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Yalkut K, Ben Ali Hassine S, Basaran E, Kula C, Ozcan A, Avci FG, Keskin O, Sariyar Akbulut B, Ozbek P. Attenuation of Type IV pili activity by natural products. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38305801 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2310781] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The virulence factor Type IV pili (T4P) are surface appendages used by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa for twitching motility and adhesion in the environment and during infection. Additionally, the use of these appendages by P. aeruginosa for biofilm formation increases its virulence and drug resistance. Therefore, attenuation of the activity of T4P would be desirable to control P. aeruginosa infections. Here, a computational approach has been pursued to screen natural products that can be used for this purpose. PilB, the elongation ATPase of the T4P machinery in P. aeruginosa, has been selected as the target subunit and virtual screening of FDA-approved drugs has been conducted. Screening identified two natural compounds, ergoloid and irinotecan, as potential candidates for inhibiting this T4P-associated ATPase in P. aeruginosa. These candidate compounds underwent further rigorous evaluation through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and then through in vitro twitching motility and biofilm inhibition assays. Notably, ergoloid emerged as a particularly promising candidate for weakening the T4P activity by inhibiting the elongation ATPases associated with T4P. This repurposing study paves the way for the timely discovery of antivirulence drugs as an alternative to classical antibiotic treatments to help combat infections caused by P. aeruginosa and related pathogens.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerem Yalkut
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Soumaya Ben Ali Hassine
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Esra Basaran
- Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ceyda Kula
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aslıhan Ozcan
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatma Gizem Avci
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Keskin
- Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Berna Sariyar Akbulut
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Pemra Ozbek
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Huang W, Chen W, Chen Y, Fang S, Huang T, Chang P, Chang Y. Salmonella YqiC exerts its function through an oligomeric state. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4749. [PMID: 37555831 PMCID: PMC10503411 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4749] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Protein oligomerization occurs frequently both in vitro and in vivo, with specific functionalities associated with different oligomeric states. The YqiC protein from Salmonella Typhimurium forms a homotrimer through its C-terminal coiled-coil domain, and the protein is closely linked to the colonization and invasion of the bacteria to the host cells. To elucidate the importance of the oligomeric state of YqiC in vivo and its relation with bacterial infection, we mutated crucial residues in YqiC's coiled-coil region and confirmed the loss of trimer formation using chemical crosslinking and size exclusion chromatography coupled with multiple angle light scattering (SEC-MALS) techniques. The yqiC-knockout strain complemented with mutant YqiC showed significantly reduced colonization and invasion of Salmonella to host cells, demonstrating the critical role of YqiC oligomerization in bacterial pathogenesis. Furthermore, we conducted a protein-protein interaction study of YqiC using a pulled-down assay coupled with mass spectrometry analysis to investigate the protein's role in bacterial virulence. The results reveal that YqiC interacts with subunits of Complex II of the electron transport chain (SdhA and SdhB) and the β-subunit of F0 F1 -ATP synthase. These interactions suggest that YqiC may modulate the energy production of Salmonella and subsequently affect the assembly of crucial virulence factors, such as flagella. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of YqiC's role in S. Typhimurium pathogenesis and suggest potential therapeutic targets for bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei‐Chun Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Wai‐Ting Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yueh‐Chen Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shiuh‐Bin Fang
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Pediatrics, Shuang Ho HospitalTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Master Program for Clinical Genomics and Proteomics, College of PharmacyTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Tzu‐Wen Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Pei‐Ru Chang
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Pediatrics, Shuang Ho HospitalTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yu‐Chu Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- International PhD Program in Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, College of MedicineTaipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
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Dye KJ, Salar S, Allen U, Smith W, Yang Z. Myxococcus xanthus PilB interacts with c-di-GMP and modulates motility and biofilm formation. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0022123. [PMID: 37695853 PMCID: PMC10521364 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00221-23] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of biofilm and motile states as alternate bacterial lifestyles has been studied extensively in flagellated bacteria, where the second messenger cyclic-di-GMP (cdG) plays a crucial role. However, much less is known about the mechanisms of such regulation in motile bacteria without flagella. The bacterial type IV pilus (T4P) serves as a motility apparatus that enables Myxococcus xanthus to move on solid surfaces. PilB, the T4P assembly ATPase, is, therefore, required for T4P-dependent motility in M. xanthus. Interestingly, T4P is also involved in the regulation of exopolysaccharide as the biofilm matrix material in this bacterium. A newly discovered cdG-binding domain, MshEN, is conserved in the N-terminus of PilB (PilBN) in M. xanthus and other bacteria. This suggests that cdG may bind to PilB to control the respective outputs that regulate biofilm development and T4P-powered motility. In this study, we aimed to validate M. xanthus PilB as a cdG effector protein. We performed a systematic mutational analysis of its cdG-binding domain to investigate its relationship with motility, piliation, and biofilm formation. Excluding those resulting in low levels of PilB protein, all other substitution mutations in PilBN resulted in pilB mutants with distinct and differential phenotypes in piliation and biofilm levels in M. xanthus. This suggests that the PilBN domain plays dual roles in modulating motility and biofilm levels, and these two functions of PilB can be dependent on and independent of each other in M. xanthus. IMPORTANCE The regulation of motility and biofilm by cyclic-di-GMP in flagellated bacteria has been extensively investigated. However, our knowledge regarding this regulation in motile bacteria without flagella remains limited. Here, we aimed to address this gap by investigating a non-flagellated bacterium with motility powered by bacterial type-IV pilus (T4P). Previous studies hinted at the possibility of Myxococcus xanthus PilB, the T4P assembly ATPase, serving as a cyclic-di-GMP effector involved in regulating both motility and biofilm. Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that PilB directly interacts with cyclic-di-GMP to act as a potential switch to promote biofilm formation or T4P-dependent motility. These results shed light on the bifurcation of PilB functions and its pivotal role in coordinating biofilm formation and T4P-mediated motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keane J. Dye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Safoura Salar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Uvina Allen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Wraylyn Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Zhaomin Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Zhao D, Wang J, Wang H, Zhu X, Han C, Liu A. The Transcription Regulator GntR/HutC Regulates Biofilm Formation, Motility and Stress Tolerance in Lysobacter capsici X2-3. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:281. [PMID: 37439829 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03390-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Lysobacter capsici X2-3, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), was isolated from wheat rhizosphere and has inhibitory effects against a wide range of pathogens. One important characteristic of L. capsici is its ability to produce diverse antibiotics and lytic enzymes. The GntR family of transcription factors is a common transcription factor superfamily in bacteria that has fundamental roles in bacterial metabolism regulation. However, the GntR family transcription factor in Lysobacter has not been identified. In this study, to obtain an understanding of the GntR/HutC gene function in L. capsici X2-3, a random Tn5-insertion mutant library of X2-3 was constructed to select genes showing pleiotropic effects on phenotype. We identified a Tn5 mutant with an insertion in LC4356 that showed reduced biofilm levels, and sequence analysis indicated that the inserted gene encodes a GntR/HutC family transcription regulator. Furthermore, the LC4356 mutant showed reduced extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production, diminished twitching motility and decreased survival under UV radiation and high-temperature. The RT‒qPCR results indicated that the pentose phosphate pathway-related genes G6PDH, 6PGL and PGDH were upregulated in the LC4356 mutant. Thus, since L. capsici is an efficient biocontrol agent for crop protection, our findings provide fundamental insights into GntR/HutC and will be worthwhile to improve PGPR biocontrol efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Chao Han
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China.
| | - Aixin Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China.
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