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Sikora F, Budja LVP, Milojevic O, Ziemniewicz A, Dudys P, Görke B. Multiple regulatory inputs including cell envelope stress orchestrate expression of the Escherichia coli rpoN operon. Mol Microbiol 2024; 122:11-28. [PMID: 38770591 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15280] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The rpoN operon, an important regulatory hub in Enterobacteriaceae, includes rpoN encoding sigma factor σ54, hpf involved in ribosome hibernation, rapZ regulating glucosamine-6-phosphate levels, and two genes encoding proteins of the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system. Little is known about regulatory mechanisms controlling the abundance of these proteins. This study employs transposon mutagenesis and chemical screens to dissect the complex expression of the rpoN operon. We find that envelope stress conditions trigger read-through transcription into the rpoN operon from a promoter located upstream of the preceding lptA-lptB locus. This promoter is controlled by the envelope stress sigma factor E and response regulator PhoP is required for its full response to a subset of stress signals. σE also stimulates ptsN-rapZ-npr expression using an element downstream of rpoN, presumably by interfering with mRNA processing by RNase E. Additionally, we identify a novel promoter in the 3' end of rpoN that directs transcription of the distal genes in response to ethanol. Finally, we show that translation of hpf and ptsN is individually regulated by the RNA chaperone Hfq, perhaps involving small RNAs. Collectively, our work demonstrates that the rpoN operon is subject to complex regulation, integrating signals related to envelope stress and carbon source quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Sikora
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Lara Veronika Perko Budja
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olja Milojevic
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amelia Ziemniewicz
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Przemyslaw Dudys
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Boris Görke
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Gucwa K, Wons E, Wisniewska A, Jakalski M, Dubiak Z, Kozlowski LP, Mruk I. Lethal perturbation of an Escherichia coli regulatory network is triggered by a restriction-modification system's regulator and can be mitigated by excision of the cryptic prophage Rac. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2942-2960. [PMID: 38153127 PMCID: PMC11014345 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1234] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial gene regulatory networks orchestrate responses to environmental challenges. Horizontal gene transfer can bring in genes with regulatory potential, such as new transcription factors (TFs), and this can disrupt existing networks. Serious regulatory perturbations may even result in cell death. Here, we show the impact on Escherichia coli of importing a promiscuous TF that has adventitious transcriptional effects within the cryptic Rac prophage. A cascade of regulatory network perturbations occurred on a global level. The TF, a C regulatory protein, normally controls a Type II restriction-modification system, but in E. coli K-12 interferes with expression of the RacR repressor gene, resulting in de-repression of the normally-silent Rac ydaT gene. YdaT is a prophage-encoded TF with pleiotropic effects on E. coli physiology. In turn, YdaT alters expression of a variety of bacterial regulons normally controlled by the RcsA TF, resulting in deficient lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and cell division. At the same time, insufficient RacR repressor results in Rac DNA excision, halting Rac gene expression due to loss of the replication-defective Rac prophage. Overall, Rac induction appears to counteract the lethal toxicity of YdaT. We show here that E. coli rewires its regulatory network, so as to minimize the adverse regulatory effects of the imported C TF. This complex set of interactions may reflect the ability of bacteria to protect themselves by having robust mechanisms to maintain their regulatory networks, and/or suggest that regulatory C proteins from mobile operons are under selection to manipulate their host's regulatory networks for their own benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Gucwa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Ewa Wons
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Wisniewska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Marcin Jakalski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Dubiak
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Lukasz Pawel Kozlowski
- Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Mruk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
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George A, Patil AG, Mahalakshmi R. ATP-independent assembly machinery of bacterial outer membranes: BAM complex structure and function set the stage for next-generation therapeutics. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4896. [PMID: 38284489 PMCID: PMC10804688 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4896] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Diderm bacteria employ β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) as their first line of communication with their environment. These OMPs are assembled efficiently in the asymmetric outer membrane by the β-Barrel Assembly Machinery (BAM). The multi-subunit BAM complex comprises the transmembrane OMP BamA as its functional subunit, with associated lipoproteins (e.g., BamB/C/D/E/F, RmpM) varying across phyla and performing different regulatory roles. The ability of BAM complex to recognize and fold OM β-barrels of diverse sizes, and reproducibly execute their membrane insertion, is independent of electrochemical energy. Recent atomic structures, which captured BAM-substrate complexes, show the assembly function of BamA can be tailored, with different substrate types exhibiting different folding mechanisms. Here, we highlight common and unique features of its interactome. We discuss how this conserved protein complex has evolved the ability to effectively achieve the directed assembly of diverse OMPs of wide-ranging sizes (8-36 β-stranded monomers). Additionally, we discuss how darobactin-the first natural membrane protein inhibitor of Gram-negative bacteria identified in over five decades-selectively targets and specifically inhibits BamA. We conclude by deliberating how a detailed deduction of BAM complex-associated regulation of OMP biogenesis and OM remodeling will open avenues for the identification and development of effective next-generation therapeutics against Gram-negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjana George
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biological SciencesIndian Institute of Science Education and ResearchBhopalIndia
| | - Akanksha Gajanan Patil
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biological SciencesIndian Institute of Science Education and ResearchBhopalIndia
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biological SciencesIndian Institute of Science Education and ResearchBhopalIndia
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Sazykin IS, Sazykina MA. The role of oxidative stress in genome destabilization and adaptive evolution of bacteria. Gene X 2023; 857:147170. [PMID: 36623672 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147170] [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: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The review is devoted to bacterial genome destabilization by oxidative stress. The article discusses the main groups of substances causing such stress. Stress regulons involved in destabilization of genetic material and mechanisms enhancing mutagenesis, bacterial genome rearrangements, and horizontal gene transfer, induced by oxidative damage to cell components are also considered. Based on the analysis of publications, it can be claimed that rapid development of new food substrates and ecological niches by microorganisms occurs due to acceleration of genetic changes induced by oxidative stress, mediated by several stress regulons (SOS, RpoS and RpoE) and under selective pressure. The authors conclude that non-lethal oxidative stress is probably-one of the fundamental processes that guide evolution of prokaryotes and a powerful universal trigger for adaptive destabilization of bacterial genome under changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- I S Sazykin
- Southern Federal University, 194/2 Stachki Avenue, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russian Federation
| | - M A Sazykina
- Southern Federal University, 194/2 Stachki Avenue, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russian Federation.
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Zeng X, Hinenoya A, Guan Z, Xu F, Lin J. Critical role of the RpoE stress response pathway in polymyxin resistance of Escherichia coli. J Antimicrob Chemother 2023; 78:732-746. [PMID: 36658759 PMCID: PMC10396327 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkad003] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Polymyxins, including colistin, are the drugs of last resort to treat MDR bacterial infections in humans. In-depth understanding of the molecular basis and regulation of polymyxin resistance would provide new therapeutic opportunities to combat increasing polymyxin resistance. Here we aimed to identify novel targets that are crucial for polymyxin resistance using Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), a unique colistin-resistant model strain. METHODS BL21(DE3) was subjected to random transposon mutagenesis for screening colistin-susceptible mutants. The insertion sites of desired mutants were mapped; the key genes of interest were also inactivated in different strains to examine functional conservation. Specific genes in the known PmrAB and PhoPQ regulatory network were inactivated to examine crosstalk among different pathways. Lipid A species and membrane phospholipids were analysed by normal phase LC/MS. RESULTS Among eight mutants with increased susceptibility to colistin, five mutants contained different mutations in three genes (rseP, degS and surA) that belong to the RpoE stress response pathway. Inactivation of rpoE, pmrB, eptA or pmrD led to significantly increased susceptibility to colistin; however, inactivation of phoQ or eptB did not change colistin MIC. RpoE mutation in different E. coli and Salmonella resistant strains all led to significant reduction in colistin MIC (16-32-fold). Inactivation of rpoE did not change the lipid A profile but significantly altered the phospholipid profile. CONCLUSIONS Inactivation of the important members of the RpoE regulon in polymyxin-resistant strains led to a drastic reduction in polymyxin MIC and an increase of lysophospholipids with no change in lipid A modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximin Zeng
- Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Atsushi Hinenoya
- Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Fuzhou Xu
- Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lin
- Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Hwang YJ, Jo J, Kim E, Yoon H, Hong H, Kim MS, Myung H. Motility increase of adherent invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) induced by a sub-inhibitory concentration of recombinant endolysin LysPA90. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1093670. [PMID: 36619993 PMCID: PMC9814724 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1093670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Endolysins are bacteriophage enzymes required for the eruption of phages from inside host bacteria via the degradation of the peptidoglycan cell wall. Recombinant endolysins are increasingly being seen as potential antibacterial candidates, with a number currently undergoing clinical trials. Bacteriophage PBPA90 infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa harbors a gene encoding an endolysin, lysPA90. Herein, recombinant LysPA90 demonstrated an intrinsic antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli in vitro. It was observed that a sub-inhibitory concentration of the recombinant protein induced the upregulation of genes related to flagella biosynthesis in a commensal E. coli strain. Increases in the number of bacterial flagella, and in motility, were experimentally substantiated. The treatment caused membrane stress, leading to the upregulation of genes rpoE, rpoH, dnaK, dnaJ, and flhC, which are upstream regulators of flagella biosynthesis. When adherent invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains were treated with subinhibitory concentrations of the endolysin, bacterial adhesion and invasion into intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells was seen to visibly increase under microscopic examination. Bacterial counting further corroborated this adhesion and invasion of AIEC strains into Caco-2 cells, with a resultant slight decrease in the viability of Caco-2 cells then being observed. Additionally, genes related to flagella expression were also upregulated in the AIEC strains. Finally, the enhanced expression of the proinflammatory cytokine genes TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP1 in Caco-2 cells was noted after the increased invasion of the AIEC strains. While novel treatments involving endolysins offer great promise, these results highlight the need for the further exploration of possible unanticipated and unintended effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Jung Hwang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
- LyseNTech Co. Ltd., Seongnam, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
| | - Jaehak Jo
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
| | - Eunsuk Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
| | - Hyunjin Yoon
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
| | - Hyewon Hong
- LyseNTech Co. Ltd., Seongnam, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
| | - Min Soo Kim
- LyseNTech Co. Ltd., Seongnam, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
| | - Heejoon Myung
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yong-In, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
- LyseNTech Co. Ltd., Seongnam, Gyung-Gi Do, South Korea
