The C-terminal domain of the Arabinosyltransferase Mycobacterium tuberculosis EmbC is a lectin-like carbohydrate binding module

The mycobacterial glycoside hydrolase LamH enables capsular arabinomannan release and stimulates growth

Mycobacterial glycolipids are important cell envelope structures that drive host-pathogen interactions. Arguably, the most important are lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and its precursor, lipomannan (LM), which are trafficked from the bacterium to the host via unknown mechanisms. Arabinomannan is thought to be a capsular derivative of these molecules, lacking a lipid anchor. However, the mechanism by which this material is generated has yet to be elucidated. Here, we describe the identification of a glycoside hydrolase family 76 enzyme that we term LamH (Rv0365c in Mycobacterium tuberculosis) which specifically cleaves α-1,6-mannoside linkages within LM and LAM, driving its export to the capsule releasing its phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannoside lipid anchor. Unexpectedly, we found that the catalytic activity of this enzyme is important for efficient exit from stationary phase cultures, potentially implicating arabinomannan as a signal for growth phase transition. Finally, we demonstrate that LamH is important for M. tuberculosis survival in macrophages.

Three-component systems represent a common pathway for extracytoplasmic addition of pentofuranose sugars into bacterial glycans

Cell surface glycans are major drivers of antigenic diversity in bacteria. The biochemistry and molecular biology underpinning their synthesis are important in understanding host-pathogen interactions and for vaccine development with emerging chemoenzymatic and glycoengineering approaches. Structural diversity in glycostructures arises from the action of glycosyltransferases (GTs) that use an immense catalog of activated sugar donors to build the repeating unit and modifying enzymes that add further heterogeneity. Classical Leloir GTs incorporate α- or β-linked sugars by inverting or retaining mechanisms, depending on the nucleotide sugar donor. In contrast, the mechanism of known ribofuranosyltransferases is confined to β-linkages, so the existence of α-linked ribofuranose in some glycans dictates an alternative strategy. Here, we use Citrobacter youngae O1 and O2 lipopolysaccharide O antigens as prototypes to describe a widespread, versatile pathway for incorporating side-chain α-linked pentofuranoses by extracytoplasmic postpolymerization glycosylation. The pathway requires a polyprenyl phosphoribose synthase to generate a lipid-linked donor, a MATE-family flippase to transport the donor to the periplasm, and a GT-C type GT (founding the GT136 family) that performs the final glycosylation reaction. The characterized system shares similarities, but also fundamental differences, with both cell wall arabinan biosynthesis in mycobacteria, and periplasmic glucosylation of O antigens first discovered in Salmonella and Shigella. The participation of auxiliary epimerases allows the diversification of incorporated pentofuranoses. The results offer insight into a broad concept in microbial glycobiology and provide prototype systems and bioinformatic guides that facilitate discovery of further examples from diverse species, some in currently unknown glycans.

Lipoarabinomannan modification as a source of phenotypic heterogeneity in host-adapted Mycobacterium abscessus isolates

Mycobacterium abscessus is increasingly recognized as the causative agent of chronic pulmonary infections in humans. One of the genes found to be under strong evolutionary pressure during adaptation of M. abscessus to the human lung is embC which encodes an arabinosyltransferase required for the biosynthesis of the cell envelope lipoglycan, lipoarabinomannan (LAM). To assess the impact of patient-derived embC mutations on the physiology and virulence of M. abscessus, mutations were introduced in the isogenic background of M. abscessus ATCC 19977 and the resulting strains probed for phenotypic changes in a variety of in vitro and host cell-based assays relevant to infection. We show that patient-derived mutational variations in EmbC result in an unexpectedly large number of changes in the physiology of M. abscessus, and its interactions with innate immune cells. Not only did the mutants produce previously unknown forms of LAM with a truncated arabinan domain and 3-linked oligomannoside chains, they also displayed significantly altered cording, sliding motility, and biofilm-forming capacities. The mutants further differed from wild-type M. abscessus in their ability to replicate and induce inflammatory responses in human monocyte-derived macrophages and epithelial cells. The fact that different embC mutations were associated with distinct physiologic and pathogenic outcomes indicates that structural alterations in LAM caused by nonsynonymous nucleotide polymorphisms in embC may be a rapid, one-step, way for M. abscessus to generate broad-spectrum diversity beneficial to survival within the heterogeneous and constantly evolving environment of the infected human airway.

Antimicrobial peptides grafted onto the surface of N-acetylcysteine-chitosan nanoparticles can revitalize drugs against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases in the World. The search for new antituberculosis drugs is a high priority, since several drug-resistant TB-strains have emerged. Many nanotechnology strategies are being explored to repurpose or revive drugs. An interesting approach is to graft antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to antibiotic-loaded nanoparticles. The objective of the present work was to determine the anti-MTB activity of rifampicin-loaded N-acetylcysteine-chitosan-based nanoparticles (NPs), conjugated with the AMP Ctx(Ile21)-Ha; against clinical isolates (multi- and extensively-drug resistant) and the H37Rv strain. The modified chitosan and drug-loaded NPs were characterized with respect to their physicochemical stability and their antimycobacterial profile, which showed potent inhibition (MIC values <0.977 μg/mL) by the latter. Furthermore, their accumulation within macrophages and cytotoxicity were determined. To understand the possible mechanisms of action, an in silico study of the peptide against MTB membrane receptors was performed. The results presented herein demonstrate that antibiotic-loaded NPs grafted with an AMP can be a powerful tool for revitalizing drugs against multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains, by launching multiple attacks against MTB. This approach could potentially serve as a novel treatment strategy for various long-term diseases requiring extended treatment periods.

