439, 1995).