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Lipopolysaccharide -mediated resistance to host antimicrobial peptides and hemocyte-derived reactive-oxygen species are the major Providencia alcalifaciens virulence factors in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010825. [PMID: 36084158 PMCID: PMC9491580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria from the genus Providencia are ubiquitous Gram-negative opportunistic pathogens, causing “travelers’ diarrhea”, urinary tract, and other nosocomial infections in humans. Some Providencia strains have also been isolated as natural pathogens of Drosophila melanogaster. Despite clinical relevance and extensive use in Drosophila immunity research, little is known about Providencia virulence mechanisms and the corresponding insect host defenses. To close this knowledge gap, we investigated the virulence factors of a representative Providencia species—P. alcalifaciens which is highly virulent to fruit flies and amenable to genetic manipulations. We generated a P. alcalifaciens transposon mutant library and performed an unbiased forward genetics screen in vivo for attenuated mutants. Our screen uncovered 23 mutants with reduced virulence. The vast majority of them had disrupted genes linked to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis or modifications. These LPS mutants were sensitive to cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in vitro and their virulence was restored in Drosophila mutants lacking most AMPs. Thus, LPS-mediated resistance to host AMPs is one of the virulence strategies of P. alcalifaciens. Another subset of P. alcalifaciens attenuated mutants exhibited increased susceptibility to reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro and their virulence was rescued by chemical scavenging of ROS in flies prior to infection. Using genetic analysis, we found that the enzyme Duox specifically in hemocytes is the source of bactericidal ROS targeting P. alcalifaciens. Consistently, the virulence of ROS-sensitive P. alcalifaciens mutants was rescued in flies with Duox knockdown in hemocytes. Therefore, these genes function as virulence factors by helping bacteria to counteract the ROS immune response. Our reciprocal analysis of host-pathogen interactions between D. melanogaster and P. alcalifaciens identified that AMPs and hemocyte-derived ROS are the major defense mechanisms against P. alcalifaciens, while the ability of the pathogen to resist these host immune responses is its major virulence mechanism. Thus, our work revealed a host-pathogen conflict mediated by ROS and AMPs. Pathogens express special molecules or structures called virulence factors to successfully infect a host. By identifying these factors, we can learn how hosts fight and how pathogens cause infections. Here, we identified virulence factors of the human and fruit fly pathogen Providencia alcalifaciens, by infecting flies with a series of mutants of this pathogen. In this way, we detected 23 mutants that were less virulent. Some of these less virulent mutants were hypersensitive to fruit fly immune defense molecules called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), while others were sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the immune cells. Notably, AMPs-sensitive mutants remained virulent in a Drosophila mutant that lacks AMPs, while pathogens sensitive to oxidative stress retained their virulence in a fruit fly mutant devoid of oxidative species. These results suggest that the ability of P. alcalifaciens to resist two major host immune molecules, namely AMPs and ROS, is the major virulence mechanism. Overall, our systematic analysis of P. alcalifaciens virulence factors has identified the major defense mechanisms of the fruit fly against this pathogen and the bacterial mechanisms to combat these immune responses.
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Popella L, Jung J, Do PT, Hayward RJ, Barquist L, Vogel J. Comprehensive analysis of PNA-based antisense antibiotics targeting various essential genes in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6435-6452. [PMID: 35687096 PMCID: PMC9226493 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) that target mRNAs of essential bacterial genes exhibit specific bactericidal effects in several microbial species, but our mechanistic understanding of PNA activity and their target gene spectrum is limited. Here, we present a systematic analysis of PNAs targeting 11 essential genes with varying expression levels in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). We demonstrate that UPEC is susceptible to killing by peptide-conjugated PNAs, especially when targeting the widely-used essential gene acpP. Our evaluation yields three additional promising target mRNAs for effective growth inhibition, i.e.dnaB, ftsZ and rpsH. The analysis also shows that transcript abundance does not predict target vulnerability and that PNA-mediated growth inhibition is not universally associated with target mRNA depletion. Global transcriptomic analyses further reveal PNA sequence-dependent but also -independent responses, including the induction of envelope stress response pathways. Importantly, we show that 9mer PNAs are generally as effective in inhibiting bacterial growth as their 10mer counterparts. Overall, our systematic comparison of a range of PNAs targeting mRNAs of different essential genes in UPEC suggests important features for PNA design, reveals a general bacterial response to PNA conjugates and establishes the feasibility of using PNA antibacterials to combat UPEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Popella
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jakob Jung
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Phuong Thao Do
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Regan J Hayward
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
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Bowlin MQ, Long AR, Huffines JT, Gray MJ. The role of nitrogen-responsive regulators in controlling inorganic polyphosphate synthesis in Escherichia coli. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168:001185. [PMID: 35482529 PMCID: PMC10233264 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is synthesized by bacteria under stressful environmental conditions and acts by a variety of mechanisms to promote cell survival. While the kinase that synthesizes polyP (PPK, encoded by the ppk gene) is well known, ppk transcription is not activated by environmental stress and little is understood about how environmental stress signals lead to polyP accumulation. Previous work has shown that the transcriptional regulators DksA, RpoN (σ54) and RpoE (σ24) positively regulate polyP production, but not ppk transcription, in Escherichia coli. In this work, we examine the role of the alternative sigma factor RpoN and nitrogen starvation stress response pathways in controlling polyP synthesis. We show that the RpoN enhancer binding proteins GlnG and GlrR impact polyP production, and uncover a new role for the nitrogen phosphotransferase regulator PtsN (EIIANtr) as a positive regulator of polyP production, acting upstream of DksA, downstream of RpoN and apparently independently of RpoE. However, neither these regulatory proteins nor common nitrogen metabolites appear to act directly on PPK, and the precise mechanism(s) by which polyP production is modulated after stress remain(s) unclear. Unexpectedly, we also found that the genes that impact polyP production vary depending on the composition of the rich media in which the cells were grown before exposure to polyP-inducing stress. These results constitute progress towards deciphering the regulatory networks driving polyP production under stress, and highlight the remarkable complexity of this regulation and its connections to a broad range of stress-sensing pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Q. Bowlin
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Abagail Renee Long
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Joshua T. Huffines
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Michael Jeffrey Gray
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Abstract
While many mechanisms governing bacterial envelope homeostasis have been identified, others remain poorly understood. To decipher these processes, we previously developed an assay in the Gram-negative model Escherichia coli to identify genes involved in maintenance of envelope integrity. One such gene was ElyC, which was shown to be required for envelope integrity and peptidoglycan synthesis at room temperature. ElyC is predicted to be an integral inner membrane protein with a highly conserved domain of unknown function (DUF218). In this study, and stemming from a further characterization of the role of ElyC in maintaining cell envelope integrity, we serendipitously discovered an unappreciated form of oxidative stress in the bacterial envelope. We found that cells lacking ElyC overproduce hydroxyl radicals (HO•) in their envelope compartment and that HO• overproduction is directly or indirectly responsible for the peptidoglycan synthesis arrest, cell envelope integrity defects, and cell lysis of the ΔelyC mutant. Consistent with these observations, we show that the ΔelyC mutant defect is suppressed during anaerobiosis. HO• is known to cause DNA damage but to our knowledge has not been shown to interfere with peptidoglycan synthesis. Thus, our work implicates oxidative stress as an important stressor in the bacterial cell envelope and opens the door to future studies deciphering the mechanisms that render peptidoglycan synthesis sensitive to oxidative stress. IMPORTANCE Oxidative stress is caused by the production and excessive accumulation of oxygen reactive species. In bacterial cells, oxidative stress mediated by hydroxyl radicals is typically associated with DNA damage in the cytoplasm. Here, we reveal the existence of a pathway for oxidative stress in the envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. Stemming from the characterization of a poorly characterized gene, we found that HO• overproduction specifically in the envelope compartment causes inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis and eventually bacterial cell lysis.
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11
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Chuckran PF, Hungate BA, Schwartz E, Dijkstra P. Variation in genomic traits of microbial communities among ecosystems. FEMS MICROBES 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Free-living bacteria in nutrient limited environments often exhibit traits which may reduce the cost of reproduction, such as smaller genome size, low GC content and fewer sigma (σ) factor and 16S rRNA gene copies. Despite the potential utility of these traits to detect relationships between microbial communities and ecosystem-scale properties, few studies have assessed these traits on a community-scale. Here, we analysed these traits from publicly available metagenomes derived from marine, soil, host-associated and thermophilic communities. In marine and thermophilic communities, genome size and GC content declined in parallel, consistent with genomic streamlining, with GC content in thermophilic communities generally higher than in marine systems. In contrast, soil communities averaging smaller genomes featured higher GC content and were often from low-carbon environments, suggesting unique selection pressures in soil bacteria. The abundance of specific σ-factors varied with average genome size and ecosystem type. In oceans, abundance of fliA, a σ-factor controlling flagella biosynthesis, was positively correlated with community average genome size—reflecting known trade-offs between nutrient conservation and chemotaxis. In soils, a high abundance of the stress response σ-factor gene rpoS was associated with smaller average genome size and often located in harsh and/or carbon-limited environments—a result which tracks features observed in culture and indicates an increased capacity for stress response in nutrient-poor soils. This work shows how ecosystem-specific constraints are associated with trade-offs which are embedded in the genomic features of bacteria in microbial communities, and which can be detected at the community level, highlighting the importance of genomic features in microbial community analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter F Chuckran
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Bruce A Hungate
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Egbert Schwartz
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Paul Dijkstra
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
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Deletion of Yersinia pestis ail causes temperature sensitive pleiotropic effects including cell lysis that are suppressed by carbon source, cations, or loss of phospholipase A activity. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0036121. [PMID: 34398663 PMCID: PMC8508112 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00361-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of phospholipid (PL) and lipopoly- or lipooligo-saccharide (LPS or LOS) asymmetry in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is essential but poorly understood. The Yersinia pestis OM Ail protein was required to maintain lipid homeostasis and cell integrity at elevated temperature (37° C). Loss of this protein had pleiotropic effects. A Y. pestis Δail mutant and KIM6+ wild- type were systematically compared for (i) growth requirements at 37° C, (ii) cell structure, (iii) antibiotic and detergent sensitivity, (iv) proteins released into supernates, (v) induction of the heat shock response, and (vi) physiological and genetic suppressors that restored the wild- type phenotype. The Δail mutant grew normally at 28° C but lysed at 37° C when it entered stationary phase as shown by cell count, SDS-PAGE of cell supernatants, and electron microscopy. Immuno-fluorescent microscopy showed that the Δail mutant did not assemble Caf1 capsule. Expression of heat shock promoters rpoE or rpoH fused to a lux operon reporter were not induced when the Δail mutant was shifted from the 28° C to 37° C (p<0.001 and p<0.01 respectively). Mutant lysis was suppressed by addition of 11 mM glucose, 22 or 44 mM glycerol, 2.5 mM Ca2+, or 2.5 mM Mg2+ to the growth medium, or by a mutation in the phospholipase A gene (pldA::miniTn5, ΔpldA, or PldAS164A). A model, accounting for the temperature-sensitive lysis of the Δail mutant and the Ail-dependent stabilization of the OM tetraacylated LOS at 37°C is presented. IMPORTANCE The Gram-negative pathogen, Yersinia pestis, transitions between a flea vector (ambient temperature) and a mammalian host (37° C). In response to 37° C, Y. pestis modifies its outer membrane (OM) by reducing the fatty acid content in lipid A, changing the outer leaflet from being predominantly hexaacylated to being predominantly tetraacylated. It also increases the Ail concentration, so it becomes the most prominent OM protein. Both measures are needed for Y. pestis to evade the host innate immune response. Deletion of ail destabilizes the OM at 37° C causing the cells to lyse. These results show that a protein is essential for maintaining lipid asymmetry and lipid homeostasis in the bacterial OM.