Identification of potential molecular targets and repurposed drugs for tuberculosis using network-based screening approach, molecular docking, and simulation

The spread of drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis has hampered efforts to control the disease worldwide. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall envelope is dynamic, with complex features that protect it from the host immunological response. As a result, the bacterial cell wall components represent a potential target for drug discovery. Protein-protein interaction networks (PPIN) are critical for understanding disease conditions and identifying precise therapeutic targets. We used a rational theoretical approach by constructing a PPIN with the proteins involved in cell wall biosynthesis. The PPIN was constructed through the STRING database and embB was identified as a key protein by using four topological measures, betweenness, closeness, degree, and eigenvector, in the CytoNCA tool in Cytoscape. The 'Drug repurposing' approach was employed to find suitable inhibitors against embB. We used the Schrödinger suites for molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and binding free energy calculations to validate the binding of protein with the ligand. FDA-approved drugs from the ZINC database and DrugBank were screened against embB (PDB ID: 7BVF) using high-throughput virtual screening, standard precision, and extra precision docking. The drugs were screened based on the XP docking score of the standard drug ethambutol. Accordingly, from the top five hits, azilsartan and dihydroergotamine were selected based on the binding free energy values and were further subjected to Molecular Dynamics Simulation studies for 100 ns. Our study confirms that Azilsartan and Dihydroergotamine form stable complexes with embB and can be used as potential lead molecules based on further in vitro and in vivo experimental validation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The mycobacterial glycoside hydrolase LamH enables capsular arabinomannan release and stimulates growth

Mycobacterial glycolipids are important cell envelope structures that drive host-pathogen interactions. Arguably, the most important amongst these are lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and its precursor, lipomannan (LM), which are both trafficked out of the bacterium to the host via unknown mechanisms. An important class of exported LM/LAM is the capsular derivative of these molecules which is devoid of its lipid anchor. Here, we describe the identification of a glycoside hydrolase family 76 enzyme that we term LamH which specifically cleaves α-1,6-mannoside linkages within LM and LAM, driving its export to the capsule releasing its phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannoside lipid anchor. Unexpectedly, we found that the catalytic activity of this enzyme is important for efficient exit from stationary phase cultures where arabinomannan acts as a signal for growth phase transition. Finally, we demonstrate that LamH is important for Mycobacterium tuberculosis survival in macrophages. These data provide a new framework for understanding the biological role of LAM in mycobacteria.

Issues with the current drugs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis cure and potential of cell envelope proteins for new drug discovery

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been the smartest pathogen ever and a challenge to drug development. Its replicative machinery is unique, so targeting the same for killing the pathogen remains a challenge. Our body typically throws out the drugs before they see the bacterium multiply. The pathogen has also learned how to remove drugs from its internal chambers and not allow them to reach their targets. Another strategy for Mtb is the mutation of the targets to reject drug binding and bypass the drug's inhibitory actions. In this review, we tried to explore possible targets on the outer side of the bacterial cell. We have also explored if those targets are promising enough and if there are drugs or inhibitors available. We also discuss the essential proteins and why they remain to be a good target. We concluded that the cell envelope has got a few proteins that can be targeted in isolation or maybe along with other machinery while making the outer environment more conducive for penetration of current drugs or newly proposed drugs.

Crystal structure of the putative cell-wall lipoglycan biosynthesis protein LmcA from Mycobacterium smegmatis

The first crystal structure of the putative cell-wall biosynthesis protein LmcA from Mycobacterium smegmatis is reported at 1.8 Å resolution. The structure revealed an elongated β-barrel fold enclosing two distinct cavities, indicating a possible lipid-binding function in lipomannan/lipoarabinomannan biosynthesis.

The bacterial genus Mycobacterium includes important pathogens, most notably M. tuberculosis, which infects one-quarter of the entire human population, resulting in around 1.4 million deaths from tuberculosis each year. Myco­bacteria, and the closely related corynebacteria, synthesize a class of abundant glycolipids, the phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannosides (PIMs). PIMs serve as membrane anchors for hyperglycosylated species, lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM), which are surface-exposed and modulate the host immune response. Previously, in studies using the model species Coryne­bacterium glutamicum, NCgl2760 was identified as a novel membrane protein that is required for the synthesis of full-length LM and LAM. Here, the first crystal structure of its ortholog in Mycobacterium smegmatis, MSMEG_0317, is reported at 1.8 Å resolution. The structure revealed an elongated β-barrel fold enclosing two distinct cavities and one α-helix extending away from the β-barrel core, resembling a ‘cone with a flake’ arrangement. Through xenon derivatiz­ation and structural comparison with AlphaFold2-derived predictions of the M. tuberculosis homolog Rv0227c, structural elements were identified that may undergo conformational changes to switch from ‘closed’ to ‘open’ conformations, allowing cavity access. An AlphaFold2-derived NCgl2760 model predicted a smaller β-barrel core with an enclosed central cavity, suggesting that all three proteins, which were collectively termed LmcA, may have a common mechanism of ligand binding through these cavities. These findings provide new structural insights into the biosynthetic pathway for a family of surface lipoglycans with important roles in mycobacterial pathogenesis.

Design, synthesis, and computational studies of benzimidazole derivatives as new antitubercular agents

The increase in the drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has led researchers to new drug targets. The development of new compounds that have effective inhibitory properties with the selective vital structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required in new scientific approaches. The most important of these approaches is the development of inhibitor molecules for Mycobacterium cell wall targets. In this study, first of all, the antitubercular activity of 23 benzimidazole derivatives was experimentally determined. And then molecular docking studies were carried out with 4 different targets: Arabinosyltransferase C (EmbC), Filamentous Temperature Sensitive Mutant Z (FtsZ), Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase B (PtpB), and Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose-2'-oxidase (DprE1). It has been determined that benzimidazole derivatives show activity through the DprE1 enzyme. It is known that DprE1, which has an important role in the synthesis of the cell envelope from Arabinogalactan, is also effective in the formation of drug resistance. Due to this feature, the DprE1 enzyme has become an important target for drug development studies. Also, it was chosen as a target for this study. This study aims to identify molecules that inhibit DprE1 for the development of more potent and selective antitubercular drugs. For this purpose, molecular docking studies by AutoDock Vina, and CDOCKER and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and in silico ADME/Tox analysis were implemented for 23 molecules. The molecules exhibited binding affinity values of less than -8.0 kcal/mol. After determining the compound's anti-TB activities by a screening test, the best-docked results were detected using compounds 20, 21, and 30. It was found that 21, was the best molecule with its binding affinity value, which was supported by MD simulations and in silico ADME modeling results.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Structure and Function of Mycobacterial Arabinofuranosyltransferases

The mycobacteria genus is responsible for numerous infectious diseases that have afflicted the human race since antiquity-tuberculosis and leprosy in particular. An important contributor to their evolutionary success is their unique cell envelope, which constitutes a quasi-impermeable barrier, protecting the microorganism from external threats, antibiotics included. The arabinofuranosyltransferases are a family of enzymes, unique to the Actinobacteria family that mycobacteria genus belongs to, that are critical to building of this cell envelope. In this chapter, we will analyze available structures of members of the mycobacterial arabinofuranosyltransferase, clarify their function, as well as explore the common themes present amongst this family of enzymes, as revealed by recent research.

