1
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Kumar S, Davis RM, Ruiz N. YdbH and YnbE form an intermembrane bridge to maintain lipid homeostasis in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321512121. [PMID: 38748582 PMCID: PMC11126948 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321512121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of didermic gram-negative bacteria is essential for growth, maintenance of cellular integrity, and innate resistance to many antimicrobials. Its asymmetric lipid distribution, with phospholipids in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the outer leaflet, is required for these functions. Lpt proteins form a transenvelope bridge that transports newly synthesized LPS from the inner membrane (IM) to OM, but how the bulk of phospholipids are transported between these membranes is poorly understood. Recently, three members of the AsmA-like protein family, TamB, YhdP, and YdbH, were shown to be functionally redundant and were proposed to transport phospholipids between IM and OM in Escherichia coli. These proteins belong to the repeating β-groove superfamily, which includes eukaryotic lipid-transfer proteins that mediate phospholipid transport between organelles at contact sites. Here, we show that the IM-anchored YdbH protein interacts with the OM lipoprotein YnbE to form a functional protein bridge between the IM and OM in E. coli. Based on AlphaFold-Multimer predictions, genetic data, and in vivo site-directed cross-linking, we propose that YnbE interacts with YdbH through β-strand augmentation to extend the continuous hydrophobic β-groove of YdbH that is thought to shield acyl chains of phospholipids as they travel through the aqueous intermembrane periplasmic compartment. Our data also suggest that the periplasmic protein YdbL prevents extensive amyloid-like multimerization of YnbE in cells. We, therefore, propose that YdbL has a chaperone-like function that prevents uncontrolled runaway multimerization of YnbE to ensure the proper formation of the YdbH-YnbE intermembrane bridge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Rebecca M. Davis
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
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2
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Cina NP, Klug CS. Conformational investigation of the asymmetric periplasmic domains of E. coli LptB 2FGC using SDSL CW EPR spectroscopy. APPLIED MAGNETIC RESONANCE 2024; 55:141-158. [PMID: 38645307 PMCID: PMC11025719 DOI: 10.1007/s00723-023-01590-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The majority of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria benefit from intrinsic antibiotic resistance, attributed primarily to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) coating of the bacterial envelope. To effectively coat the bacterial cell envelope, LPS is transported from the inner membrane by the LPS transport (Lpt) system, which comprises seven distinct Lpt proteins, LptA-G, that form a stable protein bridge spanning the periplasm to connect the inner and outer membranes. The driving force of this process, LptB2FG, is an asymmetric ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter with a novel architecture and function that ejects LPS from the inner membrane and facilitates transfer to the periplasmic bridge. Here, we utilize site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to probe conformational differences between the periplasmic domains of LptF and LptG. We show that LptC solely interacts with the edge β-strand of LptF and does not directly interact with LptG. We also quantify the interaction of periplasmic LptC with LptF. Additionally, we show that LPS cannot enter the protein complex externally, supporting the unidirectional LPS transport model. Furthermore, we present our findings that the presence of LPS within the LptB2FGC binding cavity and the membrane reconstitution environment affect the structural orientation of the periplasmic domains of LptF and LptG, but overall are relatively fixed with respect to one another. This study will provide insight into the structural asymmetry associated with the newly defined type VI ABC transporter class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P. Cina
- Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
| | - Candice S. Klug
- Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
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3
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Sposato D, Mercolino J, Torrini L, Sperandeo P, Lucidi M, Alegiani R, Varone I, Molesini G, Leoni L, Rampioni G, Visca P, Imperi F. Redundant essentiality of AsmA-like proteins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mSphere 2024; 9:e0067723. [PMID: 38305166 PMCID: PMC10900882 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00677-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) is an essential structure of Gram-negative bacteria that provides mechanical strength and protection from large and/or hydrophobic toxic molecules, including many antibiotics. The OM is composed of glycerophospholipids (GPLs) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the inner and outer leaflets, respectively, and hosts integral β-barrel proteins and lipoproteins. While the systems responsible for translocation and insertion of LPS and OM proteins have been elucidated, the mechanism(s) mediating transport of GPLs from the inner membrane to the OM has remained elusive for decades. Very recently, studies performed in Escherichia coli proposed a role in this process for AsmA-like proteins that are predicted to share structural features with eukaryotic lipid transporters. In this study, we provide the first systematic investigation of AsmA-like proteins in a bacterium other than E. coli, the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that P. aeruginosa possesses seven AsmA-like proteins. Deletion of asmA-like genes in many different combinations, coupled with conditional mutagenesis, revealed that four AsmA-like proteins are redundantly essential for growth and OM integrity in P. aeruginosa, including a novel AsmA-like protein (PA4735) that is not present in E. coli. Cells depleted of AsmA-like proteins showed severe defects in the OM permeability barrier that were partially rescued by lowering the synthesis or transport of LPS. Since fine balancing of GPL and LPS levels is crucial for OM integrity, this evidence supports the role of AsmA-like proteins in GPL transport toward the OM. IMPORTANCE Given the importance of the outer membrane (OM) for viability and antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, in the last decades, several studies have focused on the characterization of the systems involved in OM biogenesis, which have also been explored as targets for antibacterial drug development. However, the mechanism mediating translocation of glycerophospholipids (GPLs) to the OM remained unknown until recent studies provided evidence that AsmA-like proteins could be responsible for this process. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that AsmA-like proteins are essential and redundant for growth and OM integrity in a Gram-negative bacterium other than the model organism Escherichia coli and demonstrate that the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa has an additional essential AsmA-like protein that is not present in E. coli, thus expanding the range of AsmA-like proteins that play key functions in Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luisa Torrini