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Petrovskaya LE, Ziganshin RH, Kryukova EA, Zlobinov AV, Gapizov SS, Shingarova LN, Mironov VA, Lomakina GY, Dolgikh DA, Kirpichnikov MP. Increased Synthesis of a Magnesium Transporter MgtA During Recombinant Autotransporter Expression in Escherichia coli. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 193:3672-3703. [PMID: 34351586 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-021-03634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Overproduction of the membrane proteins in Escherichia coli cells is a common approach to obtain sufficient material for their functional and structural studies. However, the efficiency of this process can be limited by toxic effects which decrease the viability of the host and lead to low yield of the product. During the expression of the esterase autotransporter AT877 from Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5T, we observed significant growth inhibition of the C41(DE3) cells in comparison with the same cells producing other recombinant proteins. Induction of AT877 synthesis also resulted in the elevated expression of a magnesium transporter MgtA and decreased ATP content of the cells. To characterize the response to overexpression of the autotransporter in bacterial cells, we performed a comparative analysis of their proteomic profile by mass spectrometry. According to the obtained data, E. coli cells which synthesize AT877 experience complex stress condition presumably associated with secretion apparatus overloading and improper localization of the recombinant protein. Several response pathways were shown to be activated by AT877 overproduction including Cpx, PhoP/PhoQ, Psp, and σE The obtained results open new opportunities for optimization of the recombinant membrane protein expression in E. coli for structural studies and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
| | - Rustam H Ziganshin
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Elena A Kryukova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Kosygina str., 4, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Alexander V Zlobinov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Sultan Sh Gapizov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Kosygina str., 4, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Department of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Lyudmila N Shingarova
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Vasiliy A Mironov
- Roche Diagnostics Rus LLC, Letnikovskaya str. 2/2, Moscow, 115114, Russia
| | - Galina Yu Lomakina
- Department of Chemistry, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1/3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Baumanskaya 2-ya, 5/1, Moscow, 105005, Russia
| | - Dmitriy A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Kosygina str., 4, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Department of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic , Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Department of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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de Dios R, Santero E, Reyes-Ramírez F. Extracytoplasmic Function σ Factors as Tools for Coordinating Stress Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083900. [PMID: 33918849 PMCID: PMC8103513 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacterial core RNA polymerase (RNAP) to interact with different σ factors, thereby forming a variety of holoenzymes with different specificities, represents a powerful tool to coordinately reprogram gene expression. Extracytoplasmic function σ factors (ECFs), which are the largest and most diverse family of alternative σ factors, frequently participate in stress responses. The classification of ECFs in 157 different groups according to their phylogenetic relationships and genomic context has revealed their diversity. Here, we have clustered 55 ECF groups with experimentally studied representatives into two broad classes of stress responses. The remaining 102 groups still lack any mechanistic or functional insight, representing a myriad of systems yet to explore. In this work, we review the main features of ECFs and discuss the different mechanisms controlling their production and activity, and how they lead to a functional stress response. Finally, we focus in more detail on two well-characterized ECFs, for which the mechanisms to detect and respond to stress are complex and completely different: Escherichia coli RpoE, which is the best characterized ECF and whose structural and functional studies have provided key insights into the transcription initiation by ECF-RNAP holoenzymes, and the ECF15-type EcfG, the master regulator of the general stress response in Alphaproteobacteria.
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Wang H, Yang Z, Swingle B, Kvitko BH. AlgU, a Conserved Sigma Factor Regulating Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Promoting Virulence in Pseudomonas syringae. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2021; 34:326-336. [PMID: 33264045 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-20-0254-cr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas syringae can rapidly deploy specialized functions to deal with abiotic and biotic stresses. Host niches pose specific sets of environmental challenges driven, in part, by immune defenses. Bacteria use a "just-in-time" strategy of gene regulation, meaning that they only produce the functions necessary for survival as needed. Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors transduce a specific set of environmental signals and change gene expression patterns by altering RNA polymerase promoter specificity, to adjust bacterial physiology, structure, or behavior, singly or in combination, to improve chances of survival. The broadly conserved ECF sigma factor AlgU affects virulence in both animal and plant pathogens. Pseudomonas syringae AlgU controls expression of more than 800 genes, some of which contribute to suppression of plant immunity and bacterial fitness in plants. This review discusses AlgU activation mechanisms, functions controlled by AlgU, and how these functions contribute to P. syringae survival in plants.[Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 "No Rights Reserved" license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibi Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton St., Athens, GA 30602, U.S.A
| | - Zichu Yang
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, 334 Plant Science Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A
| | - Bryan Swingle
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, 334 Plant Science Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A
- Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit, Robert W. Holley Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A
| | - Brian H Kvitko
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton St., Athens, GA 30602, U.S.A
- The Plant Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, U.S.A
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Impact of the Resistance Responses to Stress Conditions Encountered in Food and Food Processing Environments on the Virulence and Growth Fitness of Non-Typhoidal Salmonellae. Foods 2021; 10:foods10030617. [PMID: 33799446 PMCID: PMC8001757 DOI: 10.3390/foods10030617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of Salmonella as a foodborne pathogen can probably be attributed to two major features: its remarkable genetic diversity and its extraordinary ability to adapt. Salmonella cells can survive in harsh environments, successfully compete for nutrients, and cause disease once inside the host. Furthermore, they are capable of rapidly reprogramming their metabolism, evolving in a short time from a stress-resistance mode to a growth or virulent mode, or even to express stress resistance and virulence factors at the same time if needed, thanks to a complex and fine-tuned regulatory network. It is nevertheless generally acknowledged that the development of stress resistance usually has a fitness cost for bacterial cells and that induction of stress resistance responses to certain agents can trigger changes in Salmonella virulence. In this review, we summarize and discuss current knowledge concerning the effects that the development of resistance responses to stress conditions encountered in food and food processing environments (including acid, osmotic and oxidative stress, starvation, modified atmospheres, detergents and disinfectants, chilling, heat, and non-thermal technologies) exerts on different aspects of the physiology of non-typhoidal Salmonellae, with special emphasis on virulence and growth fitness.