Antibiotics and resistance: the two-sided coin of the mycobacterial cell wall

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, is the global leading cause of mortality from an infectious agent. Part of this success relies on the unique cell wall, which consists of a thick waxy coat with tightly packed layers of complexed sugars, lipids and peptides. This coat provides a protective hydrophobic barrier to antibiotics and the host's defences, while enabling the bacterium to spread efficiently through sputum to infect and survive within the macrophages of new hosts. However, part of this success comes at a cost, with many of the current first- and second-line drugs targeting the enzymes involved in cell wall biosynthesis. The flip side of this coin is that resistance to these drugs develops either in the target enzymes or the activation pathways of the drugs, paving the way for new resistant clinical strains. This review provides a synopsis of the structure and synthesis of the cell wall and the major current drugs and targets, along with any mechanisms of resistance.

Cryo-EM structure of arabinosyltransferase EmbB from Mycobacterium smegmatis

Arabinosyltransferase B (EmbB) belongs to a family of membrane-bound glycosyltransferases that build the lipidated polysaccharides of the mycobacterial cell envelope, and are targets of anti-tuberculosis drug ethambutol. We present the 3.3 Å resolution single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of Mycobacterium smegmatis EmbB, providing insights on substrate binding and reaction mechanism. Mutations that confer ethambutol resistance map mostly around the putative active site, suggesting this to be the location of drug binding.

Cryo-EM snapshots of mycobacterial arabinosyltransferase complex EmbB2-AcpM2

Inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell wall assembly is an established strategy for anti-TB chemotherapy. Arabinosyltransferase EmbB, which catalyzes the transfer of arabinose from the donor decaprenyl-phosphate-arabinose (DPA) to its arabinosyl acceptor is an essential enzyme for Mtb cell wall synthesis. Analysis of drug resistance mutations suggests that EmbB is the main target of the front-line anti-TB drug, ethambutol. Herein, we report the cryo-EM structures of Mycobacterium smegmatis EmbB in its “resting state” and DPA-bound “active state”. EmbB is a fifteen-transmembrane-spanning protein, assembled as a dimer. Each protomer has an associated acyl-carrier-protein (AcpM) on their cytoplasmic surface. Conformational changes upon DPA binding indicate an asymmetric movement within the EmbB dimer during catalysis. Functional studies have identified critical residues in substrate recognition and catalysis, and demonstrated that ethambutol inhibits transferase activity of EmbB by competing with DPA. The structures represent the first step directed towards a rational approach for anti-TB drug discovery.

Structures of cell wall arabinosyltransferases with the anti-tuberculosis drug ethambutol

The arabinosyltransferases EmbA, EmbB, and EmbC are involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall synthesis and are recognized as targets for the anti-tuberculosis drug ethambutol. In this study, we determined cryo-electron microscopy and x-ray crystal structures of mycobacterial EmbA-EmbB and EmbC-EmbC complexes in the presence of their glycosyl donor and acceptor substrates and with ethambutol. These structures show how the donor and acceptor substrates bind in the active site and how ethambutol inhibits arabinosyltransferases by binding to the same site as both substrates in EmbB and EmbC. Most drug-resistant mutations are located near the ethambutol binding site. Collectively, our work provides a structural basis for understanding the biochemical function and inhibition of arabinosyltransferases and the development of new anti-tuberculosis agents.

Exploring the new horizons of drug repurposing: A vital tool for turning hard work into smart work

Drug discovery and development are long and financially taxing processes. On an average it takes 12-15 years and costs 1.2 billion USD for successful drug discovery and approval for clinical use. Many lead molecules are not developed further and their potential is not tapped to the fullest due to lack of resources or time constraints. In order for a drug to be approved by FDA for clinical use, it must have excellent therapeutic potential in the desired area of target with minimal toxicities as supported by both pre-clinical and clinical studies. The targeted clinical evaluations fail to explore other potential therapeutic applications of the candidate drug. Drug repurposing or repositioning is a fast and relatively cheap alternative to the lengthy and expensive de novo drug discovery and development. Drug repositioning utilizes the already available clinical trials data for toxicity and adverse effects, at the same time explores the drug's therapeutic potential for a different disease. This review addresses recent developments and future scope of drug repositioning strategy.

Characterization of Arabinosyl Transfer Reactions in the Biosynthesis of Mycobacterial Cell Envelope (Lipo)Polysaccharides

D-Arabinofuranose is a major glycosyl constituent of mycobacteria found in two essential cell envelope heteropolysaccharides, arabinogalactan and lipoarabinomannan. Seven different arabinosyltransferases at least are required to synthesize the arabinan domain of these two major glycans. Because of their interest from the perspective of drug development, these enzymes have been the object of intense investigations. In this chapter, we describe the protocols used to perform nonradioactive arabinosyltransferase assays with synthetic acceptor and donor substrates and characterize the enzymatic products of the reactions by mass spectrometry.

