Calcium and bacteria

Bacillus subtilis gene cluster involved in calcium carbonate biomineralization

Calcium carbonate precipitation, a widespread phenomenon among bacteria, has been investigated due to its wide range of scientific and technological implications. Nevertheless, little is known of the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria foster calcium carbonate mineralization. In our laboratory, we are studying calcite formation by Bacillus subtilis, in order to identify genes involved in the biomineralization process. A previous screening of UV mutants and of more than one thousand mutants obtained from the European B. subtilis Functional Analysis project allowed us to isolate strains altered in the precipitation phenotype. Starting from these results, we focused our attention on a cluster of five genes (lcfA, ysiA, ysiB, etfB, and etfA) called the lcfA operon. By insertional mutagenesis, mutant strains carrying each of the five genes were produced. All of them, with the exception of the strain carrying the mutated lcfA operon, were unable to form calcite crystals. By placing transcription under IPTG (isopropyl-beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside) control, the last gene, etfA, was identified as essential for the precipitation process. To verify cotranscription in the lcfA operon, reverse transcription-PCR experiments were performed and overlapping retrocotranscripts were found comprising three adjacent genes. The genes have putative functions linked to fatty acid metabolism. A link between calcium precipitation and fatty acid metabolism is suggested.

Effects of nutritional and environmental conditions on Sinorhizobium meliloti biofilm formation

Rhizobia are non-spore-forming soil bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia in a symbiosis with legume roots. However, in the absence of a legume host, rhizobia manage to survive and hence must have evolved strategies to adapt to diverse environmental conditions. The capacity to respond to variations in nutrient availability enables the persistence of rhizobial species in soil, and consequently improves their ability to colonize and to survive in the host plant. Rhizobia, like many other soil bacteria, persist in nature most likely in sessile communities known as biofilms, which are most often composed of multiple microbial species. We have been employing in vitro assays to study environmental parameters that might influence biofilm formation in the Medicago symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti. These parameters include carbon source, amount of nitrate, phosphate, calcium and magnesium as well as the effects of osmolarity and pH. The microtiter plate assay facilitates the detection of subtle differences in rhizobial biofilms in response to these parameters, thereby providing insight into how environmental stress or nutritional status influences rhizobial survival. Nutrients such as sucrose, phosphate and calcium enhance biofilm formation as their concentrations increase, whereas extreme temperatures and pH negatively affect biofilm formation.

Calcium inhibits bap-dependent multicellular behavior in Staphylococcus aureus

Bap (biofilm-associated protein) is a 254-kDa staphylococcal surface protein implicated in formation of biofilms by staphylococci isolated from chronic mastitis infections. The presence of potential EF-hand motifs in the amino acid sequence of Bap prompted us to investigate the effect of calcium on the multicellular behavior of Bap-expressing staphylococci. We found that addition of millimolar amounts of calcium to the growth media inhibited intercellular adhesion of and biofilm formation by Bap-positive strain V329. Addition of manganese, but not addition of magnesium, also inhibited biofilm formation, whereas bacterial aggregation in liquid media was greatly enhanced by metal-chelating agents. In contrast, calcium or chelating agents had virtually no effect on the aggregation of Bap-deficient strain M556. The biofilm elicited by insertion of bap into the chromosome of a biofilm-negative strain exhibited a similar dependence on the calcium concentration, indicating that the observed calcium inhibition was an inherent property of the Bap-mediated biofilms. Site-directed mutagenesis of two of the putative EF-hand domains resulted in a mutant strain that was capable of forming a biofilm but whose biofilm was not inhibited by calcium. Our results indicate that Bap binds Ca2+ with low affinity and that Ca2+ binding renders the protein noncompetent for biofilm formation and for intercellular adhesion. The fact that calcium inhibition of Bap-mediated multicellular behavior takes place in vitro at concentrations similar to those found in milk serum supports the possibility that this inhibition is relevant to the pathogenesis and/or epidemiology of the bacteria in the mastitis process.