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Warr AR, Giorgio RT, Waldor MK. Genetic analysis of the role of the conserved inner membrane protein CvpA in EHEC resistance to deoxycholate. J Bacteriol 2020; 203:JB.00661-20. [PMID: 33361192 PMCID: PMC8095453 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00661-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of cvpA, a bacterial gene predicted to encode an inner membrane protein, is largely unknown. Early studies in E. coli linked cvpA to Colicin V secretion and recent work revealed that it is required for robust intestinal colonization by diverse enteric pathogens. In enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), cvpA is required for resistance to the bile salt deoxycholate (DOC). Here, we carried out genome-scale transposon-insertion mutagenesis and spontaneous suppressor analysis to uncover cvpA's genetic interactions and identify common pathways that rescue the sensitivity of a ΔcvpA EHEC mutant to DOC. These screens demonstrated that mutations predicted to activate the σE-mediated extracytoplasmic stress response bypass the ΔcvpA mutant's susceptibility to DOC. Consistent with this idea, we found that deletions in rseA and msbB and direct overexpression of rpoE restored DOC resistance to the ΔcvpA mutant. Analysis of the distribution of CvpA homologs revealed that this inner membrane protein is conserved across diverse bacterial phyla, in both enteric and non-enteric bacteria that are not exposed to bile. Together, our findings suggest that CvpA plays a role in cell envelope homeostasis in response to DOC and similar stress stimuli in diverse bacterial species.IMPORTANCE Several enteric pathogens, including Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), require CvpA to robustly colonize the intestine. This inner membrane protein is also important for secretion of a colicin and EHEC resistance to the bile salt deoxycholate (DOC), but its function is unknown. Genetic analyses carried out here showed that activation of the σE-mediated extracytoplasmic stress response restored the resistance of a cvpA mutant to DOC, suggesting that CvpA plays a role in cell envelope homeostasis. The conservation of CvpA across diverse bacterial phyla suggests that this membrane protein facilitates cell envelope homeostasis in response to varied cell envelope perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson R Warr
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel T Giorgio
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew K Waldor
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Babel H, Krömer JO. Evolutionary engineering of E. coli MG1655 for tolerance against isoprenol. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:183. [PMID: 33292484 PMCID: PMC7653855 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01825-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Isoprenol is the basis for industrial flavor and vitamin synthesis and also a promising biofuel. Biotechnological production of isoprenol with E. coli is currently limited by the high toxicity of the final product. Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a promising method to address complex biological problems such as toxicity. RESULTS Here we applied this method successfully to evolve E. coli towards higher tolerance against isoprenol, increasing growth at the half-maximal inhibitory concentration by 47%. Whole-genome re-sequencing of strains isolated from three replicate evolutions at seven time-points identified four major target genes for isoprenol tolerance: fabF, marC, yghB, and rob. We could show that knock-out of marC and expression of mutated Rob H(48) → frameshift increased tolerance against isoprenol and butanol. RNA-sequencing showed that the deletion identified upstream of yghB correlated with a strong overexpression of the gene. The knock-out of yghB demonstrated that it was essential for isoprenol tolerance. The mutated Rob protein and yghB deletion also lead to increased vanillin tolerance. CONCLUSION Through ALE, novel targets for strain optimization in isoprenol production and also the production of other fuels, such as butanol, could be obtained. Their effectiveness could be shown through re-engineering. This paves the way for further optimization of E. coli for biofuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Babel
- Systems Biotechnology Group, Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipziger KUBUS, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach/Riß, Germany
| | - Jens O Krömer
- Systems Biotechnology Group, Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipziger KUBUS, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
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Overproduction of the AlgT Sigma Factor Is Lethal to Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00445-20. [PMID: 32747430 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00445-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from chronic lung infections often overproduce alginate, giving rise to the mucoid phenotype. Isolation of mucoid strains from chronic lung infections correlates with a poor patient outcome. The most common mutation that causes the mucoid phenotype is called mucA22 and results in a truncated form of the anti-sigma factor MucA that is continuously subjected to proteolysis. When a functional MucA is absent, the cognate sigma factor, AlgT, is no longer sequestered and continuously transcribes the alginate biosynthesis operon, leading to alginate overproduction. In this work, we report that in the absence of wild-type MucA, providing exogenous AlgT is toxic. This is intriguing, since mucoid strains endogenously possess high levels of AlgT. Furthermore, we show that suppressors of toxic AlgT production have mutations in mucP, a protease involved in MucA degradation, and provide the first atomistic model of MucP. Based on our findings, we speculate that mutations in mucP stabilize the truncated form of MucA22, rendering it functional and therefore able to reduce toxicity by properly sequestering AlgT.IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen capable of causing chronic lung infections. Phenotypes important for the long-term persistence and adaption to this unique lung ecosystem are largely regulated by the AlgT sigma factor. Chronic infection isolates often contain mutations in the anti-sigma factor mucA, resulting in uncontrolled AlgT and continuous production of alginate in addition to the expression of ∼300 additional genes. Here, we report that in the absence of wild-type MucA, AlgT overproduction is lethal and that suppressors of toxic AlgT production have mutations in the MucA protease, MucP. Since AlgT contributes to the establishment of chronic infections, understanding how AlgT is regulated will provide vital information on how P. aeruginosa is capable of causing long-term infections.
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Intranasal acellular pertussis vaccine provides mucosal immunity and protects mice from Bordetella pertussis. NPJ Vaccines 2019; 4:40. [PMID: 31602318 PMCID: PMC6776550 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-019-0136-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Current acellular pertussis vaccines fall short of optimal protection against the human respiratory pathogen Bordetella pertussis resulting in increased incidence of a previously controlled vaccine- preventable disease. Natural infection is known to induce a protective mucosal immunity. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to use acellular pertussis vaccines to recapitulate these mucosal immune responses. We utilized a murine immunization and challenge model to characterize the efficacy of intranasal immunization (IN) with DTaP vaccine or DTaP vaccine supplemented with curdlan, a known Th1/Th17 promoting adjuvant. Protection from IN delivered DTaP was compared to protection mediated by intraperitoneal injection of DTaP and whole-cell pertussis vaccines. We tracked fluorescently labeled DTaP after immunization and detected that DTaP localized preferentially in the lungs while DTaP with curdlan was predominantly in the nasal turbinates. IN immunization with DTaP, with or without curdlan adjuvant, resulted in anti-B. pertussis and anti-pertussis toxin IgG titers at the same level as intraperitoneally administered DTaP. IN immunization was able to protect against B. pertussis challenge and we observed decreased pulmonary pro-inflammatory cytokines, neutrophil infiltrates in the lung, and bacterial burden in the upper and lower respiratory tract at day 3 post challenge. Furthermore, IN immunization with DTaP triggered mucosal immune responses such as production of B. pertussis-specific IgA, and increased IL-17A. Together, the induction of a mucosal immune response and humoral antibody-mediated protection associated with an IN administered DTaP and curdlan adjuvant warrant further exploration as a pertussis vaccine candidate formulation.
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21
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Hews CL, Cho T, Rowley G, Raivio TL. Maintaining Integrity Under Stress: Envelope Stress Response Regulation of Pathogenesis in Gram-Negative Bacteria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:313. [PMID: 31552196 PMCID: PMC6737893 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterial envelope is an essential interface between the intracellular and harsh extracellular environment. Envelope stress responses (ESRs) are crucial to the maintenance of this barrier and function to detect and respond to perturbations in the envelope, caused by environmental stresses. Pathogenic bacteria are exposed to an array of challenging and stressful conditions during their lifecycle and, in particular, during infection of a host. As such, maintenance of envelope homeostasis is essential to their ability to successfully cause infection. This review will discuss our current understanding of the σE- and Cpx-regulated ESRs, with a specific focus on their role in the virulence of a number of model pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L Hews
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Gary Rowley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Tracy L Raivio
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Zhang K, Mohsin A, Dai Y, Chen Z, Zhuang Y, Chu J, Guo M. Combinatorial Effect of ARTP Mutagenesis and Ribosome Engineering on an Industrial Strain of Streptomyces albus S12 for Enhanced Biosynthesis of Salinomycin. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:212. [PMID: 31552238 PMCID: PMC6733881 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Salinomycin, an important polyketide, has been widely utilized in agriculture to inhibit growth of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, salinomycin has great potential in treatment of cancer cells. Due to inherited characteristics and beneficial potential, its demand is also inclining. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase the current high demand of salinomycin. In order to obtain a high-yield mutant strain of salinomycin, the present work has developed an efficient breeding process of Streptomyces albus by using atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) combined with ribosome engineering. In this study, we investigate the presented method as it has the advantage of significantly shortening mutant screening duration by using an agar block diffusion method, as compared to other traditional strain breeding methods. As a result, the obtained mutant Tet30Chl25 with tetracycline and chloramphenicol resistance provided a salinomycin yield of 34,712 mg/L in shake flask culture, which was over 2.0-fold the parental strain S12. In addition, comparative transcriptome analysis of low and high yield mutants, and a parental strain revealed the mechanistic insight of biosynthesis pathways, in which metabolic pathways including butanoate metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism and glyoxylate metabolism were closely associated with salinomycin biosynthesis. Moreover, we also confirmed that enhanced flux of glyoxylate metabolism via overexpression gene of isocitrate lyase (icl) promoted salinomycin biosynthesis. Based on these results, it has been successfully verified that the overexpression of crotonyl-CoA reductase gene (crr) and transcriptional regulator genes (orf 3 and orf 15), located in salinomycin synthesis gene cluster, is possibly responsible for the increase in salinomycin production in a typical strain Streptomyces albus DSM41398. Conclusively, a tentative regulatory model of ribosome engineering combined with ARTP in S. ablus is proposed to explore the roles of transcriptional regulators and stringent responses in the biosynthesis regulation of salinomycin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuipu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ali Mohsin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yichen Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongbing Chen
- Zhejiang Biok Biology Co., Ltd., Zhongguan Industrial Park, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingping Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ju Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Meijin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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Hart EM, O'Connell A, Tang K, Wzorek JS, Grabowicz M, Kahne D, Silhavy TJ. Fine-Tuning of σ E Activation Suppresses Multiple Assembly-Defective Mutations in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:e00745-18. [PMID: 30858299 PMCID: PMC6509652 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00745-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative outer membrane (OM) is a selectively permeable asymmetric bilayer that allows vital nutrients to diffuse into the cell but prevents toxins and hydrophobic molecules from entering. Functionally and structurally diverse β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) build and maintain the permeability barrier, making the assembly of OMPs crucial for cell viability. In this work, we characterize an assembly-defective mutant of the maltoporin LamB, LamBG439D We show that the folding defect of LamBG439D results in an accumulation of unfolded substrate that is toxic to the cell when the periplasmic protease DegP is removed. Selection for suppressors of this toxicity identified the novel mutant degSA323E allele. The mutant DegSA323E protein contains an amino acid substitution at the PDZ/protease domain interface that results in a partially activated conformation of this protein. This activation increases basal levels of downstream σE stress response signaling. Furthermore, the enhanced σE activity of DegSA323E suppresses a number of other assembly-defective conditions without exhibiting the toxicity associated with high levels of σE activity. We propose that the increased basal levels of σE signaling primes the cell to respond to envelope stress before OMP assembly defects threaten cell viability. This finding addresses the importance of envelope stress responses in monitoring the OMP assembly process and underpins the critical balance between envelope defects and stress response activation.IMPORTANCE Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, inhabit a natural environment that is prone to flux. In order to cope with shifting growth conditions and the changing availability of nutrients, cells must be capable of quickly responding to stress. Stress response pathways allow cells to rapidly shift gene expression profiles to ensure survival in this unpredictable environment. Here we describe a mutant that partially activates the σE stress response pathway. The elevated basal level of this stress response allows the cell to quickly respond to overwhelming stress to ensure cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Hart
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Aileen O'Connell
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kimberly Tang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joseph S Wzorek
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marcin Grabowicz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas J Silhavy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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He X, Li S, Yin Y, Xu J, Gong W, Li G, Qian L, Yin Y, He X, Guo T, Huang Y, Lu F, Cao J. Membrane Vesicles Are the Dominant Structural Components of Ceftazidime-Induced Biofilm Formation in an Oxacillin-Sensitive MRSA. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:571. [PMID: 30949156 PMCID: PMC6438146 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has received increasing attention in recent years. However, the characteristics and relevant mechanisms of biofilm formation in oxacillin-sensitive MRSA (OS-MRSA) are poorly understood. This study was designed to characterize biofilm formation in OS-MRSA BWSA15 in response to ceftazidime (TZ) by comparing the methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strain BWSA23 and the oxacillin-resistant MRSA (OR-MRSA) strain BWSA11. The biofilms and biofilm-forming cells were observed by electron microscopy. Biofilms grown on microtiter plates were chemically decomposed and analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The transcriptional regulation of genes associated with methicillin resistance, surface adhesion, fatty acid biosynthesis, and global regulation (sigma B) was investigated. A significant increase in biofilm formation ability (10.21-fold) and aggregation ability (2.56-fold) was observed in BWSA15 upon the treatment with TZ (16 μg/ml). The TZ-induced biofilm formation in BWSA15 was characterized by a disappearance of polysaccharide-like extracellular substances and an appearance of a large number of intercellular MVs from extracellular matrix. Few MVs were identified in the biofilms formed by BWSA11 and BWSA23. There was a significant upregulation of mecA, sigB, and fatty acid biosynthesis-associated genes and downregulation of icaA, icaD, clfA, clfB, and fnaA in BWSA15 upon the treatment with TZ. The formation of intracellular junctions of MVs in the biofilms of BWSA15 was mediated by a significant increase in the proportion of proteins as well as by an increase in the proportion of non-ionized carboxyl groups in fatty acids. This study demonstrated that beta-lactam antibiotics can induce biofilm formation in OS-MRSA, and the biofilm induction in OS-MRSA can mainly be attributed to exposed MVs with increased hydrophobicity rather than polysaccharide intercellular adhesins, cell wall-anchored surface proteins, and extracellular DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlong He
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention - Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,The Third People's Hospital of Wuxi, Wuxi, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yi Yin
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jiahui Xu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Weijuan Gong
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Guocai Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Li Qian
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yinyan Yin
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqin He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention - Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuzheng Huang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention - Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Feng Lu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention - Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jun Cao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention - Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China.,Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Public Health Research Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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25
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Engineering of phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system increased acetate assimilation in Escherichia coli. 3 Biotech 2019; 9:77. [PMID: 30800588 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetate is a potential low-cost carbon source and can be used for microbial production of valuable chemicals in Escherichia coli. In this study, separate and simultaneous inactivation of the ptsG, ptsI, and ptsP genes involved in the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system was performed in E. coli and the effects on cell growth and acetate assimilation were evaluated. The mutant strain with double deletion of ptsG and ptsP exhibited faster acetate use than the other mutants. Inactivation of ptsI seriously reduced acetate consumption. This work provides a novel engineering target for improving acetate use rates.