Drug repurposing against arabinosyl transferase (EmbC) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Essential dynamics and free energy minima based binding mechanics analysis

Arabinosyl tranferases (embA, embB, embC) are the key enzymes responsible for biogenesis of arabinan domain of arabinogalactan (AG) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM), two major heteropolysaccharide constituents of the peculiar mycobacterial cell envelope. EmbC is predominantly responsible for LAM synthesis and has been commonly associated with Ethambutol resistance. We have screened the FDA library against EmbC to reposition a drug better than Ethambutol with higher binding affinity to Embc. High throughput virtual screening followed by extra precision docking using Glide gave two best leads i.e. Terlipressin and Amikacin with docking score of -11.39 kcal/mol and -10.71 kcal/mol, respectively. Binding mechanics of the selected drugs was elucidated through long range molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) using binding free energy rescoring, essential dynamics and free energy minima based approaches, thus revealing the most stable binding modes of Terlipressin with EmbC. Our study establishes the EmbC binding potential of the repurposed drugs Terlipressin and Amikacin.

Lectins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - rarely studied proteins

The importance of bacterial lectins for adhesion, pathogenicity, and biofilm formation is well established for many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, there is very little information available about lectins of the tuberculosis-causing bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In this paper we review previous studies on the carbohydrate-binding characteristics of mycobacteria and related Mtb proteins, discussing their potential relevance to Mtb infection and pathogenesis.

Identification of novel lipid modifications and intermembrane dynamics in Corynebacterium glutamicum using high-resolution mass spectrometry

The complex cell envelopes of Corynebacterineae contribute to the virulence of pathogenic species (such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium diphtheriae) and capacity of nonpathogenic species (such as Corynebacterium glutamicum) to grow in diverse niches. The Corynebacterineae cell envelope comprises an asymmetric outer membrane that overlays the arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex and the inner cell membrane. Dissection of the lipid composition of the inner and outer membrane fractions is important for understanding the biogenesis of this multilaminate wall structure. Here, we have undertaken the first high-resolution analysis of C. glutamicum inner and outer membrane lipids. We identified 28 lipid (sub)classes (>233 molecular species), including new subclasses of acylated/acetylated trehalose mono/dicorynomycolic acids, using high-resolution LC/MS/MS coupled with mass spectral library searches in MS-DIAL. All lipid subclasses exhibited polarized distributions across the inner and outer membrane fractions generated by differential solvent extraction. Strikingly, deletion of the TmaT protein, which is required for transport of trehalose corynomycolates across the inner membrane, led to the accumulation of triacylglycerols in the inner membrane and to suppressed synthesis of phosphatidylglycerol and alanylated lipids. These analyses indicate unanticipated connectivity in the synthesis and/or transport of different lipid classes in C. glutamicum.

AftD functions as an α1 → 5 arabinofuranosyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of the mycobacterial cell wall core

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Generation of a single aftD and double aftB/aftD mutants in C. glutamicum.

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Phenotypic analysis of purified cell wall material indicates a cell wall lesion.

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Cell free biochemical assays indicate AftD functions as an α(1 → 5) AraT.

Arabinogalactan (AG) is an essential structural macromolecule present in the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, serving to connect peptidoglycan with the outer mycolic acid layer. The D-arabinan segment is a highly branched component of AG and is assembled in a step-wise fashion by a variety of arabinofuranosyltransferases (AraT). We have previously used Corynebacterium glutamicum as a model organism to study these complex processes which are otherwise essential in mycobacteria. In order to further our understanding of the molecular basis of AG assembly, we investigated the role of a fourth AraT, now termed AftD by generating single (ΔaftD) and double deletion (ΔaftB ΔaftD) mutants of C. glutamicum. We demonstrate that AftD functions as an α(1 → 5) AraT and reveal the point at which it exerts its activity in the AG biosynthetic pathway.

The function of the three phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase (Prs) genes in hyphal growth and conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase, which is encoded by the Prs gene, catalyses the reaction of ribose-5-phosphate and adenine ribonucleotide triphosphate (ATP) and has central importance in cellular metabolism. However, knowledge about how Prs family members function and contribute to total 5-phosphoribosyl-α-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase activity is limited. In this study, we identified that the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans genome contains three PRPP synthase-homologous genes (AnprsA, AnprsB and AnprsC), among which AnprsB and AnprsC but not AnprsA are auxotrophic genes. Transcriptional expression profiles revealed that the mRNA levels of AnprsA, AnprsB and AnprsC are dynamic during germination, hyphal growth and sporulation and that they all showed abundant expression during the vigorous hyphal growth time point. Inhibiting the expression of AnprsB or AnprsC in conditional strains produced more effects on the total PRPP synthetase activity than did inhibiting AnprsA, thus indicating that different AnPrs proteins are unequal in their contributions to Prs enzyme activity. In addition, the constitutive overexpression of AnprsA or AnprsC could significantly rescue the defective phenotype of the AnprsB-absent strain, suggesting that the function of AnprsB is not a specific consequence of this auxotrophic gene but instead comes from the contribution of Prs proteins to PRPP synthetase activity.

Identification and evolution of a plant cell wall specific glycoprotein glycosyl transferase, ExAD

Extensins are plant cell wall glycoproteins that act as scaffolds for the deposition of the main wall carbohydrate polymers, which are interlocked into the supramolecular wall structure through intra- and inter-molecular iso-di-tyrosine crosslinks within the extensin backbone. In the conserved canonical extensin repeat, Ser-Hyp₄, serine and the consecutive C4-hydroxyprolines (Hyps) are substituted with an α-galactose and 1–5 β- or α-linked arabinofuranoses (Arafs), respectively. These modifications are required for correct extended structure and function of the extensin network. Here, we identified a single Arabidopsis thaliana gene, At3g57630, in clade E of the inverting Glycosyltransferase family GT47 as a candidate for the transfer of Araf to Hyp-arabinofuranotriose (Hyp-β1,4Araf-β1,2Araf-β1,2Araf) side chains in an α-linkage, to yield Hyp-Araf₄ which is exclusively found in extensins. T-DNA knock-out mutants of At3g57630 showed a truncated root hair phenotype, as seen for mutants of all hitherto characterized extensin glycosylation enzymes; both root hair and glycan phenotypes were restored upon reintroduction of At3g57630. At3g57630 was named Extensin Arabinose Deficient transferase, ExAD, accordingly. The occurrence of ExAD orthologs within the Viridiplantae along with its’ product, Hyp-Araf₄, point to ExAD being an evolutionary hallmark of terrestrial plants and charophyte green algae.