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Sperandeo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Lucidi
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Ilaria Varone
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Livia Leoni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Giordano Rampioni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Imperi
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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4
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Cina NP, Frank DW, Klug CS. Residues within the LptC transmembrane helix are critical for Escherichia coli LptB 2 FG ATPase regulation. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4879. [PMID: 38131105 PMCID: PMC10804673 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis in Gram-negative bacteria is completed at the outer leaflet of the inner membrane (IM). Following synthesis, seven LPS transport (Lpt) proteins facilitate the movement of LPS to the outer membrane (OM), an essential process that if disrupted at any stage has lethal effects on bacterial viability. LptB2 FG, the IM component of the Lpt bridge system, is a type VI ABC transporter that provides the driving force for LPS extraction from the IM and subsequent transport across a stable protein bridge to the outer leaflet of the OM. LptC is a periplasmic protein anchored to the IM by a single transmembrane (TM) helix intercalating within the lateral gate formed by LptF TM5 and LptG TM1. LptC facilitates the hand-off of LPS from LptB2 FG to the periplasmic protein LptA and has been shown to regulate the ATPase activity of LptB2 FG. Here, using an engineered chromosomal knockout system in Escherichia coli to assess the effects of LptC mutations in vivo, we identified six partial loss of function LptC mutations in the first unbiased alanine screen of this essential protein. To investigate the functional effects of these mutations, nanoDSF (differential scanning fluorimetry) and site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in combination with an in vitro ATPase assay show that specific residues in the TM helix of LptC destabilize the LptB2 FGC complex and regulate the ATPase activity of LptB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P. Cina
- Department of BiophysicsMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | - Dara W. Frank
- Department of Microbiology & ImmunologyMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | - Candice S. Klug
- Department of BiophysicsMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
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5
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Zampaloni C, Mattei P, Bleicher K, Winther L, Thäte C, Bucher C, Adam JM, Alanine A, Amrein KE, Baidin V, Bieniossek C, Bissantz C, Boess F, Cantrill C, Clairfeuille T, Dey F, Di Giorgio P, du Castel P, Dylus D, Dzygiel P, Felici A, García-Alcalde F, Haldimann A, Leipner M, Leyn S, Louvel S, Misson P, Osterman A, Pahil K, Rigo S, Schäublin A, Scharf S, Schmitz P, Stoll T, Trauner A, Zoffmann S, Kahne D, Young JAT, Lobritz MA, Bradley KA. A novel antibiotic class targeting the lipopolysaccharide transporter. Nature 2024; 625:566-571. [PMID: 38172634 PMCID: PMC10794144 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06873-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has emerged as a major global pathogen with limited treatment options1. No new antibiotic chemical class with activity against A. baumannii has reached patients in over 50 years1. Here we report the identification and optimization of tethered macrocyclic peptide (MCP) antibiotics with potent antibacterial activity against CRAB. The mechanism of action of this molecule class involves blocking the transport of bacterial lipopolysaccharide from the inner membrane to its destination on the outer membrane, through inhibition of the LptB2FGC complex. A clinical candidate derived from the MCP class, zosurabalpin (RG6006), effectively treats highly drug-resistant contemporary isolates of CRAB both in vitro and in mouse models of infection, overcoming existing antibiotic resistance mechanisms. This chemical class represents a promising treatment paradigm for patients with invasive infections due to CRAB, for whom current treatment options are inadequate, and additionally identifies LptB2FGC as a tractable target for antimicrobial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Zampaloni
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrizio Mattei
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Konrad Bleicher
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- SixPeaks Bio, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lotte Winther
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Thäte
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Christian Bucher
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Michel Adam
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- AutoChem R&D, Mettler-Toledo International, Greifensee, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Alanine
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- Independent consultant, Cambridge, Great Britain
| | - Kurt E Amrein
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vadim Baidin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christoph Bieniossek
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Caterina Bissantz
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Boess
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carina Cantrill
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Clairfeuille
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Dey
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Di Giorgio
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pauline du Castel
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Dylus
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pawel Dzygiel
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Felici
- Discovery Microbiology, Aptuit (Verona) Srl, an Evotec Company, Verona, Italy
| | - Fernando García-Alcalde
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Haldimann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Leipner
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Semen Leyn
- Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Séverine Louvel
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pauline Misson
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrei Osterman
- Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karanbir Pahil
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sébastien Rigo
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Schäublin
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- SixPeaks Bio, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Scharf
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Informatics, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schmitz
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Theodor Stoll
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrej Trauner
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sannah Zoffmann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
- Therapeutics Discovery, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John A T Young
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael A Lobritz
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Kenneth A Bradley
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.