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Abstract
The ability of bacteria to thrive in diverse habitats and to adapt to ever-changing environmental conditions relies on the rapid and stringent modulation of gene expression. It has become evident in the past decade that small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are central components of networks controlling the bacterial responses to stress. Functioning at the posttranscriptional level, sRNAs base-pair with cognate mRNAs to alter translation, stability, or both to either repress or activate the targeted transcripts; the RNA chaperone Hfq participates in stabilizing sRNAs and in promoting pairing between target and sRNA. In particular, sRNAs act at the heart of crucial stress responses, including those dedicated to overcoming membrane damage and oxidative stress, discussed here. The bacterial cell envelope is the outermost protective barrier against the environment and thus is constantly monitored and remodeled. Here, we review the integration of sRNAs into the complex networks of several major envelope stress responses of Gram-negative bacteria, including the RpoE (σE), Cpx, and Rcs regulons. Oxidative stress, caused by bacterial respiratory activity or induced by toxic molecules, can lead to significant damage of cellular components. In Escherichia coli and related bacteria, sRNAs also contribute significantly to the function of the RpoS (σS)-dependent general stress response as well as the specific OxyR- and SoxR/S-mediated responses to oxidative damage. Their activities in gene regulation and crosstalk to other stress-induced regulons are highlighted.
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Physiological, Genetic, and Transcriptomic Analysis of Alcohol-Induced Delay of Escherichia coli Death. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.02113-18. [PMID: 30389772 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02113-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
When Escherichia coli K-12 is inoculated into rich medium in batch culture, cells experience five phases. While the lag and logarithmic phases are mechanistically fairly well defined, the stationary phase, death phase, and long-term stationary phase are less well understood. Here, we characterize a mechanism of delaying death, a phenomenon we call the "alcohol effect," where the addition of small amounts of certain alcohols prolongs stationary phase for at least 10 days longer than in untreated conditions. We show that the stationary phase is extended when ethanol is added above a minimum threshold concentration. Once ethanol levels fall below a threshold concentration, cells enter the death phase. We also show that the effect is conferred by the addition of straight-chain alcohols 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, and, to a lesser degree, 1-hexanol. However, methanol, isopropanol, 1-heptanol, and 1-octanol do not delay entry into death phase. Though modulated by RpoS, the alcohol effect does not require RpoS activity or the activities of the AdhE or AdhP alcohol dehydrogenases. Further, we show that ethanol is capable of extending the life span of stationary-phase cultures for non-K-12 E. coli strains and that this effect is caused in part by genes of the glycolate degradation pathway. These data suggest a model where ethanol and other shorter 1-alcohols can serve as signaling molecules, perhaps by modulating patterns of gene expression that normally regulate the transition from stationary phase to death phase.IMPORTANCE In one of the most well-studied organisms in the life sciences, Escherichia coli, we still do not fully understand what causes populations to die. This is largely due to the technological difficulties of studying bacterial cell death. This study provides an avenue to studying how and why E. coli populations, and perhaps other microbes, transition from stationary phase to death phase by exploring how ethanol and other alcohols delay the onset of death. Here, we demonstrate that alcohols are acting as signaling molecules to achieve the delay in death phase. This study not only offers a better understanding of a fundamental process but perhaps also provides a gateway to studying the dynamics between ethanol and microbes in the human gastrointestinal tract.
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Abstract
The transport of small molecules across membranes is essential for the import of nutrients and other energy sources into the cell and, for the export of waste and other potentially harmful byproducts out of the cell. While hydrophobic molecules are permeable to membranes, ions and other small polar molecules require transport via specialized membrane transport proteins . The two major classes of membrane transport proteins are transporters and channels. With our focus here on porins-major class of non-specific diffusion channel proteins , we will highlight some recent structural biology reports and functional assays that have substantially contributed to our understanding of the mechanism that mediates uptake of small molecules, including antibiotics, across the outer membrane of Enterobacteriaceae . We will also review advances in the regulation of porin expression and porin biogenesis and discuss these pathways as new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Masi
- UMR_MD1, Inserm U1261, IRBA, Membranes et Cibles Thérapeutiques, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | | | - Jean-Marie Pagès
- UMR_MD1, Inserm U1261, IRBA, Membranes et Cibles Thérapeutiques, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
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Abstract
The sequence-specific RNA binding protein CsrA is employed by diverse bacteria in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Its binding interactions with RNA have been documented at atomic resolution and shown to alter RNA secondary structure, RNA stability, translation, and/or Rho-mediated transcription termination through a growing number of molecular mechanisms. In Gammaproteobacteria, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) that contain multiple CsrA binding sites compete with mRNA for binding to CsrA, thereby sequestering and antagonizing this protein. Both the synthesis and turnover of these sRNAs are regulated, allowing CsrA activity to be rapidly and efficiently adjusted in response to nutritional conditions and stresses. Feedback loops between the Csr regulatory components improve the dynamics of signal response by the Csr system. The Csr system of Escherichia coli is intimately interconnected with other global regulatory systems, permitting it to contribute to regulation by those systems. In some species, a protein antagonist of CsrA functions as part of a checkpoint for flagellum biosynthesis. In other species, a protein antagonist participates in a mechanism in which a type III secretion system is used for sensing interactions with host cells. Recent transcriptomics studies reveal vast effects of CsrA on gene expression through direct binding to hundreds of mRNAs, and indirectly through its effects on the expression of dozens of transcription factors. CsrA binding to base-pairing sRNAs and novel mRNA segments, such as the 3' untranslated region and deep within coding regions, predict its participation in yet-to-be-discovered regulatory mechanisms.
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Abstract
SixA, a well-conserved protein found in proteobacteria, actinobacteria, and cyanobacteria, is the only reported example of a bacterial phosphohistidine phosphatase. A single protein target of SixA has been reported to date: the Escherichia coli histidine kinase ArcB. The present work analyzes an ArcB-independent growth defect of a sixA deletion in E. coli A screen for suppressors, analysis of various mutants, and phosphorylation assays indicate that SixA modulates phosphorylation of the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr). The PTSNtr is a widely conserved bacterial pathway that regulates diverse metabolic processes through the phosphorylation states of its protein components, EINtr, NPr, and EIIANtr, which receive phosphoryl groups on histidine residues. However, a mechanism for dephosphorylating this system has not been reported. The results presented here suggest a model in which SixA removes phosphoryl groups from the PTSNtr by acting on NPr. This work uncovers a new role for the phosphohistidine phosphatase SixA and, through factors that affect SixA expression or activity, may point to additional inputs that regulate the PTSNtr IMPORTANCE One common means to regulate protein activity is through phosphorylation. Protein phosphatases exist to reverse this process, returning the protein to the unphosphorylated form. The vast majority of protein phosphatases that have been identified target phosphoserine, phosphotheronine, and phosphotyrosine. A widely conserved phosphohistidine phosphatase was identified in Escherichia coli 20 years ago but remains relatively understudied. The present work shows that this phosphatase modulates the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system, a pathway that is regulated by nitrogen and carbon metabolism and affects diverse aspects of bacterial physiology. Until now, there was no known mechanism for removing phosphoryl groups from this pathway.
