YycH regulates the activity of the essential YycFG two-component system in Bacillus subtilis

Evolutionary trajectories of β-lactam resistance in Enterococcus faecalis strains

Resistance to ampicillin and imipenem in Enterococcus faecalis is infrequent. However, the evolution of resistance can occur through prolonged antibiotic exposure during the treatment of chronic infections. In this study, we conducted a Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) using four genetically diverse strains of E. faecalis with varying susceptibilities to ampicillin and imipenem. Each strain was subjected to increasing concentrations of either ampicillin or imipenem over 200 days, with three independent replicates for each strain. Selective pressure from imipenem led to the rapid selection of highly resistant lineages across all genetic backgrounds, compared to ampicillin. In addition to high resistance, we describe, for the first time, the evolution of a β-lactam dependent phenotype observed in lineages from all backgrounds. WGS and bioinformatic analysis revealed mutations in three main functional classes: genes involved in cell wall synthesis and degradation, genes in the walK/R two-component system, and genes in the c-di-AMP pathway. Our analysis identified new mutations in genes known to be involved in resistance as well as novel genes potentially associated with resistance. Furthermore, the newly described β-lactam dependent phenotype was correlated with the inactivation of c-di-AMP degradation, resulting in high levels of this second messenger. Together, these data highlight the diverse genetic mechanisms underlying resistance to ampicillin and imipenem in E. faecalis . The emergence of high resistance levels and β-lactam dependency underscores the importance of understanding evolutionary dynamics in the development of antibiotic resistance.

Importance

E. faecalis is a major human pathogen, and treatment is frequently compromised by poor response to first-line antibiotics such ampicillin. Understanding the factors that play a role in susceptibility/resistance to these drugs will help guide the development of much needed treatments.

Functional genomic analysis of the isolated potential probiotic Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus TY-11 and its comparison with other Lactobacillus delbrueckii strains

Probiotics refer to living microorganisms that exert a variety of beneficial effects on human health. On the contrary, they also can cause infection, produce toxins within the body, and transfer antibiotic-resistant genes to the other microorganisms in the digestive tract necessitating a comprehensive safety assessment. This study aimed to conduct functional genomic analysis and some relevant biochemical tests to uncover the probiotic potentials of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus TY-11 isolated from native yogurt in Bangladesh. We also performed transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis, comparative genomic study as well as phylogenetic tree construction with 332 core genes from 262 genomes. The strain TY-11 was identified as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus, whose genome (1,916,674 bp) contained 1911 CDS, and no gene was identified for either antibiotic resistance or toxic metabolites. It carried genes for the degradation of toxic metabolites, treatment of lactose intolerance, toll-like receptor 2-dependent innate immune response, heat and cold shock, bile salts tolerance, and acidic pH tolerance. Genes were annotated for inhibiting pathogenic bacteria by inhibitory substances [bacteriocin: Helveticin-J (331 bp) and Enterolysin-A (275 bp), hydrogen peroxide, and acid]; blockage of adhesion sites; and competition for nutrients. The genes involved in its metabolic pathway were detected as suitable for digesting indigestible nutrients in the human gut. The TY-11 genome possessed an additional 37 core genes of subspecies indicus which were deficient in the core genome of the most popular subsp. bulgaricus. During the phenotypic testing, the isolate TY-11 demonstrated high antagonistic activity (inhibition zone of 21.33 ± 1.53 mm) against Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and was not sensitive to any of the 10 tested antibiotics. This study was the first study to explore the molecular insights into probiotic roles, including antimicrobial activities and antibiotic sensitivity, of a representative strain (TY-11) of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus.

IMPORTANCE

This study aimed to conduct functional genomic analysis to uncover the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus TY-11 isolated from native yogurt in Bangladesh. We also performed transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis, comparative genomic study as well as phylogenetic tree construction with 332 core genes from 262 genomes. In our current investigation, we revealed a number of common and unique excellences of the probiotic Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus TY-11 that are likely to be important to illustrate its intestinal residence and probiotic roles. This is the first study to explore the molecular insights into intestinal residence and probiotic roles, including antimicrobial activities and antibiotic sensitivity, of a representative strain (TY-11) of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus.

HtrAs are essential for the survival of the haloarchaeon Natrinema gari J7-2 in response to heat, high salinity, and toxic substances

Bacterial and eukaryotic HtrAs can act as an extracytoplasmic protein quality control (PQC) system to help cells survive in stress conditions, but the functions of archaeal HtrAs remain unknown. Particularly, haloarchaea route most secretory proteins to the Tat pathway, enabling them to fold properly in well-controlled cytoplasm with cytosolic PQC systems before secretion. It is unclear whether HtrAs are required for haloarchaeal survival and stress response. The haloarchaeon Natrinema gari J7-2 encodes three Tat signal peptide-bearing HtrAs (NgHtrA, NgHtrB, and NgHtrC), and the signal peptides of NgHtrA and NgHtrC contain a lipobox. Here, the in vitro analysis reveals that the three HtrAs show different profiles of temperature-, salinity-, and metal ion-dependent proteolytic activities and could exhibit chaperone-like activities to prevent the aggregation of reduced lysozyme when their proteolytic activities are inhibited at low temperatures or the active site is disrupted. The gene deletion and complementation assays reveal that NgHtrA and NgHtrC are essential for the survival of strain J7-2 at elevated temperature and/or high salinity and contribute to the resistance of this haloarchaeon to zinc and inhibitory substances generated from tryptone. Mutational analysis shows that the lipobox mediates membrane anchoring of NgHtrA or NgHtrC, and both the membrane-anchored and free extracellular forms of the two enzymes are involved in the stress resistance of strain J7-2, depending on the stress conditions. Deletion of the gene encoding NgHtrB in strain J7-2 causes no obvious growth defect, but NgHtrB can functionally substitute for NgHtrA or NgHtrC under some conditions.IMPORTANCEHtrA-mediated protein quality control plays an important role in the removal of aberrant proteins in the extracytoplasmic space of living cells, and the action mechanisms of HtrAs have been extensively studied in bacteria and eukaryotes; however, information about the function of archaeal HtrAs is scarce. Our results demonstrate that three HtrAs of the haloarchaeon Natrinema gari J7-2 possess both proteolytic and chaperone-like activities, confirming that the bifunctional nature of HtrAs is conserved across all three domains of life. Moreover, we found that NgHtrA and NgHtrC are essential for the survival of strain J7-2 under stress conditions, while NgHtrB can serve as a substitute for the other two HtrAs under certain circumstances. This study provides the first biochemical and genetic evidence of the importance of HtrAs for the survival of haloarchaea in response to stresses.

Mutation in the Two-Component System Regulator YycH Leads to Daptomycin Tolerance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus upon Evolution with a Population Bottleneck

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a useful tool to study the evolution of antibiotic tolerance in bacterial populations under diverse environmental conditions. The role of population bottlenecks in the evolution of tolerance has been investigated in Escherichia coli, but not in a more clinically relevant pathogen, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study, we used ALE to evolve MRSA under repetitive daptomycin treatment and incorporated population bottlenecks following antibiotic exposure. We observed that the populations finally attained a tolerance mutation in the yycH gene after 2 weeks of evolution with population bottlenecks, and additional mutations in yycI and several other genes further increased the tolerance level. The tolerant populations also became resistant to another glycopeptide antibiotic, vancomycin. Through proteomics, we showed that yycH and yycI mutations led to the loss of function of the proteins and downregulated the WalKR two-component system and the downstream players, including the autolysin Atl and amidase Sle1, which are important for cell wall metabolism. Overall, our study offers new insights into the evolution of daptomycin tolerance under population bottlenecking conditions, which are commonly faced by pathogens during infection; the study also identified new mutations conferring daptomycin tolerance and revealed the proteome alterations in the evolved tolerant populations. IMPORTANCE Although population bottlenecks are known to influence the evolutionary dynamics of microbial populations, how such bottlenecks affect the evolution of tolerance to antibiotics in a clinically relevant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) pathogen are still unclear. Here, we performed in vitro evolution of MRSA under cyclic daptomycin treatment and applied population bottlenecks following the treatment. We showed that under these experimental conditions, MRSA populations finally attained mutations in yycH, yycI, and several other genes that led to daptomycin tolerance. The discovered yycH and yycI mutations caused early termination of the genes and loss of function of the proteins, and they subsequently downregulated the expression of proteins controlled by the WalKR two-component system, such as Atl and Sle1. In addition, we compared our proteomics data with multiple studies on distinct daptomycin-tolerant MRSA mutants to identify proteins with a consistent expression pattern that could serve as biological markers for daptomycin tolerance in MRSA.

