Evolutionary changes of the flhDC flagellar master operon in Shigella strains

The rapid evolution of flagellar ion selectivity in experimental populations of E. coli

Determining which cellular processes facilitate adaptation requires a tractable experimental model where an environmental cue can generate variants that rescue function. The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is an excellent candidate-an ancient and highly conserved molecular complex for bacterial propulsion toward favorable environments. Motor rotation is often powered by H⁺ or Na⁺ ion transit through the torque-generating stator subunit of the motor complex, and ion selectivity has adapted over evolutionary time scales. Here, we used CRISPR engineering to replace the native Escherichia coli H⁺-powered stator with Na⁺-powered stator genes and report the spontaneous reversion of our edit in a low-sodium environment. We followed the evolution of the stators during their reversion to H⁺-powered motility and used both whole-genome and RNA sequencing to identify genes involved in the cell's adaptation. Our transplant of an unfit protein and the cells' rapid response to this edit demonstrate the adaptability of the stator subunit and highlight the hierarchical modularity of the flagellar motor.

Roles of the second messenger c‐di‐GMP in bacteria: Focusing on the topics of flagellar regulation and Vibrio spp

Typical second messengers include cyclic AMP (cAMP), cyclic GMP (cGMP), and inositol phosphate. In bacteria, cyclic diguanylate (c‐di‐GMP), which is not used in animals, is widely used as a second messenger for environmental responses. Initially found as a regulator of cellulose synthesis, this small molecule is known to be widely present in bacteria. A wide variety of synthesis and degradation enzymes for c‐di‐GMP exist, and the activities of effector proteins are regulated by changing the cellular c‐di‐GMP concentration in response to the environment. It has been shown well that c‐di‐GMP plays an essential role in pathogenic cycle and is involved in flagellar motility in Vibrio cholerae. In this review, we aim to explain the direct or indirect regulatory mechanisms of c‐di‐GMP in bacteria, focusing on the study of c‐di‐GMP in Vibrio spp. and in flagella, which are our research subjects.

The Remarkable Dual-Level Diversity of Prokaryotic Flagellins

Bacterial and archaeal flagellins are remarkable in having a shared region with variation in housekeeping proteins and a region with extreme diversity, perhaps greater than for any other protein. Analysis of the 113,285 available full-gene sequences of flagellin genes from published bacterial and archaeal sequences revealed the nature and enormous extent of flagellin diversity. There were 35,898 unique amino acid sequences that were resolved into 187 clusters. Analysis of the Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica flagellins revealed that the variation occurs at two levels. The first is the division of the variable regions into sequence forms that are so divergent that there is no meaningful alignment even within species, and these corresponded to the E. coli or S. enterica H-antigen groups. The second level is variation within these groups, which is extensive in both species. Shared sequence would allow PCR of the variable regions and thus strain-level analysis of microbiome DNA.

Flagellin, the agent of prokaryotic flagellar motion, is very widely distributed and is the H antigen of serology. Flagellin molecules have a variable region that confers serotype specificity, encoded by the middle of the gene, and also conserved regions encoded by the two ends of the gene. We collected all available prokaryotic flagellin protein sequences and found the variable region diversity to be at two levels. In each species investigated, there are hypervariable region (HVR) forms without detectable homology in protein sequences between them. There is also considerable variation within HVR forms, indicating that some have been diverging for thousands of years and that interphylum horizontal gene transfers make a major contribution to the evolution of such atypical diversity.

IMPORTANCE Bacterial and archaeal flagellins are remarkable in having a shared region with variation in housekeeping proteins and a region with extreme diversity, perhaps greater than for any other protein. Analysis of the 113,285 available full-gene sequences of flagellin genes from published bacterial and archaeal sequences revealed the nature and enormous extent of flagellin diversity. There were 35,898 unique amino acid sequences that were resolved into 187 clusters. Analysis of the Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica flagellins revealed that the variation occurs at two levels. The first is the division of the variable regions into sequence forms that are so divergent that there is no meaningful alignment even within species, and these corresponded to the E. coli or S. enterica H-antigen groups. The second level is variation within these groups, which is extensive in both species. Shared sequence would allow PCR of the variable regions and thus strain-level analysis of microbiome DNA.