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6
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Pahil KS, Gilman MSA, Baidin V, Clairfeuille T, Mattei P, Bieniossek C, Dey F, Muri D, Baettig R, Lobritz M, Bradley K, Kruse AC, Kahne D. A new antibiotic traps lipopolysaccharide in its intermembrane transporter. Nature 2024; 625:572-577. [PMID: 38172635 PMCID: PMC10794137 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06799-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are extraordinarily difficult to kill because their cytoplasmic membrane is surrounded by an outer membrane that blocks the entry of most antibiotics. The impenetrable nature of the outer membrane is due to the presence of a large, amphipathic glycolipid called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in its outer leaflet1. Assembly of the outer membrane requires transport of LPS across a protein bridge that spans from the cytoplasmic membrane to the cell surface. Maintaining outer membrane integrity is essential for bacterial cell viability, and its disruption can increase susceptibility to other antibiotics2-6. Thus, inhibitors of the seven lipopolysaccharide transport (Lpt) proteins that form this transenvelope transporter have long been sought. A new class of antibiotics that targets the LPS transport machine in Acinetobacter was recently identified. Here, using structural, biochemical and genetic approaches, we show that these antibiotics trap a substrate-bound conformation of the LPS transporter that stalls this machine. The inhibitors accomplish this by recognizing a composite binding site made up of both the Lpt transporter and its LPS substrate. Collectively, our findings identify an unusual mechanism of lipid transport inhibition, reveal a druggable conformation of the Lpt transporter and provide the foundation for extending this class of antibiotics to other Gram-negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karanbir S Pahil
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Morgan S A Gilman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vadim Baidin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Clairfeuille
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrizio Mattei
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Bieniossek
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Dey
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dieter Muri
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Remo Baettig
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Lobritz
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kenneth Bradley
- Departments of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology (I2O), Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Discovery, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrew C Kruse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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7
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Törk L, Moffatt CB, Bernhardt TG, Garner EC, Kahne D. Single-molecule dynamics show a transient lipopolysaccharide transport bridge. Nature 2023; 623:814-819. [PMID: 37938784 PMCID: PMC10842706 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06709-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are surrounded by two membranes. A special feature of the outer membrane is its asymmetry. It contains lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet and phospholipids in the inner leaflet1-3. The proper assembly of LPS in the outer membrane is required for cell viability and provides Gram-negative bacteria intrinsic resistance to many classes of antibiotics. LPS biosynthesis is completed in the inner membrane, so the LPS must be extracted, moved across the aqueous periplasm that separates the two membranes and translocated through the outer membrane where it assembles on the cell surface4. LPS transport and assembly requires seven conserved and essential LPS transport components5 (LptA-G). This system has been proposed to form a continuous protein bridge that provides a path for LPS to reach the cell surface6,7, but this model has not been validated in living cells. Here, using single-molecule tracking, we show that Lpt protein dynamics are consistent with the bridge model. Half of the inner membrane Lpt proteins exist in a bridge state, and bridges persist for 5-10 s, showing that their organization is highly dynamic. LPS facilitates Lpt bridge formation, suggesting a mechanism by which the production of LPS can be directly coupled to its transport. Finally, the bridge decay kinetics suggest that there may be two different types of bridges, whose stability differs according to the presence (long-lived) or absence (short-lived) of LPS. Together, our data support a model in which LPS is both a substrate and a structural component of dynamic Lpt bridges that promote outer membrane assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Törk
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin B Moffatt
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas G Bernhardt
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ethan C Garner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Li RS, Liu J, Wen C, Shi Y, Ling J, Cao Q, Wang L, Shi H, Huang CZ, Li N. Transformable nano-antibiotics for mechanotherapy and immune activation against drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg9601. [PMID: 37624881 PMCID: PMC10456869 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The dearth of antibiotic candidates against Gram-negative bacteria and the rise of antibiotic resistance create a global health concern. The challenge lies in the unique Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane that provides the impermeable barrier for antibiotics and sequesters antigen presentation. We designed a transformable nano-antibiotics (TNA) that can transform from nontoxic nanoparticles to bactericidal nanofibrils with reasonable rigidity (Young's modulus, 21.6 ± 5.9 MPa) after targeting β-barrel assembly machine A (BamA) and lipid polysaccharides (LPSs) of Gram-negative bacteria. After morphological transformation, the TNA can penetrate and damage the bacterial envelope, disrupt electron transport and multiple conserved biosynthetic and metabolic pathways, burst bacterial antigen release from the outer membrane, and subsequently activate the innate and adaptive immunity. TNA kills Gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo with undetectable resistance through multiple bactericidal modes of action. TNA treatment-induced vaccination results in rapid and long-lasting immune responses, protecting against lethal reinfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Sheng Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Education (Yunnan University), School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P. R. China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Cong Wen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Yaru Shi
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P. R. China
| | - Jian Ling
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Education (Yunnan University), School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P. R. China
| | - Qiue Cao
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Education (Yunnan University), School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Hu Shi