The WalR-WalK signaling pathway modulates the activities of both CwlO and LytE through control of the peptidoglycan deacetylase PdaC in Bacillus subtilis

The WalR-WalK two component signaling system in Bacillus subtilis functions in the homeostatic control of the peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolases LytE and CwlO that are required for cell growth. When the activities of these enzymes are low, WalR activates transcription of lytE and cwlO and represses transcription of iseA, a secreted inhibitor of LytE. Conversely, when PG hydrolases activity is too high, WalR-dependent expression of lytE and cwlO is reduced and iseA is de-repressed. In a screen for additional factors that regulate this signaling pathway, we discovered that over-expression of the membrane-anchored PG deacetylase PdaC increases WalR-dependent gene expression. We show that increased expression of PdaC, but not catalytic mutants, prevents cell wall cleavage by both LytE and CwlO, explaining the WalR activation. Importantly, the pdaC gene, like iseA, is repressed by active WalR. We propose that de-repression of pdaC when PG hydrolase activity is too high results in modification of the membrane-proximal layers of the PG, protecting the wall from excessive cleavage by the membrane-tethered CwlO. Thus, the WalR-WalK system homeostatically controls the levels and activities of both elongation-specific cell wall hydrolases. Importance: Bacterial growth and division requires a delicate balance between the synthesis and remodeling of the cell wall exoskeleton. How bacteria regulate the potentially autolytic enzymes that remodel the cell wall peptidoglycan remains incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence that the broadly conserved WalR-WalK two-component signaling system homeostatically controls both the levels and activities of two cell wall hydrolases that are critical for cell growth.

Membrane Sensor Histidine Kinases: Insights from Structural, Ligand and Inhibitor Studies of Full-Length Proteins and Signalling Domains for Antibiotic Discovery

There is an urgent need to find new antibacterial agents to combat bacterial infections, including agents that inhibit novel, hitherto unexploited targets in bacterial cells. Amongst novel targets are two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) which are the main mechanism by which bacteria sense and respond to environmental changes. TCSs typically comprise a membrane-embedded sensory protein (the sensor histidine kinase, SHK) and a partner response regulator protein. Amongst promising targets within SHKs are those involved in environmental signal detection (useful for targeting specific SHKs) and the common themes of signal transmission across the membrane and propagation to catalytic domains (for targeting multiple SHKs). However, the nature of environmental signals for the vast majority of SHKs is still lacking, and there is a paucity of structural information based on full-length membrane-bound SHKs with and without ligand. Reasons for this lack of knowledge lie in the technical challenges associated with investigations of these relatively hydrophobic membrane proteins and the inherent flexibility of these multidomain proteins that reduces the chances of successful crystallisation for structural determination by X-ray crystallography. However, in recent years there has been an explosion of information published on (a) methodology for producing active forms of full-length detergent-, liposome- and nanodisc-solubilised membrane SHKs and their use in structural studies and identification of signalling ligands and inhibitors; and (b) mechanisms of signal sensing and transduction across the membrane obtained using sensory and transmembrane domains in isolation, which reveal some commonalities as well as unique features. Here we review the most recent advances in these areas and highlight those of potential use in future strategies for antibiotic discovery. This Review is part of a Special Issue entitled “Interactions of Bacterial Molecules with Their Ligands and Other Chemical Agents” edited by Mary K. Phillips-Jones.

YycH and YycI Regulate Expression of Staphylococcus aureus Autolysins by Activation of WalRK Phosphorylation

Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative pathogen that can encode numerous antibiotic resistance and immune evasion genes and can cause severe infections. Reduced susceptibility to last resort antibiotics such as vancomycin and daptomycin is often associated with mutations in walRK, an essential two-component regulatory system (TCS). This study focuses on the WalK accessory membrane proteins YycH and YycI and their influence on WalRK phosphorylation. Depletion of YycH and YycI by antisense RNA caused an impaired autolysis, indicating a positive regulatory function on WalK as has been previously described. Phosphorylation assays with full-length recombinant proteins in phospholipid liposomes showed that YycH and YycI stimulate WalK activity and that both regulatory proteins are needed for full activation of the WalK kinase. This was validated in vivo through examining the phosphorylation status of WalR using Phos-tag SDS-PAGE with a yycHI deletion mutant exhibiting reduced levels of phosphorylated WalR. In the yycHI knockdown strain, muropeptide composition of the cell wall was not affected, however, the wall teichoic acid content was increased. In conclusion, a direct modulation of WalRK phosphorylation activity by the accessory proteins YycH and YycI is reported both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results show that YycH and YycI are important in the direct regulation of WalRK-dependent cell wall metabolism.

Homeostatic control of cell wall hydrolysis by the WalRK two-component signaling pathway in Bacillus subtilis

Bacterial cells are encased in a peptidoglycan (PG) exoskeleton that protects them from osmotic lysis and specifies their distinct shapes. Cell wall hydrolases are required to enlarge this covalently closed macromolecule during growth, but how these autolytic enzymes are regulated remains poorly understood. Bacillus subtilis encodes two functionally redundant D,L-endopeptidases (CwlO and LytE) that cleave peptide crosslinks to allow expansion of the PG meshwork during growth. Here, we provide evidence that the essential and broadly conserved WalR-WalK two component regulatory system continuously monitors changes in the activity of these hydrolases by sensing the cleavage products generated by these enzymes and modulating their levels and activity in response. The WalR-WalK pathway is conserved among many Gram-positive pathogens where it controls transcription of distinct sets of PG hydrolases. Cell wall remodeling in these bacteria may be subject to homeostatic control mechanisms similar to the one reported here.

Synthesis of histidine kinase inhibitors and their biological properties

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria represent a significant and ever-increasing cause of morbidity and mortality. There is thus an urgent need to develop efficient and well-tolerated antibacterials targeting unique cellular processes. Numerous studies have led to the identification of new biological targets to fight bacterial resistance. Two-component signal transduction systems are widely employed by bacteria to translate external and cellular signals into a cellular response. They are ubiquitous in bacteria, absent in the animal kingdom and are integrated into various virulence pathways. Several chemical series, including isothiazolidones, imidazolium salts, benzoxazines, salicylanilides, thiophenes, thiazolidiones, benzimidazoles, and other derivatives deduced by different approaches have been reported in the literature to have histidine kinase (HK) inhibitory activity. In this review, we report on the design and the synthesis of these HKs inhibitors and their potential to serve as antibacterial agents.

SweC and SweD are essential co-factors of the FtsEX-CwlO cell wall hydrolase complex in Bacillus subtilis

The peptidoglycan (PG) sacculus is composed of long glycan strands cross-linked together by short peptides forming a covalently closed meshwork that protects the bacterial cell from osmotic lysis and specifies its shape. PG hydrolases play essential roles in remodeling this three-dimensional network during growth and division but how these autolytic enzymes are regulated remains poorly understood. The FtsEX ABC transporter-like complex has emerged as a broadly conserved regulatory module in controlling cell wall hydrolases in diverse bacterial species. In most characterized examples, this complex regulates distinct PG hydrolases involved in cell division and is intimately associated with the cytokinetic machinery called the divisome. However, in the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis the FtsEX complex is required for cell wall elongation where it regulates the PG hydrolase CwlO that acts along the lateral cell wall. To investigate whether additional factors are required for FtsEX function outside the divisome, we performed a synthetic lethal screen taking advantage of the conditional essentiality of CwlO. This screen identified two uncharacterized factors (SweD and SweC) that are required for CwlO activity. We demonstrate that these proteins reside in a membrane complex with FtsX and that amino acid substitutions in residues adjacent to the ATPase domain of FtsE partially bypass the requirement for them. Collectively our data indicate that SweD and SweC function as essential co-factors of FtsEX in controlling CwlO during cell wall elongation. We propose that factors analogous to SweDC function to support FtsEX activity outside the divisome in other bacteria.