Flagellar regulation mediated by the Rcs pathway is required for virulence in the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri

The flagellum is a complex surface structure necessary for a number of activities including motility, chemotaxis, biofilm formation and host attachment. Flagellin, the primary structural protein making up the flagellum, is an abundant and potent activator of innate and adaptive immunity and therefore expression of flagellin during infection could be deleterious to the infection process due to flagellin-mediated host recognition. Here, we use quantitative RT-PCR to demonstrate that expression of the flagellin locus fliC is repressed during the course of infection and subsequently up-regulated upon host mortality in a motile strain of Yersinia ruckeri. The kinetics of fliC repression during the infection process is relatively slow as full repression occurs 7-days after the initiation of infection and after approximately 3-logs of bacterial growth in vivo. These results suggests that Y. ruckeri possesses a regulatory system capable of sensing host and modulating the expression of motility in response. Examination of the master flagellar operon (flhDC) promoter region for evidence of transcriptional regulation and regulatory binding sites revealed potential interaction with the Rcs pathway through an Rcs(A)B Box. Deletion of rcsB (ΔrcsB) by marker-exchange mutagenesis resulted in overproduction of flagellin and unregulated motility, showing that the Rcs pathway negatively regulates biosynthesis of the flagellar apparatus. Experimental challenge with ΔrcsB and ΔrcsBΔfliC1ΔfliC2 mutants revealed that mutation of the Rcs pathway results in virulence attenuation which is dependent on presence of the flagellin gene. These results suggest that the inappropriate expression of flagellin during infection triggers host recognition and thus immune stimulation resulting in attenuation of virulence. In addition, RNAseq analyses of the ΔrcsB mutant strain verified the role of this gene as a negative regulator of the flagellar motility system and identified several additional genes regulated by the Rcs pathway.

Stand-Alone EAL Domain Proteins Form a Distinct Subclass of EAL Proteins Involved in Regulation of Cell Motility and Biofilm Formation in Enterobacteria

The second messenger cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is almost ubiquitous among bacteria as are the c-di-GMP turnover proteins, which mediate the transition between motility and sessility. EAL domain proteins have been characterized as c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases. While most EAL domain proteins contain additional, usually N-terminal, domains, there is a distinct family of proteins with stand-alone EAL domains, exemplified by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium proteins STM3611 (YhjH/PdeH), a c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterase, and the enzymatically inactive STM1344 (YdiV/CdgR) and STM1697, which regulate bacterial motility through interaction with the flagellar master regulator, FlhDC. We have analyzed the phylogenetic distribution of EAL-only proteins and their potential functions. Genes encoding EAL-only proteins were found in various bacterial phyla, although most of them were seen in proteobacteria, particularly enterobacteria. Based on the conservation of the active site residues, nearly all stand-alone EAL domains encoded by genomes from phyla other than proteobacteria appear to represent functional phosphodiesterases. Within enterobacteria, EAL-only proteins were found to cluster either with YhjH or with one of the subfamilies of YdiV-related proteins. EAL-only proteins from Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Yersinia enterocolitica were tested for their ability to regulate swimming and swarming motility and formation of the red, dry, and rough (rdar) biofilm morphotype. In these tests, YhjH-related proteins S4210, KPN_01159, KPN_03274, and YE4063 displayed properties typical of enzymatically active phosphodiesterases, whereas S1641 and YE1324 behaved like members of the YdiV/STM1697 subfamily, with Yersinia enterocolitica protein YE1324 shown to downregulate motility in its native host. Of two closely related EAL-only proteins, YE2225 is an active phosphodiesterase, while YE1324 appears to interact with FlhD. These results suggest that in FlhDC-harboring beta- and gammaproteobacteria, some EAL-only proteins evolved to become catalytically inactive and regulate motility and biofilm formation by interacting with FlhDC.IMPORTANCE The EAL domain superfamily consists mainly of proteins with cyclic dimeric GMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity, but individual domains have been classified in three classes according to their functions and conserved amino acid signatures. Proteins that consist solely of stand-alone EAL domains cannot rely on other domains to form catalytically active dimers, and most of them fall into one of two distinct classes: catalytically active phosphodiesterases with well-conserved residues of the active site and the dimerization loop, and catalytically inactive YdiV/CdgR-like proteins that regulate bacterial motility by binding to the flagellar master regulator, FlhDC, and are found primarily in enterobacteria. The presence of apparently inactive EAL-only proteins in the bacteria that do not express FlhD suggests the existence of additional EAL interaction partners.