Ca2+-dependent expression of the CIRCE regulon in Streptococcus pneumoniae

DnaK and GroEL play a pivotal role in protein folding, and promote cell proliferation and survival. In Gram-positive and several Gram-negative bacteria, HrcA represses the transcription of dnaK and groE operons by binding to the highly conserved CIRCE (controlling inverted repeat of chaperone expression) operator sequence in the presence of GroEL. HrcA may respond to environmental stress and various other factors that modulate the transcription of the dnaK and groE operons. However, the mechanisms by which these factors modulate the activity of HrcA remain elusive. Here, we show that the thermoresistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae is significantly repressed in the presence of Ca2+. Furthermore, heat shock-induced expression of the CIRCE regulon in S. pneumoniae is repressed in the presence of Ca2+, although to a lesser degree than in the hrcA mutant, strongly suggesting that HrcA inhibits expression of the CIRCE regulon in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Although HrcA does not bind directly to Ca2+, its hydrophobicity is increased in the presence of the metal ion. Taken together, our observations suggest that Ca2+ induces conformational changes, such as exposure of the hydrophobic surfaces of HrcA, which facilitate binding to GroEL. Alternatively, the presence of Ca2+ may facilitate GroEL in interacting freely with HrcA. This, in turn, enhances access to CIRCE and leads to repression of the dnaK and groE operons in S. pneumoniae.

Calcium signalling in bacteria

Whereas the importance of calcium as a cell regulator is well established in eukaryotes, the role of calcium in prokaryotes is still elusive. Over the past few years, there has been an increased interest in the role of calcium in bacteria. It has been demonstrated that as in eukaryotic organisms, the intracellular calcium concentration in prokaryotes is tightly regulated ranging from 100 to 300 nM. It has been found that calcium ions are involved in the maintenance of cell structure, motility, transport and cell differentiation processes such as sporulation, heterocyst formation and fruiting body development. In addition, a number of calcium-binding proteins have been isolated in several prokaryotic organisms. The characterization of these proteins and the identification of other factors suggest the possibility that calcium signal transduction exists in bacteria. This review presents recent developments of calcium in bacteria as it relates to signal transduction.

Cloning and characterization of the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae fur gene and its role in regulation of ApxI and AfuABC expression

The ferric uptake regulation (fur) gene was cloned and characterized from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and it exhibited 97% amino acid sequence identity to the Haemophilus ducrey fur gene. The flanking regions of the fur gene included an upstream putative flavodoxin (fldA) gene and a downstream possible transmembrane protein gene of unknown function. A single promoter was identified by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), but there were no sequences homologous to an Escherichia coli Fur box in the 5' upstream sequence. The A. pleuropneumoniae fur clone complemented an E. coli fur deletion mutant. Transcriptional analysis of the divergent promoters of the A. pleuropneumoniae toxin I operon (apxICABD)--and the Actinobacillus ferric uptake operon (afuABC) showed that Fur and calcium together positively regulated the transcription of apxICABD while Fur was a repressor for afuABC. Hemolytic activity was significantly induced by iron and calcium and Fur appeared to act as an activator under high calcium conditions and as a repressor under low calcium conditions. A possible regulator-binding site was suggested by the properties of a point mutation in 33 bp upstream of the apxIC gene. This point mutation affected ApxI and Afu expression in response to iron, calcium, or Fur. These results provide further proof that calcium and the A. pleuropneumoniae Fur protein play a role in the expression of ApxI and Afu.