Interacting proteins of the essential two-component system YycFG in Bacillus subtilis

Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) play a major role in adaption and survival of microorganisms in a dynamic and sometimes dangerous environment. YycFG is an essential TCS for many Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, which regulates many important biological processes. However, its functional essentiality remains largely unknown. Here, we report several YycFG interacting proteins through coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses. We engineered the B. subtilis genome by a knock-in approach to express YycG with a C-terminal Flag and YycF with an N-terminal HA tag. Immunoprecipitated fractions using anti-Flag or anti-HA agarose were subjected to MS analyses. A total of 41 YycG interacting proteins and four YycF interacting proteins were identified, most of which are involved in cellular metabolic processes, including cell wall synthesis and modification. The interactions of YycG with AsnB and FabL, as examples, were further validated in vitro. This study provided a clue that YycFG may be directly involved in regulation of bacterial central metabolic pathways.

Characterization of genetic changes associated with daptomycin nonsusceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus

The extensive use of daptomycin (DAP) for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the last decade has led to the emergence of DAP non-susceptible (DNS) Staphylococcus aureus strains. A better understanding of the molecular changes underlying DAP-non-susceptibility is required for early diagnosis and intervention with alternate combination therapies. The phenotypic changes associated with DNS strains have been well established. However, the genotypic changes—especially the kinetics of expression of the genes responsible for DAP-non-susceptibility are not well understood. In this study, we used three clinically derived isogenic pairs of DAP-susceptible (DAP-S) and DNS S. aureus strains to study gene expression profiles with the objective of identifying the potential genotypic changes associated with DAP-nonsusceptibility. We determined the expression profiles of genes involved in cell membrane (CM) charge, autolysis, cell wall (CW) synthesis, and penicillin binding proteins in DAP-S and DNS isogenic pairs. Our results demonstrate characteristic expression profiles for mprF, dltABCD, vraS, femB, and pbp2a genes, which are common to all the DNS S. aureus strains tested. Whole genome sequencing of DAP-S and DNS clinical isolates of S. aureus showed non-synonymous mutations in all DNS strains in genes involved in CM charge, CM composition, CW thickness and CW composition. To conclude, this study unravels some of the complex molecular changes involved in the development of DAP-nonsusceptibility by demonstrating distinct differences in gene expression profiles and mutations in the DNS S. aureus strains. This knowledge will aid in rapid identification of DNS S. aureus in clinical settings.

A Life in Bacillus subtilis Signal Transduction

This is a tale of how technology drove the discovery of the molecular basis for signal transduction in the initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis and in bacterial two-component systems. It progresses from genetics to cloning and sequencing to biochemistry to structural biology to an understanding of how proteins evolve interaction specificity and to identification of interaction surfaces by statistical physics. This is about how the people in my laboratory accomplished this feat; without them little would have been done.

Essentiality and function of WalK/WalR two-component system: the past, present, and future of research

The WalK/WalR two-component system (TCS), originally identified in Bacillus subtilis, is very highly conserved in gram-positive bacteria, including several important pathogens. The WalK/WalR TCS appears to be involved in the growth of most bacterial species encoding it. Previous studies have indicated conserved functions of this system, defining this signal transduction pathway as a crucial regulatory system for cell wall metabolism. Because of such effects on essential functions, this system is considered a potential target for anti-infective therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the role of WalK/WalR TCS in different bacterial cells, focusing on the function of the genes in its regulon as well as the variations in walRK operon structure, its auxiliary proteins, and the composition of its regulon. We also discuss recent experimental data addressing its essential function and the potential type of signal being sensed by B. subtilis. This review also focuses on the potential future research.

Free SepF interferes with recruitment of late cell division proteins

The conserved cell division protein SepF aligns polymers of FtsZ, the key cell division protein in bacteria, during synthesis of the (Fts)Z-ring at midcell, the first stage in cytokinesis. In addition, SepF acts as a membrane anchor for the Z-ring. Recently, it was shown that SepF overexpression in Mycobacterium smegmatis blocks cell division. Why this is the case is not known. Surprisingly, we found in Bacillus subtilis that SepF overproduction does not interfere with Z-ring assembly, but instead blocks assembly of late division proteins responsible for septum synthesis. Transposon mutagenesis suggested that SepF overproduction suppresses the essential WalRK two-component system, which stimulates expression of ftsZ. Indeed, it emerged that SepF overproduction impairs normal WalK localization. However, transcriptome analysis showed that the WalRK activity was in fact not reduced in SepF overexpressing cells. Further experiments indicated that SepF competes with EzrA and FtsA for binding to FtsZ, and that binding of extra SepF by FtsZ alleviates the cell division defect. This may explain why activation of WalRK in the transposon mutant, which increases ftsZ expression, counteracts the division defect. In conclusion, our data shows that an imbalance in early cell division proteins can interfere with recruitment of late cell division proteins.

Study on in vivo effects of bacterial histidine kinase inhibitor, Waldiomycin, in Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus

Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) represent one of the primary means by which bacteria sense and respond to changes in their environment, both intra- and extracellular. The highly conserved WalK (histidine kinase)/WalR (response regulator) TCS is essential for cell wall metabolism of low G+C Gram-positive bacteria and acts as a master regulatory system in controlling and coordinating cell wall metabolism with cell division. Waldiomycin, a WalK inhibitor, has been discovered by screening metabolites from actinomycetes and belongs to the family of angucycline antibiotics. In the present study, we have shown that waldiomycin inhibited autophosphorylation of WalK histidine kinases in vitro from Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus mutans at half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of 10.2, 8.8, 9.2, and 25.8 μM, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR studies of WalR regulon genes have suggested that waldiomycin repressed the WalK/WalR system in B. subtilis and S. aureus cells. Morphology of waldiomycin-treated S. aureus cells displayed increased aggregation instead of proper cellular dissemination. Furthermore, autolysis profiles of S. aureus cells revealed that waldiomycin-treated cells were highly resistant to Triton X-100- and lysostaphin-induced lysis. These phenotypes are consistent with those of cells starved for the WalK/WalR system, indicating that waldiomycin inhibited the autophosphorylation activity of WalK in cells. We have also confirmed that waldiomycin inhibits WalK autophosphorylation in vivo by actually observing the phosphorylated WalK ratio in cells using Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. The results of our current study strongly suggest that waldiomycin targets WalK histidine kinases and inhibits the WalR regulon genes expression, thereby affecting both cell wall metabolism and cell division.

Mechanism of Action and Resistance to Daptomycin in Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci

Lipopeptides are natural product antibiotics that consist of a peptide core with a lipid tail with a diverse array of target organisms and mechanisms of action. Daptomycin (DAP) is an example of these compounds with specific activity against Gram-positive organisms. DAP has become increasingly important to combat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria because of the presence of multidrug resistance in these organisms, particularly in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). However, emergence of resistance to DAP during therapy is a well-described phenomenon that threatens the clinical use of this antibiotic, limiting further the therapeutic options against both MRSA and VRE. This work will review the historical aspects of the development of DAP, as well as the current knowledge on its mechanism of action and pathways to resistance in a clinically relevant context.

Structural Studies on the Extracellular Domain of Sensor Histidine Kinase YycG from Staphylococcus aureus and Its Functional Implications

Bacterial two-component signal transduction systems are used to adapt to fluctuations in the environment. YycG, a key two-component histidine kinase in Staphylococcus aureus, plays an essential role in cell viability and regulates cell wall metabolism, biofilm formation, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. For these reasons, YycG is considered a compelling target for the development of novel antibiotics. However, to date, the signaling mechanism of YycG and its stimulus are poorly understood mainly because of a lack of structural information on YycG. To address this deficiency, we determined the crystal structure of the extracellular domain of S. aureus YycG (YycGex) at 2.0-Å resolution. The crystal structure indicated two subunits with an extracellular Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) topology packed into a dimer with interloop interactions. Disulfide scanning using cysteine-substituted mutants revealed that YycGex possessed dimeric interfaces not only in the loop but also in the helix α1. Cross-linking studies using intact YycG demonstrated that it was capable of forming high molecular weight oligomers on the cell membrane. Furthermore, we also observed that two auxiliary proteins of YycG, YycH and YycI, cooperatively interfered with the multimerization of YycG. From these results, we propose that signaling through YycG is regulated by multimerization and binding of YycH and YycI. These structural studies, combined with biochemical analyses, provide a better understanding of the signaling mechanism of YycG, which is necessary for developing novel antibacterial drugs targeting S. aureus.