Identification of a Membrane Protein Required for Lipomannan Maturation and Lipoarabinomannan Synthesis in Corynebacterineae

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related Corynebacterineae synthesize a family of lipomannans (LM) and lipoarabinomannans (LAM) that are abundant components of the multilaminate cell wall and essential virulence factors in pathogenic species. Here we describe a new membrane protein, highly conserved in all Corynebacterineae, that is required for synthesis of full-length LM and LAM. Deletion of the Corynebacterium glutamicum NCgl2760 gene resulted in a complete loss of mature LM/LAM and the appearance of a truncated LM (t-LM). Complementation of the mutant with the NCgl2760 gene fully restored LM/LAM synthesis. Structural studies, including monosaccharide analysis, methylation linkage analysis, and mass spectrometry of native LM species, indicated that the ΔNCgl2760 t-LM comprised a series of short LM species (8-27 residues long) containing an α1-6-linked mannose backbone with greatly reduced α1-2-mannose side chains and no arabinose caps. The structure of the ΔNCgl2760 t-LM was similar to that of the t-LM produced by a C. glutamicum mutant lacking the mptA gene, encoding a membrane α1-6-mannosyltransferase involved in extending the α1-6-mannan backbone of LM intermediates. Interestingly, NCgl2760 lacks any motifs or homology to other proteins of known function. Attempts to delete the NCgl2760 orthologue in Mycobacterium smegmatis were unsuccessful, consistent with previous studies indicating that the M. tuberculosis orthologue, Rv0227c, is an essential gene. Together, these data suggest that NCgl2760/Rv0227c plays a critical role in the elongation of the mannan backbone of mycobacterial and corynebacterial LM, further highlighting the complexity of lipoglycan pathways of Corynebacterineae.

Mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis: a multifaceted antibiotic target

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), is recognized as a global health emergency as promoted by the World Health Organization. Over 1 million deaths per year, along with the emergence of multi- and extensively-drug resistant strains of Mtb, have triggered intensive research into the pathogenicity and biochemistry of this microorganism, guiding the development of anti-TB chemotherapeutic agents. The essential mycobacterial cell wall, sharing some common features with all bacteria, represents an apparent ‘Achilles heel’ that has been targeted by TB chemotherapy since the advent of TB treatment. This complex structure composed of three distinct layers, peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan and mycolic acids, is vital in supporting cell growth, virulence and providing a barrier to antibiotics. The fundamental nature of cell wall synthesis and assembly has rendered the mycobacterial cell wall as the most widely exploited target of anti-TB drugs. This review provides an overview of the biosynthesis of the prominent cell wall components, highlighting the inhibitory mechanisms of existing clinical drugs and illustrating the potential of other unexploited enzymes as future drug targets.

A widespread three-component mechanism for the periplasmic modification of bacterial glycoconjugates

The diverse structures of bacterial glycoconjugates are generally established during the early stages of synthesis by the activities of nucleotide sugar-dependent glycosyltransferases active in the cytoplasm. However, in some cases, further modifications of varying complexity occur after the glycoconjugate is exported to the periplasm. These processes are distinguished by the involvement of polyprenyl monosphosphoryl donors and require glycosyltransferases possessing GT-C folds. Established prototypes are found in modifications of some bacterial lipopolysaccharides, where 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose is added to lipid A and glucose side branches are used to modify O-antigens. Here we review the current understanding of these systems and describe similarities to other periplasmic glycan modifications in bacteria and the N-glycosylation pathway for assembly of eukaryotic glycoproteins.

Lcp1 Is a Phosphotransferase Responsible for Ligating Arabinogalactan to Peptidoglycan in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), has a unique cell envelope which accounts for its unusual low permeability and contributes to resistance against common antibiotics. The main structural elements of the cell wall consist of a cross-linked network of peptidoglycan (PG) in which some of the muramic acid residues are covalently attached to a complex polysaccharide, arabinogalactan (AG), via a unique α-l-rhamnopyranose-(1→3)-α-d-GlcNAc-(1→P) linker unit. While the molecular genetics associated with PG and AG biosynthetic pathways have been largely delineated, the mechanism by which these two major pathways converge has remained elusive. In Gram-positive organisms, the LytR-CpsA-Psr (LCP) family of proteins are responsible for ligating cell wall teichoic acids to peptidoglycan, through a linker unit that bears a striking resemblance to that found in mycobacterial arabinogalactan. In this study, we have identified Rv3267 as a mycobacterial LCP homolog gene that encodes a phosphotransferase which we have named Lcp1. We demonstrate that lcp1 is an essential gene required for cell viability and show that recombinant Lcp1 is capable of ligating AG to PG in a cell-free radiolabeling assay.

IMPORTANCE

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterial organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis Survival of M. tuberculosis rests critically on the integrity of its unique cell wall; therefore, a better understanding of how the genes and enzymes involved in cell wall assembly work is fundamental for us to develop new drugs to treat this disease. In this study, we have identified Lcp1 as an essential phosphotransferase that ligates together arabinogalactan and peptidoglycan, two crucial cell wall macromolecules found within the mycobacterial cell wall. The discovery of Lcp1 sheds new light on the final stages of mycobacterial cell wall assembly and represents a key biosynthetic step that could be exploited for new anti-TB drug discovery.

Identification of a Lipoteichoic Acid Glycosyltransferase Enzyme Reveals that GW-Domain-Containing Proteins Can Be Retained in the Cell Wall of Listeria monocytogenes in the Absence of Lipoteichoic Acid or Its Modifications

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, and many of its virulence factors are either secreted proteins or proteins covalently or noncovalently attached to the cell wall. Previous work has indicated that noncovalently attached proteins with GW (glycine-tryptophan) domains are retained in the cell wall by binding to the cell wall polymer lipoteichoic acid (LTA). LTA is a glycerol phosphate polymer, which is modified in L. monocytogenes with galactose and d-alanine residues. We identified Lmo0933 as the cytoplasmic glycosyltransferase required for the LTA glycosylation process and renamed the protein GtlA, for glycosyltransferase LTA A. Using L. monocytogenes mutants lacking galactose or d-alanine modifications or the complete LTA polymer, we show that GW domain proteins are retained within the cell wall, indicating that other cell wall polymers are involved in the retention of GW domain proteins. Further experiments revealed peptidoglycan as the binding receptor as a purified GW domain fusion protein can bind to L. monocytogenes cells lacking wall teichoic acid (WTA) as well as purified peptidoglycan derived from a wild-type or WTA-negative strain. With this, we not only identify the first enzyme involved in the LTA glycosylation process, but we also provide new insight into the binding mechanism of noncovalently attached cell wall proteins.