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Zhi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Na Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
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9
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Wiseman B, Widmalm G, Högbom M. Alternating L4 loop architecture of the bacterial polysaccharide co-polymerase WzzE. Commun Biol 2023; 6:802. [PMID: 37532793 PMCID: PMC10397196 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05157-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharides such as the enterobacterial common antigen are important components of the enterobacterial cell envelope that act as a protective barrier against the environment and are often polymerized by the inner membrane bound Wzy-dependent pathway. By employing cryo-electron microscopy we show that WzzE, the co-polymerase component of this pathway that is responsible for the length modulation of the enterobacterial common antigen, is octameric with alternating up-down conformations of its L4 loops. The alternating up-down nature of these essential loops, located at the top of the periplasmic bell, are modulated by clashing helical faces between adjacent protomers that flank the L4 loops around the octameric periplasmic bell. This alternating arrangement and a highly negatively charged binding face create a dynamic environment in which the polysaccharide chain is extended, and suggest a ratchet-type mechanism for polysaccharide elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Wiseman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Göran Widmalm
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Högbom
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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10
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Chen J, Fruhauf A, Fan C, Ponce J, Ueberheide B, Bhabha G, Ekiert DC. Structure of an endogenous mycobacterial MCE lipid transporter. Nature 2023; 620:445-452. [PMID: 37495693 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06366-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
To replicate inside macrophages and cause tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis must scavenge a variety of nutrients from the host1,2. The mammalian cell entry (MCE) proteins are important virulence factors in M. tuberculosis1,3, where they are encoded by large gene clusters and have been implicated in the transport of fatty acids4-7 and cholesterol1,4,8 across the impermeable mycobacterial cell envelope. Very little is known about how cargos are transported across this barrier, and it remains unclear how the approximately ten proteins encoded by a mycobacterial mce gene cluster assemble to transport cargo across the cell envelope. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the endogenous Mce1 lipid-import machine of Mycobacterium smegmatis-a non-pathogenic relative of M. tuberculosis. The structure reveals how the proteins of the Mce1 system assemble to form an elongated ABC transporter complex that is long enough to span the cell envelope. The Mce1 complex is dominated by a curved, needle-like domain that appears to be unrelated to previously described protein structures, and creates a protected hydrophobic pathway for lipid transport across the periplasm. Our structural data revealed the presence of a subunit of the Mce1 complex, which we identified using a combination of cryo-EM and AlphaFold2, and name LucB. Our data lead to a structural model for Mce1-mediated lipid import across the mycobacterial cell envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice Fruhauf
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine Fan
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jackeline Ponce
- Proteomics Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Beatrix Ueberheide
- Proteomics Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Damian C Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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11
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Bilsing FL, Anlauf MT, Hachani E, Khosa S, Schmitt L. ABC Transporters in Bacterial Nanomachineries. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076227. [PMID: 37047196 PMCID: PMC10094684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the superfamily of ABC transporters are found in all domains of life. Most of these primary active transporters act as isolated entities and export or import their substrates in an ATP-dependent manner across biological membranes. However, some ABC transporters are also part of larger protein complexes, so-called nanomachineries that catalyze the vectorial transport of their substrates. Here, we will focus on four bacterial examples of such nanomachineries: the Mac system providing drug resistance, the Lpt system catalyzing vectorial LPS transport, the Mla system responsible for phospholipid transport, and the Lol system, which is required for lipoprotein transport to the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. For all four systems, we tried to summarize the existing data and provide a structure-function analysis highlighting the mechanistical aspect of the coupling of ATP hydrolysis to substrate translocation.
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12
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Romano K, Hung D. Targeting LPS biosynthesis and transport in gram-negative bacteria in the era of multi-drug resistance. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119407. [PMID: 36543281 PMCID: PMC9922520 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria pose a major threat to human health in an era fraught with multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. Despite extensive drug discovery campaigns over the past decades, no new antibiotic target class effective against gram-negative bacteria has become available to patients since the advent of the carbapenems in 1985. Antibiotic discovery efforts against gram-negative bacteria have been hampered by limited intracellular accumulation of xenobiotics, in large part due to the impermeable cell envelope comprising lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane, as well as a panoply of efflux pumps. The biosynthesis and transport of LPS are essential to the viability and virulence of most gram-negative bacteria. Thus, both LPS biosynthesis and transport are attractive pathways to target therapeutically. In this review, we summarize the LPS biosynthesis and transport pathways and discuss efforts to find small molecule inhibitors against targets within these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- K.P. Romano
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D.T. Hung
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Corresponding author at: The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. (D.T. Hung)
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13