Transcriptional Analysis and Subcellular Protein Localization Reveal Specific Features of the Essential WalKR System in Staphylococcus aureus

The WalKR two-component system, controlling cell wall metabolism, is highly conserved among Bacilli and essential for cell viability. In Staphylococcus aureus, walR and walK are followed by three genes of unknown function: walH, walI and walJ. Sequence analysis and transcript mapping revealed a unique genetic structure for this locus in S. aureus: the last gene of the locus, walJ, is transcribed independently, whereas transcription of the tetra-cistronic walRKHI operon occurred from two independent promoters located upstream from walR. Protein topology analysis and protein-protein interactions in E. coli as well as subcellular localization in S. aureus allowed us to show that WalH and WalI are membrane-bound proteins, which associate with WalK to form a complex at the cell division septum. While these interactions suggest that WalH and WalI play a role in activity of the WalKR regulatory pathway, deletion of walH and/or walI did not have a major effect on genes whose expression is strongly dependent on WalKR or on associated phenotypes. No effect of WalH or WalI was seen on tightly controlled WalKR regulon genes such as sle1 or saouhsc_00773, which encodes a CHAP-domain amidase. Of the genes encoding the two major S. aureus autolysins, AtlA and Sle1, only transcription of atlA was increased in the ΔwalH or ΔwalI mutants. Likewise, bacterial autolysis was not increased in the absence of WalH and/or WalI and biofilm formation was lowered rather than increased. Our results suggest that contrary to their major role as WalK inhibitors in B. subtilis, the WalH and WalI proteins have evolved a different function in S. aureus, where they are more accessory. A phylogenomic analysis shows a striking conservation of the 5 gene wal cluster along the evolutionary history of Bacilli, supporting the key importance of this signal transduction system, and indicating that the walH and walI genes were lost in the ancestor of Streptococcaceae, leading to their atypical 3 wal gene cluster, walRKJ.

The Eukaryotic-Like Ser/Thr Kinase PrkC Regulates the Essential WalRK Two-Component System in Bacillus subtilis

Most bacteria contain both eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr kinases (eSTKs) and eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr phosphatases (eSTPs). Their role in bacterial physiology is not currently well understood in large part because the conditions where the eSTKs are active are generally not known. However, all sequenced Gram-positive bacteria have a highly conserved eSTK with extracellular PASTA repeats that bind cell wall derived muropeptides. Here, we report that in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, the PASTA-containing eSTK PrkC and its cognate eSTP PrpC converge with the essential WalRK two-component system to regulate WalR regulon genes involved in cell wall metabolism. By continuously monitoring gene expression throughout growth, we consistently find a large PrkC-dependent effect on expression of several different WalR regulon genes in early stationary phase, including both those that are activated by WalR (yocH) as well as those that are repressed (iseA, pdaC). We demonstrate that PrkC phosphorylates WalR in vitro and in vivo on a single Thr residue located in the receiver domain. Although the phosphorylated region of the receiver domain is highly conserved among several B. subtilis response regulators, PrkC displays specificity for WalR in vitro. Consistently, strains expressing a nonphosphorylatable WalR point mutant strongly reduce both PrkC dependent activation and repression of yocH, iseA, and pdaC. This suggests a model where the eSTK PrkC regulates the essential WalRK two-component signaling system by direct phosphorylation of WalR Thr101, resulting in the regulation of WalR regulon genes involved in cell wall metabolism in stationary phase. As both the eSTK PrkC and the essential WalRK two-component system are highly conserved in Gram-positive bacteria, these results may be applicable to further understanding the role of eSTKs in Gram-positive physiology and cell wall metabolism.

A central question in bacterial physiology is how bacteria sense and respond to their environment. The archetype of bacterial signaling systems is the two-component signaling system composed of a sensor protein histidine kinase that activates a transcription factor response regulator in response to a specific signal. In addition, bacteria also have signaling systems composed of eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr kinases and phosphatases. Even though these systems do not have dedicated transcription factors, they are capable of affecting gene expression. Here we show that a eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr kinase conserved in all sequenced Gram-positive bacteria converges with an essential two-component signaling system to regulate gene expression in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. We show that this eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr kinase phosphorylates the response regulator of a highly conserved and essential two-component signaling system, thereby increasing its activity. This phosphorylation results in the regulation of genes involved in the essential process of cell wall metabolism. Given that bacterial cell wall metabolism is the target of many known antibiotics, and mutations in both of these signaling systems change the antibiotic sensitivity of a number of important Gram-positive pathogens, we expect that our analysis will suggest novel insight into the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Genes Associated with Desiccation and Osmotic Stress in Listeria monocytogenes as Revealed by Insertional Mutagenesis

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen whose survival in food processing environments may be associated with its tolerance to desiccation. To probe the molecular mechanisms used by this bacterium to adapt to desiccation stress, a transposon library of 11,700 L. monocytogenes mutants was screened, using a microplate assay, for strains displaying increased or decreased desiccation survival (43% relative humidity, 15°C) in tryptic soy broth (TSB). The desiccation phenotypes of selected mutants were subsequently assessed on food-grade stainless steel (SS) coupons in TSB plus 1% glucose (TSB-glu). Single transposon insertions in mutants exhibiting a change in desiccation survival of >0.5 log CFU/cm(2) relative to that of the wild type were determined by sequencing arbitrary PCR products. Strain morphology, motility, and osmotic stress survival (in TSB-glu plus 20% NaCl) were also analyzed. The initial screen selected 129 desiccation-sensitive (DS) and 61 desiccation-tolerant (DT) mutants, out of which secondary screening on SS confirmed 15 DT and 15 DS mutants. Among the DT mutants, seven immotile and flagellum-less strains contained transposons in genes involved in flagellum biosynthesis (fliP, flhB, flgD, flgL) and motor control (motB, fliM, fliY), while others harbored transposons in genes involved in membrane lipid biosynthesis, energy production, potassium uptake, and virulence. The genes that were interrupted in the 15 DS mutants included those involved in energy production, membrane transport, protein metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, oxidative damage control, and putative virulence. Five DT and 14 DS mutants also demonstrated similar significantly (P < 0.05) different survival relative to that of the wild type when exposed to osmotic stress, demonstrating that some genes likely have similar roles in allowing the organism to survive the two water stresses.

A new platform for ultra-high density Staphylococcus aureus transposon libraries

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcus aureus readily develops resistance to antibiotics and achieving effective therapies to overcome resistance requires in-depth understanding of S. aureus biology. High throughput, parallel-sequencing methods for analyzing transposon mutant libraries have the potential to revolutionize studies of S. aureus, but the genetic tools to take advantage of the power of next generation sequencing have not been fully developed.

RESULTS

Here we report a phage-based transposition system to make ultra-high density transposon libraries for genome-wide analysis of mutant fitness in any Φ11-transducible S. aureus strain. The high efficiency of the delivery system has made it possible to multiplex transposon cassettes containing different regulatory elements in order to make libraries in which genes are over- or under-expressed as well as deleted. By incorporating transposon-specific barcodes into the cassettes, we can evaluate how null mutations and changes in gene expression levels affect fitness in a single sequencing data set. Demonstrating the power of the system, we have prepared a library containing more than 690,000 unique insertions. Because one unique feature of the phage-based approach is that temperature-sensitive mutants are retained, we have carried out a genome-wide study of S. aureus genes involved in withstanding temperature stress. We find that many genes previously identified as essential are temperature sensitive and also identify a number of genes that, when disrupted, confer a growth advantage at elevated temperatures.