Escherichia coli lacking the AcrAB multidrug efflux pump also lacks nonproteinaceous, PHB-polyphosphate Ca2+ channels in the membrane

PHB(polyP) complexes bind calcium and form calcium channels in the cytoplasmic membrane in Escherichia coli and are likely to be important in Ca(2+) homeostasis in this organism. E. coli N43, which lacks the AcrA component of a major multidrug resistance pump, was shown to be defective in calcium handling, with an inability to maintain submicromolar levels of free Ca(2+) in the cytoplasm. Therefore, using an N-phenyl-1-napthylamine (NPN)-dependent fluorescence assay, we measured temperature-dependent phase transitions in the membranes of intact cells. These transitions specifically depend on the presence of PHB(Ca(2+)polyP) complexes. PHB(Ca(2+)polyP) channel complexes, particularly in stationary phase cultures, were detected in wild-type strains; however, in contrast, isogenic acrA(-) strains had greatly reduced amounts of the complexes. This indicates that the AcrAB transporter may have a novel, hitherto undetected physiological role, either directly in the membrane assembly of the PHB complexes or the transport of a component of the membrane, which is essential for assembly of the complexes into the membrane. In other experiments, we showed that the particular defective calcium handling detected in N43 was not due to the absence of AcrA but to other unknown factors in this strain.

An extracellular calcium-binding domain in bacteria with a distant relationship to EF-hands

Extracellular Ca(2+)-dependent nuclease YokF from Bacillus subtilis and several other surface-exposed proteins from diverse bacteria are encoded in the genomes in two paralogous forms that differ by a approximately 45 amino acid fragment, which comprises a novel conserved domain. Sequence analysis of this domain revealed a conserved DxDxDGxxCE motif, which is strikingly similar to the Ca(2+)-binding loop of the calmodulin-like EF-hand domains, suggesting an evolutionary relationship between them. Functions of many of the other proteins in which the novel domain, named Excalibur (extracellular calcium-binding region), is found, as well as a structural model of its conserved motif are consistent with the notion that the Excalibur domain binds calcium. This domain is but one more example of the diversity of structural contexts surrounding the EF-hand-like calcium-binding loop in bacteria. This loop is thus more widespread than hitherto recognized and the evolution of EF-hand-like domains is probably more complex than previously appreciated.

Expression of a P-type Ca(2+)-transport ATPase in Bacillus subtilis during sporulation

The open reading frame designated yloB in the genomic sequence of Bacillus subtilis encodes a putative protein that is most similar to the typically eukaryotic type IIA family of P-type ion-motive ATPases, including the endo(sarco)plasmic reticulum (SERCA) and PMR1 Ca(2+)-transporters, located respectively in the SERCA and the Golgi apparatus. The overall amino acid sequence is more similar to that of the Pmr1s than to the SERCAs, whereas the inverse is seen for the 10 amino acids that form the two Ca(2+)-binding sites in SERCA. Sporulating but not vegetative B. subtilis cells express the predicted protein, as shown by Western blotting and by the formation of a Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylated intermediate. Half-maximal activation of phosphointermediate formation occurred at 2.5 microM Ca(2+). Insertion mutation of the yloB gene did not affect the growth of vegetative cells, did not prevent the formation of viable spores, and did not significantly affect 45Ca accumulation during sporulation. However, spores from knockouts were less resistant to heat and showed a slower rate of germination. It is concluded that the P-type Ca(2+)-transport ATPase from B. subtilis is not essential for survival, but assists in the formation of resistant spores. The evolutionary relationship of the transporter to the eukaryotic P-type Ca(2+)-transport ATPases is discussed.

The functions of Ca(2+) in bacteria: a role for EF-hand proteins?

In bacteria, Ca(2+) is implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, including the cell cycle and cell division. Dedicated influx and efflux systems tightly control the low cytoplasmic Ca(2+) levels in prokaryotes. Additionally, the growing number of proteins containing various Ca(2+)-binding motifs supports the importance of Ca(2+), which controls various protein functions by affecting protein stability, enzymatic activity or signal transduction. The existence of calmodulin-like proteins (containing EF-hand motifs) in bacteria is a long-standing hypothesis. Analysis of the prokaryotic protein sequences available in the databases has revealed the presence of several calmodulin-like proteins containing two or more authentic EF-hand motifs, suggesting that calmodulin-like proteins could be involved in Ca(2+) regulation in bacteria.

