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Rizo J, Encarnación-Guevara S. Bacterial protein acetylation: mechanisms, functions, and methods for study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1408947. [PMID: 39027134 PMCID: PMC11254643 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1408947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Lysine acetylation is an evolutionarily conserved protein modification that changes protein functions and plays an essential role in many cellular processes, such as central metabolism, transcriptional regulation, chemotaxis, and pathogen virulence. It can alter DNA binding, enzymatic activity, protein-protein interactions, protein stability, or protein localization. In prokaryotes, lysine acetylation occurs non-enzymatically and by the action of lysine acetyltransferases (KAT). In enzymatic acetylation, KAT transfers the acetyl group from acetyl-CoA (AcCoA) to the lysine side chain. In contrast, acetyl phosphate (AcP) is the acetyl donor of chemical acetylation. Regardless of the acetylation type, the removal of acetyl groups from acetyl lysines occurs only enzymatically by lysine deacetylases (KDAC). KATs are grouped into three main superfamilies based on their catalytic domain sequences and biochemical characteristics of catalysis. Specifically, members of the GNAT are found in eukaryotes and prokaryotes and have a core structural domain architecture. These enzymes can acetylate small molecules, metabolites, peptides, and proteins. This review presents current knowledge of acetylation mechanisms and functional implications in bacterial metabolism, pathogenicity, stress response, translation, and the emerging topic of protein acetylation in the gut microbiome. Additionally, the methods used to elucidate the biological significance of acetylation in bacteria, such as relative quantification and stoichiometry quantification, and the genetic code expansion tool (CGE), are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio Encarnación-Guevara
- Laboratorio de Proteómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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2
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Potter AD, Criss AK. Dinner date: Neisseria gonorrhoeae central carbon metabolism and pathogenesis. Emerg Top Life Sci 2024; 8:15-28. [PMID: 37144661 PMCID: PMC10625648 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220111] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, is a human-adapted pathogen that does not productively infect other organisms. The ongoing relationship between N. gonorrhoeae and the human host is facilitated by the exchange of nutrient resources that allow for N. gonorrhoeae growth in the human genital tract. What N. gonorrhoeae 'eats' and the pathways used to consume these nutrients have been a topic of investigation over the last 50 years. More recent investigations are uncovering the impact of N. gonorrhoeae metabolism on infection and inflammatory responses, the environmental influences driving N. gonorrhoeae metabolism, and the metabolic adaptations enabling antimicrobial resistance. This mini-review is an introduction to the field of N. gonorrhoeae central carbon metabolism in the context of pathogenesis. It summarizes the foundational work used to characterize N. gonorrhoeae central metabolic pathways and the effects of these pathways on disease outcomes, and highlights some of the most recent advances and themes under current investigation. This review ends with a brief description of the current outlook and technologies under development to increase understanding of how the pathogenic potential of N. gonorrhoeae is enabled by metabolic adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee D. Potter
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
| | - Alison K. Criss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
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3
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Xu Z, Wang L, Wang X, Wan M, Tang M, Ding Y. Characterizing the Effect of the Lysine Deacetylation Modification on Enzyme Activity of Pyruvate Kinase I and Pathogenicity of Vibrio alginolyticus. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:877067. [PMID: 35795782 PMCID: PMC9252168 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.877067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyruvate kinase I (PykF) is one of the key enzymes of glycolysis and plays a crucial role in bacterial metabolism. Several acetylation sites of Vibrio alginolyticus PykF were reported in previous studies and then 11 sites were first verified in this study, however, the specific roles of PykF acetylation remains unclear. Overlap-PCR and homologous recombination were implied to delete V. alginolyticus pykF gene and constructed complementary strains of site-directed mutagenesis for the further research focus on the deacetylation regulation on PykF. The results showed that the pyruvate kinase activity was sharply suppressed in the deacetylation status of K52, K68, and K317 of PykF, as well as the extracellular protease activity was significantly decreased in the deacetylation status of K52 and K68, but not induced with K317. Moreover, the growth rates of V. alginolyticus were not influenced with these three deacetylation sites. The ΔpykF mutant exhibited a 6-fold reduction in virulence to zebrafish. Site-directed mutations of K52R and K68R also showed reduced virulence while mutations of K317R didn't. The in vitro experiments showed that PykF was acetylated by acetyl phosphate (AcP), with the increase of incubation time by AcP, the acetylation level of PykF increased while the enzyme activity of PykF decreased correspondingly. Besides, PykF was deacetylated by CobB deacetylase and in result that the deacetylation was significantly down-regulated while the pyruvate kinase activity of PykF increased. Moreover, deletion of cobB gene had no significant difference in pyruvate kinase activity. These results confirm that CobB can regulate the acetylation level and pyruvate kinase activity of PykF. In summary, the results of this study provide a theoretical basis for further understanding of the deacetylation modification of PykF. It provides a new idea for the prevention and cure of vibriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Xu