CONCLUSIONS

The platform described here reliably provides mutant collections of unparalleled genotypic diversity and will enable a wide range of functional genomic studies in S. aureus.

The Role of Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems in Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Regulation

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile, opportunistic human pathogen that can asymptomatically colonize a human host but can also cause a variety of cutaneous and systemic infections. The ability of S. aureus to adapt to such diverse environments is reflected in the presence of complex regulatory networks fine-tuning metabolic and virulence gene expression. One of the most widely distributed mechanisms is the two-component signal transduction system (TCS) which allows a pathogen to alter its gene expression profile in response to environmental stimuli. The simpler TCSs consist of only a transmembrane histidine kinase (HK) and a cytosolic response regulator. S. aureus encodes a total of 16 conserved pairs of TCSs that are involved in diverse signalling cascades ranging from global virulence gene regulation (e.g. quorum sensing by the Agr system), the bacterial response to antimicrobial agents, cell wall metabolism, respiration and nutrient sensing. These regulatory circuits are often interconnected and affect each other's expression, thus fine-tuning staphylococcal gene regulation. This manuscript gives an overview of the current knowledge of staphylococcal environmental sensing by TCS and its influence on virulence gene expression and virulence itself. Understanding bacterial gene regulation by TCS can give major insights into staphylococcal pathogenicity and has important implications for knowledge-based drug design and vaccine formulation.

Identification of host genes that affect acquisition of an integrative and conjugative element in Bacillus subtilis

Conjugation, a major type of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria, involves transfer of DNA from a donor to a recipient using donor-encoded conjugation machinery. Using a high-throughput screen (Tn-seq), we identified genes in recipients that contribute to acquisition of the integrative and conjugative element ICEBs1 by Bacillus subtilis. We found that null mutations in some genes caused an increase, and others a decrease in conjugation efficiency. Some mutations affected conjugation only when present in recipients. Other mutations affected conjugation when present in donors or recipients. Most of the genes identified are known or predicted to affect the cell envelope. Several encode enzymes involved in phospholipid biosynthesis and one encodes a homologue of penicillin-binding proteins. Two of the genes identified also affected conjugation of Tn916, indicating that their roles in conjugation may be general. We did not identify any genes in recipients that were essential for ICEBs1 conjugation, indicating that if there are such genes, then these are either essential for cell growth or redundant. Our results indicate that acquisition of ICEBs1, and perhaps other conjugative elements, is robust and not easily avoided by mutation and that several membrane-related functions affect the efficiency of conjugation.

Efficacy of novel antibacterial compounds targeting histidine kinase YycG protein

Treating staphylococcal biofilm-associated infections is challenging. Based on the findings that compound 2 targeting the HK domain of Staphylococcus epidermidis YycG has bactericidal and antibiofilm activities against staphylococci, six newly synthesized derivatives were evaluated for their antibacterial activities. The six derivatives of compound 2 inhibited autophosphorylation of recombinant YycG′ and the IC₅₀ values ranged from 24.2 to 71.2 μM. The derivatives displayed bactericidal activity against planktonic S. epidermidis or Staphylococcus aureus strains in the MIC range of 1.5–3.1 μM. All the derivatives had antibiofilm activities against the 6- and 24-h biofilms of S. epidermidis. Compared to the prototype compound 2, they had less cytotoxicity for Vero cells and less hemolytic activity for human erythrocytes. The derivatives showed antibacterial activities against clinical methicillin-resistant staphylococcal isolates. The structural modification of YycG inhibitors will assist the discovery of novel agents to eliminate biofilm infections and multidrug-resistant staphylococcal infections.

Transcriptomic and phenotypic analysis of paralogous spx gene function in Bacillus anthracis Sterne

Spx of Bacillus subtilis is a redox-sensitive protein, which, under disulfide stress, interacts with RNA polymerase to activate genes required for maintaining thiol homeostasis. Spx orthologs are highly conserved among low %GC Gram-positive bacteria, and often exist in multiple paralogous forms. In this study, we used B. anthracis Sterne, which harbors two paralogous spx genes, spxA1 and spxA2, to examine the phenotypes of spx null mutations and to identify the genes regulated by each Spx paralog. Cells devoid of spxA1 were sensitive to diamide and hydrogen peroxide, while the spxA1 spoxA2 double mutant was hypersensitive to the thiol-specific oxidant, diamide. Bacillus anthracis Sterne strains expressing spxA1DD or spxA2DD alleles encoding protease-resistant products were used in microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses in order to uncover genes under SpxA1, SpxA2, or SpxA1/SpxA2 control. Comparison of transcriptomes identified many genes that were upregulated when either SpxA1DD or SpxA2DD was produced, but several genes were uncovered whose transcript levels increased in only one of the two SpxADD-expression strains, suggesting that each Spx paralog governs a unique regulon. Among genes that were upregulated were those encoding orthologs of proteins that are specifically involved in maintaining intracellular thiol homeostasis or alleviating oxidative stress. Some of these genes have important roles in B. anthracis pathogenesis, and a large number of upregulated hypothetical genes have no homology outside of the B. cereus/thuringiensis group. Microarray and RT-qPCR analyses also unveiled a regulatory link that exists between the two spx paralogous genes. The data indicate that spxA1 and spxA2 are transcriptional regulators involved in relieving disulfide stress but also control a set of genes whose products function in other cellular processes.

Bacillus anthracis harbors two paralogs of the global transcriptional regulator of stress response, SpxA. SpxA1 and SpxA2 contribute to disulfide stress tolerance, but only SpxA1 functions in resistance to peroxide. Transcriptome analysis uncovered potential SpxA1 and SpxA2 regulon members, which include genes activated by both paralogs. However, paralog-specific gene activation was also observed. Genes encoding glutamate racemase, CoA disulfide reductase, and products functioning in bacillithiol biosynthesis, are among the genes activated by the SpxA paralogs.

Small-molecule inhibition of bacterial two-component systems to combat antibiotic resistance and virulence

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are a considerable and increasing global problem. The development of new antibiotics is not keeping pace with the rapid evolution of resistance to almost all clinically available drugs, and novel strategies are required to fight bacterial infections. One such strategy is the control of pathogenic behaviors, as opposed to simply killing bacteria. Bacterial two-component system (TCS) signal transduction pathways control many pathogenic bacterial behaviors, such as virulence, biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance and are, therefore, an attractive target for the development of new drugs. This review presents an overview of TCS that are potential targets for such a strategy, describes small-molecules inhibitors of TCS identified to date and discusses assays for the identification of novel inhibitors. The future perspective for the identification and use of inhibitors of TCS to potentially provide new therapeutic options for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections is discussed.

The auxiliary protein complex SaePQ activates the phosphatase activity of sensor kinase SaeS in the SaeRS two-component system of Staphylococcus aureus

In bacterial two-component regulatory systems (TCSs), dephosphorylation of phosphorylated response regulators is essential for resetting the activated systems to the pre-activation state. However, in the SaeRS TCS, a major virulence TCS of Staphylococcus aureus, the mechanism for dephosphorylation of the response regulator SaeR has not been identified. Here we report that two auxiliary proteins from the sae operon, SaeP and SaeQ, form a protein complex with the sensor kinase SaeS and activate the sensor kinase's phosphatase activity. Efficient activation of the phosphatase activity required the presence of both SaeP and SaeQ. When SaeP and SaeQ were ectopically expressed, the expression of coagulase, a sae target with low affinity for phosphorylated SaeR, was greatly reduced, while the expression of alpha-haemolysin, a sae target with high affinity for phosphorylated SaeR, was not, demonstrating a differential effect of SaePQ on sae target gene expression. When expression of SaePQ was abolished, most sae target genes were induced at an elevated level. Since the expression of SaeP and SaeQ is induced by the SaeRS TCS, these results suggest that the SaeRS TCS returns to the pre-activation state by a negative feedback mechanism.

