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Rooney J, Rivera-de-Torre E, Li R, Mclean K, Price DR, Nisbet AJ, Laustsen AH, Jenkins TP, Hofmann A, Bakshi S, Zarkan A, Cantacessi C. Structural and functional analyses of nematode-derived antimicrobial peptides support the occurrence of direct mechanisms of worm-microbiota interactions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1522-1533. [PMID: 38633385 PMCID: PMC11021794 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The complex relationships between gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes and the host gut microbiota have been implicated in key aspects of helminth disease and infection outcomes. Nevertheless, the direct and indirect mechanisms governing these interactions are, thus far, largely unknown. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that the excretory-secretory products (ESPs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) of key GI nematodes contain peptides that, when recombinantly expressed, exert antimicrobial activity in vitro against Bacillus subtilis. In particular, using time-lapse microfluidics microscopy, we demonstrate that exposure of B. subtilis to a recombinant saposin-domain containing peptide from the 'brown stomach worm', Teladorsagia circumcincta, and a metridin-like ShK toxin from the 'barber's pole worm', Haemonchus contortus, results in cell lysis and significantly reduced growth rates. Data from this study support the hypothesis that GI nematodes may modulate the composition of the vertebrate gut microbiota directly via the secretion of antimicrobial peptides, and pave the way for future investigations aimed at deciphering the impact of such changes on the pathophysiology of GI helminth infection and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Rooney
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ruizhe Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Mclean
- Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Andreas H. Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Timothy P. Jenkins
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Somenath Bakshi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ashraf Zarkan
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cinzia Cantacessi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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2
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Perez AJ, Lamanna MM, Bruce KE, Touraev MA, Page JE, Shaw SL, Tsui HCT, Winkler ME. Elongasome core proteins and class A PBP1a display zonal, processive movement at the midcell of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401831121. [PMID: 38875147 PMCID: PMC11194595 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401831121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovoid-shaped bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), have two spatially separated peptidoglycan (PG) synthase nanomachines that locate zonally to the midcell of dividing cells. The septal PG synthase bPBP2x:FtsW closes the septum of dividing pneumococcal cells, whereas the elongasome located on the outer edge of the septal annulus synthesizes peripheral PG outward. We showed previously by sm-TIRFm that the septal PG synthase moves circumferentially at midcell, driven by PG synthesis and not by FtsZ treadmilling. The pneumococcal elongasome consists of the PG synthase bPBP2b:RodA, regulators MreC, MreD, and RodZ, but not MreB, and genetically associated proteins Class A aPBP1a and muramidase MpgA. Given its zonal location separate from FtsZ, it was of considerable interest to determine the dynamics of proteins in the pneumococcal elongasome. We found that bPBP2b, RodA, and MreC move circumferentially with the same velocities and durations at midcell, driven by PG synthesis. However, outside of the midcell zone, the majority of these elongasome proteins move diffusively over the entire surface of cells. Depletion of MreC resulted in loss of circumferential movement of bPBP2b, and bPBP2b and RodA require each other for localization and circumferential movement. Notably, a fraction of aPBP1a molecules also moved circumferentially at midcell with velocities similar to those of components of the core elongasome, but for shorter durations. Other aPBP1a molecules were static at midcell or diffusing over cell bodies. Last, MpgA displayed nonprocessive, subdiffusive motion that was largely confined to the midcell region and less frequently detected over the cell body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilcar J. Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN47405
| | - Melissa M. Lamanna
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN47405
| | - Kevin E. Bruce
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN47405
| | - Marc A. Touraev
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN47405
| | - Julia E. Page
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Sidney L. Shaw
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN47405
| | | | - Malcolm E. Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN47405
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3
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Shiraishi T, Matsuzaki C, Chiou TY, Kumeta H, Kawada M, Yamamoto K, Takahashi T, Yokota SI. Lipoteichoic acid composed of poly-glycerolphosphate containing l-lysine and involved in immunoglobulin A-inducing activity in Apilactobacillus genus. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132540. [PMID: 38782319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in the gram-positive bacterial cell wall acts as an immunomodulatory factor in host cells. The chemical structures vary among bacterial species and strains, and may be related to biological activities. In our previous work, much higher immunoglobulin A (IgA)-inducing activity was observed in cells of the Apilactobacillus genus (Apilactobacillus kosoi 10HT, Apilactobacillus apinorum JCM 30765T, and Apilactobacillus kunkeei JCM 16173T) than other lactic acid bacteria, and their LTA was responsible for the activity. In the present study, we elucidated the chemical structures of LTA from these Apilactobacillus strains to explore the structure-function relationship of the IgA-inducing activity. The 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra suggested that their LTA structures were similar. All have a poly-glycerolphosphate main chain, which comprised 12 to 20 average number of the repeating units, with partial substitutions of glucose(α1-, glucosyl(α1-2)glucose(α1- (α-linked-kojibiose), and l-lysine at the C-2 hydroxy group of the glycerol residue. l-Lysine is a substituent never seen before in LTA, and is a probable characteristic of the Apilactobacillus genus. Removal of l-lysine residue from LTA by mild alkaline treatment decreased IgA induction in murine Peyer's patch experiments. The novel l-lysine residue in Apilactobacillus LTA plays a crucial role in the remarkably high IgA-inducing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Shiraishi
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan.
| | - Chiaki Matsuzaki
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8836, Japan
| | - Tai-Ying Chiou
- School of Regional Innovation and Social Design Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology, Kitami, Hokkaido 090-8507, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kumeta
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Manami Kawada
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8836, Japan
| | - Kenji Yamamoto
- Center for Innovative and Joint Research, Wakayama University, Wakayama, Wakayama 640-8510, Japan
| | - Tomoya Takahashi
- ARSOA Research & Development Center, Arsoa Keioh Group Corporation, Hokuto, Yamanashi 408-8522, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Yokota
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
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4
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Yao M, Wang K, Song G, Hu Y, Chen J, Li T, Liang L, Wu J, Xu H, Wang L, Zheng Y, Zhang X, Yin Y, Yao S, Wu K. Transcriptional regulation of TacL-mediated lipoteichoic acids biosynthesis by ComE during competence impacts pneumococcal transformation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1375312. [PMID: 38779562 PMCID: PMC11109429 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1375312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Competence development is essential for bacterial transformation since it enables bacteria to take up free DNA from the surrounding environment. The regulation of teichoic acid biosynthesis is tightly controlled during pneumococcal competence; however, the mechanism governing this regulation and its impact on transformation remains poorly understood. We demonstrated that a defect in lipoteichoic acid ligase (TacL)-mediated lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) biosynthesis was associated with impaired pneumococcal transformation. Using a fragment of tacL regulatory probe as bait in a DNA pulldown assay, we successfully identified several regulatory proteins, including ComE. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that phosphomimetic ComE, but not wild-type ComE, exhibited specific binding to the probe. DNase I footprinting assays revealed the specific binding sequences encompassing around 30 base pairs located 31 base pairs upstream from the start codon of tacL. Expression of tacL was found to be upregulated in the ΔcomE strain, and the addition of exogenous competence-stimulating peptide repressed the tacL transcription in the wild-type strain but not the ΔcomE mutant, indicating that ComE exerted a negative regulatory effect on the transcription of tacL. Mutation in the JH2 region of tacL upstream regulatory sequence led to increased LTAs abundance and displayed higher transformation efficiency. Collectively, our work identified the regulatory mechanisms that control LTAs biosynthesis during competence and thereby unveiled a repression mechanism underlying pneumococcal transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Guangming Song
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Yumeng Hu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Jiali Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Longying Liang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Hongmei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics Designated by the Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Libin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics Designated by the Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuqiang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics Designated by the Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics Designated by the Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yibing Yin
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics Designated by the Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shifei Yao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Kaifeng Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Scientific Research Center, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), Zunyi, Guizhou, China
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5
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Perez AJ, Lamanna MM, Bruce KE, Touraev MA, Page JE, Shaw SL, Tsui HCT, Winkler ME. Elongasome core proteins and class A PBP1a display zonal, processive movement at the midcell of Streptococcus pneumoniae. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.575112. [PMID: 38328058 PMCID: PMC10849506 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.575112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Ovoid-shaped bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), have two spatially separated peptidoglycan (PG) synthase nanomachines that locate zonally to the midcell of dividing cells. The septal PG synthase bPBP2x:FtsW closes the septum of dividing pneumococcal cells, whereas the elongasome located on the outer edge of the septal annulus synthesizes peripheral PG outward. We showed previously by sm-TIRFm that the septal PG synthase moves circumferentially at midcell, driven by PG synthesis and not by FtsZ treadmilling. The pneumococcal elongasome consists of the PG synthase bPBP2b:RodA, regulators MreC, MreD, and RodZ, but not MreB, and genetically associated proteins Class A aPBP1a and muramidase MpgA. Given its zonal location separate from FtsZ, it was of considerable interest to determine the dynamics of proteins in the pneumococcal elongasome. We found that bPBP2b, RodA, and MreC move circumferentially with the same velocities and durations at midcell, driven by PG synthesis. However, outside of the midcell zone, the majority of these elongasome proteins move diffusively over the entire surface of cells. Depletion of MreC resulted in loss of circumferential movement of bPBP2b, and bPBP2b and RodA require each other for localization and circumferential movement. Notably, a fraction of aPBP1a molecules also moved circumferentially at midcell with velocities similar to those of components of the core elongasome, but for shorter durations. Other aPBP1a molecules were static at midcell or diffusing over cell bodies. Last, MpgA displayed non-processive, subdiffusive motion that was largely confined to the midcell region and less frequently detected over the cell body.