The flagellar master operon flhDC is a pleiotropic regulator involved in motility and virulence of the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri

AIMS

To investigate the function of the master flagellar operon flhDC in the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri and compare the effect of a constructed flhD mutation to a naturally occurring fliR mutation causing loss-of-motility in emergent biotype 2 (BT2) strains.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Yersinia ruckeri flhD and fliR mutants were constructed in a motile strain. Both mutations caused loss-of-motility, ablation of flagellin synthesis and phospholipase secretion, similar to naturally occurring BT2 strains. Transcriptome analysis confirmed flhDC regulation of flagellar, chemotaxis and phospholipase loci as well as other genes of diverse function. The flhD mutation confers a competitive advantage within the fish host when compared with its parent strain, while this advantage was not seen with the naturally occurring fliR mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

An intact flhD is necessary for expression of the flagellar secretion system as well as other diverse loci, consistent with a role for flhD as a pleiotropic regulator. The maintenance of the flhD locus in Y. ruckeri strains suggests its importance for aspects of Y. ruckeri biology other than virulence, since the flhD mutation conferred a competitive advantage during experimental challenge of rainbow trout.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Yersinia ruckeri is the causative agent of enteric red mouth disease, an invasive septicaemia that affects farmed salmonid fish species. Disease outbreaks can cause severe economic losses in aquaculture. BT2 variants, which have independently emerged worldwide, are an increasing threat to farmed fish production. Knowledge of mechanisms involved in virulence, conserved functions and gene regulation among strains may be exploited for the development of novel disease control strategies to prevent pathogen growth or virulence phenotypes within aquaculture.

Mutations That Stimulate flhDC Expression in Escherichia coli K-12

Motility is a beneficial attribute that enables cells to access and explore new environments and to escape detrimental ones. The organelle of motility in Escherichia coli is the flagellum, and its production is initiated by the activating transcription factors FlhD and FlhC. The expression of these factors by the flhDC operon is highly regulated and influenced by environmental conditions. The flhDC promoter is recognized by σ(70) and is dependent on the transcriptional activator cyclic AMP (cAMP)-cAMP receptor protein complex (cAMP-CRP). A number of K-12 strains exhibit limited motility due to low expression levels of flhDC. We report here a large number of mutations that stimulate flhDC expression in such strains. They include single nucleotide changes in the -10 element of the promoter, in the promoter spacer, and in the cAMP-CRP binding region. In addition, we show that insertion sequence (IS) elements or a kanamycin gene located hundreds of base pairs upstream of the promoter can effectively enhance transcription, suggesting that the topology of a large upstream region plays a significant role in the regulation of flhDC expression. None of the mutations eliminated the requirement for cAMP-CRP for activation. However, several mutations allowed expression in the absence of the nucleoid organizing protein, H-NS, which is normally required for flhDC expression.

IMPORTANCE

The flhDC operon of Escherichia coli encodes transcription factors that initiate flagellar synthesis, an energetically costly process that is highly regulated. Few deregulating mutations have been reported thus far. This paper describes new single nucleotide mutations that stimulate flhDC expression, including a number that map to the promoter spacer region. In addition, this work shows that insertion sequence elements or a kanamycin gene located far upstream from the promoter or repressor binding sites also stimulate transcription, indicating a role of regional topology in the regulation of flhDC expression.

Distinct mutations led to inactivation of type 1 fimbriae expression in Shigella spp

Shigella spp. are responsible for bacillary dysentery in humans. The acquisition or the modification of the virulence plasmid encoding factors promoting entry of bacteria into and dissemination within epithelial cells was a critical step in the evolution of these bacteria from their Escherichia coli ancestor(s). Incorporation of genomic islands (GI) and gene inactivation also shaped interactions between these pathogens and their human host. Sequence analysis of the GI inserted next to the leuX tRNA gene in S. boydii, S. dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. sonnei and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) suggests that this region initially carried the fec, yjhATS and fim gene clusters. The fim cluster encoding type I fimbriae is systematically inactivated in both reference strains and clinical isolates and distinct mutations are responsible for this inactivation in at least three phylogenetic groups. To investigate consequences of the presence of fimbriae on the outcome of the interaction of Shigella with host cells, we used a S. flexneri strain harboring a plasmid encoding the E. coli fim operon. Production of fimbriae by this recombinant strain increased the ability of bacteria to adhere to and enter into epithelial cells and had no effect on their ability to disseminate from cell to cell. The observations that production of type I fimbriae increases invasion of epithelial cells and that independent mutations abolish fimbriae production in Shigella suggest that these mutations correspond to pathoadaptive events.