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Linjing Wang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xudong Wang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Mingyue Wan
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Mei Tang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Ding
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Abstract
Numerous cellular processes are regulated in response to the metabolic state of the cell. One such regulatory mechanism involves lysine acetylation, a covalent modification involving the transfer of an acetyl group from central metabolite acetyl-coenzyme A or acetyl phosphate to a lysine residue in a protein.
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Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen that is the cause of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea. Recently, there has been a surge in gonorrhoea cases that has been exacerbated by the rapid rise in gonococcal multidrug resistance to all useful antimicrobials resulting in this organism becoming a significant public health burden. Therefore, there is a clear and present need to understand the organism's biology through its physiology and pathogenesis to help develop new intervention strategies. The gonococcus initially colonises and adheres to host mucosal surfaces utilising a type IV pilus that helps with microcolony formation. Other adhesion strategies include the porin, PorB, and the phase variable outer membrane protein Opa. The gonococcus is able to subvert complement mediated killing and opsonisation by sialylation of its lipooligosaccharide and deploys a series of anti-phagocytic mechanisms. N. gonorrhoeae is a fastidious organism that is able to grow on a limited number of primary carbon sources such as glucose and lactate. The utilization of lactate by the gonococcus has been implicated in a number of pathogenicity mechanisms. The bacterium lives mainly in microaerobic environments and can grow both aerobically and anaerobically with the aid of nitrite. The gonococcus does not produce siderophores for scavenging iron but can utilize some produced by other bacteria, and it is able to successful chelate iron from host haem, transferrin and lactoferrin. The gonococcus is an incredibly versatile human pathogen; in the following chapter, we detail the intricate mechanisms used by the bacterium to invade and survive within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Green
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Joby Cole
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Feliz Diaz Parga
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan G Shaw
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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Liu M, Guo L, Fu Y, Huo M, Qi Q, Zhao G. Bacterial protein acetylation and its role in cellular physiology and metabolic regulation. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 53:107842. [PMID: 34624455 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Protein acetylation is an evolutionarily conserved posttranslational modification. It affects enzyme activity, metabolic flux distribution, and other critical physiological and biochemical processes by altering protein size and charge. Protein acetylation may thus be a promising tool for metabolic regulation to improve target production and conversion efficiency in fermentation. Here we review the role of protein acetylation in bacterial physiology and metabolism and describe applications of protein acetylation in fermentation engineering and strategies for regulating acetylation status. Although protein acetylation has become a hot topic, the regulatory mechanisms have not been fully characterized. We propose future research directions in protein acetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Likun Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, China
| | - Yingxin Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, China
| | - Meitong Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, China
| | - Qingsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, China
| | - Guang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
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7
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Abstract
Nε-lysine acetylation is an important, dynamic regulatory posttranslational modification (PTM) that is common in bacteria. Protein acetylomes have been characterized for more than 30 different species, and it is known that acetylation plays important regulatory roles in many essential biological processes. The levels of acetylation are enzymatically controlled by the opposing actions of lysine acetyltransferases and deacetylases. In bacteria, a second mechanism of acetylation exists and occurs via an enzyme-independent manner using the secondary metabolite acetyl-phosphate. Nonenzymatic acetylation accounts for global low levels of acetylation. Recently, studies concerning the role of protein acetylation in bacterial virulence have begun. Acetylated virulence factors have been identified and further characterized. The roles of the enzymes that acetylate and deacetylate proteins in the establishment of infection and biofilm formation have also been investigated. In this review, we discuss the acetylomes of human bacterial pathogens. We highlight examples of known acetylated virulence proteins and examine how they affect survival in the host. Finally, we discuss how acetylation might influence host-pathogen interactions and look at the contribution of acetylation to antimicrobial resistance.