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6
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Deng JZ, Chen Z, Small J, Yuan Y, Cox K, Tang A, Roman J, Guan L, Feller K, Ansbro F, Vora K. Identification and Quantification of a Pneumococcal Cell Wall Polysaccharide by Antibody-Enhanced Chromatography Assay. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:469. [PMID: 38793720 PMCID: PMC11126027 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Multivalent pneumococcal vaccines have been developed successfully to combat invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) and reduce the associated healthcare burden. These vaccines employ pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (PnPs), either conjugated or unconjugated, as antigens to provide serotype-specific protection. Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides used for vaccine often contain residual levels of cell wall polysaccharides (C-Ps), which can generate a non-serotype specific immune response and complicate the desired serotype-specific immunity. Therefore, the C-P level in a pneumococcal vaccine needs to be controlled in the vaccine process and the anti C-P responses need to be dialed out in clinical assays. Currently, two types of cell-wall polysaccharide structures have been identified: a mono-phosphocholine substituted cell-wall polysaccharide C-Ps1 and a di-phosphocholine substituted C-Ps2 structure. In our effort to develop a next-generation novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), we have generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific to cell-wall polysaccharide C-Ps2 structure. An antibody-enhanced HPLC assay (AE-HPLC) has been established for serotype-specific quantification of pneumococcal polysaccharides in our lab. With the new anti C-Ps2 mAb, we herein extend the AE-HPLC assay to the quantification and identification of C-Ps2 species in pneumococcal polysaccharides used for vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Z. Deng
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Zhifeng Chen
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
| | - James Small
- Analytical Enabling Capabilities, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yue Yuan
- Analytical Enabling Capabilities, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Kara Cox
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
| | - Aimin Tang
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
| | - Jeanette Roman
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Liming Guan
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Katrina Feller
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Frances Ansbro
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Kalpit Vora
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
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7
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George JL, Agbavor C, Cabo LF, Cahoon LA. Streptococcus pneumoniae secretion chaperones PrsA, SlrA, and HtrA are required for competence, antibiotic resistance, colonization, and invasive disease. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0049023. [PMID: 38226817 PMCID: PMC10863415 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00490-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterium and a significant health threat with the populations most at risk being children, the elderly, and the immuno-compromised. To colonize and transition into an invasive infectious organism, S. pneumoniae secretes virulence factors that are translocated across the bacterial membrane and destined for surface exposure, attachment to the cell wall, or secretion into the host. The surface exposed protein chaperones PrsA, SlrA, and HtrA facilitate S. pneumoniae protein secretion; however, the distinct roles contributed by each of these secretion chaperones have not been well defined. Tandem Mass-Tagged Mass Spectrometry and virulence, adhesion, competence, and cell wall integrity assays were used to interrogate the individual and collective contributions of PrsA, SlrA, and HtrA to multiple aspects of S. pneumoniae physiology and virulence. PrsA, SlrA, and HtrA were found to play critical roles in S. pneumoniae host cell infection and competence, and the absence of each of these secretion chaperones significantly altered the S. pneumoniae secretome in distinct ways. PrsA and SlrA were additionally found to contribute to cell wall assembly and resistance to cell wall-active antimicrobials and were important for enabling S. pneumoniae host cell adhesion during colonization and invasive infection. These findings serve to further illustrate the pivotal contributions of PrsA, SlrA, and HtrA to S. pneumoniae protein secretion and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jada L. George
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Charles Agbavor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Leah F. Cabo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Laty A. Cahoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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8
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Huang LD, Gou XY, Yang MJ, Li MJ, Chen SN, Yan J, Liu XX, Sun AH. Peptidoglycan biosynthesis-associated enzymatic kinetic characteristics and β-lactam antibiotic inhibitory effects of different Streptococcus pneumoniae penicillin-binding proteins. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127784. [PMID: 37949278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) include transpeptidases, carboxypeptidases, and endopeptidases for biosynthesis of peptidoglycans in the cell wall to maintain bacterial morphology and survival in the environment. Streptococcus pneumoniae expresses six PBPs, but their enzymatic kinetic characteristics and inhibitory effects on different β-lactam antibiotics remain poorly understood. In this study, all the six recombinant PBPs of S. pneumoniae displayed transpeptidase activity with different substrate affinities (Km = 1.56-9.11 mM) in a concentration-dependent manner, and rPBP3 showed a greater catalytic efficiency (Kcat = 2.38 s-1) than the other rPBPs (Kcat = 3.20-7.49 × 10-2 s-1). However, only rPBP3 was identified as a carboxypeptidase (Km = 8.57 mM and Kcat = 2.57 s-1). None of the rPBPs exhibited endopeptidase activity. Penicillin and cefotaxime inhibited the transpeptidase and carboxypeptidase activity of all the rPBPs but imipenem did not inhibited the enzymatic activities of rPBP3. Except for the lack of binding of imipenem to rPBP3, penicillin, cefotaxime, and imipenem bound to all the other rPBPs (KD = 3.71-9.35 × 10-4 M). Sublethal concentrations of penicillin, cefotaxime, and imipenem induced a decrease of pneumococcal pbps-mRNA levels (p < 0.05). These results indicated that all six PBPs of S. pneumoniae are transpeptidases, while only PBP3 is a carboxypeptidase. Imipenem has no inhibitory effect on pneumococcal PBP3. The pneumococcal genes for encoding endopeptidases remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Dan Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China; Yiwu Central Blood Station, Yiwu, Zhejiang 322000, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yu Gou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China
| | - Mei-Juan Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China; The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, Fujian 351100, PR China
| | - Meng-Jie Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China
| | - Sui-Ning Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China
| | - Jie Yan
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China
| | - Xiao-Xiang Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China.
| | - Ai-Hua Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, PR China.
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9
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Han J, Zhao X, Zhao X, Li P, Gu Q. Insight into the structure, biosynthesis, isolation method and biological function of teichoic acid in different gram-positive microorganisms: A review. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126825. [PMID: 37696369 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Teichoic acid (TA) is a weakly anionic polymer present in the cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria. It can be classified into wall teichoic acid (WTA) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) based on its localization in the cell wall. The structure and biosynthetic pathway of TAs are strain-specific and have a significant role in maintaining cell wall stability. TAs have various beneficial functions, such as immunomodulatory, anticancer and antioxidant activities. However, the purity and yield of TAs are generally not high, and different isolation methods may even affect their structural integrity, which limits the research progress on the probiotic functions of TA. This paper reviews an overview of the structure and biosynthetic pathway of TAs in different strains, as well as the research progress of the isolation and purification methods of TAs. Furthermore, this review also highlights the current research status on the biological functions of TAs. Through a comprehensive understanding of this review, it is expected to pave the way for advancements in isolating and purifying high-quality TAs and, in turn, lay a foundation for contributing to the development of targeted probiotic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarun Han
- Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xilian Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Li
- Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Gu
- Key Laboratory for Food Microbial Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Kampff Z, van Sinderen D, Mahony J. Cell wall polysaccharides of streptococci: A genetic and structural perspective. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108279. [PMID: 37913948 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The Streptococcus genus comprises both commensal and pathogenic species. Additionally, Streptococcus thermophilus is exploited in fermented foods and in probiotic preparations. The ecological and metabolic diversity of members of this genus is matched by the complex range of cell wall polysaccharides that they present on their cell surfaces. These glycopolymers facilitate their interactions and environmental adaptation. Here, current knowledge on the genetic and compositional diversity of streptococcal cell wall polysaccharides including rhamnose-glucose polysaccharides, exopolysaccharides and teichoic acids is discussed. Furthermore, the species-specific cell wall polysaccharide combinations and specifically highlighting the presence of rhamnose-glucose polysaccharides in certain species, which are replaced by teichoic acids in other species. This review highlights model pathogenic and non-pathogenic species for which there is considerable information regarding cell wall polysaccharide composition, structure and genetic information. These serve as foundations to predict and focus research efforts in other streptococcal species for which such data currently does not exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Kampff
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland.