Nuclease activities and cell death processes associated with the development of surface cultures of Streptomyces antibioticus ETH 7451

The presence and significance of developmentally regulated nucleases in Streptomyces antibioticus ETH 7451 has been studied in relation to the lytic processes occurring during differentiation. The cell-death processes have been followed in surface cultures by a propidium iodide viability assay. This has allowed the visualization of dead (membrane-damaged, red fluorescent) and live (membrane-intact, green fluorescent) mycelium during development, and has facilitated the analysis of the role of nucleases in these processes. A parallel activity-gel analysis showed the appearance of 20-22 kDa, 34 kDa and 44 kDa nucleases, the latter appearing only when aerial mycelium is formed. The appearance of these nucleases shows a remarkable correlation with the death process of the mycelium during differentiation and with chromosomal DNA degradation. The 20-22 kDa enzymes are possibly related to the lytic phenomena taking place in the vegetative substrate mycelium before the emergence of the reproductive aerial mycelium, whereas the function of the 44 kDa nuclease seems to be related to the sporulation step. The 20-22 kDa nucleases require Ca2+ for activity and are inhibited by Zn2+. The nucleases are loosely bound to the cell wall from where they can be liberated by simple washing. Conceivably, these enzymes work together and co-ordinate to achieve an efficient hydrolysis of DNA from dying cells. The results show that the biochemical reactions related with the lytic DNA degradation during the programmed cell death are notably conserved in Streptomyces. Some of the features of the process and the biochemical characteristics of the enzymes involved are analogous to those taking place during the DNA fragmentation processes in eukaryotic apoptotic cells.

Regulation of the cytotoxic enterotoxin gene in Aeromonas hydrophila: characterization of an iron uptake regulator

The cytotoxic enterotoxin Act from a diarrheal isolate, SSU, of Aeromonas hydrophila is aerolysin related and crucial to the pathogenesis of Aeromonas infections. To elucidate the role of environmental signals which influence the expression of the cytotoxic enterotoxin gene (act), a portion of the act gene, including the putative promoter region, was fused in frame to a truncated alkaline phosphatase gene (phoA) of Escherichia coli. The act::phoA reporter gene was then introduced into the chromosome of A. hydrophila by using the suicide vector pJQ200SK, allowing the fusion protein to be secreted out into the culture medium. Western blot analysis demonstrated the presence of a correctly size 110-kDa fusion protein in the culture supernatant, which reacted with both anti-Act and anti-alkaline phosphatase antibodies. Based on alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) activity in the culture supernatant, we demonstrated that calcium significantly increased the activity of the act promoter but that glucose and iron repressed its activity in a dose-dependent fashion. The act promoter exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.0 and at 37 degrees C, and maximal PhoA activity was noted when the culture was aerated. Using a Vibrio cholerae iron uptake regulator gene (fur) as a probe, a 2.6-kb SalI/HindIII DNA fragment from an A. hydrophila chromosome was cloned and sequenced. The DNA sequence revealed a 429-bp open reading frame that exhibited 69% homology at the DNA level with the fur gene and 79% homology at the amino acid level with the iron uptake regulator (Fur) protein of V. cholerae. Complementation experiments demonstrated that the A. hydrophila fur gene could restore iron regulation in an E. coli fur-minus mutant. Using the suicide vector pDMS197, we generated a fur isogenic mutant of wild-type A. hydrophila SSU. Northern blot analysis data indicated that the repression in the transcription of the act gene by iron was relieved in the fur isogenic mutant. Further, iron regulation in the fur isogenic mutant of A. hydrophila could be restored by complementation. These results are important in understanding the regulation of the act gene under in vivo conditions.