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8
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Integrated mass spectrometry-based multi-omics for elucidating mechanisms of bacterial virulence. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1905-1926. [PMID: 34374408 DOI: 10.1042/bst20191088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite being considered the simplest form of life, bacteria remain enigmatic, particularly in light of pathogenesis and evolving antimicrobial resistance. After three decades of genomics, we remain some way from understanding these organisms, and a substantial proportion of genes remain functionally unknown. Methodological advances, principally mass spectrometry (MS), are paving the way for parallel analysis of the proteome, metabolome and lipidome. Each provides a global, complementary assay, in addition to genomics, and the ability to better comprehend how pathogens respond to changes in their internal (e.g. mutation) and external environments consistent with infection-like conditions. Such responses include accessing necessary nutrients for survival in a hostile environment where co-colonizing bacteria and normal flora are acclimated to the prevailing conditions. Multi-omics can be harnessed across temporal and spatial (sub-cellular) dimensions to understand adaptation at the molecular level. Gene deletion libraries, in conjunction with large-scale approaches and evolving bioinformatics integration, will greatly facilitate next-generation vaccines and antimicrobial interventions by highlighting novel targets and pathogen-specific pathways. MS is also central in phenotypic characterization of surface biomolecules such as lipid A, as well as aiding in the determination of protein interactions and complexes. There is increasing evidence that bacteria are capable of widespread post-translational modification, including phosphorylation, glycosylation and acetylation; with each contributing to virulence. This review focuses on the bacterial genotype to phenotype transition and surveys the recent literature showing how the genome can be validated at the proteome, metabolome and lipidome levels to provide an integrated view of organism response to host conditions.
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Li D, Ramanathan S, Wang G, Wu Y, Tang Q, Li G. Acetylation of lysine 7 of AhyI affects the biological function in Aeromonas hydrophila. Microb Pathog 2020; 140:103952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Li Y, Xue H, Bian DR, Xu G, Piao C. Acetylome analysis of lysine acetylation in the plant pathogenic bacterium Brenneria nigrifluens. Microbiologyopen 2019; 9:e00952. [PMID: 31677250 PMCID: PMC6957402 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein lysine acetylation, a dynamic and reversible posttranslational modification, plays a crucial role in several cellular processes, including cell cycle regulation, metabolism, enzymatic activities, and protein interactions. Brenneria nigrifluens is a pathogen of walnut trees with shallow bark canker and can cause serious disease in walnut trees. Until now, a little has been known about the roles of lysine acetylation in plant pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, the lysine acetylome of B. nigrifluens was determined by high‐resolution LC‐MS/MS analysis. In total, we identified 1,866 lysine acetylation sites distributed in 737 acetylated proteins. Bioinformatics results indicated that acetylated proteins participate in many different biological functions in B. nigrifluens. Four conserved motifs, namely, LKac, Kac*F, I*Kac, and L*Kac, were identified in this bacterium. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that all kinds of interactions are modulated by protein lysine acetylation. Overall, 12 acetylated proteins were related to the virulence of B. nigrifluens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Li
- The Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Han Xue
- The Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Dan-Ran Bian
- The Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Guantang Xu
- The Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Chungen Piao
- The Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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11
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Christensen DG, Xie X, Basisty N, Byrnes J, McSweeney S, Schilling B, Wolfe AJ. Post-translational Protein Acetylation: An Elegant Mechanism for Bacteria to Dynamically Regulate Metabolic Functions. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1604. [PMID: 31354686 PMCID: PMC6640162 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTM) decorate proteins to provide functional heterogeneity to an existing proteome. The large number of known PTMs highlights the many ways that cells can modify their proteins to respond to diverse stimuli. Recently, PTMs have begun to receive increased interest because new sensitive proteomics workflows and structural methodologies now allow researchers to obtain large-scale, in-depth and unbiased information concerning PTM type and site localization. However, few PTMs have been extensively assessed for functional consequences, leaving a large knowledge gap concerning the inner workings of the cell. Here, we review understanding of N-𝜀-lysine acetylation in bacteria, a PTM that was largely ignored in bacteria until a decade ago. Acetylation is a modification that can dramatically change the function of a protein through alteration of its properties, including hydrophobicity, solubility, and surface properties, all of which may influence protein conformation and interactions with substrates, cofactors and other macromolecules. Most bacteria carry genes predicted to encode the lysine acetyltransferases and lysine deacetylases that add and remove acetylations, respectively. Many bacteria also exhibit acetylation activities that do not depend on an enzyme, but instead on direct transfer of acetyl groups from the central metabolites acetyl coenzyme A or acetyl phosphate. Regardless of mechanism, most central metabolic enzymes possess lysines that are acetylated in a regulated fashion and many of these regulated sites are conserved across the spectrum of bacterial phylogeny. The interconnectedness of acetylation and central metabolism suggests that acetylation may be a response to nutrient availability or the energy status of the cell. However, this and other hypotheses related to acetylation remain untested.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Christensen
- Health Sciences Division, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States
| | - Xueshu Xie
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States
| | - Nathan Basisty
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States
| | - James Byrnes
- Energy & Photon Sciences Directorate, National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
| | - Sean McSweeney
- Energy & Photon Sciences Directorate, National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
| | | | - Alan J. Wolfe
- Health Sciences Division, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States
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12
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Christensen DG, Baumgartner JT, Xie X, Jew KM, Basisty N, Schilling B, Kuhn ML, Wolfe AJ. Mechanisms, Detection, and Relevance of Protein Acetylation in Prokaryotes. mBio 2019; 10:e02708-18. [PMID: 30967470 PMCID: PMC6456759 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02708-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modification of a protein, either alone or in combination with other modifications, can control properties of that protein, such as enzymatic activity, localization, stability, or interactions with other molecules. N-ε-Lysine acetylation is one such modification that has gained attention in recent years, with a prevalence and significance that rival those of phosphorylation. This review will discuss the current state of the field in bacteria and some of the work in archaea, focusing on both mechanisms of N-ε-lysine acetylation and methods to identify, quantify, and characterize specific acetyllysines. Bacterial N-ε-lysine acetylation depends on both enzymatic and nonenzymatic mechanisms of acetylation, and recent work has shed light into the regulation of both mechanisms. Technological advances in mass spectrometry have allowed researchers to gain insight with greater biological context by both (i) analyzing samples either with stable isotope labeling workflows or using label-free protocols and (ii) determining the true extent of acetylation on a protein population through stoichiometry measurements. Identification of acetylated lysines through these methods has led to studies that probe the biological significance of acetylation. General and diverse approaches used to determine the effect of acetylation on a specific lysine will be covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G Christensen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Health Sciences Division, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - J T Baumgartner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - X Xie
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - K M Jew
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - N Basisty
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - B Schilling
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - M L Kuhn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - A J Wolfe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Health Sciences Division, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