Intra-specific diversity of Serratia marcescens in Anopheles mosquito midgut defines Plasmodium transmission capacity

A critical stage in malaria transmission occurs in the Anopheles mosquito midgut, when the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, ingested with blood, first makes contact with the gut epithelial surface. To understand the response mechanisms within the midgut environment, including those influenced by resident microbiota against Plasmodium, we focus on a midgut bacteria species' intra-specific variation that confers diversity to the mosquito's competency for malaria transmission. Serratia marcescens isolated from either laboratory-reared mosquitoes or wild populations in Burkina Faso shows great phenotypic variation in its cellular and structural features. Importantly, this variation is directly correlated with its ability to inhibit Plasmodium development within the mosquito midgut. Furthermore, this anti-Plasmodium function conferred by Serratiamarcescens requires increased expression of the flagellum biosynthetic pathway that is modulated by the motility master regulatory operon, flhDC. These findings point to new strategies for controlling malaria through genetic manipulation of midgut bacteria within the mosquito.

Chemoreceptor gene loss and acquisition via horizontal gene transfer in Escherichia coli

Chemotaxis allows bacteria to more efficiently colonize optimal microhabitats within their larger environment. Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is the best-studied model system, and a large number of E. coli strains have been sequenced. The Escherichia/Shigella genus encompasses a great variety of commensal and pathogenic strains, but the role of chemotaxis in their association with the host remains poorly understood. Here we show that the core chemotaxis genes are lost in many, but not all, nonmotile strains but are well preserved in all motile strains. The genes encoding the Tar, Tsr, and Aer chemoreceptors, which mediate chemotaxis to a broad spectrum of chemical and physical cues, are also nearly uniformly conserved in motile strains. In contrast, the clade of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli strains apparently underwent an ancestral loss of Trg and Tap chemoreceptors, which sense sugars, dipeptides, and pyrimidines. The broad range of time estimated for the loss of these genes (1 to 3 million years ago) corresponds to the appearance of the genus Homo.

Intergenic sequence comparison of Escherichia coli isolates reveals lifestyle adaptations but not host specificity

Establishing the risk of human infection is one of the goals of public health. For bacterial pathogens, the virulence and zoonotic potential can often be related to their host source. Escherichia coli bacteria are common contaminants of water associated with human recreation and consumption, and many strains are pathogenic. In this study, we analyzed three promoter-containing intergenic regions from 284 diverse E. coli isolates in an attempt to identify molecular signatures associated with specific host types. Promoter sequences controlling production of curli fimbriae, flagella, and nutrient import yielded a phylogenetic tree with isolates clustered by established phylogenetic grouping (A, B1, B2, and D) but not by host source. Virulence genes were more prevalent in groups B2 and D isolates and in human isolates. Group B1 isolates, primarily from nonhuman sources, were the most genetically similar, indicating that they lacked molecular adaptations to specific host environments and were likely host generalists. Conversely, B2 isolates, primarily from human sources, displayed greater genetic distances and were more likely to be host adapted. In agreement with these hypotheses, prevalence of σ(S) activity and the rdar morphotype, phenotypes associated with environmental survival, were significantly higher in B1 isolates than in B2 isolates. Based on our findings, we speculate that E. coli host specificity is not defined by genome-wide sequence changes but, rather, by the presence or absence of specific genes and associated promoter elements. Furthermore, the requirements for colonization of the human gastrointestinal tract may lead to E. coli lifestyle changes along with selection for increased virulence.