Calmodulin as a versatile calcium signal transducer in plants

The complexity of Ca²⁺ patterns observed in eukaryotic cells, including plants, has led to the hypothesis that specific patterns of Ca²⁺ propagation, termed Ca²⁺ signatures, encode information and relay it to downstream elements (effectors) for translation into appropriate cellular responses. Ca²⁺ -binding proteins (sensors) play a key role in decoding Ca²⁺ signatures and transducing signals by activating specific targets and pathways. Calmodulin is a Ca²⁺ sensor known to modulate the activity of many mammalian proteins, whose targets in plants are now being actively characterized. Plants possess an interesting and rapidly growing list of calmodulin targets with a variety of cellular roles. Nevertheless, many targets appear to be unique to plants and remain uncharacterized, calling for a concerted effort to elucidate their functions. Moreover, the extended family of calmodulin-related proteins in plants consists of evolutionarily divergent members, mostly of unknown function, although some have recently been implicated in stress responses. It is hoped that advances in functional genomics, and the research tools it generates, will help to explain themultiplicity of calmodulin genes in plants, and to identify their downstream effectors. This review summarizes current knowledge of the Ca²⁺ -calmodulin messenger system in plants and presents suggestions for future areas of research. Contents I. Introduction 36 II. CaM isoforms and CaM-like proteins 37 III. CaM-target proteins 42 IV. CaM and nuclear functions 46 V. Regulation of ion transport 49 VI. CaM and plant responses to environmental stimuli 52 VII. Conclusions and future studies 58 Acknowledgements 59 References 59.

Intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization and kinase activity during acylated homoserine lactone-dependent quorum sensing in Serratia liquefaciens

Quorum sensing in Gram-negative bacteria involves acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) and a transcription factor, activated by the AHLs. In this study, a possible involvement of intracellular Ca(2+) as second messenger and/or protein kinase activity during signal transduction is analyzed. When N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone was added to a suspension of Fura-2-loaded Serratia liquefaciens, there was a decline in [Ca(2+)](i), measured as a decrease in the Fura-2 fluorescence ratio. As controls, the addition of the signal molecule N-3-oxohexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone, which is not produced by S. liquefaciens, did not induce changes in [Ca(2+)](i). Using a protein kinase activity assay on AHL-stimulated cells, an increase in kinase activity after N-butanoyl-l-homoserine lactone stimulation of S. liquefaciens cells was detected, whereas the kinase activity induced by N-3-oxohexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone was not statistically significant. The conclusion from this study is that changes in [Ca(2+)](i) are involved in quorum sensing signal transduction in the Gram-negative bacteria S. liquefaciens. We also conclude that kinase activity is induced in S. liquefaciens upon AHL stimulation. We suggest that the transient intracellular [Ca(2+)] changes and kinase activity, activated by the AHL signal, are critical for the quorum-sensing signal transduction.

Effects of organic antagonists of Ca(2+), Na(+), and K(+) on chemotaxis and motility of escherichia coli

Various Ca(2+) antagonists used in animal research, many of them known to be Ca(2+) channel blockers, inhibited Escherichia coli chemotaxis (measured as entry of cells into a capillary containing attractant). The most effective of these, acting in the nanomolar range, was omega-conotoxin GVIA. The next most effective were gallopamil and verapamil. At concentrations around 100-fold higher than that needed for inhibition of chemotaxis, each of these antagonists inhibited motility (measured as entry of cells into a capillary lacking attractant). Various other Ca(2+) antagonists were less effective, though chemotaxis was almost always more sensitive to inhibition than was motility. Cells treated with each of these Ca(2+) antagonists swam with a running bias, i.e., tumbling was inhibited. Similarly, some Na(+) antagonists used in animal research inhibited bacterial chemotaxis. E. coli chemotaxis was inhibited by saxitoxin at concentrations above 10(-7) M, while more than 10(-4) M was needed to inhibit motility. Cells treated with saxitoxin swam with a tumbling bias. In the case of other Na(+) antagonists in animals, aconitine inhibited bacterial chemotaxis 10 times more effectively than it inhibited motility, and two others inhibited chemotaxis and motility at about the same concentration. In the case of K(+) antagonists used in animal research, 4-aminopyridine blocked E. coli chemotaxis between 10(-3) M and, totally, 10(-2) M, while motility was not affected at 10(-2) M; on the other hand, tetraethylammonium chloride failed to inhibit either chemotaxis or motility at 10(-2) M.