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Hockenberry AM, Post DMB, Rhodes KA, Apicella M, So M. Perturbing the acetylation status of the Type IV pilus retraction motor, PilT, reduces Neisseria gonorrhoeae viability. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:677-688. [PMID: 29719082 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational acetylation is a common protein modification in bacteria. It was recently reported that Neisseria gonorrhoeae acetylates the Type IV pilus retraction motor, PilT. Here, we show recombinant PilT can be acetylated in vitro and acetylation does not affect PilT ultrastructure. To investigate the function of PilT acetylation, we mutated an acetylated lysine, K117, to mimic its acetylated or unacetylated forms. These mutations were not tolerated by wild-type N. gonorrhoeae, but they were tolerated by N. gonorrhoeae carrying an inducible pilE when grown without inducer. We identified additional mutations in pilT and pilU that suppress the lethality of K117 mutations. To investigate the link between PilE and PilT acetylation, we found the lack of PilE decreases PilT acetylation levels and increases the amount of PilT associated with the inner membrane. Finally, we found no difference between wild-type and mutant cells in transformation efficiency, suggesting neither mutation inhibits Type IV pilus retraction. Mutant cells, however, form microcolonies morphologically distinct from wt cells. We conclude that interfering with the acetylation status of PilTK117 greatly reduces N. gonorrhoeae viability, and mutations in pilT, pilU and pilE can overcome this lethality. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of Type IV pilus retraction regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson M Hockenberry
- Department of Immunobiology and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | | | - Katherine A Rhodes
- Department of Immunobiology and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Michael Apicella
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Magdalene So
- Department of Immunobiology and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
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Protein lysine acetylation plays a regulatory role in Bacillus subtilis multicellularity. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204687. [PMID: 30265683 PMCID: PMC6161898 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein lysine acetylation is a post-translational modification that alters the charge, conformation, and stability of proteins. A number of genome-wide characterizations of lysine-acetylated proteins, or acetylomes, in bacteria have demonstrated that lysine acetylation occurs on proteins with a wide diversity of functions, including central metabolism, transcription, chemotaxis, and cell size regulation. Bacillus subtilis is a model organism for studies of sporulation, motility, cell signaling, and multicellular development (or biofilm formation). In this work, we investigated the role of global protein lysine acetylation in multicellular development in B. subtilis. We analyzed the B. subtilis acetylome under biofilm-inducing conditions and identified acetylated proteins involved in multicellularity, specifically, swarming and biofilm formation. We constructed various single and double mutants of genes known to encode enzymes involved in global protein lysine acetylation in B. subtilis. Some of those mutants showed a defect in swarming motility while others demonstrated altered biofilm phenotypes. Lastly, we picked two acetylated proteins known to be important for biofilm formation, YmcA (also known as RicA), a regulatory protein critical for biofilm induction, and GtaB, an UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase that synthesizes a nucleotide sugar precursor for biosynthesis of exopolysaccharide, a key biofilm matrix component. We performed site-directed mutagenesis on the acetylated lysine codons in ymcA and gtaB, respectively, and assayed cells bearing those point mutants for biofilm formation. The mutant alleles of ymcA(K64R), gtaB(K89R), and gtaB(K191R) all demonstrated a severe biofilm defect. These results indicate the importance of acetylated lysine residues in both YmcA and GtaB. In summary, we propose that protein lysine acetylation plays a global regulatory role in B. subtilis multicellularity.
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Abstract
The host-adapted human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the causative agent of gonorrhoea. Consistent with its proposed evolution from an ancestral commensal bacterium, N. gonorrhoeae has retained features that are common in commensals, but it has also developed unique features that are crucial to its pathogenesis. The continued worldwide incidence of gonorrhoeal infection, coupled with the rising resistance to antimicrobials and the difficulties in controlling the disease in developing countries, highlights the need to better understand the molecular basis of N. gonorrhoeae infection. This knowledge will facilitate disease prevention, surveillance and control, improve diagnostics and may help to facilitate the development of effective vaccines or new therapeutics. In this Review, we discuss sex-related symptomatic gonorrhoeal disease and provide an overview of the bacterial factors that are important for the different stages of pathogenesis, including transmission, colonization and immune evasion, and we discuss the problem of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jane Quillin
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - H Steven Seifert
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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