Independent emergence of Yersinia ruckeri biotype 2 in the United States and Europe

Biotype 2 (BT2) variants of the bacterium Yersinia ruckeri are an increasing disease problem in U.S. and European aquaculture and have been characterized as serovar 1 isolates that lack both peritrichous flagella and secreted phospholipase activity. The emergence of this biotype has been associated with an increased frequency of enteric redmouth disease (ERM) outbreaks in previously vaccinated salmonid fish. In this study, four independent specific natural mutations that cause the loss of both motility and secreted lipase activity were identified in BT2 strains from the United States, United Kingdom, and mainland Europe. Each of these was a unique mutation in either fliR, flhA, or flhB, all of which are genes predicted to encode essential components of the flagellar secretion apparatus. Our results demonstrate the existence of independent mutations leading to the BT2 phenotype; thus, this phenotype has emerged separately at least four times. In addition, BT2 strains from the United Kingdom were shown to have the same mutant allele found in U.S. BT2 strains, suggesting a common origin of this BT2 lineage. This differentiation of distinct BT2 lineages is of critical importance for the development and validation of alternative vaccines or other treatment strategies intended for the control of BT2 strains.

New enterovirulent Escherichia coli serogroup 64474 showing antigenic and genotypic relationships to Shigella boydii 16

Studies based on the analysis of housekeeping genes indicate that Escherichia coli and all Shigella species, except for Shigella boydii type 13, belong to a single species. This study analysed the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of 23 E. coli strains isolated in different countries from faecal specimens taken from children with diarrhoea. Strains were identified using the VITEK system and typed with rabbit sera obtained against 186 somatic and 53 flagellar E. coli antigens and against 45 Shigella somatic antigens. Biochemical analysis of these strains showed a typical E. coli profile with a defined reaction against both E. coli O179 and S. boydii 16 somatic antisera. Agglutination assays for flagellar antigens showed a response against H2 in 7 (30 %) strains, H10 in 2 (9 %) strains, H32 in 12 (52 %) strains and H34 in 2 (9 %) strains, demonstrating 4 serotypes associated with this new somatic antigen 64474. A serum against one of these E. coli strains (64474) was prepared. Absorption assays of S. boydii 16 and E. coli 64474 antisera with E. coli O179 antigen removed the agglutination response against this O179 antigen completely, while the agglutination titres against both S. boydii 16 and E. coli 64474 remained the same. Four (17 %) E. coli strains showed antimicrobial resistance to piperacillin only, one (4 %) to piperacillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, one (4 %) to ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and piperacillin, and two (9 %) strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, piperacillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. With regards to PCR assays, one (4 %) of the strains was positive for Shigella gene ipaH, one (4 %) for ipaA, two (9 %) for ipaB, one (4 %) for ipaD, two (9 %) for sepA and three (13 %) for ospF. The rfb gene cluster in the E. coli strains was analysed by RFLP and compared with the gene cluster obtained from S. boydii 16. The rfb-RFLP patterns for all 23 E. coli strains were similar to those obtained for S. boydii 16. The results from PCR tests to detect rfb genes wzx (encoding O unit flippase) and wzy (encoding polymerase) belonging to a cluster related to the biosynthesis of the S. boydii 16-specific O antigen were positive in 21 (91 %) and 22 (96 %) of the strains, respectively. PCR assays to detect E. coli virulence genes were also performed. These assays detected enterotoxigenic E. coli genes ltA1 in 12 of the strains (52 %), st1a in 4 (17 %), cfa1 in 6 (26 %), cs1 in 1 (4 %), cs3 in 3 (13 %), cs13 in 9 (39 %) and cs14 in 5 (22 %) of the strains. Results from the PFGE analyses confirmed the wide geographical distribution of these strains suggesting that 64474 : H2, 64474 : H10, 64474 : H32 and 64474 : H34 are new serotypes of E. coli strains with a defined virulence capacity, and share a common O antigen with S. boydii 16.

Metabolic analysis of the soil microbe Dechloromonas aromatica str. RCB: indications of a surprisingly complex life-style and cryptic anaerobic pathways for aromatic degradation

Background

Initial interest in Dechloromonas aromatica strain RCB arose from its ability to anaerobically degrade benzene. It is also able to reduce perchlorate and oxidize chlorobenzoate, toluene, and xylene, creating interest in using this organism for bioremediation. Little physiological data has been published for this microbe. It is considered to be a free-living organism.