Secondary structure and calcium-induced folding of the Clostridium thermocellum dockerin domain determined by NMR spectroscopy

Assembly of the cellulosome, a large, extracellular cellulase complex, depends upon docking of a myriad of enzymatic subunits to homologous receptors, or cohesin domains, arranged in tandem along a noncatalytic scaffolding protein. Docking to the cohesin domains is mediated by a highly conserved domain, dockerin (DS), borne by each enzymatic subunit. DS consists of two 22-amino-acid duplicated sequences, each bearing homology to the EF-hand calcium-binding loop. To compare the DS structure with that of the EF-hand helix-loop-helix motif, we analyzed the solution secondary structure of the DS from the cellobiohydrolase CelS subunit of the Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome using multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. The effect of Ca(2+)-binding on the DS structure was first investigated by using 2D (15)N-(1)H HSQC NMR spectroscopy. Changes in the spectra during Ca(2+) titration revealed that Ca(2+) induces folding of DS into its tertiary structure. This Ca(2+)-induced protein folding distinguishes DS from typical EF-hand-containing proteins. Sequential backbone assignments were determined for 63 of 69 residues. Analysis of the NOE connectivities and H(alpha) chemical shifts revealed that each half of the dockerin contains just one alpha-helix, comparable to the F-helix of the EF-hand motif. Thus, the structure of the DS Ca(2+)-binding subdomain deviates from that of the canonical EF-hand motif.

Interaction of omega-conotoxin and the membrane calcium transport system of Escherichia coli

omega-Conotoxin, a calcium channel blocker, inhibits chemotaxis by Escherichia coli. To test whether omega-conotoxin acts at the cytoplasmic membrane, the kinetics of 125I-omega-conotoxin binding was investigated. 125I-omega-Conotoxin bound to Tris-EDTA-permeabilized cells or right-side-out membrane vesicles with saturation kinetics. Binding of 125I-omega-conotoxin to membrane vesicles was inhibited by Ca(2+) ions, but not by Mg(2+) ions. The calA mutant, defective in calcium transport, was more resistant to omega-conotoxin inhibition of chemotaxis than the parental wild-type. 125I-omega-Conotoxin binding to membrane vesicles indicated that both the wild-type and the calA mutant had similar K(D)s for omega-conotoxin binding. However, the saturation level was higher with the calA mutant, indicating that there are more binding sites in the calA mutant. Thus, calA does not directly affect the affinity of the omega-conotoxin binding site. Chemical cross-linking experiments identified two proteins as potential omega-conotoxin receptors.

Use of recombinant aequorin to study calcium homeostasis and monitor calcium transients in response to heat and cold shock in cyanobacteria

We investigated the possibility of Ca(2+) signaling in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) by measuring intracellular free Ca(2+) levels ([Ca(2+)](i)) in a recombinant strain of the nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena strain sp. PCC7120, which constitutively expresses the Ca(2+)-binding photoprotein apoaequorin. The homeostasis of intracellular Ca(2+) in response to increasing external Ca(2+) has been studied in this strain. The resting level of free Ca(2+) in Anabaena was found to be between 100 and 200 nM. Additions of increasing concentrations of external Ca(2+) gave a transient burst of [Ca(2+)](i) followed by a very quick decline, reaching a plateau within seconds that brought the level of [Ca(2+)](i) back to the resting value. These results indicate that Anabaena strain sp. PCC7120 is able to regulate its internal Ca(2+) levels. We also monitored Ca(2+) transients in our recombinant strain in response to heat and cold shock. The cell's response to both stresses was dependent on the way they were induced. The use of inhibitors suggests that heat shock mobilizes cytosolic Ca(2+) from both intracellular and extracellular sources, while the Ca(2+) source for cold shock signaling is mostly extracellular.