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Suppressor Mutations in LptF Bypass Essentiality of LptC by Forming a Six-Protein Transenvelope Bridge That Efficiently Transports Lipopolysaccharide. mBio 2023; 14:e0220222. [PMID: 36541759 PMCID: PMC9972910 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02202-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential component of the outer membrane (OM) of many Gram-negative bacteria, providing a barrier against the entry of toxic molecules. In Escherichia coli, LPS is exported to the cell surface by seven essential proteins (LptA-G) that form a transenvelope complex. At the inner membrane, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter LptB2FG associates with LptC to power LPS extraction from the membrane and transfer to the periplasmic LptA protein, which is in complex with the OM translocon LptDE. LptC interacts both with LptB2FG and LptADE to mediate the formation of the transenvelope bridge and regulates the ATPase activity of LptB2FG. A genetic screen has previously identified suppressor mutants at a residue (R212) of LptF that are viable in the absence of LptC. Here, we present in vivo evidence that the LptF R212G mutant assembles a six-protein transenvelope complex in which LptA mediates interactions with LptF and LptD in the absence of LptC. Furthermore, we present in vitro evidence that the mutant LptB2FG complexes restore the regulation of ATP hydrolysis as it occurs in the LptB2FGC complex to achieve wild-type efficient coupling of ATP hydrolysis and LPS movement. We also show the suppressor mutations restore the wild-type levels of LPS transport both in vivo and in vitro, but remarkably, without restoring the affinity of the inner membrane complex for LptA. Based on the sensitivity of lptF suppressor mutants to selected stress conditions relative to wild-type cells, we show that there are additional regulatory functions of LptF and LptC that had not been identified. IMPORTANCE The presence of an external LPS layer in the outer membrane makes Gram-negative bacteria intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. Millions of LPS molecules are transported to the cell surface per generation by the Lpt molecular machine made, in E. coli, by seven essential proteins. LptC is the unconventional regulatory subunit of the LptB2FGC ABC transporter, involved in coordinating energy production and LPS transport. Surprisingly, despite being essential for bacterial growth, LptC can be deleted, provided that a specific residue in the periplasmic domain of LptF is mutated and LptA is overexpressed. Here, we apply biochemical techniques to investigate the suppression mechanism. The data produced in this work disclose an unknown regulatory function of LptF in the transporter that not only expands the knowledge about the Lpt complex but can also be targeted by novel LPS biogenesis inhibitors.
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14
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Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and traffic in the envelope of the pathogen Brucella abortus. Nat Commun 2023; 14:911. [PMID: 36806059 PMCID: PMC9938171 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36442-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide is essential for most Gram-negative bacteria as it is a main component of the outer membrane. In the pathogen Brucella abortus, smooth lipopolysaccharide containing the O-antigen is required for virulence. Being part of the Rhizobiales, Brucella spp. display unipolar growth and lipopolysaccharide was shown to be incorporated at the active growth sites, i.e. the new pole and the division site. By localizing proteins involved in the lipopolysaccharide transport across the cell envelope, from the inner to the outer membrane, we show that the lipopolysaccharide incorporation sites are determined by the inner membrane complex of the lipopolysaccharide transport system. Moreover, we identify the main O-antigen ligase of Brucella spp. involved in smooth lipopolysaccharide synthesis. Altogether, our data highlight a layer of spatiotemporal organization of the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway and identify an original class of bifunctional O-antigen ligases.
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15
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Sperandeo P, Martorana AM, Zaccaria M, Polissi A. Targeting the LPS export pathway for the development of novel therapeutics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119406. [PMID: 36473551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The rapid rise of multi-resistant bacteria is a global health threat. This is especially serious for Gram-negative bacteria in which the impermeable outer membrane (OM) acts as a shield against antibiotics. The development of new drugs with novel modes of actions to combat multi-drug resistant pathogens requires the selection of suitable processes to be targeted. The LPS export pathway is an excellent under exploited target for drug development. Indeed, LPS is the major determinant of the OM permeability barrier, and its biogenetic pathway is conserved in most Gram-negatives. Here we describe efforts to identify inhibitors of the multiprotein Lpt system that transports LPS to the cell surface. Despite none of these molecules has been approved for clinical use, they may represent valuable compounds for optimization. Finally, the recent discovery of a link between inhibition of LPS biogenesis and changes in peptidoglycan structure uncovers additional targets to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Sperandeo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra M Martorana
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marta Zaccaria
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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16
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Bowen HG, Kenedy MR, Johnson DK, MacKerell AD, Akins DR. Identification of a novel transport system in Borrelia burgdorferi that links the inner and outer membranes. Pathog Dis 2023; 81:ftad014. [PMID: 37385817 PMCID: PMC10353723 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftad014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, is a diderm organism that is similar to Gram-negative organisms in that it contains both an inner and outer membrane. Unlike typical Gram-negative organisms, however, B. burgdorferi lacks lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using computational genome analyses and structural modeling, we identified a transport system containing six proteins in B. burgdorferi that are all orthologs to proteins found in the lipopolysaccharide transport (LPT) system that links the inner and outer membranes of Gram-negative organisms and is responsible for placing LPS on the surface of these organisms. While B. burgdorferi does not contain LPS, it does encode over 100 different surface-exposed lipoproteins and several major glycolipids, which like LPS are also highly amphiphilic molecules, though no system to transport these molecules to the borrelial surface is known. Accordingly, experiments supplemented by molecular modeling were undertaken to determine whether the orthologous LPT system identified in B. burgdorferi could transport lipoproteins and/or glycolipids to the borrelial outer membrane. Our combined observations strongly suggest that the LPT transport system does not transport lipoproteins to the surface. Molecular dynamic modeling, however, suggests that the borrelial LPT system could transport borrelial glycolipids to the outer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah G Bowen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd., BMSB 1053 Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