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11
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Lenoir C, Pelletier A, Manuse S, Millat H, Ducret A, Galinier A, Doan T, Grangeasse C. The morphogenic protein CopD controls the spatio-temporal dynamics of PBP1a and PBP2b in Streptococcus pneumoniae. mBio 2023; 14:e0141123. [PMID: 37728370 PMCID: PMC10653890 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01411-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are essential for proper bacterial cell division and morphogenesis. The genome of Streptococcus pneumoniae encodes for two class B PBPs (PBP2x and 2b), which are required for the assembly of the peptidoglycan framework and three class A PBPs (PBP1a, 1b and 2a), which remodel the peptidoglycan mesh during cell division. Therefore, their activities should be finely regulated in space and time to generate the pneumococcal ovoid cell shape. To date, two proteins, CozE and MacP, are known to regulate the function of PBP1a and PBP2a, respectively. In this study, we describe a novel regulator (CopD) that acts on both PBP1a and PBP2b. These findings provide valuable information for understanding bacterial cell division. Furthermore, knowing that ß-lactam antibiotic resistance often arises from PBP mutations, the characterization of such a regulator represents a promising opportunity to develop new strategies to resensitize resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Lenoir
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Anaïs Pelletier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Sylvie Manuse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Hugo Millat
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Adrien Ducret
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Anne Galinier
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UMR, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Thierry Doan
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Macromoléculaires, UMR, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
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12
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Tsui HCT, Joseph M, Zheng JJ, Perez AJ, Manzoor I, Rued BE, Richardson JD, Branny P, Doubravová L, Massidda O, Winkler ME. Negative regulation of MurZ and MurA underlies the essentiality of GpsB- and StkP-mediated protein phosphorylation in Streptococcus pneumoniae D39. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:351-383. [PMID: 37452010 PMCID: PMC10530524 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
GpsB links peptidoglycan synthases to other proteins that determine the shape of the respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus; Spn) and other low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. GpsB is also required for phosphorylation of proteins by the essential StkP(Spn) Ser/Thr protein kinase. Here we report three classes of frequently arising chromosomal duplications (≈21-176 genes) containing murZ (MurZ-family homolog of MurA) or murA that suppress ΔgpsB or ΔstkP. These duplications arose from three different repeated sequences and demonstrate the facility of pneumococcus to modulate gene dosage of numerous genes. Overproduction of MurZ or MurA alone or overproduction of MurZ caused by ΔkhpAB mutations suppressed ΔgpsB or ΔstkP phenotypes to varying extents. ΔgpsB and ΔstkP were also suppressed by MurZ amino-acid changes distant from the active site, including one in commonly studied laboratory strains, and by truncation or deletion of the homolog of IreB(ReoM). Unlike in other Gram-positive bacteria, MurZ is predominant to MurA in pneumococcal cells. However, ΔgpsB and ΔstkP were not suppressed by ΔclpCP, which did not alter MurZ or MurA amounts. These results support a model in which regulation of MurZ and MurA activity, likely by IreB(Spn), is the only essential requirement for StkP-mediated protein phosphorylation in exponentially growing D39 pneumococcal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Merrin Joseph
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Jiaqi J. Zheng
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Amilcar J. Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Irfan Manzoor
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Britta E. Rued
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - John D. Richardson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Pavel Branny
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Linda Doubravová
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Orietta Massidda
- Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Malcolm E. Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
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13
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Ashgar SS, Faidah H, Bantun F, Jalal NA, Qusty NF, Darwish A, Haque S, Janahi EM. Integrated immunoinformatics and subtractive proteomics approach for multi-epitope vaccine designing to combat S. pneumoniae TIGR4. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1212119. [PMID: 37560463 PMCID: PMC10407660 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1212119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the major precarious pathogens accountable for over 1.2 million fatalities annually. The key drivers for pneumococcal vaccine development involve high morbidity and mortality in over one million cases, especially in very young children and the elderly. In this study, immunoinformatics was integrated with subtractive proteomics to find antigenic proteins for designing a multi-epitope vaccine against S. pneumoniae. As prospective vaccine targets, the developed pipeline identified two antigenic proteins, i.e., penicillin-binding protein and ATP synthase subunit. Several immunoinformatics and bioinformatics resources were used to forecast T- and B-cell epitopes from specific proteins. By employing a mixture of five cytotoxic T-cell lymphocytes, six helper T-cell lymphocytes, and seven linear B-cell lymphocyte epitopes, a 392 amino acid-long vaccine was designed. To enhance immune responses, the designed vaccine was coupled with a cholera enterotoxin subunit B adjuvant. The designed vaccine was highly antigenic, non-allergenic, and stable for human usage. The stability of the vaccine with toll-like receptor-4 was evaluated by molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation. In addition, immunological simulation was performed to test its real-world potency. The vaccine codon was then cloned in silico. Overall, this study paves the way for the development of a multi-epitope S. pneumoniae vaccine under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, the current findings warrant for the experimental validation of the final multi-epitope vaccine construct to demonstrate its immunological reinforcing capability and clinical applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami S. Ashgar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hani Faidah
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farkad Bantun
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naif A. Jalal
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naeem F. Qusty
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulla Darwish
- Department of Pathology, Bahrain Defense Force Hospital, Riffa, Bahrain
| | - Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
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14
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Zhang Y, Jen FEC, Fox KL, Edwards JL, Jennings MP. The biosynthesis and role of phosphorylcholine in pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:692-706. [PMID: 36863982 PMCID: PMC10272106 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylcholine (ChoP) can be found in all life forms. Although this molecule was first thought to be uncommon in bacteria, it is now appreciated that many bacteria express ChoP on their surface. ChoP is usually attached to a glycan structure, but in some cases, it is added as a post-translational modification to proteins. Recent findings have demonstrated the role of ChoP modification and phase variation (ON/OFF switching) in bacterial pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms of ChoP synthesis are still unclear in some bacteria. Here, we review the literature and examine the recent developments in ChoP-modified proteins and glycolipids and of ChoP biosynthetic pathways. We discuss how the well-studied Lic1 pathway exclusively mediates ChoP attachment to glycans but not to proteins. Finally, we provide a review of the role of ChoP in bacterial pathobiology and the role of ChoP in modulating the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Freda E-C Jen
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Kate L Fox
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Edwards
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Michael P Jennings
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia.
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15
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Jiang Q, Li B, Zhang L, Li T, Hu Q, Li H, Zou W, Hu Z, Huang Q, Zhou R. DivIVA Interacts with the Cell Wall Hydrolase MltG To Regulate Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Streptococcus suis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0475022. [PMID: 37212666 PMCID: PMC10269899 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04750-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial morphology is largely determined by the spatial and temporal regulation of peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis. Ovococci possess a unique pattern of PG synthesis different from the well studied Bacillus, and the mechanism of the coordination of PG synthesis remains poorly understood. Several regulatory proteins have been identified to be involved in the regulation of ovococcal morphogenesis, among which DivIVA is an important one to regulate PG synthesis in streptococci, while its mechanism is largely unknown. Here, the zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus suis was used to investigate the regulation of DivIVA on PG synthesis. Fluorescent d-amino acid probing and 3D-structured illumination microscopy found that DivIVA deletion caused abortive peripheral PG synthesis, resulting in a decreased aspect ratio. The phosphorylation-depleted mutant (DivIVA3A) cells displayed a longer nascent PG and became longer, whereas the phosphorylation-mimicking mutant (DivIVA3E) cells showed a shorter nascent PG and became shorter, suggesting that DivIVA phosphorylation is involved in regulating peripheral PG synthesis. Several DivIVA-interacting proteins were identified, and the interaction was confirmed between DivIVA and MltG, a cell wall hydrolase essential for cell elongation. DivIVA did not affect the PG hydrolysis activity of MltG, while the phosphorylation state of DivIVA affected its interaction with MltG. MltG was mislocalized in the ΔdivIVA and DivIVA3E cells, and both ΔmltG and DivIVA3E cells formed significantly rounder cells, indicating an important role of DivIVA phosphorylation in regulating PG synthesis through MltG. These findings highlight the regulatory mechanism of PG synthesis and morphogenesis of ovococci. IMPORTANCE The peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis pathway provides a rich source of novel antimicrobial drug targets. However, bacterial PG synthesis and its regulation is a very complex process involving dozens of proteins. Moreover, unlike the well studied Bacillus, ovococci undergo unusual PG synthesis with unique mechanisms of coordination. DivIVA is an important regulator of PG synthesis in ovococci, while its exact role in regulating PG synthesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we determined the role of DivIVA in regulating lateral PG synthesis of Streptococcus suis and identified a critical interacting partner, MltG, in which DivIVA influenced the subcellular localizations of MltG through its phosphorylation. Our study characterizes the detailed role of DivIVA in regulating bacterial PG synthesis, which is very helpful for understanding the process of PG synthesis in streptococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinggen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Boxi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liangsheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiao Hu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Haotian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjin Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhe Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
- International Research Centre for Animal Diseases (MOST), Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
- International Research Centre for Animal Diseases (MOST), Wuhan, China
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16
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Gibson PS, Veening JW. Gaps in the wall: understanding cell wall biology to tackle amoxicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 72:102261. [PMID: 36638546 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, and one of the main pathogens responsible for otitis media infections in children. Amoxicillin (AMX) is a broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotic, used frequently for the treatment of bacterial respiratory tract infections. Here, we discuss the pneumococcal response to AMX, including the mode of action of AMX, the effects on autolysin regulation, and the evolution of resistance through natural transformation. We discuss current knowledge gaps in the synthesis and translocation of peptidoglycan and teichoic acids, major constituents of the pneumococcal cell wall and critical to AMX activity. Furthermore, an outlook of AMX resistance research is presented, including the development of natural competence inhibitors to block evolution via horizontal gene transfer, and the use of high-throughput essentiality screens for the discovery of novel cotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paddy S Gibson
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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17
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Tsui HCT, Joseph M, Zheng JJ, Perez AJ, Manzoor I, Rued BE, Richardson JD, Branny P, Doubravová L, Massidda O, Winkler ME. Chromosomal Duplications of MurZ (MurA2) or MurA (MurA1), Amino Acid Substitutions in MurZ (MurA2), and Absence of KhpAB Obviate the Requirement for Protein Phosphorylation in Streptococcus pneumoniae D39. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.26.534294. [PMID: 37034771 PMCID: PMC10081211 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.26.534294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
GpsB links peptidoglycan synthases to other proteins that determine the shape of the respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus; Spn ) and other low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. GpsB is also required for phosphorylation of proteins by the essential StkP( Spn ) Ser/Thr protein kinase. Here we report three classes of frequently arising chromosomal duplications (≈21-176 genes) containing murZ (MurZ-family homolog of MurA) or murA that suppress Δ gpsB or Δ stkP . These duplications arose from three different repeated sequences and demonstrate the facility of pneumococcus to modulate gene dosage of numerous genes. Overproduction of MurZ or MurA alone or overexpression of MurZ caused by Δ khpAB mutations suppressed Δ gpsB or Δ stkP phenotypes to varying extents. Δ gpsB and Δ stkP were also suppressed by MurZ amino-acid changes distant from the active site, including one in commonly studied laboratory strains, and by truncation or deletion of the homolog of IreB(ReoM). Unlike in other Gram-positive bacteria, MurZ is predominant to MurA in pneumococcal cells. However, Δ gpsB and Δ stkP were not suppressed by Δ clpCP , which did not alter MurZ or MurA amounts. These results support a model in which regulation of MurZ and MurA activity, likely by IreB( Spn ), is the only essential requirement for protein phosphorylation in exponentially growing D39 pneumococcal cells.