IMPORTANCE Over the past 20 years, a large number of bacterial genome sequences have become available. Computational approaches are used for the genome annotation and identification of genes and encoded proteins. However, the function of many proteins is still unknown and often cannot be predicted bioinformatically. Here, we show that the previously uncharacterized Listeria monocytogenes gene lmo0933 likely codes for a glycosyltransferase required for the decoration of the cell wall polymer lipoteichoic acid (LTA) with galactose residues. Using L. monocytogenes mutants lacking LTA modifications or the complete polymer, we show that specific cell wall proteins, often associated with virulence, are retained within the cell wall, indicating that additional cell wall polymers are involved in their retention.

Identification of a Novel Mycobacterial Arabinosyltransferase Activity Which Adds an Arabinosyl Residue to α-d-Mannosyl Residues

The arabinosyltransferases responsible for the biosynthesis of the arabinan domains of two abundant heteropolysaccharides of the cell envelope of all mycobacterial species, lipoarabinomannan and arabinogalactan, are validated drug targets. Using a cell envelope preparation from Mycobacterium smegmatis as the enzyme source and di- and trimannoside synthetic acceptors, we uncovered a previously undetected arabinosyltransferase activity. Thin layer chromatography, GC/MS, and LC/MS/MS analyses of the major enzymatic product are consistent with the transfer of an arabinose residue to the 6 position of the terminal mannosyl residue at the nonreducing end of the acceptors. The newly identified enzymatic activity is resistant to ethambutol and could correspond to the priming arabinosyl transfer reaction that occurs during lipoarabinomannan biosynthesis.

The Klebsiella pneumoniae O12 ATP-binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Recognizes the Terminal Residue of Its O-antigen Polysaccharide Substrate

Export of the Escherichia coli serotype O9a O-antigenic polysaccharides (O-PS) involves an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. The process requires a non-reducing terminal residue, which is recognized by a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) appended to the C terminus of the nucleotide-binding domain of the transporter. Here, we investigate the process in Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype O12 (and Raoultella terrigena ATCC 33257). The O12 polysaccharide is terminated at the non-reducing end by a β-linked 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) residue. The O12 ABC transporter also binds its cognate O-PS via a CBM, and export is dependent on the presence of the terminal β-Kdo residue. The overall structural architecture of the O12 CBM resembles the O9a prototype, but they share only weak sequence similarity, and the putative binding pocket for the O12 glycan is different. Removal of the CBM abrogated O-PS transport, but export was restored when the CBM was expressed in trans with the mutant CBM-deficient ABC transporter. These results demonstrate that the CBM-mediated substrate-recognition mechanism is evolutionarily conserved and can operate with glycans of widely differing structures.

Genetics of Mycobacterial Arabinogalactan and Lipoarabinomannan Assembly

The cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is unique in that it differs significantly from those of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The thick, carbohydrate- and lipid-rich cell wall with distinct lipoglycans enables mycobacteria to survive under hostile conditions such as shortage of nutrients and antimicrobial exposure. The key features of this highly complex cell wall are the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan (mAGP)-based and phosphatidyl-myo-inositol-based macromolecular structures, with the latter possessing potent immunomodulatory properties. These structures are crucial for the growth, viability, and virulence of M. tuberculosis and therefore are often the targets of effective chemotherapeutic agents against tuberculosis. Over the past decade, sophisticated genomic and molecular tools have advanced our understanding of the primary structure and biosynthesis of these macromolecules. The availability of the full genome sequences of various mycobacterial species, including M. tuberculosis, Mycobacterium marinum, and Mycobacterium bovis BCG, have greatly facilitated the identification of large numbers of drug targets and antigens specific to tuberculosis. Techniques to manipulate mycobacteria have also improved extensively; the conditional expression-specialized transduction essentiality test (CESTET) is currently used to determine the essentiality of individual genes. Finally, various biosynthetic assays using either purified proteins or synthetic cell wall acceptors have been developed to study enzyme function. This article focuses on the recent advances in determining the structural details and biosynthesis of arabinogalactan, lipoarabinomannan, and related glycoconjugates.

Synthesis and anti-mycobacterial activity of glycosyl sulfamides of arabinofuranose

A series ofarabino N-glycosyl sulfamides, forced to adopt the furanose form by removal of the 5-hydroxyl group, were synthesised as putative isosteric mimics of decaprenolphosphoarabinose, the donor processed by arabinosyltransferases during mycobacterial cell wall assembly.

ArnT proteins that catalyze the glycosylation of lipopolysaccharide share common features with bacterial N-oligosaccharyltransferases

ArnT is a glycosyltransferase that catalyzes the addition of 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose (l-Ara4N) to the lipid A moiety of the lipopolysaccharide. This is a critical modification enabling bacteria to resist killing by antimicrobial peptides. ArnT is an integral inner membrane protein consisting of 13 predicted transmembrane helices and a large periplasmic C-terminal domain. We report here the identification of a functional motif with a canonical consensus sequence DEXRYAX(5)MX(3)GXWX(9)YFEKPX(4)W spanning the first periplasmic loop, which is highly conserved in all ArnT proteins examined. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated the contribution of this motif in ArnT function, suggesting that these proteins have a common mechanism. We also demonstrate that the Burkholderia cenocepacia and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ArnT C-terminal domain is required for polymyxin B resistance in vivo. Deletion of the C-terminal domain in B. cenocepacia ArnT resulted in a protein with significantly reduced in vitro binding to a lipid A fluorescent substrate and unable to catalyze lipid A modification with l-Ara4N. An in silico predicted structural model of ArnT strongly resembled the tertiary structure of Campylobacter lari PglB, a bacterial oligosaccharyltransferase involved in protein N-glycosylation. Therefore, distantly related oligosaccharyltransferases from ArnT and PglB families operating on lipid and polypeptide substrates, respectively, share unexpected structural similarity that could not be predicted from direct amino acid sequence comparisons. We propose that lipid A and protein glycosylation enzymes share a conserved catalytic mechanism despite their evolutionary divergence.