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Amar A, Pezzoni M, Pizarro RA, Costa CS. New envelope stress factors involved in σ E activation and conditional lethality of rpoE mutations in Salmonella enterica. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:1293-1307. [PMID: 30084765 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) can cause food- and water-borne illness with diverse clinical manifestations. One key factor for S. typhimurium pathogenesis is the alternative sigma factor σE, which is encoded by the rpoE gene and controls the transcription of genes required for outer-membrane integrity in response to alterations in the bacterial envelope. The canonical pathway for σE activation involves proteolysis of the antisigma factor RseA, which is triggered by unfolded outer-membrane porins (OMPs) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that have accumulated in the periplasm. This study reports new stress factors that are able to activate σE expression. We demonstrate that UVA radiation induces σE activity in a pathway that is dependent on the stringent response regulator ppGpp. Survival assays revealed that rpoE has a role in the defence against lethal UVA doses that is mediated by functions that are dependent on and independent of the alternative sigma factor RpoS. We also report that the envelope stress generated by phage infection requires a functional rpoE gene for optimal bacterial tolerance and that it is able to induce σE activity in an RseA-dependent fashion. σE activity is also induced by hypo-osmotic shock in the absence of osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs). It is known that the rpoE gene is not essential in S. typhimurium. However, we report here two cases of the conditional lethality of rpoE mutations in this micro-organism. We demonstrate that rpoE mutations are not tolerated in the absence of OPGs (at low to moderate osmolarity) or LPS O-antigen. The latter case resembles that of the prototypic Escherichia coli strain K12, which neither synthesizes a complete LPS nor tolerates null rpoE mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Amar
- Dpto. de Radiobiología, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, General San Martín, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Pezzoni
- Dpto. de Radiobiología, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, General San Martín, Argentina
| | - Ramón A Pizarro
- Dpto. de Radiobiología, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, General San Martín, Argentina
| | - Cristina S Costa
- Dpto. de Radiobiología, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, General San Martín, Argentina
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Inhibitor of intramembrane protease RseP blocks the σ E response causing lethal accumulation of unfolded outer membrane proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E6614-E6621. [PMID: 29941590 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1806107115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria forms a robust permeability barrier that blocks entry of toxins and antibiotics. Most OM proteins (OMPs) assume a β-barrel fold, and some form aqueous channels for nutrient uptake and efflux of intracellular toxins. The Bam machine catalyzes rapid folding and assembly of OMPs. Fidelity of OMP biogenesis is monitored by the σE stress response. When OMP folding defects arise, the proteases DegS and RseP act sequentially to liberate σE into the cytosol, enabling it to activate transcription of the stress regulon. Here, we identify batimastat as a selective inhibitor of RseP that causes a lethal decrease in σE activity in Escherichia coli, and we further identify RseP mutants that are insensitive to inhibition and confer resistance. Remarkably, batimastat treatment allows the capture of elusive intermediates in the OMP biogenesis pathway and offers opportunities to better understand the underlying basis for σE essentiality.
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Dam S, Pagès JM, Masi M. Stress responses, outer membrane permeability control and antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:260-267. [PMID: 29458656 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved several strategies to survive a myriad of harmful conditions in the environment and in hosts. In Gram-negative bacteria, responses to nutrient limitation, oxidative or nitrosative stress, envelope stress, exposure to antimicrobials and other growth-limiting stresses have been linked to the development of antimicrobial resistance. This results from the activation of protective changes to cell physiology (decreased outer membrane permeability), resistance transporters (drug efflux pumps), resistant lifestyles (biofilms, persistence) and/or resistance mutations (target mutations, production of antibiotic modification/degradation enzymes). In targeting and interfering with essential physiological mechanisms, antimicrobials themselves are considered as stresses to which protective responses have also evolved. In this review, we focus on envelope stress responses that affect the expression of outer membrane porins and their impact on antimicrobial resistance. We also discuss evidences that indicate the role of antimicrobials as signaling molecules in activating envelope stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushovan Dam
- UMR_MD-1, Aix-Marseille Univ. & IRBA, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Marie Pagès
- UMR_MD-1, Aix-Marseille Univ. & IRBA, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Muriel Masi
- UMR_MD-1, Aix-Marseille Univ. & IRBA, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
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Dawoud TM, Davis ML, Park SH, Kim SA, Kwon YM, Jarvis N, O’Bryan CA, Shi Z, Crandall PG, Ricke SC. The Potential Link between Thermal Resistance and Virulence in Salmonella: A Review. Front Vet Sci 2017; 4:93. [PMID: 28660201 PMCID: PMC5469892 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In some animals, the typical body temperature can be higher than humans, for example, 42°C in poultry and 40°C in rabbits which can be a potential thermal stress challenge for pathogens. Even in animals with lower body temperatures, when infection occurs, the immune system may increase body temperature to reduce the chance of survival for pathogens. However, some pathogens can still easily overcome higher body temperatures and/or rise in body temperatures through expression of stress response mechanisms. Salmonella is the causative agent of one of the most prevalent foodborne illnesses, salmonellosis, and can readily survive over a wide range of temperatures due to the efficient expression of the heat (thermal) stress response. Therefore, thermal resistance mechanisms can provide cross protection against other stresses including the non-specific host defenses found within the human body thus increasing pathogenic potential. Understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with thermal responses in Salmonella is crucial in designing and developing more effective or new treatments for reducing and eliminating infection caused by Salmonella that have survived heat stress. In this review, Salmonella thermal resistance is assessed followed by an overview of the thermal stress responses with a focus on gene regulation by sigma factors, heat shock proteins, along with the corresponding thermosensors and their association with virulence expression including a focus on a potential link between heat resistance and potential for infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Turki M. Dawoud
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Morgan L. Davis
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Si Hong Park
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Sun Ae Kim
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Young Min Kwon
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Nathan Jarvis
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Corliss A. O’Bryan
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Zhaohao Shi
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Philip G. Crandall
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Steven C. Ricke
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
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Appropriate Regulation of the σ E-Dependent Envelope Stress Response Is Necessary To Maintain Cell Envelope Integrity and Stationary-Phase Survival in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2017; 199:JB.00089-17. [PMID: 28373273 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00089-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The alternative sigma factor σE is a key component of the Escherichia coli response to cell envelope stress and is required for viability even in the absence of stress. The activity of σE increases during entry into stationary phase, suggesting an important role for σE when nutrients are limiting. Elevated σE activity has been proposed to activate a pathway leading to the lysis of nonculturable cells that accumulate during early stationary phase. To better understand σE-directed cell lysis and the role of σE in stationary phase, we investigated the effects of elevated σE activity in cultures grown for 10 days. We demonstrate that high σE activity is lethal for all cells in stationary phase, not only those that are nonculturable. Spontaneous mutants with reduced σE activity, due primarily to point mutations in the region of σE that binds the -35 promoter motif, arise and take over cultures within 5 to 6 days after entry into stationary phase. High σE activity leads to large reductions in the levels of outer membrane porins and increased membrane permeability, indicating membrane defects. These defects can be counteracted and stationary-phase lethality delayed significantly by stabilizing membranes with Mg2+ and buffering the growth medium or by deleting the σE-dependent small RNAs (sRNAs) MicA, RybB, and MicL, which inhibit the expression of porins and Lpp. Expression of these sRNAs also reverses the loss of viability following depletion of σE activity. Our results demonstrate that appropriate regulation of σE activity, ensuring that it is neither too high nor too low, is critical for envelope integrity and cell viability.IMPORTANCE The Gram-negative cell envelope and cytoplasm differ significantly, and separate responses have evolved to combat stress in each compartment. An array of cell envelope stress responses exist, each of which is focused on different parts of the envelope. The σE response is conserved in many enterobacteria and is tuned to monitor pathways for the maturation and delivery of outer membrane porins, lipoproteins, and lipopolysaccharide to the outer membrane. The activity of σE is tightly regulated to match the production of σE regulon members to the needs of the cell. In E. coli, loss of σE results in lethality. Here we demonstrate that excessive σE activity is also lethal and results in decreased membrane integrity, the very phenotype the system is designed to prevent.
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Woods EC, McBride SM. Regulation of antimicrobial resistance by extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors. Microbes Infect 2017; 19:238-248. [PMID: 28153747 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are a subfamily of σ70 sigma factors that activate genes involved in stress-response functions. In many bacteria, ECF sigma factors regulate resistance to antimicrobial compounds. This review will summarize the ECF sigma factors that regulate antimicrobial resistance in model organisms and clinically relevant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Woods
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shonna M McBride
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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37
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Petrova MI, Reid G, Vaneechoutte M, Lebeer S. Lactobacillus iners: Friend or Foe? Trends Microbiol 2016; 25:182-191. [PMID: 27914761 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The vaginal microbial community is typically characterized by abundant lactobacilli. Lactobacillus iners, a fairly recently detected species, is frequently present in the vaginal niche. However, the role of this species in vaginal health is unclear, since it can be detected in normal conditions as well as during vaginal dysbiosis, such as bacterial vaginosis, a condition characterized by an abnormal increase in bacterial diversity and lack of typical lactobacilli. Compared to other Lactobacillus species, L. iners has more complex nutritional requirements and a Gram-variable morphology. L. iners has an unusually small genome (ca. 1 Mbp), indicative of a symbiotic or parasitic lifestyle, in contrast to other lactobacilli that show niche flexibility and genomes of up to 3-4 Mbp. The presence of specific L. iners genes, such as those encoding iron-sulfur proteins and unique σ-factors, reflects a high degree of niche specification. The genome of L. iners strains also encodes inerolysin, a pore-forming toxin related to vaginolysin of Gardnerella vaginalis. Possibly, this organism may have clonal variants that in some cases promote a healthy vagina, and in other cases are associated with dysbiosis and disease. Future research should examine this friend or foe relationship with the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya I Petrova
- KU Leuven, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Department of Bioscience Engineering, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gregor Reid
- Western University Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Surgery, and The Lawson Health Research Institute London, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON Canada N6A 4V2
| | - Mario Vaneechoutte
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Bacteriology Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, Medical Research Building 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Lebeer
- KU Leuven, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Department of Bioscience Engineering, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Braselmann E, Chaney JL, Champion MM, Clark PL. DegP Chaperone Suppresses Toxic Inner Membrane Translocation Intermediates. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162922. [PMID: 27626276 PMCID: PMC5023192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria includes a variety of molecular chaperones that shepherd the folding and targeting of secreted proteins. A central player of this quality control network is DegP, a protease also suggested to have a chaperone function. We serendipitously discovered that production of the Bordetella pertussis autotransporter virulence protein pertactin is lethal in Escherichia coli ΔdegP strains. We investigated specific contributions of DegP to secretion of pertactin as a model system to test the functions of DegP in vivo. The DegP chaperone activity was sufficient to restore growth during pertactin production. This chaperone dependency could be relieved by changing the pertactin signal sequence: an E. coli signal sequence leading to co-translational inner membrane (IM) translocation was sufficient to suppress lethality in the absence of DegP, whereas an E. coli post-translational signal sequence was sufficient to recapitulate the lethal phenotype. These results identify a novel connection between the DegP chaperone and the mechanism used to translocate a protein across the IM. Lethality coincided with loss of periplasmic proteins, soluble σE, and proteins regulated by this essential stress response. These results suggest post-translational IM translocation can lead to the formation of toxic periplasmic folding intermediates, which DegP can suppress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Braselmann
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Julie L. Chaney
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Matthew M. Champion
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Patricia L. Clark
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
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Regulation of Gene Expression in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 during Electron Acceptor Limitation and Bacterial Nanowire Formation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:5428-43. [PMID: 27342561 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01615-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED In limiting oxygen as an electron acceptor, the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 rapidly forms nanowires, extensions of its outer membrane containing the cytochromes MtrC and OmcA needed for extracellular electron transfer. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis was employed to determine differential gene expression over time from triplicate chemostat cultures that were limited for oxygen. We identified 465 genes with decreased expression and 677 genes with increased expression. The coordinated increased expression of heme biosynthesis, cytochrome maturation, and transport pathways indicates that S. oneidensis MR-1 increases cytochrome production, including the transcription of genes encoding MtrA, MtrC, and OmcA, and transports these decaheme cytochromes across the cytoplasmic membrane during electron acceptor limitation and nanowire formation. In contrast, the expression of the mtrA and mtrC homologs mtrF and mtrD either remains unaffected or decreases under these conditions. The ompW gene, encoding a small outer membrane porin, has 40-fold higher expression during oxygen limitation, and it is proposed that OmpW plays a role in cation transport to maintain electrical neutrality during electron transfer. The genes encoding the anaerobic respiration regulator cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) and the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor RpoE are among the transcription factor genes with increased expression. RpoE might function by signaling the initial response to oxygen limitation. Our results show that RpoE activates transcription from promoters upstream of mtrC and omcA The transcriptome and mutant analyses of S. oneidensis MR-1 nanowire production are consistent with independent regulatory mechanisms for extending the outer membrane into tubular structures and for ensuring the electron transfer function of the nanowires. IMPORTANCE Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 has the capacity to transfer electrons to its external surface using extensions of the outer membrane called bacterial nanowires. These bacterial nanowires link the cell's respiratory chain to external surfaces, including oxidized metals important in bioremediation, and explain why S. oneidensis can be utilized as a component of microbial fuel cells, a form of renewable energy. In this work, we use differential gene expression analysis to focus on which genes function to produce the nanowires and promote extracellular electron transfer during oxygen limitation. Among the genes that are expressed at high levels are those encoding cytochrome proteins necessary for electron transfer. Shewanella coordinates the increased expression of regulators, metabolic pathways, and transport pathways to ensure that cytochromes efficiently transfer electrons along the nanowires.