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18
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Wilhelm L, Ducret A, Grangeasse C. New insights into the Undecaprenol monophosphate recycling pathway of Streptococcus pneumoniae. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 370:fnad109. [PMID: 37849218 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Recycling of undecaprenol pyrophosphate is critical to regenerate the pool of undecaprenol monophosphate required for cell wall biosynthesis. Undecaprenol pyrophosphate is dephosphorylated by membrane-associated undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatases such as UppP or type 2 Phosphatidic Acid Phosphatases (PAP2) and then transferred across the cytoplasmic membrane by Und-P flippases such as PopT (DUF368-containing protein) or UptA (a DedA family protein). While the deletion of uppP in S. pneumoniae has been reported to increase susceptibility to bacitracin and reduce infectivity in a murine infection model, the presence of PAP2 family proteins or Und-P flippases and their potential interplay with UppP in S. pneumoniae remained unknown. In this report, we identified two PAP2 family proteins and a DUF368-containing protein and investigated their roles together with that of UppP in cell growth, cell morphology and susceptibility to bacitracin in S. pneumoniae. Our results suggest that the undecaprenol monophosphate recycling pathway in S. pneumoniae could result from a functional redundancy between UppP, the PAP2-family protein Spr0434 and the DUF368-containing protein Spr0889.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linus Wilhelm
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, CNRS, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Adrien Ducret
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, CNRS, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, CNRS, 69007 Lyon, France
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19
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Combining the In Silico and In Vitro Assays to Identify Strobilanthes cusia Kuntze Bioactives against Penicillin-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16010105. [PMID: 36678602 PMCID: PMC9863409 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Leaves of Strobilanthes cusia Kuntze (S. cusia) are a widely used alexipharmic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in southern China for the prevention of cold and respiratory tract infectious diseases. One of the most common bacterial pathogens in the respiratory tract is the gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. The antibiotic resistance of colonized S. pneumoniae makes it a more serious threat to public health. In this study, the leaves of S. cusia were found to perform antibacterial effects on the penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP). Confocal assay and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) monitored the diminished cell wall integrity and capsule thickness of the PRSP with treatment. The following comparative proteomics analysis revealed that the glycometabolism-related pathways were enriched for the differentially expressed proteins between the samples with treatment and the control. To further delve into the specific single effective compound, the bio-active contents of leaves of S. cusia were analyzed by UPLC-UV-ESI-Q-TOF/MS, and 23 compounds were isolated for anti-PRSP screening. Among them, Tryptanthrin demonstrated the most promising effect, and it possibly inhibited the N-glycan degradation proteins, as suggested by reverse docking analysis in silico and further experimental verification by the surface plasmon resonance assay (SPR). Our study provided a research foundation for applications of the leaves of S. cusia as a TCM, and supplied a bio-active compound Tryptanthrin as a candidate drug skeleton for infectious diseases caused by the PRSP.
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20
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Li M, Chen Y, Wang L, Lu C, Chen P, Jin Y, Li J, Gao F, Shang Z, Lin W. Investigations into the antibacterial effects and potential mechanism of gambogic acid and neogambogic acid. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1045291. [PMID: 36578570 PMCID: PMC9791066 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1045291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections to public health necessitates the development of novel antibacterial agents. Inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis has remained a key focus for antibiotic development. Our search for inhibitors of undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase (UPPS), an essential enzyme required for bacterial cell wall formation, revealed that two primary components of gamboge, gambogic acid (GA) and neogambogic acid (NGA), significantly inhibited the activity of Enterococcus faecalis UPPS (EfaUPPS) with the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 3.08 μM and 3.07 μM, respectively. In the in vitro antibacterial assay, both GA and NGA also exhibited inhibitory activities against E. faecalis with the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 2 μg/mL. Using microscale thermophoresis, molecular docking, and enzymatic assays, we further confirmed that GA and NGA occupy the substrate binding pocket of EfaUPPS with micro-molar binding affinity, preventing the natural substrates farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) from entering. Mutagenesis analysis revealed that L91 and L146 are two key residues in the binding between GA/NGA and UPPS. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that GA and NGA can improve E. faecalis-induced undesirable inflammation in a mouse infection model. Taken together, our findings provide a basis for structural optimization of GA/NGA to develop improved antibiotic leads and enhance treatment success rates in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Li
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing, China,Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,*Correspondence: Yuan Chen,
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chujie Lu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing, China,School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Peiying Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanling Jin
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiacong Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhuo Shang
- School of Pharmaeutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China,Zhuo Shang,
| | - Wei Lin
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing, China,Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China,Wei Lin,
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21
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Flanders PL, Contreras-Martel C, Brown NW, Shirley JD, Martins A, Nauta KN, Dessen A, Carlson EE, Ambrose EA. Combined Structural Analysis and Molecular Dynamics Reveal Penicillin-Binding Protein Inhibition Mode with β-Lactones. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:3110-3120. [PMID: 36173746 PMCID: PMC10057605 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
β-Lactam antibiotics comprise one of the most widely used therapeutic classes to combat bacterial infections. This general scaffold has long been known to inhibit bacterial cell wall biosynthesis by inactivating penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs); however, bacterial resistance to β-lactams is now widespread, and new strategies are urgently needed to target PBPs and other proteins involved in bacterial cell wall formation. A key requirement in the identification of strategies to overcome resistance is a deeper understanding of the roles of the PBPs and their associated proteins during cell growth and division, such as can be obtained with the use of selective chemical probes. Probe development has typically depended upon known PBP inhibitors, which have historically been thought to require a negatively charged moiety that mimics the C-terminus of the PBP natural peptidoglycan substrate, d-Ala-d-Ala. However, we have identified a new class of β-lactone-containing molecules that interact with PBPs, often in an isoform-specific manner, and do not incorporate this C-terminal mimetic. Here, we report a series of structural biology experiments and molecular dynamics simulations that we utilized to evaluate specific binding modes of this novel PBP inhibitor class. In this work, we obtained <2 Å resolution X-ray structures of four β-lactone probes bound to PBP1b from Streptococcus pneumoniae. Despite their diverging recognition modes beyond the site of covalent modification, these four probes all efficiently labeled PBP1b, as well as other PBPs from S. pneumoniae. From these structures, we analyzed protein-ligand interactions and characterized the β-lactone-bound active sites using in silico mutagenesis and molecular dynamics. Our approach has clarified the dynamic interaction profile in this series of ligands, expanding the understanding of PBP inhibitor binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker L Flanders
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 208 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States
| | - Carlos Contreras-Martel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), F-38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Nathaniel W Brown
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Joshua D Shirley
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 208 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States
| | - Alexandre Martins
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), F-38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Kelsie N Nauta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Andréa Dessen
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), F-38044 Grenoble, France.,Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), CNPEM, Campinas 13084-971, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Erin E Carlson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 208 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Ambrose
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 208 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States.,Minnesota Supercomputing Institute for Advanced Computational Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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22
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Guérin H, Kulakauskas S, Chapot-Chartier MP. Structural variations and roles of rhamnose-rich cell wall polysaccharides in Gram-positive bacteria. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102488. [PMID: 36113580 PMCID: PMC9574508 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhamnose-rich cell wall polysaccharides (Rha-CWPSs) have emerged as crucial cell wall components of numerous Gram-positive, ovoid-shaped bacteria—including streptococci, enterococci, and lactococci—of which many are of clinical or biotechnological importance. Rha-CWPS are composed of a conserved polyrhamnose backbone with side-chain substituents of variable size and structure. Because these substituents contain phosphate groups, Rha-CWPS can also be classified as polyanionic glycopolymers, similar to wall teichoic acids, of which they appear to be functional homologs. Recent advances have highlighted the critical role of these side-chain substituents in bacterial cell growth and division, as well as in specific interactions between bacteria and infecting bacteriophages or eukaryotic hosts. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the structure and biosynthesis of Rha-CWPS in several ovoid-shaped bacterial species. We emphasize the role played by multicomponent transmembrane glycosylation systems in the addition of side-chain substituents of various sizes as extracytoplasmic modifications of the polyrhamnose backbone. We provide an overview of the contribution of Rha-CWPS to cell wall architecture and biogenesis and discuss current hypotheses regarding their importance in the cell division process. Finally, we sum up the critical roles that Rha-CWPS can play as bacteriophage receptors or in escaping host defenses, roles that are mediated mainly through their side-chain substituents. From an applied perspective, increased knowledge of Rha-CWPS can lead to advancements in strategies for preventing phage infection of lactococci and streptococci in food fermentation and for combating pathogenic streptococci and enterococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Guérin