Unexpected furanose/pyranose equilibration of N-glycosyl sulfonamides, sulfamides and sulfamates

Arabino N-glycosyl sulfamides, sulfonamides and sulfamates convert from the furanose to the thermodynamically preferred pyranose form in aqueous solution.

Mutations in the essential arabinosyltransferase EmbC lead to alterations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall is a complex structure essential for the viability of the organism and its interaction with the host. The glycolipid lipoarabinomannan (LAM) plays an important role in mediating host-bacteria interactions and is involved in modulation of the immune response. The arabinosyltransferase EmbC required for LAM biosynthesis is essential. We constructed recombinant strains of M. tuberculosis expressing a variety of alleles of EmbC. We demonstrated that EmbC has a functional signal peptide in M. tuberculosis. Over- or underexpression of EmbC resulted in reduced or increased sensitivity to ethambutol, respectively. The C-terminal domain of EmbC was essential for activity because truncated alleles were unable to mediate LAM production in Mycobacterium smegmatis and were unable to complement an embC deletion in M. tuberculosis. The C-terminal domain of the closely related arabinosyltransferase EmbB was unable to complement the function of the EmbC C-terminal domain. Two functional motifs were identified. The GT-C motif contains two aspartate residues essential for function in the DDX motif. The proline-rich region contains two highly conserved asparagines (Asn-638 and Asn-652). Mutation of these residues was tolerated, but loss of Asn-638 resulted in the synthesis of truncated LAM, which appeared to lack arabinose branching. All embC alleles that were incapable of complementing LAM production in M. smegmatis were not viable in M. tuberculosis, supporting the hypothesis that LAM itself is essential in M. tuberculosis.

The cell envelope glycoconjugates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the second most common cause of death due to a single infectious agent. The cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of the disease in humans, is a source of unique glycoconjugates and the most distinctive feature of the biology of this organism. It is the basis of much of Mtb pathogenesis and one of the major causes of its intrinsic resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. At the same time, the unique structures of Mtb cell envelope glycoconjugates, their antigenicity and essentiality for mycobacterial growth provide opportunities for drug, vaccine, diagnostic and biomarker development, as clearly illustrated by recent advances in all of these translational aspects. This review focuses on our current understanding of the structure and biogenesis of Mtb glycoconjugates with particular emphasis on one of the most intriguing and least understood aspect of the physiology of mycobacteria: the translocation of these complex macromolecules across the different layers of the cell envelope. It further reviews the rather impressive progress made in the last 10 years in the discovery and development of novel inhibitors targeting their biogenesis.

Non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis elicits a reduced infectivity profile with corresponding modifications to the cell wall and extracellular matrix

A key feature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is its ability to become dormant in the host. Little is known of the mechanisms by which these bacilli are able to persist in this state. Therefore, the focus of this study was to emulate environmental conditions encountered by M. tuberculosis in the granuloma, and determine the effect of such conditions on the physiology and infectivity of the organism. Non-replicating persistent (NRP) M. tuberculosis was established by the gradual depletion of nutrients in an oxygen-replete and controlled environment. In contrast to rapidly dividing bacilli, NRP bacteria exhibited a distinct phenotype by accumulating an extracellular matrix rich in free mycolate and lipoglycans, with increased arabinosylation. Microarray studies demonstrated a substantial down-regulation of genes involved in energy metabolism in NRP bacteria. Despite this reduction in metabolic activity, cells were still able to infect guinea pigs, but with a delay in the development of disease when compared to exponential phase bacilli. Using these approaches to investigate the interplay between the changing environment of the host and altered physiology of NRP bacteria, this study sheds new light on the conditions that are pertinent to M. tuberculosis dormancy and how this organism could be establishing latent disease.

Evolution of high-level ethambutol-resistant tuberculosis through interacting mutations in decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-arabinose biosynthetic and utilization pathway genes

To study the evolution of drug resistance, we genetically and biochemically characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains selected in vitro for ethambutol resistance. Mutations in decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-arabinose (DPA) biosynthetic and utilization pathway genes Rv3806c, Rv3792, embB and embC accumulated to produce a wide range of ethambutol minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) that depended on mutation type and number. Rv3806c mutations increased DPA synthesis, causing MICs to double from 2 to 4 μg/ml in a wild-type background and to increase from 16 to 32 μg/ml in an embB codon 306 mutant background. Synonymous mutations in Rv3792 increased the expression of downstream embC, an ethambutol target, resulting in MICs of 8 μg/ml. Multistep selection was required for high-level resistance. Mutations in embC or very high embC expression were observed at the highest resistance level. In clinical isolates, Rv3806c mutations were associated with high-level resistance and had multiplicative effects with embB mutations on MICs. Ethambutol resistance is acquired through the acquisition of mutations that interact in complex ways to produce a range of MICs, from those falling below breakpoint values to ones representing high-level resistance.

Mannan core branching of lipo(arabino)mannan is required for mycobacterial virulence in the context of innate immunity

The causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains an important worldwide health threat. Although TB is one of the oldest infectious diseases of man, a detailed understanding of the mycobacterial mechanisms underlying pathogenesis remains elusive. Here, we studied the role of the α(1→2) mannosyltransferase MptC in mycobacterial virulence, using the Mycobacterium marinum zebrafish infection model. Like its M. tuberculosis orthologue, disruption of M. marinum mptC (mmar_3225) results in defective elongation of mannose caps of lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and absence of α(1→2)mannose branches on the lipomannan (LM) and LAM mannan core, as determined by biochemical analysis (NMR and GC-MS) and immunoblotting. We found that the M. marinum mptC mutant is strongly attenuated in embryonic zebrafish, which rely solely on innate immunity, whereas minor virulence defects were observed in adult zebrafish. Strikingly, complementation with the Mycobacterium smegmatis mptC orthologue, which restored mannan core branching but not cap elongation, was sufficient to fully complement the virulence defect of the mptC mutant in embryos. Altogether our data demonstrate that not LAM capping, but mannan core branching of LM/LAM plays an important role in mycobacterial pathogenesis in the context of innate immunity.