Results

The a priori prediction that the D. aromatica genome would contain previously characterized "central" enzymes to support anaerobic aromatic degradation of benzene proved to be false, suggesting the presence of novel anaerobic aromatic degradation pathways in this species. These missing pathways include the benzylsuccinate synthase (bssABC) genes (responsible for fumarate addition to toluene) and the central benzoyl-CoA pathway for monoaromatics. In depth analyses using existing TIGRfam, COG, and InterPro models, and the creation of de novo HMM models, indicate a highly complex lifestyle with a large number of environmental sensors and signaling pathways, including a relatively large number of GGDEF domain signal receptors and multiple quorum sensors. A number of proteins indicate interactions with an as yet unknown host, as indicated by the presence of predicted cell host remodeling enzymes, effector enzymes, hemolysin-like proteins, adhesins, NO reductase, and both type III and type VI secretory complexes. Evidence of biofilm formation including a proposed exopolysaccharide complex and exosortase (epsH) are also present. Annotation described in this paper also reveals evidence for several metabolic pathways that have yet to be observed experimentally, including a sulphur oxidation (soxFCDYZAXB) gene cluster, Calvin cycle enzymes, and proteins involved in nitrogen fixation in other species (including RubisCo, ribulose-phosphate 3-epimerase, and nif gene families, respectively).

Conclusion

Analysis of the D. aromatica genome indicates there is much to be learned regarding the metabolic capabilities, and life-style, for this microbial species. Examples of recent gene duplication events in signaling as well as dioxygenase clusters are present, indicating selective gene family expansion as a relatively recent event in D. aromatica's evolutionary history. Gene families that constitute metabolic cycles presumed to create D. aromatica's environmental 'foot-print' indicate a high level of diversification between its predicted capabilities and those of its close relatives, A. aromaticum str EbN1 and Azoarcus BH72.

Reduced selection leads to accelerated gene loss in Shigella

The rate of gene loss was studied in the facultative pathogens, E. coli and Shigella, and was found to be greater in the more niche-limited Shigella. This is demonstrated to be due to a genome-wide reduction in the effectiveness of selection.

Background

Obligate pathogenic bacteria lose more genes relative to facultative pathogens, which, in turn, lose more genes than free-living bacteria. It was suggested that the increased gene loss in obligate pathogens may be due to a reduction in the effectiveness of purifying selection. Less attention has been given to the causes of increased gene loss in facultative pathogens.

Results

We examined in detail the rate of gene loss in two groups of facultative pathogenic bacteria: pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Shigella. We show that Shigella strains are losing genes at an accelerated rate relative to pathogenic E. coli. We demonstrate that a genome-wide reduction in the effectiveness of selection contributes to the observed increase in the rate of gene loss in Shigella.

Conclusion

When compared with their closely related pathogenic E. coli relatives, the more niche-limited Shigella strains appear to be losing genes at a significantly accelerated rate. A genome-wide reduction in the effectiveness of purifying selection plays a role in creating this observed difference. Our results demonstrate that differences in the effectiveness of selection contribute to differences in rate of gene loss in facultative pathogenic bacteria. We discuss how the lifestyle and pathogenicity of Shigella may alter the effectiveness of selection, thus influencing the rate of gene loss.

Molecular pathogenesis of Shigella spp.: controlling host cell signaling, invasion, and death by type III secretion

Shigella spp. are gram-negative pathogenic bacteria that evolved from harmless enterobacterial relatives and may cause devastating diarrhea upon ingestion. Research performed over the last 25 years revealed that a type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded on a large plasmid is a key virulence factor of Shigella flexneri. The T3SS determines the interactions of S. flexneri with intestinal cells by consecutively translocating two sets of effector proteins into the target cells. Thus, S. flexneri controls invasion into EC, intra- and intercellular spread, macrophage cell death, as well as host inflammatory responses. Some of the translocated effector proteins show novel biochemical activities by which they intercept host cell signal transduction pathways. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Shigella pathogenesis will foster the development of a safe and efficient vaccine, which, in parallel with improved hygiene, should curb infections by this widespread pathogen.

Co-evolution of transcription factors and their targets depends on mode of regulation

Analysis of transcription regulatory networks in γ-proteobacteria reveals that repressors co-evolve tightly with their target genes, whereas activators can be lost independently of their targets.