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Saulius Kulakauskas
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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23
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Takata M, Ubukata K, Miyazaki H, Iwata S, Nakamura S. Diversity of amino acid substitutions of penicillin-binding proteins in penicillin-non-susceptible and non-vaccine type Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Infect Chemother 2022; 28:1523-1530. [PMID: 35963598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2022.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In Japan, the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in children has decreased vaccine-type (VT) pneumococcal infections caused by penicillin (PEN)-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae. PEN-non-susceptible strains have gradually emerged among non-vaccine types (NVT). In this study, we aim to investigate the pbp gene mutations and the characteristics of PEN-binding proteins (PBPs) that mediate PEN resistance in NVT strains. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pneumococcal 41 strains of NVT isolated from patients with invasive pneumococcal infection were randomly selected. Nucleotide sequences for pbp genes encoding PBP1A, PBP2X, and PBP2B were analyzed, and amino acid (AA) substitutions that contribute to β-lactam resistance were identified. In addition, the three-dimensional (3D) structure of abnormal PBPs in the resistant strain was compared with that of a reference R6 strain via homology modeling. RESULTS In PEN-non-susceptible NVT strains, Thr to Ala or Ser substitutions in the conserved AA motif (STMK) were important in PBP1A and PBP2X. In PBP2B, substitutions from Thr to Ala, adjacent to the SSN motif, and from Glu to Gly were essential. The 3D structure modeling indicated that AA substitutions are characterized by accumulation around the enzymatic active pocket in PBPs. Many AA substitutions detected throughout the PBP domains were not associated with resistance, except for AA substitutions in or adjacent to AA motifs. Clonal complexes and sequence types showed that almost all NVT cases originated in other countries and spread to Japan via repeat mutations. CONCLUSIONS NVT with diverse AA substitutions increased gradually with pressure from both antimicrobial agents and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misako Takata
- Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kimiko Ubukata
- Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of General Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Haruko Miyazaki
- Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Iwata
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Cancer Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeki Nakamura
- Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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24
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Shirley JD, Nauta KM, Carlson EE. Live-Cell Profiling of Penicillin-Binding Protein Inhibitors in Escherichia coli MG1655. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1241-1252. [PMID: 35763562 PMCID: PMC10040144 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) make up an essential class of bacterial enzymes that carry out the final steps of peptidoglycan synthesis and regulate the recycling of this polymeric structure. PBPs are an excellent drug target and have been the most clinically relevant antibacterial target since the 1940s with the introduction of β-lactams. Despite this, a large gap in knowledge remains regarding the individual function and regulation of each PBP homologue in most bacteria. This can be attributed to a lack of chemical tools and methods that enable the study of individual PBPs in an activity-dependent manner and in their native environment. The development of such methods in Gram-negative bacteria has been particularly challenging due to the presence of an outer membrane and numerous resistance mechanisms. To address this, we have developed an optimized live-cell assay for screening inhibitors of the PBPs in Escherichia coli MG1655. We utilized EDTA to permeabilize Gram-negative cells, enabling increased penetration of our readout probe, Bocillin-FL, and subsequent analysis of PBP-inhibition profiles. To identify scaffolds for future development of PBP-selective activity-based probes, we screened ten β-lactams, one diazabicyclooctane, and one monobactam for their PBP-selectivity profiles in E. coli MG1655. These results demonstrate the utility of our assay for the screening of inhibitors in live, non-hypersusceptible Gram-negative organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Shirley
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 208 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States
| | - Kelsie M Nauta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Erin E Carlson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 208 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, United States
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25
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Dewachter L, Dénéréaz J, Liu X, de Bakker V, Costa C, Baldry M, Sirard JC, Veening JW. Amoxicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae can be resensitized by targeting the mevalonate pathway as indicated by sCRilecs-seq. eLife 2022; 11:75607. [PMID: 35748540 PMCID: PMC9363119 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance in the important opportunistic human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae is on the rise. This is particularly problematic in the case of the β-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin, which is the first-line therapy. It is therefore crucial to uncover targets that would kill or resensitize amoxicillin-resistant pneumococci. To do so, we developed a genome-wide, single-cell based, gene silencing screen using CRISPR interference called sCRilecs-seq (subsets of CRISPR interference libraries extracted by fluorescence activated cell sorting coupled to next generation sequencing). Since amoxicillin affects growth and division, sCRilecs-seq was used to identify targets that are responsible for maintaining proper cell size. Our screen revealed that downregulation of the mevalonate pathway leads to extensive cell elongation. Further investigation into this phenotype indicates that it is caused by a reduced availability of cell wall precursors at the site of cell wall synthesis due to a limitation in the production of undecaprenyl phosphate (Und-P), the lipid carrier that is responsible for transporting these precursors across the cell membrane. The data suggest that, whereas peptidoglycan synthesis continues even with reduced Und-P levels, cell constriction is specifically halted. We successfully exploited this knowledge to create a combination treatment strategy where the FDA-approved drug clomiphene, an inhibitor of Und-P synthesis, is paired up with amoxicillin. Our results show that clomiphene potentiates the antimicrobial activity of amoxicillin and that combination therapy resensitizes amoxicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae. These findings could provide a starting point to develop a solution for the increasing amount of hard-to-treat amoxicillin-resistant pneumococcal infections. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a bacterium that can cause pneumonia, meningitis and other life-threatening illnesses in humans. Currently, many S. pneumoniae infections are treated with the antibiotic amoxicillin, which kills the bacteria by weakening a structure known as the cell wall that surrounds each bacterium. However, more and more S. pneumoniae cells are becoming resistant to amoxicillin, making it harder to treat such infections. We need new ways to effectively treat S. pneumoniae infections in humans. One potential strategy would be to combine amoxicillin with another drug that boosts the activity of amoxicillin so that it is able to kill the resistant bacteria. Two drugs that both target the same process in cells are more likely to boost each other’s activity. Therefore, Dewachter et al. decided to search for another drug that also weakens the cell wall of S. pneumoniae. The team first developed a new screening approach called sCRilecs-seq to silence individual genes in single S. pneumoniae cells. By looking at many cells that each had a different gene that was no longer active, the team were able to identify several genes that when silenced resulted in the cells becoming longer than normal cells (a sign the bacteria may have weak cell walls). Further experiments revealed that the cell walls of these bacteria were weaker than normal cells due to a shortage in a cell wall building material known as undecaprenyl phosphate. Dewachter et al. then demonstrated that combining an existing drug known as clomiphene – which is known to inhibit undecaprenyl phosphate production and is currently used to treat infertility in humans – together with amoxicillin is able to effectively kill S. pneumoniae that are resistant to amoxicillin alone. Clomiphene also boosted the activity of amoxicillin against S. pneumoniae that remain sensitive to the antibiotic. Before this new drug combination may be used to help treat S. pneumoniae infections in human patients, further experiments will be needed to find out the optimum dose of clomiphene to use with amoxicillin. In the future, the new screening approach developed by Dewachter et al. may also prove useful to other researchers studying a wide range of biological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liselot Dewachter
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Dénéréaz
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Vincent de Bakker
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Inhibition of Filamentous Thermosensitive Mutant-Z Protein in Bacillus subtilis by Cyanobacterial Bioactive Compounds. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27061907. [PMID: 35335270 PMCID: PMC8948890 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27061907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is one of the major growing concerns for public health. Conventional antibiotics act on a few predefined targets and, with time, several bacteria have developed resistance against a large number of antibiotics. The WHO has suggested that antibiotic resistance is at a crisis stage and identification of new antibiotics and targets could be the only approach to bridge the gap. Filamentous Temperature Sensitive-Mutant Z (Fts-Z) is one of the promising and less explored antibiotic targets. It is a highly conserved protein and plays a key role in bacterial cell division by introducing a cytokinetic Z-ring formation. In the present article, the potential of over 165 cyanobacterial compounds with reported antibiotic activity against the catalytic core domain in the Fts-Z protein of the Bacillus subtilis was studied. The identified cyanobacterial compounds were screened using the GLIDE module of Maestro v-2019-2 followed by 100-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Ranking of the potential compound was performed using dock score and MMGBSA based free energy. The study reported that the docking score of aphanorphine (−6.010 Kcalmol−1) and alpha-dimorphecolic acid (ADMA) (−6.574 Kcalmol−1) showed significant role with respect to the reported potential inhibitor PC190723 (−4.135 Kcalmol−1). A 100 ns MD simulation infers that Fts-Z ADMA complex has a stable conformation throughout the progress of the simulation. Both the compounds, i.e., ADMA and Aphanorphine, were further considered for In-vitro validation by performing anti-bacterial studies against B. subtilis by agar well diffusion method. The results obtained through In-vitro studies confirm that ADMA, a small molecule of cyanobacterial origin, is a potential compound with an antibacterial activity that may act by inhibiting the novel target Fts-Z and could be a great drug candidate for antibiotic development.