Novel redox-sensing modules: accessory protein- and nucleic acid-mediated signaling

SIGNIFICANCE

Organisms have evolved both enzymatic and nonenzymatic pathways to prevent oxidative damage to essential macromolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids. Pathways modulated by different protein-based sensory and regulatory modules ensure a rapid and appropriate response.

RECENT ADVANCES

In contrast to classical two-component systems that possess internal sensory and regulatory modules, an accessory protein-dependent redox-signaling system has been recently characterized in bacteria. This system senses extracellular iron-mediated oxidative stress signals via an extracellularly located protein (HbpS). In vivo and in vitro studies allowed the elucidation of molecular mechanisms governing this system. Moreover, recent studies show that nucleic acids may also participate in redox-signaling during antioxidative stress response.

CRITICAL ISSUES

Research for novel redox-signaling systems is often focused on known types of sensory and regulatory modules. It is also often considered that the oxidative attack of macromolecules, leading to modification and degradation processes, is the final step during oxidative stress. However, recent studies have demonstrated that oxidatively modified macromolecules can be intermediary states in the process of redox-signaling.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Analyses of adjacent regions of genes encoding for known sensory and regulatory modules can identify potential accessory modules that may increase the complexity of sensing systems. Despite the fact that the involvement of DNA-mediated signaling in the modulation of one bacterial regulator protein has been analyzed in detail, further studies are necessary to identify additional regulators. Given the role of DNA in oxidative-stress response, it is tempting to hypothesize that RNA modules may also mediate redox-signaling.

MurAA is required for intrinsic cephalosporin resistance of Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis is a low-GC Gram-positive bacterium that is intrinsically resistant to cephalosporins, antibiotics that target cell wall biosynthesis. To probe the mechanistic basis for intrinsic resistance, a library of transposon mutants was screened to identify E. faecalis strains that are highly susceptible to ceftriaxone, revealing a transposon mutant with a disruption in murAA. murAA is predicted to encode a UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyl transferase that catalyzes the first committed step in peptidoglycan synthesis: phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent conversion of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-enolpyruvate. In-frame deletion of murAA, but not its homolog in the E. faecalis genome (murAB), led to increased susceptibility of E. faecalis to cephalosporins. Furthermore, expression of murAA enhanced cephalosporin resistance in an E. faecalis mutant lacking IreK (formerly PrkC), a key kinase required for cephalosporin resistance. Further genetic analysis revealed that MurAA catalytic activity is necessary but not sufficient for this role. Collectively, our data indicate that MurAA and MurAB have distinct roles in E. faecalis physiology and suggest that MurAA possesses a unique property or activity that enables it to enhance intrinsic resistance of E. faecalis to cephalosporins.

Transposon-mediated random mutagenesis of Bacillus subtilis

The depth of knowledge concerning its physiology and genetics make Bacillus subtilis an attractive system for strain engineering and analysis. Transposon-based mutagenesis strategies generate large libraries of mutant strains that can be used to investigate molecular mechanisms relevant in fundamental research or to generate desirable phenotypes in applied research. This section presents a mini-Tn10-based transposon mutagenesis system that is capable of genome-wide insertional mutagenesis in B. subtilis and related organisms. Using appropriately designed selections or screens, the desired strain phenotypes can be isolated from transposon mutant libraries. This transposon system then allows rapid identification of the genetic locus responsible for the desired phenotype, and, due to the natural competence of B. subtilis, the identified genotypic change can easily be confirmed as responsible for the phenotypic change.

Purification and activity testing of the full-length YycFGHI proteins of Staphylococcus aureus

Background

The YycFG two-component regulatory system (TCS) of Staphylococcus aureus represents the only essential TCS that is almost ubiquitously distributed in Gram-positive bacteria with a low G+C-content. YycG (WalK/VicK) is a sensor histidine-kinase and YycF (WalR/VicR) is the cognate response regulator. Both proteins play an important role in the biosynthesis of the cell envelope and mutations in these proteins have been involved in development of vancomycin and daptomycin resistance.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we present high yield expression and purification of the full-length YycG and YycF proteins as well as of the auxiliary proteins YycH and YycI of Staphylococcus aureus. Activity tests of the YycG kinase and a mutated version, that harbours an Y306N exchange in its cytoplasmic PAS domain, in a detergent-micelle-model and a phosholipid-liposome-model showed kinase activity (autophosphorylation and phosphoryl group transfer to YycF) only in the presence of elevated concentrations of alkali salts. A direct comparison of the activity of the kinases in the liposome-model indicated a higher activity of the mutated YycG kinase. Further experiments indicated that YycG responds to fluidity changes in its microenvironment.

Conclusions/Significance

The combination of high yield expression, purification and activity testing of membrane and membrane-associated proteins provides an excellent experimental basis for further protein-protein interaction studies and for identification of all signals received by the YycFGHI system.

The rod to L-form transition of Bacillus subtilis is limited by a requirement for the protoplast to escape from the cell wall sacculus

L-forms are variants of common bacteria that can grow and proliferate without a cell wall. Little is known about their molecular cell biology but they undergo a remarkable mode of proliferation that is independent of the normally essential FtsZ-dependent division machinery. We have isolated a strain of Bacillus subtilis that can quickly and quantitatively convert from the walled to the L-form state. Analysis of the transition process identified an unexpected 'escape' step needed for L-form emergence from the rod. Mutations in two different genes, walR and sepF, contribute to the high frequency of escape: walR, a transcriptional regulator involved in cell wall homeostasis; and sepF, required for accurate and efficient cell division. Time-lapse imaging shows that the mutations act by facilitating the release of the L-form from its walled parent cell but that they act in different ways. The walR mutation renders the activity of the protein partially constitutive, inappropriately upregulating the activity of autolytic enzymes that weaken the cell wall. The sepF mutation probably works by perturbing the formation of a properly constructed division septum, generating a mechanical breach in the wall. The new strain provides a powerful experimental system for studying the genetics and cell biology of L-forms.

walK and clpP mutations confer reduced vancomycin susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus

Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) is generated from vancomycin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus by multiple spontaneous mutations. We previously reported that sequential acquisition of mutations in the two-component regulatory systems vraSR and graRS was responsible for the VISA phenotype of strain Mu50. Here we report on the identification of a novel set of regulator mutations, a deletion mutation in two-component regulatory system walRK (synonyms, vicRK and yycFG), and a truncating mutation in a proteolytic regulatory gene, clpP, responsible for the raised vancomycin resistance in a laboratory-derived VISA strain, LR5P1-V3. The contributory effect of the two mutations to vancomycin resistance was confirmed by introducing the walK and clpP mutations into the vancomycin-susceptible parent strain N315LR5P1 by a gene replacement procedure. The vancomycin MIC of N315LR5P1 was raised from 1 to 2 mg/liter by the introduction of the walK or clpP mutation, but it was raised to 4 mg/liter by the introduction of both the walK and clpP mutations. The vancomycin MIC value of the double mutant was equivalent to that of strain LR5P1-V3. Like VISA clinical strains, LR5P1-V3 and the double mutant strain LR5P1walK*clpP* exhibited a thickened cell wall, slow growth, and decreased autolytic activity. Transcriptional profiles of the mutants with gene replacements demonstrated that introduction of both the walK and clpP mutations could alter expression of dozens or hundreds of genes, including those involved in cell envelope and cellular processes, intermediary metabolism, and information pathway. A mutation prevalence study performed on 39 worldwide clinical VISA strains showed that 61.5, 7.7, 10.3, and 20.5% of VISA strains harbored mutations in walRK, clpP, graRS, and vraSR, respectively. The mutation of walRK was most frequently carried by VISA strains. Together, these results suggested that the mutations of walK and clpP identified in LR5P1-V3 constitute a new combination of genetic events causing vancomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.