| | - Melisha R Kenedy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd., BMSB 1053 Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
| | - David K Johnson
- Shenkel Structural Biology Center, Molecular Graphics and Modeling Laboratory and the Computational Biology Core, University of Kansas, 2034 Becker Drive Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Alexander D MacKerell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore 20 North Pine Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Darrin R Akins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd., BMSB 1053 Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States
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17
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Chen J, Fruhauf A, Fan C, Ponce J, Ueberheide B, Bhabha G, Ekiert D. Structure of an endogenous mycobacterial MCE lipid transporter. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2412186. [PMID: 36711512 PMCID: PMC9882608 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2412186/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
To replicate inside human macrophages and cause the disease tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) must scavenge a variety of nutrients from the host 1,2 . The Mammalian Cell Entry (MCE) proteins are important virulence factors in Mtb 1,3 , where they are encoded in large gene clusters and have been implicated in the transport of fatty acids 4â€"7 and cholesterol 1,4,8 across the impermeable mycobacterial cell envelope. Very little is known about how cargos are transported across this barrier, and how the ~10 proteins encoded in a mycobacterial mce gene cluster might assemble to transport cargo across the cell envelope remains unknown. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the endogenous Mce1 fatty acid import machine from Mycobacterium smegmatis , a non-pathogenic relative of Mtb . The structure reveals how the proteins of the Mce1 system assemble to form an elongated ABC transporter complex, long enough to span the cell envelope. The Mce1 complex is dominated by a curved, needle-like domain that appears to be unrelated to previously described protein structures, and creates a protected hydrophobic pathway for lipid transport across the periplasm. Unexpectedly, our structural data revealed the presence of a previously unknown subunit of the Mce1 complex, which we identified using a combination of cryo-EM and AlphaFold2, and name LucB. Our data lead to a structural model for Mce1-mediated fatty acid import across the mycobacterial cell envelope.
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18
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Biou V. Lipid-membrane protein interaction visualised by cryo-EM: A review. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184068. [PMID: 36216098 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.184068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins reside at interfaces between aqueous and lipid media and solving their molecular structure relies most of the time on removing them from the membrane using detergent. Luckily, this solubilization process does not strip them from all the associated lipids and single-particle cryo-transmission electron microscopy (SP-TEM) has proved a very good tool to visualise both protein high-resolution structure and, often, many of its associated lipids. In this review, we observe membrane protein structures from the Protein DataBank and their associated maps in the Electron Microscopy DataBase and determine how the SP-TEM maps allow lipid visualization, the type of binding sites, the influence of symmetry, resolution and other factors. We illustrate lipid visualization around and inside the protein core, show that some lipid bilayers in the core can be shifted with respect to the membrane and how some proteins can actively bend the lipid bilayer that binds to them. We conclude that resolution improvement in SP-TEM will likely enable many more discoveries regarding the role of lipids bound to proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Biou
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, UMR 7099, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, F-75005 Paris, France.
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19
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Kumar S, Ruiz N. Bacterial AsmA-Like Proteins: Bridging the Gap in Intermembrane Phospholipid Transport. CONTACT (THOUSAND OAKS (VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF.)) 2023; 6:25152564231185931. [PMID: 37455811 PMCID: PMC10345924 DOI: 10.1177/25152564231185931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, nonvesicular lipid transport between organelles is mediated by lipid-transfer proteins. Recently, a new class of these lipid transporters has been described to facilitate the bulk of inter-organelle lipid transport at contact sites by forming bridge-like structures with a hydrophobic groove through which lipids travel. Because their predicted structure is composed of repeating β-groove (RBG) domains, they have been named the RBG protein superfamily. Early studies on RBG proteins VPS13 and ATG2 recognized the resemblance of their predicted structures to that of the bacterial Lpt system, which transports newly synthesized lipopolysaccharides (LPS) between the inner and the outer membranes (IMs and OMs) of Gram-negative bacteria. In these didermic bacteria, the IMs and OMs are separated by an aqueous periplasmic compartment that is traversed by a bridge-like structure built with β-jelly roll domains from several Lpt proteins that provides a hydrophobic groove for LPS molecules to travel across the periplasm. Despite structural and functional similarities between RBG proteins and the Lpt system, the bacterial AsmA-like protein family has recently emerged as the likely ancestor of RBG proteins and long sought-after transporters that facilitate the transfer of phospholipids from the IM to the OM. Here, we review our current understanding of the structure and function of bacterial AsmA-like proteins, mainly focusing on recent studies that have led to the proposal that AsmA-like proteins mediate the bulk of phospholipid transfer between the IMs and OMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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20