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27
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Glycan-mediated molecular interactions in bacterial pathogenesis. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:254-267. [PMID: 34274195 PMCID: PMC8758796 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glycans are expressed on the surface of nearly all host and bacterial cells. Not surprisingly, glycan-mediated molecular interactions play a vital role in bacterial pathogenesis and host responses against pathogens. Glycan-mediated host-pathogen interactions can benefit the pathogen, host, or both. Here, we discuss (i) bacterial glycans that play a critical role in bacterial colonization and/or immune evasion, (ii) host glycans that are utilized by bacteria for pathogenesis, and (iii) bacterial and host glycans involved in immune responses against pathogens. We further discuss (iv) opportunities and challenges for transforming these research findings into more effective antibacterial strategies, and (v) technological advances in glycoscience that have helped to accelerate progress in research. These studies collectively offer valuable insights into new perspectives on antibacterial strategies that may effectively tackle the drug-resistant pathogens that are rapidly spreading globally.
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28
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Lane JR, Tata M, Briles DE, Orihuela CJ. A Jack of All Trades: The Role of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A in the Pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:826264. [PMID: 35186799 PMCID: PMC8847780 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.826264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), or the pneumococcus, is a Gram-positive bacterium that colonizes the upper airway. Spn is an opportunistic pathogen capable of life-threatening disease should it become established in the lungs, gain access to the bloodstream, or disseminate to vital organs including the central nervous system. Spn is encapsulated, allowing it to avoid phagocytosis, and current preventative measures against infection include polyvalent vaccines composed of capsular polysaccharide corresponding to its most prevalent serotypes. The pneumococcus also has a plethora of surface components that allow the bacteria to adhere to host cells, facilitate the evasion of the immune system, and obtain vital nutrients; one family of these are the choline-binding proteins (CBPs). Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is one of the most abundant CBPs and confers protection against the host by inhibiting recognition by C-reactive protein and neutralizing the antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin. Recently our group has identified two new roles for PspA: binding to dying host cells via host-cell bound glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and co-opting of host lactate dehydrogenase to enhance lactate availability. These properties have been shown to influence Spn localization and enhance virulence in the lower airway, respectively. Herein, we review the impact of CBPs, and in particular PspA, on pneumococcal pathogenesis. We discuss the potential and limitations of using PspA as a conserved vaccine antigen in a conjugate vaccine formulation. PspA is a vital component of the pneumococcal virulence arsenal - therefore, understanding the molecular aspects of this protein is essential in understanding pneumococcal pathogenesis and utilizing PspA as a target for treating or preventing pneumococcal pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carlos J. Orihuela
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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29
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Alcorlo M, Martínez-Caballero S, Molina R, Hermoso JA. Regulation of Lytic Machineries by the FtsEX Complex in the Bacterial Divisome. Subcell Biochem 2022; 99:285-315. [PMID: 36151380 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-00793-4_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The essential membrane complex FtsE/FtsX (FtsEX), belonging to the ABC transporter superfamily and widespread among bacteria, plays a relevant function in some crucial cell wall remodeling processes such as cell division, elongation, or sporulation. FtsEX plays a double role by recruiting proteins to the divisome apparatus and by regulating lytic activity of the cell wall hydrolases required for daughter cell separation. Interestingly, FtsEX does not act as a transporter but uses the ATPase activity of FtsE to mechanically transmit a signal from the cytosol, through the membrane, to the periplasm that activates the attached hydrolases. While the complete molecular details of such mechanism are not yet known, evidence has been recently reported that clarify essential aspects of this complex system. In this chapter we will present recent structural advances on this topic. The three-dimensional structure of FtsE, FtsX, and some of the lytic enzymes or their cognate regulators revealed an unexpected scenario in which a delicate set of intermolecular interactions, conserved among different bacterial genera, could be at the core of this regulatory mechanism providing exquisite control in both space and time of this central process to assist bacterial survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Alcorlo
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano", CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Siseth Martínez-Caballero
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano", CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Chemistry of Biomacromolecules, Universidade Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Rafael Molina
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano", CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Hermoso
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano", CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
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30
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Perez AJ, Villicana JB, Tsui HCT, Danforth ML, Benedet M, Massidda O, Winkler ME. FtsZ-Ring Regulation and Cell Division Are Mediated by Essential EzrA and Accessory Proteins ZapA and ZapJ in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:780864. [PMID: 34938281 PMCID: PMC8687745 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.780864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial FtsZ-ring initiates division by recruiting a large repertoire of proteins (the divisome; Z-ring) needed for septation and separation of cells. Although FtsZ is essential and its role as the main orchestrator of cell division is conserved in most eubacteria, the regulators of Z-ring presence and positioning are not universal. This study characterizes factors that regulate divisome presence and placement in the ovoid-shaped pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), focusing on FtsZ, EzrA, SepF, ZapA, and ZapJ, which is reported here as a partner of ZapA. Epi-fluorescence microscopy (EFm) and high-resolution microscopy experiments showed that FtsZ and EzrA co-localize during the entire Spn cell cycle, whereas ZapA and ZapJ are late-arriving divisome proteins. Depletion and conditional mutants demonstrate that EzrA is essential in Spn and required for normal cell growth, size, shape homeostasis, and chromosome segregation. Moreover, EzrA(Spn) is required for midcell placement of FtsZ-rings and PG synthesis. Notably, overexpression of EzrA leads to the appearance of extra Z-rings in Spn. Together, these observations support a role for EzrA as a positive regulator of FtsZ-ring formation in Spn. Conversely, FtsZ is required for EzrA recruitment to equatorial rings and for the organization of PG synthesis. In contrast to EzrA depletion, which causes a bacteriostatic phenotype in Spn, depletion of FtsZ results in enlarged spherical cells that are subject to LytA-dependent autolysis. Co-immunoprecipitation and bacterial two-hybrid assays show that EzrA(Spn) is in complexes with FtsZ, Z-ring regulators (FtsA, SepF, ZapA, MapZ), division proteins (FtsK, StkP), and proteins that mediate peptidoglycan synthesis (GpsB, aPBP1a), consistent with a role for EzrA at the interface of cell division and PG synthesis. In contrast to the essentiality of FtsZ and EzrA, ZapA and SepF have accessory roles in regulating pneumococcal physiology. We further show that ZapA interacts with a non-ZapB homolog, named here as ZapJ, which is conserved in Streptococcus species. The absence of the accessory proteins, ZapA, ZapJ, and SepF, exacerbates growth defects when EzrA is depleted or MapZ is deleted. Taken together, these results provide new information about the spatially and temporally distinct proteins that regulate FtsZ-ring organization and cell division in Spn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilcar J Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Jesus Bazan Villicana
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Ho-Ching T Tsui
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Madeline L Danforth
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Mattia Benedet
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Orietta Massidda
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Malcolm E Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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31
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Briggs NS, Bruce KE, Naskar S, Winkler ME, Roper DI. The Pneumococcal Divisome: Dynamic Control of Streptococcus pneumoniae Cell Division. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:737396. [PMID: 34737730 PMCID: PMC8563077 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.737396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell division in Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is performed and regulated by a protein complex consisting of at least 14 different protein elements; known as the divisome. Recent findings have advanced our understanding of the molecular events surrounding this process and have provided new understanding of the mechanisms that occur during the division of pneumococcus. This review will provide an overview of the key protein complexes and how they are involved in cell division. We will discuss the interaction of proteins in the divisome complex that underpin the control mechanisms for cell division and cell wall synthesis and remodelling that are required in S. pneumoniae, including the involvement of virulence factors and capsular polysaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S. Briggs
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin E. Bruce
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Souvik Naskar
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm E. Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - David I. Roper
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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Looks can be deceiving: Bacterial enzymes work through unanticipated mechanism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2114568118. [PMID: 34526405 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114568118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Garcia PS, Duchemin W, Flandrois JP, Gribaldo S, Grangeasse C, Brochier-Armanet C. A Comprehensive Evolutionary Scenario of Cell Division and Associated Processes in the Firmicutes. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2396-2412. [PMID: 33533884 PMCID: PMC8136486 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell cycle is a fundamental process that has been extensively studied in bacteria. However, many of its components and their interactions with machineries involved in other cellular processes are poorly understood. Furthermore, most knowledge relies on the study of a few models, but the real diversity of the cell division apparatus and its evolution are largely unknown. Here, we present a massive in-silico analysis of cell division and associated processes in around 1,000 genomes of the Firmicutes, a major bacterial phylum encompassing models (i.e. Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus), as well as many important pathogens. We analyzed over 160 proteins by using an original approach combining phylogenetic reconciliation, phylogenetic profiles, and gene cluster survey. Our results reveal the presence of substantial differences among clades and pinpoints a number of evolutionary hotspots. In particular, the emergence of Bacilli coincides with an expansion of the gene repertoires involved in cell wall synthesis and remodeling. We also highlight major genomic rearrangements at the emergence of Streptococcaceae. We establish a functional network in Firmicutes that allows identifying new functional links inside one same process such as between FtsW (peptidoglycan polymerase) and a previously undescribed Penicilin-Binding Protein or between different processes, such as replication and cell wall synthesis. Finally, we identify new candidates involved in sporulation and cell wall synthesis. Our results provide a previously undescribed view on the diversity of the bacterial cell cycle, testable hypotheses for further experimental studies, and a methodological framework for the analysis of any other biological system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre S Garcia