Calcium signaling in Streptococcus pneumoniae: implication of the kinetics of calcium transport

The kinetics and pharmacological characterization of a Na+/Ca2+ exchange system, essential for the growth of the extracellular pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae in high-calcium media, demonstrated that calcium transport, in addition to its role in calcium homeostasis, is involved in the induction of autolysis and of competence for genetic transformation. These responses are expressed respectively in cultures entering the stationary phase and growing with exponential rates. Experimental virulence also appears to be modulated by the kinetics of calcium transport. Calcium transport in S. pneumoniae is electrogenic and shows sigmoidicity, indicating a cooperative mechanism with an inflexion point at 1 mM Ca2+. Mutant strains with Hill number values of 4 and 1, compared to 2 in the wild-type strain, were isolated. These changes were associated with altered regulation of competence and autolysis, and also with reduced experimental virulence. By contrast, they could not be related to a specific calcium requirement for growth. This indicates that the cooperativity of Ca2+ transport is not involved in vegetative growth, but rather regulates competence and autolysis. Competence and autolysis represent two growth-phase-dependent responses to an oligopeptide-activator exported to the medium, the competence-stimulating peptide. Addition of this activator to noncompetent cells, triggers net and transient 45Ca2+ influx. One effect of the activator might be to activate a calcium transporter by enhancing its cooperativity. In addition to an increase in intracellular calcium, a transient membrane depolarization induced by electrogenic calcium influx may be part of the signaling mechanism. The competence activator is a quorum-sensing molecule whose synthesis is autoregulated. This regulation might involve calcium-mediated signaling. As an extracellular pathogen, S. pneumoniae probably develops in niches with variable calcium concentration. Interestingly, virulence depends strongly upon the kinetics of Ca2+ transport. Regulation of calcium influx may represent a common mechanism of sensing the environment, if the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is the target for external mediators including the competence activator.

Effects of calcium and calcium chelators on growth and morphology of Escherichia coli L-form NC-7

Growth of a wall-less, L-form of Escherichia coli specifically requires calcium, and in its absence, cells ceased dividing, became spherical, swelled, developed large vacuoles, and eventually lysed. The key cell division protein, FtsZ, was present in the L-form at a concentration five times less than that in the parental strain. One interpretation of these results is that the L-form possesses an enzoskeleton partly regulated by calcium.

Calcium signalling in Bacillus subtilis

Few systematic studies have been devoted to investigating the role of Ca2+ as an intracellular messenger in prokaryotes. Here we report an investigation on the potential involvement of Ca2+ in signalling in Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive bacterium. Using aequorin, it is shown that B. subtilis cells tightly regulate intracellular Ca2+ levels. This homeostasis can be changed by an external stimulus such as hydrogen peroxide, pointing to a relationship between oxidative stress and Ca2+ signalling. Also, B. subtilis growth appears to be intimately linked to the presence of Ca2+, as normal growth can be immediately restored by adding Ca2+ to an almost non-growing culture in EGTA containing Luria broth medium. Addition of Fe2+ or Mn2+ also restores growth, but with 5-6 h delay, whereas Mg2+ did not have any effect. In addition, the expression of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase C (AhpC), which is strongly enhanced in bacteria grown in the presence of EGTA, also appears to be regulated by Ca2+. Finally, using 45Ca2+ overlay on membrane electrotransferred two-dimensional gels of B. subtilis, four putative Ca2+ binding proteins were found, including AhpC. Our results provide strong evidence for a regulatory role for Ca2+ in bacterial cells.