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Shin G, Lim SI. Unveiling the biological interface of protein complexes by mass spectrometry-coupled methods. Proteins 2022; 91:593-607. [PMID: 36573681 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Most biomolecules become functional and bioactive by forming protein complexes through interaction with ligands that are diverse in size, shape, and physicochemical properties. In the complex biological milieu, the interaction is ligand-specific, driven by molecular sensing, and involves the recognition of a binding interface localized within a protein structure. Mapping interfaces of protein complexes is a highly sought area of research as it delivers fundamental insights into proteomes and pathology and hence strategies for therapeutics. While X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy remain the gold standard for structural elucidation of protein complexes, their artificial and static analytic nature often produces a non-native interface that otherwise might be negligible or non-existent in a biological environment. Recently, the mass spectrometry-coupled approaches, chemical crosslinking (CLMS) and hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDMS) have become valuable analytic complements to the traditional techniques. These methods explicitly identify hot residues and motifs embedded in binding interfaces, especially when the interaction is predominantly dynamic, transient, and/or caused by an intrinsically disordered domain. Here, we review the principal role of CLMS and HDMS in protein structural biology with a particular emphasis on the contribution of recent examples to exploring biological interfaces. Additionally, we describe recent studies that utilized these methods to expand our understanding of protein complex formation and the related biological processes, to increase the probability of structure-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goeun Shin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Sung In Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea
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21
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Bei W, Luo Q, Shi H, Zhou H, Zhou M, Zhang X, Huang Y. Cryo-EM structures of LolCDE reveal the molecular mechanism of bacterial lipoprotein sorting in Escherichia coli. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001823. [PMID: 36228045 PMCID: PMC9595528 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial lipoproteins perform a diverse array of functions including bacterial envelope biogenesis and microbe–host interactions. Lipoproteins in gram-negative bacteria are sorted to the outer membrane (OM) via the localization of lipoproteins (Lol) export pathway. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter LolCDE initiates the Lol pathway by selectively extracting and transporting lipoproteins for trafficking. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of LolCDE in apo, lipoprotein-bound, and AMPPNP-bound states at a resolution of 3.5 to 4.2 Å. Structure-based disulfide crosslinking, photo-crosslinking, and functional complementation assay verify the apo-state structure and reveal the molecular details regarding substrate selectivity and substrate entry route. Our studies snapshot 3 functional states of LolCDE in a transport cycle, providing deep insights into the mechanisms that underlie LolCDE-mediated lipoprotein sorting in E. coli. Lipoproteins in Gram-negative bacteria are sorted to the outer membrane via the Lol export pathway. The ABC transporter LolCDE initiates this pathway by selectively extracting and transporting lipoproteins for trafficking; this study provides a structural basis for the LolCDE-mediated bacterial lipoprotein sorting, with implications for novel antibiotic design against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Bei
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingshan Luo
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huigang Shi
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haizhen Zhou
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Institute of Bio-analytical Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, No.200 Xiao Ling Wei Street, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinzheng Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (YH)
| | - Yihua Huang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (YH)
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22
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Giacometti SI, MacRae MR, Dancel-Manning K, Bhabha G, Ekiert DC. Lipid Transport Across Bacterial Membranes. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2022; 38:125-153. [PMID: 35850151 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120420-022914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The movement of lipids within and between membranes in bacteria is essential for building and maintaining the bacterial cell envelope. Moving lipids to their final destination is often energetically unfavorable and does not readily occur spontaneously. Bacteria have evolved several protein-mediated transport systems that bind specific lipid substrates and catalyze the transport of lipids across membranes and from one membrane to another. Specific protein flippases act in translocating lipids across the plasma membrane, overcoming the obstacle of moving relatively large and chemically diverse lipids between leaflets of the bilayer. Active transporters found in double-membraned bacteria have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to traffic lipids between the two membranes, including assembling to form large, multiprotein complexes that resemble bridges, shuttles, and tunnels, shielding lipids from the hydrophilic environment of the periplasm during transport. In this review, we explore our current understanding of the mechanisms thought to drive bacterial lipid transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina I Giacometti
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; , , ,
| | - Mark R MacRae
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; , , ,
| | - Kristen Dancel-Manning
- Office of Science and Research, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA;
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; , , ,
| | - Damian C Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; , , ,
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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23
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Ekiert DC, Coudray N, Bhabha G. Structure and mechanism of the bacterial lipid ABC transporter, MlaFEDB. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 76:102429. [PMID: 35981415 PMCID: PMC9509461 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is composed of an inner membrane, outer membane, and an intervening periplasmic space. How the outer membrane lipids are trafficked and assembled there, and how the asymmetry of the outer membrane is maintained is an area of intense research. The Mla system has been implicated in the maintenance of lipid asymmetry in the outer membrane, and is generally thought to drive the removal of mislocalized phospholipids from the outer membrane and their retrograde transport to the inner membrane. At the heart of the Mla pathway is a structurally unique ABC transporter complex in the inner membrane, called MlaFEDB. Recently, an explosion of cryo-EM studies has begun to shed light on the structure and lipid translocation mechanism of MlaFEDB, with many parallels to other ABC transporter families, including human ABCA and ABCG, as well as bacterial lipopolysaccharide and O-antigen transporters. Here we synthesize information from all available structures, and propose a model for lipid trafficking across the cell envelope by MlaFEDB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian C Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nicolas Coudray
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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24