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 Villeurbanne F-69622, France.,Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France.,Department of Microbiology, Unit "Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell", Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Wandrille Duchemin
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 Villeurbanne F-69622, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Flandrois
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 Villeurbanne F-69622, France
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Department of Microbiology, Unit "Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell", Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Céline Brochier-Armanet
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 Villeurbanne F-69622, France
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Peters K, Schweizer I, Hakenbeck R, Denapaite D. New Insights into Beta-Lactam Resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae: Serine Protease HtrA Degrades Altered Penicillin-Binding Protein 2x. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081685. [PMID: 34442764 PMCID: PMC8400419 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced amounts of the essential penicillin-binding protein 2x (PBP2x) were detected in two cefotaxime-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae laboratory mutants C405 and C606. These mutants contain two or four mutations in the penicillin-binding domain of PBP2x, respectively. The transcription of the pbp2x gene was not affected in both mutants; thus, the reduced PBP2x amounts were likely due to post-transcriptional regulation. The mutants carry a mutation in the histidine protein kinase gene ciaH, resulting in enhanced gene expression mediated by the cognate response regulator CiaR. Deletion of htrA, encoding a serine protease regulated by CiaR, or inactivation of HtrA proteolytic activity showed that HtrA is indeed responsible for PBP2x degradation in both mutants, and that this affects β-lactam resistance. Depletion of the PBP2xC405 in different genetic backgrounds confirmed that HtrA degrades PBP2xC405. A GFP-PBP2xC405 fusion protein still localized at the septum in the absence of HtrA. The complementation studies in HtrA deletion strains showed that HtrA can be overexpressed in pneumococcal cells to specific levels, depending on the genetic background. Quantitative Western blotting revealed that the PBP2x amount in C405 strain was less than 20% compared to parental strain, suggesting that PBP2x is an abundant protein in S. pneumoniae R6 strain.
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Trouve J, Zapun A, Arthaud C, Durmort C, Di Guilmi AM, Söderström B, Pelletier A, Grangeasse C, Bourgeois D, Wong YS, Morlot C. Nanoscale dynamics of peptidoglycan assembly during the cell cycle of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2844-2856.e6. [PMID: 33989523 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Dynamics of cell elongation and septation are key determinants of bacterial morphogenesis. These processes are intimately linked to peptidoglycan synthesis performed by macromolecular complexes called the elongasome and the divisome. In rod-shaped bacteria, cell elongation and septation, which are dissociated in time and space, have been well described. By contrast, in ovoid-shaped bacteria, the dynamics and relationships between these processes remain poorly understood because they are concomitant and confined to a nanometer-scale annular region at midcell. Here, we set up a metabolic peptidoglycan labeling approach using click chemistry to image peptidoglycan synthesis by single-molecule localization microscopy in the ovoid bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Our nanoscale-resolution data reveal spatiotemporal features of peptidoglycan assembly and fate along the cell cycle and provide geometrical parameters that we used to construct a morphogenesis model of the ovoid cell. These analyses show that septal and peripheral peptidoglycan syntheses first occur within a single annular region that later separates in two concentric regions and that elongation persists after septation is completed. In addition, our data reveal that freshly synthesized peptidoglycan is remodeled all along the cell cycle. Altogether, our work provides evidence that septal peptidoglycan is synthesized from the beginning of the cell cycle and is constantly remodeled through cleavage and insertion of material at its periphery. The ovoid-cell morphogenesis would thus rely on the relative dynamics between peptidoglycan synthesis and cleavage rather than on the existence of two distinct successive phases of peripheral and septal synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennyfer Trouve
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - André Zapun
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Claire Durmort
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Bill Söderström
- The ithree institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Structural Cellular Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan
| | - Anais Pelletier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), CNRS, Univ. Lyon 1, UMR 5086, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), CNRS, Univ. Lyon 1, UMR 5086, Lyon 69007, France
| | | | | | - Cecile Morlot
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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Fisher JF, Mobashery S. β-Lactams against the Fortress of the Gram-Positive Staphylococcus aureus Bacterium. Chem Rev 2021; 121:3412-3463. [PMID: 33373523 PMCID: PMC8653850 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The biological diversity of the unicellular bacteria-whether assessed by shape, food, metabolism, or ecological niche-surely rivals (if not exceeds) that of the multicellular eukaryotes. The relationship between bacteria whose ecological niche is the eukaryote, and the eukaryote, is often symbiosis or stasis. Some bacteria, however, seek advantage in this relationship. One of the most successful-to the disadvantage of the eukaryote-is the small (less than 1 μm diameter) and nearly spherical Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. For decades, successful clinical control of its infection has been accomplished using β-lactam antibiotics such as the penicillins and the cephalosporins. Over these same decades S. aureus has perfected resistance mechanisms against these antibiotics, which are then countered by new generations of β-lactam structure. This review addresses the current breadth of biochemical and microbiological efforts to preserve the future of the β-lactam antibiotics through a better understanding of how S. aureus protects the enzyme targets of the β-lactams, the penicillin-binding proteins. The penicillin-binding proteins are essential enzyme catalysts for the biosynthesis of the cell wall, and understanding how this cell wall is integrated into the protective cell envelope of the bacterium may identify new antibacterials and new adjuvants that preserve the efficacy of the β-lactams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed F Fisher
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, McCourtney Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Shahriar Mobashery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, McCourtney Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Indiana 46556, United States
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Straume D, Piechowiak KW, Kjos M, Håvarstein LS. Class A PBPs: It is time to rethink traditional paradigms. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:41-52. [PMID: 33709487 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Until recently, class A penicillin-binding proteins (aPBPs) were the only enzymes known to catalyze glycan chain polymerization from lipid II in bacteria. Hence, the discovery of two novel lipid II polymerases, FtsW and RodA, raises new questions and has consequently received a lot of attention from the research community. FtsW and RodA are essential and highly conserved members of the divisome and elongasome, respectively, and work in conjunction with their cognate class B PBPs (bPBPs) to synthesize the division septum and insert new peptidoglycan into the lateral cell wall. The identification of FtsW and RodA as peptidoglycan glycosyltransferases has raised questions regarding the role of aPBPs in peptidoglycan synthesis and fundamentally changed our understanding of the process. Despite their dethronement, aPBPs are essential in most bacteria. So, what is their function? In this review, we discuss recent progress in answering this question and present our own views on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Straume
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Morten Kjos
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Leiv Sigve Håvarstein
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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Cools F, Delputte P, Cos P. The search for novel treatment strategies for Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6064299. [PMID: 33399826 PMCID: PMC8371276 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This review provides an overview of the most important novel treatment strategies against Streptococcus pneumoniae infections published over the past 10 years. The pneumococcus causes the majority of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia cases, and it is one of the prime pathogens in bacterial meningitis. Over the last 10 years, extensive research has been conducted to prevent severe pneumococcal infections, with a major focus on (i) boosting the host immune system and (ii) discovering novel antibacterials. Boosting the immune system can be done in two ways, either by actively modulating host immunity, mostly through administration of selective antibodies, or by interfering with pneumococcal virulence factors, thereby supporting the host immune system to effectively overcome an infection. While several of such experimental therapies are promising, few have evolved to clinical trials. The discovery of novel antibacterials is hampered by the high research and development costs versus the relatively low revenues for the pharmaceutical industry. Nevertheless, novel enzymatic assays and target-based drug design, allow the identification of targets and the development of novel molecules to effectively treat this life-threatening pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Cools
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - P Delputte
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - P Cos