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Zhang H, Jia Y, Xie X, Wang M, Zheng Y, Xu S, Zhang W, Wang Q, Huang X, Du H. RpoE promotes invasion and intracellular survival by regulating SPI-1 and SPI-2 in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. Future Microbiol 2016; 11:1011-24. [PMID: 27492279 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.16.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To demonstrate the role of RpoE during the later stage of hyperosmotic stress in Salmonella. MATERIALS & METHODS Expressions of SPI-1 and SPI-2 under hyperosmotic stress for 120 min were investigated by a microarray, and the invasion and intracellular survival of wild-type and ΔrpoE strains were compared. The global differential expression of bacterial proteins between the wild-type and ΔrpoE strains was examined after 120 min of hyperosmotic stress. RESULTS SPI-1 and SPI-2 were repressed, and the invasion and intracellular survival were defected in the ΔrpoE strain. Thirteen bacterial-associated proteins and 11 secreted proteins differed significantly between the wild-type and ΔrpoE strains. CONCLUSION RpoE may promote invasion and intracellular survival by regulating the expression of SPI-1 and SPI-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifang Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Xiaofang Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Shungao Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Xinxiang Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
| | - Hong Du
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China.,School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, PR China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, PR China
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Tang-Siegel G, Bumgarner R, Ruiz T, Kittichotirat W, Chen W, Chen C. Human Serum-Specific Activation of Alternative Sigma Factors, the Stress Responders in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160018. [PMID: 27490177 PMCID: PMC4973924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a known pathogen causing periodontal disease and infective endocarditis, is a survivor in the periodontal pocket and blood stream; both environments contain serum as a nutrient source. To screen for unknown virulence factors associated with this microorganism, A. actinomycetemcomitans was grown in serum-based media to simulate its in vivo environment. Different strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans showed distinct growth phenotypes only in the presence of human serum, and they were grouped into high- and low-responder groups. High-responders comprised mainly serotype c strains, and showed an unusual growth phenomenon, featuring a second, rapid increase in turbidity after 9-h incubation that reached a final optical density 2- to 7-fold higher than low-responders. Upon further investigation, the second increase in turbidity was not caused by cell multiplication, but by cell death. Whole transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq identified 35 genes that were up-regulated by human serum, but not horse serum, in high-responders but not in low-responders, including prominently an alternative sigma factor rpoE (σE). A lacZ reporter construct driven by the 132-bp rpoE promoter sequence of A. actinomycetemcomitans responded dramatically to human serum within 90 min of incubation only when the construct was carried by a high responder strain. The rpoE promoter is 100% identical among high- and low-responder strains. Proteomic investigation showed potential interactions between human serum protein, e.g. apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and A. actinomycetemcomitans. The data clearly indicated a different activation process for rpoE in high- versus low-responder strains. This differential human serum-specific activation of rpoE, a putative extra-cytoplasmic stress responder and global regulator, suggests distinct in vivo adaptations among different strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoyan Tang-Siegel
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Roger Bumgarner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Teresa Ruiz
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Weerayuth Kittichotirat
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Weizhen Chen
- Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Casey Chen
- Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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42
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Shape Changes and Interaction Mechanism of Escherichia coli Cells Treated with Sericin and Use of a Sericin-Based Hydrogel for Wound Healing. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:4663-4672. [PMID: 27235427 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00643-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED To verify the interaction mechanism between sericin and Escherichia coli, especially the morphological and structural changes in the bacterial cells, the antimicrobial activity of sericin against E. coli as a model for Gram-negative bacteria was investigated. The antibacterial activity of sericin on E. coli and the interaction mechanism were investigated in this study by analyzing the growth, integrity, and morphology of the bacterial cells following treatment with sericin. The changes in morphology and cellular compositions of bacterial cells treated with sericin were observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Changes in electrical conductivity, total sugar concentration of the broth for the bacteria, and protein expression of the bacteria were determined to investigate the permeability of the cell membrane. A sericin-based hydrogel was prepared for an in vivo study of wound dressing. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of the hydrogel increased with the increase in the concentration of sericin from 10 g/liter to 40 g/liter. The introduction of sericin induces membrane blebbing of E. coli cells caused by antibiotic action on the cell membrane. The cytoplasm shrinkage phenomenon was accompanied by blurring of the membrane wall boundaries. When E. coli cells were treated with sericin, release of intracellular components quickly increased. The electrical conductivity assay indicated that the charged ions are reduced after exposure to sericin so that the integrity of the cell membrane is weakened and metabolism is blocked. In addition, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that sericin hinders the expression of bacterial protein. Sericin may damage the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane, thereby eventually inhibiting the growth and reproduction of E. coli Compared to sterile gauze, the sericin-based hydrogel promoted fibroblast cell proliferation and accelerated the formation of granulation tissues and neovessels. IMPORTANCE The specific relationship and interaction mechanism between sericin and E. coli cells were investigated and elucidated. The results show that after 12 h of treatment, sericin molecules induce membrane blebbing of E. coli cells, and the bacteria show decreases in liquidity and permeability of biological membrane, resulting in alterations in the conductivity of the culture medium and the integrity of the outer membrane. The subsequent in vivo results demonstrate that the sericin-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide [NIPAm-MBA]) hydrogel accelerated wound healing compared to that with sterile gauze, which is a beneficial result for future applications in clinical medicine and the textile, food, and coating industries.
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43
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Tarusawa T, Ito S, Goto S, Ushida C, Muto A, Himeno H. (p)ppGpp-dependent and -independent pathways for salt tolerance inEscherichia coli. J Biochem 2016; 160:19-26. [DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvw008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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44
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Xie X, Zhang H, Zheng Y, Li A, Wang M, Zhou H, Zhu X, Schneider Z, Chen L, Kreiswirth BN, Du H. RpoE is a Putative Antibiotic Resistance Regulator of Salmonella enteric Serovar Typhi. Curr Microbiol 2016; 72:457-64. [PMID: 26742769 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-015-0983-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial antimicrobial resistance has been associated with the up regulation of genes encoding efflux pumps and the down regulation of genes encoding outer membrane proteins (OMPs). Gene expression in bacteria is primarily initiated by sigma factors (σ factors) such as RpoE, which plays an important role in responding to many environmental stresses. Here, we report the first observation that RpoE serves as an antibiotic resistance regulator in Salmonella enteric serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). In this study, we found that the rpoE mutant (ΔrpoE) of S. Typhi GIFU10007 has elevated resistance to several antimicrobial agents, including β-lactams, quinolones, and aminoglycosides. Genomic DNA microarray analysis was used to investigate the differential gene expression profiles between a wild type and rpoE mutant in response to ampicillin. The results showed that a total of 57 genes displayed differential expression (two-fold increase or decrease) in ΔrpoE versus the wild-type strain. The expressions of two outer membrane protein genes, ompF and ompC, were significantly down-regulated in ΔrpoE (six and seven-fold lower in comparison to wild-type strain) and RamA, a member of the efflux pump AraC/XylS family, was up-regulated about four-fold in the ΔrpoE. Our results suggest RpoE is a potential antimicrobial regulator in S. Typhi, controlling both the down regulation of the OMP genes and up-regulating the efflux system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifang Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Aiqing Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiqin Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueming Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zachary Schneider
- Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Liang Chen
- Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Barry N Kreiswirth
- Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Hong Du
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Low KB, Murray SR, Pawelek J, Bermudes D. Isolation and Analysis of Suppressor Mutations in Tumor-Targeted msbB Salmonella. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1409:95-123. [PMID: 26846806 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3515-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-targeted Salmonella offers a promising approach to the delivery of therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The Salmonella strains used, however, must be stably attenuated in order to provide sufficient safety for administration. Approaches to the generation of attenuated Salmonella strains have included deletion of the msbB gene that is responsible for addition of the terminal myristol group to lipid A. In the absence of myristoylation, lipid A is no longer capable of inducing septic shock, resulting in a significant enhancement in safety. However, msbB Salmonella strains also exhibit an unusual set of additional physiological characteristics, including sensitivities to NaCl, EGTA, deoxycholate, polymyxin, and CO2. Suppressor mutations that compensate for these sensitivities include somA, Suwwan, pmrA (C), and zwf. We describe here methods for isolation of strains with compensatory mutations that suppress these types of sensitivities and techniques for determining their underlying genetic changes and analysis of their effects in murine tumor models.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Brooks Low
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Sean R Murray
- Biology Department, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Sciences (IRIS), California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA.
| | - John Pawelek
- Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - David Bermudes
- Biology Department, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Sciences (IRIS), California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA.