Background

Differences in the transcription regulation network are at the root of much of the phenotypic variation observed among organisms. These differences may be achieved either by changing the repertoire of regulators and/or their targets, or by rewiring the network. Following these changes and studying their logic is crucial for understanding the evolution of regulatory networks.

Results

We use the well characterized transcription regulatory network of Escherichia coli K12 and follow the evolutionary changes in the repertoire of regulators and their targets across a large number of fully sequenced γ-proteobacteria. By focusing on close relatives of E. coli K12, we study the dynamics of the evolution of transcription regulation across a relatively short evolutionary timescale. We show significant differences in the evolution of repressors and activators. Repressors are only lost from a genome once their targets have themselves been lost, or once the network has significantly rewired. In contrast, activators are often lost even when their targets remain in the genome. As a result, E. coli K12 repressors that regulate many targets are rarely absent from organisms that are closely related to E. coli K12, while activators with a similar number of targets are often absent in these organisms.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that the mode of regulation exerted by transcription factors has a strong effect on their evolution. Repressors co-evolve tightly with their target genes. In contrast, activators can be lost independently of their targets. In fact, loss of an activator can lead to efficient shutdown of an unnecessary pathway.

Role of motility and the flhDC Operon in Escherichia coli MG1655 colonization of the mouse intestine

Previously, we reported that the mouse intestine selected mutants of Escherichia coli MG1655 that have improved colonizing ability (M. P. Leatham et al., Infect. Immun. 73:8039-8049, 2005). These mutants grew 10 to 20% faster than their parent in mouse cecal mucus in vitro and 15 to 30% faster on several sugars found in the mouse intestine. The mutants were nonmotile and had deletions of various lengths beginning immediately downstream of an IS1 element located within the regulatory region of the flhDC operon, which encodes the master regulator of flagellum biosynthesis, FlhD(4)C(2). Here we show that during intestinal colonization by wild-type E. coli strain MG1655, 45 to 50% of the cells became nonmotile by day 3 after feeding of the strain to mice and between 80 and 90% of the cells were nonmotile by day 15 after feeding. Ten nonmotile mutants isolated from mice were sequenced, and all were found to have flhDC deletions of various lengths. Despite this strong selection, 10 to 20% of the E. coli MG1655 cells remained motile over a 15-day period, suggesting that there is an as-yet-undefined intestinal niche in which motility is an advantage. The deletions appear to be selected in the intestine for two reasons. First, genes unrelated to motility that are normally either directly or indirectly repressed by FlhD(4)C(2) but can contribute to maximum colonizing ability are released from repression. Second, energy normally used to synthesize flagella and turn the flagellar motor is redirected to growth.

Revisiting the Molecular Evolutionary History of Shigella spp

The theory that Shigella is derived from multiple independent origins of Escherichia coli (Pupo et al. 2000) has been challenged by recent findings that the virulence plasmids (VPs) and the chromosomes share a similar evolutionary history (Escobar-Paramo et al. 2003), which suggests that an ancestral VP entered an E. coli strain only once, which gave rise to Shigella spp. In an attempt to resolve these conflicting theories, we constructed three phylogenetic trees in this study: a robust chromosomal tree using 23 housekeeping genes from 46 strains of Shigella and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), a chromosomal tree using 4 housekeeping genes from 19 EcoR strains and 46 Shigella/EIEC strains, and a VP tree using 5 genes outside of the VP cell-entry region from 38 Shigella/EIEC strains. Both chromosomal trees group Shigella into three main clusters and five outliers, and strongly suggest that Shigella has multiple origins within E. coli. Most strikingly, the VP tree shows that the VPs from two main Shigella clusters, C1 and C2, are more closely related, which contradicts the chromosomal trees that place C2 and C3 next to each other but C1 at a distance. Additionally, we have identified a complete tra operon of the F-plasmid in the genome sequence of an EIEC strain and found that two other EIEC strains are also likely to possess a complete tra operon. All lines of evidence support an alternative multiorigin theory that transferable diverse ancestral VPs entered diverse origins of E. coli multiple times during a prolonged period of time, resulting in Shigella species with diverse genomes but similar pathogenic properties.