The putative hydrolase YycJ (WalJ) affects the coordination of cell division with DNA replication in Bacillus subtilis and may play a conserved role in cell wall metabolism

Bacteria must accurately replicate and segregate their genetic information to ensure the production of viable daughter cells. The high fidelity of chromosome partitioning is achieved through mechanisms that coordinate cell division with DNA replication. We report that YycJ (WalJ), a predicted member of the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily found in most low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria, contributes to the fidelity of cell division in Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis ΔwalJ (ΔwalJ(Bsu)) mutants divide over unsegregated chromosomes more frequently than wild-type cells, and this phenotype is exacerbated when DNA replication is inhibited. Two lines of evidence suggest that WalJ(Bsu) and its ortholog in the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, WalJ(Spn) (VicX), play a role in cell wall metabolism: (i) strains of B. subtilis and S. pneumoniae lacking walJ exhibit increased sensitivity to a narrow spectrum of cephalosporin antibiotics, and (ii) reducing the expression of a two-component system that regulates genes involved in cell wall metabolism, WalRK (YycFG), renders walJ essential for growth in B. subtilis, as observed previously with S. pneumoniae. Together, these results suggest that the enzymatic activity of WalJ directly or indirectly affects cell wall metabolism and is required for accurate coordination of cell division with DNA replication.

A role for the essential YycG sensor histidine kinase in sensing cell division

The YycG sensor histidine kinase co-ordinates cell wall remodelling with cell division in Gram-positive bacteria by controlling the transcription of genes for autolysins and their inhibitors. Bacillus subtilis YycG senses cell division and is enzymatically activated by associating with the divisome at the division septum. Here it is shown that the cytoplasmic PAS domain of this multi-domain transmembrane kinase is a determining factor translocating the kinase to the division septum. Furthermore, translocation to the division septum, per se, is insufficient to activate YycG, indicating that specific interactions and/or ligands produced there are required to stimulate kinase activity. N-terminal truncations of YycG lose negative regulation of their activity inferring that this regulation is accomplished through its transmembrane and extramembrane domains interacting with the membrane associated YycH and YycI proteins that do not localize to the divisome. The data indicate that YycG activity in non-dividing cells is suppressed by its interaction with YycH and YycI and its activation is co-ordinated to cell division in dividing cells by specific interactions that occur within the divisome.

The RstB sensor acts on the PhoQ sensor to control expression of PhoP-regulated genes

The PhoP response regulator and PhoQ sensor, which are encoded by the phoPQ operon, constitute the PhoP/PhoQ two-component system. Genome-wide transcription analysis revealed that heterologous expression of the RstB protein, a sensor of the RstA/RstB two-component system, leads to enhanced transcription of PhoP-activated genes in wild-type Salmonella. We determined that RstB-induction increases the levels of phoP mRNA as well as PhoP protein, while lack of the phoPQ genes abolishes RstB-promoted transcription of the PhoP-regulated genes. This regulatory function of RstB did not require its enzymatic activities, and thus the truncated RstB protein containing only periplasmic and transmembrane regions was able to promote PhoP-activated transcription. The RstB protein appeared to target the PhoQ sensor rather than the PhoP response regulator because RstB-induction failed to enhance transcription of the PhoP-regulated genes in a strain maintaining the normal PhoP function, even without PhoQ.

Peptidoglycan metabolism is controlled by the WalRK (YycFG) and PhoPR two-component systems in phosphate-limited Bacillus subtilis cells

In Bacillus subtilis, the WalRK (YycFG) two-component system controls peptidoglycan metabolism in exponentially growing cells while PhoPR controls the response to phosphate limitation. Here we examine the roles of WalRK and PhoPR in peptidoglycan metabolism in phosphate-limited cells. We show that B. subtilis cells remain viable in a phosphate-limited state for an extended period and resume growth rapidly upon phosphate addition, even in the absence of a PhoPR-mediated response. Peptidoglycan synthesis occurs in phosphate-limited wild-type cells at approximately 27% the rate of exponentially growing cells, and at approximately 18% the rate of exponentially growing cells in the absence of PhoPR. In phosphate-limited cells, the WalRK regulon genes yocH, cwlO(yvcE), lytE and ydjM are expressed in a manner that is dependent on the WalR recognition sequence and deleting these genes individually reduces the rate of peptidoglycan synthesis. We show that ydjM expression can be activated by PhoP approximately P in vitro and that PhoP occupies its promoter in phosphate-limited cells. However, iseA(yoeB) expression cannot be repressed by PhoP approximately P in vitro, but can be repressed by non-phosphorylated WalR in vitro. Therefore, we conclude that peptidoglycan metabolism is controlled by both WalRK and PhoPR in phosphate-limited B. subtilis cells.

A novel Listeria monocytogenes-based DNA delivery system for cancer gene therapy

Bacteria-mediated transfer of plasmid DNA to mammalian cells (bactofection) has been shown to have significant potential as an approach to express heterologous proteins in various cell types. This is achieved through entry of the entire bacterium into cells, followed by release of plasmid DNA. In a murine model, we show that Listeria monocytogenes can invade and spread in tumors, and establish the use of Listeria to deliver genes to tumors in vivo. A novel approach to vector lysis and release of plasmid DNA through antibiotic administration was developed. Ampicillin administration facilitated both plasmid transfer and safety control of vector. To further improve on the gene delivery system, we selected a Listeria monocytogenes derivative that is more sensitive to ampicillin, and less pathogenic than the wild-type strain. Incorporation of a eukaryotic-transcribed lysin cassette in the plasmid further increased bacterial lysis. Successful gene delivery of firefly luciferase to growing tumors in murine models and to patient breast tumor samples ex vivo was achieved. The model described encompasses a three-phase treatment regimen, involving (1) intratumoral administration of vector followed by a period of vector spread, (2) systemic ampicillin administration to induce vector lysis and plasmid transfer, and (3) systemic administration of combined moxifloxacin and ampicillin to eliminate systemic vector. For the first time, our results reveal the potential of Listeria monocytogenes for in vivo gene delivery.

Localization and cellular amounts of the WalRKJ (VicRKX) two-component regulatory system proteins in serotype 2 Streptococcus pneumoniae

The WalRK two-component regulatory system coordinates gene expression that maintains cell wall homeostasis and responds to antibiotic stress in low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. Phosphorylated WalR (VicR) of the major human respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (WalR(Spn)) positively regulates transcription of several surface virulence genes and, most critically, pcsB, which encodes an essential cell division protein. Despite numerous studies of several species, little is known about the signals sensed by the WalK histidine kinase or the function of the WalJ ancillary protein encoded in the walRK(Spn) operon. To better understand the functions of the WalRKJ(Spn) proteins in S. pneumoniae, we performed experiments to determine their cellular localization and amounts. In contrast to WalK from Bacillus subtilis (WalK(Bsu)), which is localized at division septa, immunofluorescence microscopy showed that WalK(Spn) is distributed throughout the cell periphery. WalJ(Spn) is also localized to the cell surface periphery, whereas WalR(Spn) was found to be localized in the cytoplasm around the nucleoid. In fractionation experiments, WalR(Spn) was recovered from the cytoplasmic fraction, while WalK(Spn) and the majority of WalJ(Spn) were recovered from the cell membrane fraction. This fractionation is consistent with the localization patterns observed. Lastly, we determined the cellular amounts of WalRKJ(Spn) by quantitative Western blotting. The WalR(Spn) response regulator is relatively abundant and present at levels of approximately 6,200 monomers per cell, which are approximately 14-fold greater than the amount of the WalK(Spn) histidine kinase, which is present at approximately 460 dimers (920 monomers) per cell. We detected approximately 1,200 monomers per cell of WalJ(Spn) ancillary protein, similar to the amount of WalK(Spn).

A lipoprotein modulates activity of the MtrAB two-component system to provide intrinsic multidrug resistance, cytokinetic control and cell wall homeostasis in Mycobacterium

The MtrAB signal transduction system, which participates in multiple cellular processes related to growth and cell wall homeostasis, is the only two-component system known to be essential in Mycobacterium. In a screen for antibiotic resistance determinants in Mycobacterium smegmatis, we identified a multidrug-sensitive mutant with a transposon insertion in lpqB, the gene located immediately downstream of mtrA-mtrB. The lpqB mutant exhibited increased cell-cell aggregation and severe defects in surface motility and biofilm growth. lpqB cells displayed hyphal growth and polyploidism, reminiscent of the morphology of Streptomyces, a related group of filamentous Actinobacteria. Heterologous expression of M. tuberculosis LpqB restored wild-type characteristics to the lpqB mutant. LpqB interacts with the extracellular domain of MtrB, and influences MtrA phosphorylation and promoter activity of dnaA, an MtrA-regulated gene that affects cell division. Furthermore, in trans expression of the non-phosphorylated, inactive form of MtrA in wild-type M. smegmatis resulted in phenotypes similar to those of lpqB deletion, whereas expression of the constitutively active form of MtrA restored wild-type characteristics to the lpqB mutant. These results support a model in which LpqB, MtrB and MtrA form a three-component system that co-ordinates cytokinetic and cell wall homeostatic processes.