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Huang HH, Lin YT, Chen WC, Huang YW, Chen SJ, Yang TC. Expression and Functions of CreD, an Inner Membrane Protein in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145009. [PMID: 26698119 PMCID: PMC4689548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
CreBC is a highly conserved two-component regulatory system (TCS) in several gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. CreD is a conserved gene that encodes a predicted inner-membrane protein and is located near the creBC loci. Activation of CreBC increases creD expression; therefore, creD expression is generally used as a measure of CreBC activation in E. coli, Aeromonas spp., and P. aeruginosa systems. In this article, we aim to elucidate the expression of creD and further to investigate its functions in S. maltophilia. In spite of a short intergenic region of 81 bp between creBC and creD, creD is expressed separately from the adjacent creBC operon and from a promoter immediately upstream of creD (PcreD) in S. maltophilia. We found that the promoter activity of PcreD is negatively regulated by the creBC TCS, positively regulated by the bacterial culture density, and not affected by β-lactams. Furthermore, creD expression is not significantly altered in the presence of the phosphor-mimic variant of CreB, CreB(D55E), which mimics activated CreB. The functions of CreD of S. maltophilia were assessed by comparison among the following: wild-type KJ; the creD isogenic mutant, KJΔCreD; and the complementary strain, KJΔCreD(pCreD). The mutant lacking creD had cell division defects and aberrations in cell envelope integrity, which then triggered the σE-mediated envelope stress response. Thus, the results indicated that CreD plays a critical role in the maintenance of envelope integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Hui Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Tsung Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Ching Chen
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wei Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Jiuun Chen
- Department of Life Science, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and TechComm-5, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsuey-Ching Yang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Urfer M, Bogdanovic J, Lo Monte F, Moehle K, Zerbe K, Omasits U, Ahrens CH, Pessi G, Eberl L, Robinson JA. A Peptidomimetic Antibiotic Targets Outer Membrane Proteins and Disrupts Selectively the Outer Membrane in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:1921-1932. [PMID: 26627837 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.691725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing antibacterial resistance presents a major challenge in antibiotic discovery. One attractive target in Gram-negative bacteria is the unique asymmetric outer membrane (OM), which acts as a permeability barrier that protects the cell from external stresses, such as the presence of antibiotics. We describe a novel β-hairpin macrocyclic peptide JB-95 with potent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. This peptide exhibits no cellular lytic activity, but electron microscopy and fluorescence studies reveal an ability to selectively disrupt the OM but not the inner membrane of E. coli. The selective targeting of the OM probably occurs through interactions of JB-95 with selected β-barrel OM proteins, including BamA and LptD as shown by photolabeling experiments. Membrane proteomic studies reveal rapid depletion of many β-barrel OM proteins from JB-95-treated E. coli, consistent with induction of a membrane stress response and/or direct inhibition of the Bam folding machine. The results suggest that lethal disruption of the OM by JB-95 occurs through a novel mechanism of action at key interaction sites within clusters of β-barrel proteins in the OM. These findings open new avenues for developing antibiotics that specifically target β-barrel proteins and the integrity of the Gram-negative OM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Urfer
- From the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich
| | - Jasmina Bogdanovic
- From the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich
| | - Fabio Lo Monte
- From the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich
| | - Kerstin Moehle
- From the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich
| | - Katja Zerbe
- From the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich
| | - Ulrich Omasits
- the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Auguste-Piccard Hof 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian H Ahrens
- the Institute for Plant Production Sciences, Research Group Molecular Diagnostics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Agroscope, Schloss 1, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland, and
| | - Gabriella Pessi
- the Department of Microbiology, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leo Eberl
- the Department of Microbiology, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - John A Robinson
- From the Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich,.
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48
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Mechanism to control the cell lysis and the cell survival strategy in stationary phase under heat stress. SPRINGERPLUS 2015; 4:599. [PMID: 26543734 PMCID: PMC4627973 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-015-1415-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
An array of stress signals triggering the bacterial cellular stress response is well known in Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Heat stress is usually sensed through the misfolded outer membrane porin (OMP) precursors in the periplasm, resulting in the activation of σ(E) (encoded by rpoE), which binds to RNA polymerase to start the transcription of genes required for responding against the heat stress signal. At the elevated temperatures, σ(E) also serves as the transcription factor for σ(H) (the main heat shock sigma factor, encoded by rpoH), which is involved in the expression of several genes whose products deal with the cytoplasmic unfolded proteins. Besides, oxidative stress in form of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that accumulate due to heat stress, has been found to give rise to viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells at the early stationary phase, which is in turn lysed by the σ(E)-dependent process. Such lysis of the defective cells may generate nutrients for the remaining population to survive with the capacity of formation of colony forming units (CFUs). σ(H) is also known to regulate the transcription of the major heat shock proteins (HSPs) required for heat shock response (HSR) resulting in cellular survival. Present review concentrated on the cellular survival against heat stress employing the harmonized impact of σ(E) and σ(H) regulons and the HSPs as well as their inter connectivity towards the maintenance of cellular survival.
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Lüttmann D, Göpel Y, Görke B. Cross-Talk between the Canonical and the Nitrogen-Related Phosphotransferase Systems Modulates Synthesis of the KdpFABC Potassium Transporter in Escherichia coli. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 25:168-77. [DOI: 10.1159/000375497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many Proteobacteria possess the regulatory nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (PTS<sup>Ntr</sup>), which operates in parallel to the transport PTS. PTS<sup>Ntr</sup> is composed of the proteins EI<sup>Ntr</sup> and NPr and the final phosphate acceptor EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup>. Both PTSs can exchange phosphoryl groups among each other. Proteins governing K<sup>+</sup> uptake represent a major target of PTS<sup>Ntr</sup> in <i>Escherichia coli</i>. Nonphosphorylated EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup> binds and stimulates the K<sup>+</sup> sensor KdpD, which activates expression of the <i>kdpFABC</i> operon encoding a K<sup>+</sup> transporter. Here we show that this regulation also operates in an <i>ilvG</i><sup><i>+</i></sup> strain ruling out previous concern about interference with a nonfunctional <i>ilvG</i> allele present in many strains. Furthermore, we analyzed phosphorylation of EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup>. In wild-type cells EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup> is predominantly phosphorylated, regardless of the growth stage and the utilized carbon source. However, cross-phosphorylation of EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup> by the transport PTS becomes apparent in the absence of EI<sup>Ntr</sup>: EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup> is predominantly nonphosphorylated when cells grow on a PTS sugar and phosphorylated when a non-PTS carbohydrate is utilized. These differences in phosphorylation are transduced into corresponding <i>kdpFABC</i> transcription levels. Thus, the transport PTS may affect phosphorylation of EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup> and accordingly modulate processes controlled by EIIA<sup>Ntr</sup>. Our data suggest that this cross-talk becomes most relevant under conditions that would inhibit activity of EI<sup>Ntr</sup>.
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Activation of Toxin-Antitoxin System Toxins Suppresses Lethality Caused by the Loss of σE in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2015; 197:2316-24. [PMID: 25917909 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00079-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED σ(E), an alternative σ factor that governs a major signaling pathway in envelope stress responses in Gram-negative bacteria, is essential for growth of Escherichia coli not only under stressful conditions, such as elevated temperature, but also under normal laboratory conditions. A mutational inactivation of the hicB gene has been reported to suppress the lethality caused by the loss of σ(E). hicB encodes the antitoxin of the HicA-HicB toxin-antitoxin (TA) system; overexpression of the HicA toxin, which exhibits mRNA interferase activity, causes cleavage of mRNAs and an arrest of cell growth, while simultaneous expression of HicB neutralizes the toxic effects of overproduced HicA. To date, however, how the loss of HicB rescues the cell lethality in the absence of σ(E) and, more specifically, whether HicA is involved in this process remain unknown. Here we showed that simultaneous disruption of hicA abolished suppression of the σ(E) essentiality in the absence of hicB, while ectopic expression of wild-type HicA, but not that of its mutant forms without mRNA interferase activity, restored the suppression. Furthermore, HicA and two other mRNA interferase toxins, HigB and YafQ, suppressed the σ(E) essentiality even in the presence of chromosomally encoded cognate antitoxins when these toxins were overexpressed individually. Interestingly, when the growth media were supplemented with low levels of antibiotics that are known to activate toxins, E. coli cells with no suppressor mutations grew independently of σ(E). Taken together, our results indicate that the activation of TA system toxins can suppress the σ(E) essentiality and affect the extracytoplasmic stress responses. IMPORTANCE σ(E) is an alternative σ factor involved in extracytoplasmic stress responses. Unlike other alternative σ factors, σ(E) is indispensable for the survival of E. coli even under unstressed conditions, although the exact reason for its essentiality remains unknown. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widely distributed in prokaryotes and are composed of two adjacent genes, encoding a toxin that exerts harmful effects on the toxin-producing bacterium itself and an antitoxin that neutralizes the cognate toxin. Curiously, it is known that inactivation of an antitoxin rescues the σ(E) essentiality, suggesting a connection between TA systems and σ(E) function. We demonstrate here that toxin activation is necessary for this rescue and suggest the possible involvement of TA systems in extracytoplasmic stress responses.
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