In silico comparison of antimycobacterial natural products with known antituberculosis drugs

The chemical space based on physicochemical properties and structural features of a diverse group of natural products with reported in vitro activity against different Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains is investigated using in silico tools. This is compared to the chemical space occupied by drugs currently recommended for the treatment of various forms of tuberculosis as well as compounds in preclinical and clinical development. Docking studies exploring possible binding affinities and modes of two main clusters of natural products on two different mycobacterial targets are also reported. Our docking results suggest that scytoscalarol, an antibacterial and antifungal guanidine-bearing sesterterpene, can inhibit arabinosyltransferase Mtb EmbC, and the β-carboline alkaloids 8-hydroxymanzamine A and manzamine A can bind to the oxidoreductase of Mtb INHA. On this basis, these products showing high binding affinities to the two targets in silico could be rationally selected for in vitro testing against these targets and/or semisynthetic modification.

Docking Studies of Binding of Ethambutol to the C-Terminal Domain of the Arabinosyltransferase fromMycobacterium tuberculosis

The binding of ethambutol to the C-terminal domain of the arabinosyltransferase fromMycobacterium tuberculosiswas studied. The analysis was performed using anin silicoapproach in order to find out, by docking calculations and energy descriptors, the conformer of Ethambutol that forms the most stable complex with the C-terminal domain of arabinosyltransferase. The complex shows that location of the Ethambutol coincides with the cocrystallization ligand position and that amino acid residues ASH1051, ASN740, ASP1052, and ARG1055 should be critical in the binding of Ethambutol to C-terminal domain EmbC.

The lipoprotein LpqW is essential for the mannosylation of periplasmic glycolipids in Corynebacteria

Phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIM), lipomannan (LM), and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are essential components of the cell wall and plasma membrane of mycobacteria, including the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as the related Corynebacterineae. We have previously shown that the lipoprotein, LpqW, regulates PIM and LM/LAM biosynthesis in mycobacteria. Here, we provide direct evidence that LpqW regulates the activity of key mannosyltransferases in the periplasmic leaflet of the cell membrane. Inactivation of the Corynebacterium glutamicum lpqW ortholog, NCgl1054, resulted in a slow growth phenotype and a global defect in lipoglycan biosynthesis. The NCgl1054 mutant lacked LAMs and was defective in the elongation of the major PIM species, AcPIM2, as well as a second glycolipid, termed Gl-X (mannose-α1-4-glucuronic acid-α1-diacylglycerol), which function as membrane anchors for LM-A and LM-B, respectively. Elongation of AcPIM2 and Gl-X was found to be dependent on expression of polyprenol phosphomannose (ppMan) synthase. However, the ΔNCgl1054 mutant synthesized normal levels of ppMan, indicating that LpqW is not required for synthesis of this donor. A spontaneous suppressor strain was isolated in which lipoglycan synthesis in the ΔNCgl1054 mutant was partially restored. Genome-wide sequencing indicated that a single amino acid substitution within the ppMan-dependent mannosyltransferase MptB could bypass the need for LpqW. Further evidence of an interaction is provided by the observation that MptB activity in cell-free extracts was significantly reduced in the absence of LpqW. Collectively, our results suggest that LpqW may directly activate MptB, highlighting the role of lipoproteins in regulating key cell wall biosynthetic pathways in these bacteria.

Arabinogalactan and lipoarabinomannan biosynthesis: structure, biogenesis and their potential as drug targets

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of TB, remains the leading cause of mortality from a single infectious organism. The persistence of this human pathogen is associated with its distinctive lipid-rich cell wall structure that is highly impermeable to hydrophilic chemical drugs. This highly complex and unique structure is crucial for the growth, viability and virulence of M. tuberculosis, thus representing an attractive target for vaccine and drug development. It contains a large macromolecular structure known as the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex, as well as phosphatidyl-myo-inositol derived glycolipids with potent immunomodulatory activity, notably lipomannan and lipoarabinomannan. These cell wall components are often the targets of effective chemotherapeutic agents against TB, such as ethambutol. This review focuses on the structural details and biosynthetic pathways of both arabinogalactan and lipoarabinomannan, as well as the effects of potent drugs on these important (lipo)polysaccharides.

Computational comparative study of tuberculosis proteomes using a model learned from signal peptide structures

Secretome analysis is important in pathogen studies. A fundamental and convenient way to identify secreted proteins is to first predict signal peptides, which are essential for protein secretion. However, signal peptides are highly complex functional sequences that are easily confused with transmembrane domains. Such confusion would obviously affect the discovery of secreted proteins. Transmembrane proteins are important drug targets, but very few transmembrane protein structures have been determined experimentally; hence, prediction of the structures is essential. In the field of structure prediction, researchers do not make assumptions about organisms, so there is a need for a general signal peptide predictor.To improve signal peptide prediction without prior knowledge of the associated organisms, we present a machine-learning method, called SVMSignal, which uses biochemical properties as features, as well as features acquired from a novel encoding, to capture biochemical profile patterns for learning the structures of signal peptides directly.We tested SVMSignal and five popular methods on two benchmark datasets from the SPdb and UniProt/Swiss-Prot databases, respectively. Although SVMSignal was trained on an old dataset, it performed well, and the results demonstrate that learning the structures of signal peptides directly is a promising approach. We also utilized SVMSignal to analyze proteomes in the entire HAMAP microbial database. Finally, we conducted a comparative study of secretome analysis on seven tuberculosis-related strains selected from the HAMAP database. We identified ten potential secreted proteins, two of which are drug resistant and four are potential transmembrane proteins.SVMSignal is publicly available at http://bio-cluster.iis.sinica.edu.tw/SVMSignal. It provides user-friendly interfaces and visualizations, and the prediction results are available for download.