Kinetic characterization of the WalRKSpn (VicRK) two-component system of Streptococcus pneumoniae: dependence of WalKSpn (VicK) phosphatase activity on its PAS domain

The WalRK two-component system plays important roles in maintaining cell wall homeostasis and responding to antibiotic stress in low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. In the major human pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae, phosphorylated WalR(Spn) (VicR) response regulator positively controls the transcription of genes encoding the essential PcsB division protein and surface virulence factors. WalR(Spn) is phosphorylated by the WalK(Spn) (VicK) histidine kinase. Little is known about the signals sensed by WalK histidine kinases. To gain information about WalK(Spn) signal transduction, we performed a kinetic characterization of the WalRK(Spn) autophosphorylation, phosphoryltransferase, and phosphatase reactions. We were unable to purify soluble full-length WalK(Spn). Consequently, these analyses were performed using two truncated versions of WalK(Spn) lacking its single transmembrane domain. The longer version (Delta35 amino acids) contained most of the HAMP domain and the PAS, DHp, and CA domains, whereas the shorter version (Delta195 amino acids) contained only the DHp and CA domains. The autophosphorylation kinetic parameters of Delta35 and Delta195 WalK(Spn) were similar [K(m)(ATP) approximately 37 microM; k(cat) approximately 0.10 min(-1)] and typical of those of other histidine kinases. The catalytic efficiency of the two versions of WalK(Spn) approximately P were also similar in the phosphoryltransfer reaction to full-length WalR(Spn). In contrast, absence of the HAMP-PAS domains significantly diminished the phosphatase activity of WalK(Spn) for WalR(Spn) approximately P. Deletion and point mutations confirmed that optimal WalK(Spn) phosphatase activity depended on the PAS domain as well as residues in the DHp domain. In addition, these WalK(Spn) DHp domain and DeltaPAS mutations led to attenuation of virulence in a murine pneumonia model.

Induction and regulation of a secreted peptidoglycan hydrolase by a membrane Ser/Thr kinase that detects muropeptides

Here, we report that the model Gram-positive organism, Bacillus subtilis, expresses and secretes a muralytic enzyme, YocH, in response to cell wall-derived muropeptides derived from growing cells but not lysed cells. This induction is dependent on PrkC, a membrane Ser/Thr kinase that binds to peptidoglycan and that belongs to a broadly conserved family including the essential PknB kinase of M. tuberculosis. YocH stimulates its own expression in a PrkC-dependent manner demonstrating the presence of an autoregulatory loop during growth. Cells lacking YocH display a survival defect in stationary phase but enzymes secreted by other cells in the culture rescue this defect. The essential translation factor EF-G is an in vivo substrate of PrkC and this phosphorylation occurs in response to muropeptides. Therefore, we hypothesize that YocH is used by the bacterium to digest peptidoglycan released by other bacteria in the milieu and that the presence of these fragments is detected by a membrane kinase that modifies a key regulator of translation as well as to stimulate its own expression.

Three (and more) component regulatory systems - auxiliary regulators of bacterial histidine kinases

Two-component signal transduction (TCST) is the most prevalent mechanism employed by microbes to sense and respond to environmental changes. It is characterized by the signal-induced transfer of phosphate from a sensor histidine kinase (HK) to a response regulator (RR), resulting in a cellular response. An emerging theme in the field of TCST signalling is the discovery of auxiliary factors, distinct from the HK and RR, which are capable of influencing phosphotransfer. One group of TCST auxiliary proteins accomplishes this task by acting on HKs. Auxiliary regulators of HKs are widespread and have been identified in all cellular compartments, where they can influence HK activity through interactions with the sensing, transmembrane or enzymatic domains of the HK. The effects of an auxiliary regulator are controlled by its regulated expression, modification and/or through ligand binding. Ultimately, auxiliary regulators can connect a given TCST system to other regulatory networks in the cell or result in regulation of the TCST system in response to an expanded range of stimuli. The studies highlighted in this review draw attention to an emerging view of bacterial TCST systems as core signalling units upon which auxiliary factors act.

A Synechocystis homolog of SipA protein, Ssl3451, enhances the activity of the histidine kinase Hik33

In the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the histidine kinase Hik33 regulates the expression of several stress-inducible genes. Recently, a yeast two-hybrid screen revealed a specific interaction between Hik33 and a small protein, Ssl3451. To investigate the function of Ssl3451, we developed an assay to monitor the autophosphorylation of Hik33 in vitro. Addition of Ssl3451 to the reaction mixture dramatically enhanced the autophosphorylation activity of Hik33. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that Ssl3451 stimulated the autophosphorylation of Hik33 but did not affect its dephosphorylation. These findings indicated that Ssl3451 might be an activator of Hik33. When the amount of Hik33 was kept constant and the amount of Ssl3451 was increased in the reaction mixture, the extent of autophosphorylation of Hik33 reached a plateau when equimolar concentrations were present, suggesting that Ssl3451 enhances the activity of Hik33 by associating with it with a 1 : 1 stoichiometry. Disruption of the gene for Ssl3451 resulted in increased expression of the hliB gene, which is induced by Hik33 under standard growth conditions, but it did not affect the levels of the hliB mRNA at low temperature. Together, these results suggest that Ssl3451 might enhance the activity of Hik33 both in vitro and in vivo.

The three-component signalling system HbpS-SenS-SenR as an example of a redox sensing pathway in bacteria

The two-component system SenS-SenR and the extracellular HbpS protein of the cellulose degrader Streptomyces reticuli have been shown to act in concert as a novel system which detects redox stress. In vivo and in vitro experiments have led to the hypothesis that HbpS binds and degrades heme, communicating the extracellular presence of heme and oxidative stress to the membrane-embedded sensor histidine kinase SenS via a bound iron. The response regulator SenR would then up-regulate downstream signalling cascades, leading to the appropriate gene expression levels for bacterial survival in an oxidative environment. Sequence analysis has shown that homologs of HbpS and SenS-SenR exist in a number of ecologically and medically relevant bacterial species, suggesting the existence of a previously undescribed bacterial oxidative stress-response pathway common to both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The presented report reviews the current knowledge of the function of this novel protein family consisting of an accessory protein and its cognate two-component system, which could be more properly described as a three-component system.

The CprS sensor kinase of the zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter jejuni influences biofilm formation and is required for optimal chick colonization

Campylobacter jejuni, a prevalent cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, must adapt to different environments to be a successful pathogen. We previously identified a C. jejuni two-component regulatory system (Cj1226/7c) as upregulated during cell infections. Analyses described herein led us to designate the system CprRS (Campylobacter planktonic growth regulation). While the response regulator was essential, a cprS sensor kinase mutant was viable. The Delta cprS mutant displayed an apparent growth defect and formed dramatically enhanced and accelerated biofilms independent of upregulation of previously characterized surface polysaccharides. Delta cprS also displayed a striking dose-dependent defect for colonization of chicks and was modestly enhanced for intracellular survival in INT407 cells. Proteomics analyses identified changes consistent with modulation of essential metabolic genes, upregulation of stress tolerance proteins, and increased expression of MOMP and FlaA. Consistent with expression profiling, we observed enhanced motility and secretion in Delta cprS, and decreased osmotolerance and oxidative stress tolerance. We also found that C. jejuni biofilms contain a DNase I-sensitive component and that biofilm formation is influenced by deoxycholate and the metabolic substrate fumarate. These results suggest that CprRS influences expression of factors important for biofilm formation, colonization and stress tolerance, and also add to our understanding of C. jejuni biofilm physiology.