Protective effect of calcium on inactivation of Escherichia coli by high hydrostatic pressure

The effect of divalent cations on the inactivation of Escherichia coli by high hydrostatic pressure was investigated. The presence of 0.5 mmol l-1 of CaCl2, MgCl2, MnCl2 and FeCl2 reduced pressure inactivation of E. coli MG1655, while 0.5 mmol l-1 of ZnCl2, NiCl2, CuCl2 and CoCl2 increased inactivation. Baroprotection by Ca2+ was found to be dose-dependent up to at least 80 mmol l-1 and was studied in more detail in terms of inactivation kinetics. Logarithmic survivor plots against time deviated from first order kinetics, suggesting that MG1655 cultures were heterogeneous with regard to pressure resistance. All cultures were shown to contain a small proportion of cells that were only slowly inactivated. Addition of Ca2+ increased the proportion of these tolerant cells in the cultures up to 1000-fold at 80 mmol l-1, but did not affect their inactivation rate. The addition of EDTA resulted in the opposite effect, lowering the proportion of pressure-tolerant cells in the cultures. Three pressure-resistant mutants of E. coli MG1655 were found to be more resistant to EDTA under pressure compared with MG1655, and were unaffected by Ca2+ under pressure. In addition, these mutants had a 30-40% lower Ca2+ content than MG1655. Based on these results, it is postulated that pressure killing of E. coli MG1655 is mediated primarily by the destabilization of Ca(2+)-binding components, and that the mutations underlying pressure resistance have resulted in pressure-stable targets with reduced Ca(2+)-binding affinity.

Na+-induced structural change of a soil bacterium, S34, and Ca2+ requirement for preserving its original structure

A drastic change in the outer membrane structure of a salt-sensitive soil bacterium, S34, related to the genus Deinococcus was induced by 0.2 to 0.4% (wt/vol) NaCl. The change was relieved by 6 mM CaCl2 and induced by 1 mM EGTA. The results indicate the strong dependence of the organism on calcium.

Elements of a unifying theory of biology

To discover a unifying theory of biology, it is necessary first to believe in its existence and second to seek its elements. Such a theory would explain the regulation of the cell cycle, differentiation and the origin of life. Some elements of the theory may be obtained by considering both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell cycles. These elements include cytoskeletal proteins, calcium, cyclins, protein kinase C, phosphorylation, transcriptional sensing, autocatalytic gene expression and the physical properties of lipids. Other more exotic candidate elements include the dynamic enzoskeleton, ATP generation, mechanotransduction, the piezoelectric effect and resonance. Bringing these disparate elements together--and discovering others--will require extensive collaborations between specialists from different sciences. This can only be achieved within the context of an integrated approach to biology.

Characterization of an Escherichia coli mutant, feeA, displaying resistance to the calmodulin inhibitor 48/80 and reduced expression of the rare tRNA3Leu

We previously described a mutation feeB1 conferring a temperature-sensitive filamentation phenotype and resistance to the calmodulin inhibitor 48/80 in Escherichia coli, which constitutes a single base change in the acceptor stem of the rare tRNA3Leu recognizing CUA codons. We now describe a second mutant, feeA1, unlinked to feeB, but displaying a similar phenotype, 48/80 resistance and a reduced growth rate at the permissive temperature, 30 degrees C, and temperature-sensitive, forming short filaments at 42 degrees C. In the feeA mutant, tRNA3Leu expression (but not that of tRNA1Leu) was reduced approximately fivefold relative to the wild type. We previously showed that the synthesis of beta-galactosidase, which unusually requires the translation of 6-CUA codons, was substantially reduced, particularly at 42 degrees C, in feeB mutants. The feeA mutant also shows drastically reduced synthesis of beta-galactosidase at the non-permissive temperature and reduced levels even at the permissive temperature. We also show that increased copy numbers of the abundant tRNA1Leu, which can also read CUA codons at low efficiency, suppressed the effects of feeA1 under some conditions, providing further evidence that the mutant was deficient in CUA translation. This, and the previous study, demonstrates that mutations which either reduce the activity of tRNA3Leu or the cellular amount of tRNA3Leu confer resistance to the drug 48/80, with concomitant inhibition of cell division at 42 degrees C.