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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Perez AJ, Boersma MJ, Bruce KE, Lamanna MM, Shaw SL, Tsui HCT, Taguchi A, Carlson EE, VanNieuwenhze MS, Winkler ME. Organization of peptidoglycan synthesis in nodes and separate rings at different stages of cell division of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:1152-1169. [PMID: 33269494 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis requires strict spatiotemporal organization to reproduce specific cell shapes. In ovoid-shaped Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), septal and peripheral (elongation) PG synthesis occur simultaneously at midcell. To uncover the organization of proteins and activities that carry out these two modes of PG synthesis, we examined Spn cells vertically oriented onto their poles to image the division plane at the high lateral resolution of 3D-SIM (structured-illumination microscopy). Labeling with fluorescent D-amino acids (FDAA) showed that areas of new transpeptidase (TP) activity catalyzed by penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) separate into a pair of concentric rings early in division, representing peripheral PG (pPG) synthesis (outer ring) and the leading-edge (inner ring) of septal PG (sPG) synthesis. Fluorescently tagged PBP2x or FtsZ locate primarily to the inner FDAA-marked ring, whereas PBP2b and FtsX remain in the outer ring, suggesting roles in sPG or pPG synthesis, respectively. Pulses of FDAA labeling revealed an arrangement of separate regularly spaced "nodes" of TP activity around the division site of predivisional cells. Tagged PBP2x, PBP2b, and FtsX proteins also exhibited nodal patterns with spacing comparable to that of FDAA labeling. Together, these results reveal new aspects of spatially ordered PG synthesis in ovococcal bacteria during cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilcar J Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Michael J Boersma
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Kevin E Bruce
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Melissa M Lamanna
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Sidney L Shaw
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Ho-Ching T Tsui
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Atsushi Taguchi
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin E Carlson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Malcolm E Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
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A Choline-Recognizing Monomeric Lysin, ClyJ-3m, Shows Elevated Activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.00311-20. [PMID: 32958710 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00311-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading pathogen for bacterial pneumonia, which can be treated with bacteriophage lysins harboring a conserved choline binding module (CBM). Such lysins regularly function as choline-recognizing dimers. Previously, we reported a pneumococcus-specific lysin ClyJ comprising the binding domain from the putative endolysin gp20 from the Streptococcus phage SPSL1 and the CHAP (cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolase/peptidase) catalytic domain from the PlyC lysin. A variant of ClyJ with a shortened linker, i.e., ClyJ-3, shows improved activity and reduced cytotoxicity. Resembling typical CBM-containing lysins, ClyJ-3 dimerized upon binding with choline. Herein, we further report a choline-recognizing variant of ClyJ-3, i.e., ClyJ-3m, constructed by deleting its C-terminal tail. Biochemical characterization showed that ClyJ-3m remains a monomer after it binds to choline yet exhibits improved bactericidal activity against multiple pneumococcal strains with different serotypes. In an S. pneumoniae-infected bacteremia model, a single intraperitoneal administration of 2.32 μg/mouse of ClyJ-3m showed 70% protection, while only 20% of mice survived in the group receiving an equal dose of ClyJ-3 (P < 0.05). A pharmacokinetic analysis following single intravenously doses of 0.29 and 1.16 mg/kg of ClyJ-3 or ClyJ-3m in BALB/c mice revealed that ClyJ-3m shows a similar half-life but less clearance and a greater area under curve than ClyJ-3. Taken together, the choline-recognizing monomer ClyJ-3m exhibited enhanced bactericidal activity and improved pharmacokinetic proprieties compared to those of its parental ClyJ-3 lysin. Our study also provides a new way for rational design and programmed engineering of lysins targeting S. pneumoniae.
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Fodor A, Abate BA, Deák P, Fodor L, Gyenge E, Klein MG, Koncz Z, Muvevi J, Ötvös L, Székely G, Vozik D, Makrai L. Multidrug Resistance (MDR) and Collateral Sensitivity in Bacteria, with Special Attention to Genetic and Evolutionary Aspects and to the Perspectives of Antimicrobial Peptides-A Review. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9070522. [PMID: 32610480 PMCID: PMC7399985 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9070522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic poly-resistance (multidrug-, extreme-, and pan-drug resistance) is controlled by adaptive evolution. Darwinian and Lamarckian interpretations of resistance evolution are discussed. Arguments for, and against, pessimistic forecasts on a fatal “post-antibiotic era” are evaluated. In commensal niches, the appearance of a new antibiotic resistance often reduces fitness, but compensatory mutations may counteract this tendency. The appearance of new antibiotic resistance is frequently accompanied by a collateral sensitivity to other resistances. Organisms with an expanding open pan-genome, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, can withstand an increased number of resistances by exploiting their evolutionary plasticity and disseminating clonally or poly-clonally. Multidrug-resistant pathogen clones can become predominant under antibiotic stress conditions but, under the influence of negative frequency-dependent selection, are prevented from rising to dominance in a population in a commensal niche. Antimicrobial peptides have a great potential to combat multidrug resistance, since antibiotic-resistant bacteria have shown a high frequency of collateral sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides. In addition, the mobility patterns of antibiotic resistance, and antimicrobial peptide resistance, genes are completely different. The integron trade in commensal niches is fortunately limited by the species-specificity of resistance genes. Hence, we theorize that the suggested post-antibiotic era has not yet come, and indeed might never come.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Fodor
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Correspondence: or (A.F.); (L.M.); Tel.: +36-(30)-490-9294 (A.F.); +36-(30)-271-2513 (L.M.)
| | - Birhan Addisie Abate
- Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute, Agricultural Biotechnology Directorate, Addis Ababa 5954, Ethiopia;
| | - Péter Deák
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Fodor
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 22, H-1581 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Ervin Gyenge
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (E.G.); (G.S.)
- Institute for Research-Development-Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Michael G. Klein
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691, USA;
| | - Zsuzsanna Koncz
- Max-Planck Institut für Pflanzenzüchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Köln, Germany;
| | | | - László Ötvös
- OLPE, LLC, Audubon, PA 19403-1965, USA;
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest, Hungary
- Arrevus, Inc., Raleigh, NC 27612, USA
| | - Gyöngyi Székely
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (E.G.); (G.S.)
- Institute for Research-Development-Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Centre for Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Babeș-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor St., 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dávid Vozik
- Research Institute on Bioengineering, Membrane Technology and Energetics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Veszprem, H-8200 Veszprém, Hungary; or or
| | - László Makrai
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 22, H-1581 Budapest, Hungary;
- Correspondence: or (A.F.); (L.M.); Tel.: +36-(30)-490-9294 (A.F.); +36-(30)-271-2513 (L.M.)
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Hosek T, Bougault CM, Lavergne JP, Martinez D, Ayala I, Fenel D, Restelli M, Morlot C, Habenstein B, Grangeasse C, Simorre JP. Structural features of the interaction of MapZ with FtsZ and membranes in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4051. [PMID: 32132631 PMCID: PMC7055233 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61036-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
MapZ localizes at midcell and acts as a molecular beacon for the positioning of the cell division machinery in the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. MapZ contains a single transmembrane helix that separates the C-terminal extracellular domain from the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain. Only the structure and function of the extracellular domain is known. Here, we demonstrate that large parts of the cytoplasmic domain is intrinsically disordered and that there are two regions (from residues 45 to 68 and 79 to 95) with a tendency to fold into amphipathic helices. We further reveal that these regions interact with the surface of liposomes that mimic the Streptococcus pneumoniae cell membrane. The highly conserved and unfolded N-terminal region (from residues 17 to 43) specifically interacts with FtsZ independently of FtsZ polymerization state. Moreover, we show that MapZ phosphorylation at positions Thr67 and Thr68 does not impact the interaction with FtsZ or liposomes. Altogether, we propose a model in which the MapZ-mediated recruitment of FtsZ to mid-cell is modulated through competition of MapZ binding to the cell membrane. The molecular interplay between the components of this tripartite complex could represent a key step toward the complete assembly of the divisome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Hosek
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Catherine M Bougault
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavergne
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Denis Martinez
- Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-objects, CBMN-CNRS Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Isabel Ayala
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Daphna Fenel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Marine Restelli
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Cecile Morlot
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Birgit Habenstein
- Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-objects, CBMN-CNRS Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, CNRS UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Simorre
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000, Grenoble, France.
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Booth S, Lewis RJ. Structural basis for the coordination of cell division with the synthesis of the bacterial cell envelope. Protein Sci 2019; 28:2042-2054. [PMID: 31495975 PMCID: PMC6863701 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria are surrounded by a complex cell envelope made up of one or two membranes supplemented with a layer of peptidoglycan (PG). The envelope is responsible for the protection of bacteria against lysis in their oft-unpredictable environments and it contributes to cell integrity, morphology, signaling, nutrient/small-molecule transport, and, in the case of pathogenic bacteria, host-pathogen interactions and virulence. The cell envelope requires considerable remodeling during cell division in order to produce genetically identical progeny. Several proteinaceous machines are responsible for the homeostasis of the cell envelope and their activities must be kept coordinated in order to ensure the remodeling of the envelope is temporally and spatially regulated correctly during multiple cycles of cell division and growth. This review aims to highlight the complexity of the components of the cell envelope, but focusses specifically on the molecular apparatuses involved in the synthesis of the PG wall, and the degree of cross talk necessary between the cell division and the cell wall remodeling machineries to coordinate PG remodeling during division. The current understanding of many of the proteins discussed here has relied on structural studies, and this review concentrates particularly on this structural work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Booth
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Richard J. Lewis
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
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