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Zhang Y, Ge J, Bian X, Kumar A. Quantitative Models of Lipid Transfer and Membrane Contact Formation. CONTACT (THOUSAND OAKS (VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF.)) 2022; 5:1-21. [PMID: 36120532 DOI: 10.1177/25152564221096024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) transfer lipids between different organelles, and thus play key roles in lipid homeostasis and organelle dynamics. The lipid transfer often occurs at the membrane contact sites (MCS) where two membranes are held within 10-30 nm. While most LTPs act as a shuttle to transfer lipids, recent experiments reveal a new category of eukaryotic LTPs that may serve as a bridge to transport lipids in bulk at MCSs. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid transfer and MCS formation are not well understood. Here, we first review two recent studies of extended synaptotagmin (E-Syt)-mediated membrane binding and lipid transfer using novel approaches. Then we describe mathematical models to quantify the kinetics of lipid transfer by shuttle LTPs based on a lipid exchange mechanism. We find that simple lipid mixing among membranes of similar composition and/or lipid partitioning among membranes of distinct composition can explain lipid transfer against a concentration gradient widely observed for LTPs. We predict that selective transport of lipids, but not membrane proteins, by bridge LTPs leads to osmotic membrane tension by analogy to the osmotic pressure across a semipermeable membrane. A gradient of such tension and the conventional membrane tension may drive bulk lipid flow through bridge LTPs at a speed consistent with the fast membrane expansion observed in vivo. Finally, we discuss the implications of membrane tension and lipid transfer in organelle biogenesis. Overall, the quantitative models may help clarify the mechanisms of LTP-mediated MCS formation and lipid transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jinghua Ge
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xin Bian
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Present address: State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Avinash Kumar
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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25
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Furevi A, Udekwu KI, Widmalm G. Structural elucidation of the O-antigen polysaccharide from Escherichia coli O125ac and biosynthetic aspects thereof. Glycobiology 2022; 32:1089-1100. [PMID: 36087289 PMCID: PMC9680116 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli O125, the cause of infectious diarrheal disease, is comprised of two serogroups, viz., O125ab and O125ac, which display the aggregative adherence pattern with epithelial cells. Herein, the structure of the O-antigen polysaccharide from E. coli O125ac:H6 has been elucidated. Sugar analysis revealed the presence of fucose, mannose, galactose and N-acetyl-galactosamine as major components. Unassigned 1H and 13C NMR data from one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments of the O125ac O-antigen in conjunction with sugar components were used as input to the CASPER program, which can determine polysaccharide structure in a fully automated way, and resulted in the following branched pentasaccharide structure of the repeating unit: →4)[β-d-Galp-(1 → 3)]-β-d-GalpNAc-(1 → 2)-α-d-Manp-(1 → 3)-α-l-Fucp-(1 → 3)-α-d-GalpNAc-(1→, where the side chain is denoted by square brackets. The proposed O-antigen structure was confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR chemical shift assignments and determination of interresidue connectivities. Based on this structure, that of the O125ab O-antigen, which consists of hexasaccharide repeating units with an additional glucosyl group, was possible to establish in a semi-automated fashion by CASPER. The putative existence of gnu and gne in the gene clusters of the O125 serogroups is manifested by N-acetyl-d-galactosamine residues as the initial sugar residue of the biological repeating unit as well as within the repeating unit. The close similarity between O-antigen structures is consistent with the presence of two subgroups in the E. coli O125 serogroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Furevi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Klas I Udekwu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Göran Widmalm
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Organic Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. e-mail:
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26
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Wilson A, Ruiz N. The transmembrane α-helix of LptC participates in LPS extraction by the LptB 2 FGC transporter. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:61-76. [PMID: 35678757 PMCID: PMC9544173 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential component of the outer membrane of most Gram‐negative bacteria that provides resistance to various toxic compounds and antibiotics. Newly synthesized LPS is extracted from the inner membrane by the ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter LptB2FGC, which places the glycolipid onto a periplasmic protein bridge that connects to the outer membrane. This ABC transporter is structurally unusual in that it associates with an additional protein, LptC. The periplasmic domain of LptC is part of the transporter's bridge while its transmembrane α‐helix intercalates into the LPS‐binding cavity of the core LptB2FG transporter. LptC’s transmembrane helix affects the in vitro ATPase activity of LptB2FG, but its role in LPS transport in cells remains undefined. Here, we describe two roles of LptC’s transmembrane helix in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that it is required to maintain proper levels of LptC and participates in coupling the activity of the ATPase LptB to that of its transmembrane partners LptF/LptG prior to loading LPS onto the periplasmic bridge. Our data support a model in which the association of LptC’s transmembrane helix with LptFG creates a nonessential step that slows down the LPS transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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27
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Kumar S, Mollo A, Kahne D, Ruiz N. The Bacterial Cell Wall: From Lipid II Flipping to Polymerization. Chem Rev 2022; 122:8884-8910. [PMID: 35274942 PMCID: PMC9098691 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall is an extra-cytoplasmic glycopeptide polymeric structure that protects bacteria from osmotic lysis and determines cellular shape. Since the cell wall surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane, bacteria must add new material to the PG matrix during cell elongation and division. The lipid-linked precursor for PG biogenesis, Lipid II, is synthesized in the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane and is subsequently translocated across the bilayer so that the PG building block can be polymerized and cross-linked by complex multiprotein machines. This review focuses on major discoveries that have significantly changed our understanding of PG biogenesis in the past decade. In particular, we highlight progress made toward understanding the translocation of Lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane by the MurJ flippase, as well as the recent discovery of a novel class of PG polymerases, the SEDS (shape, elongation, division, and sporulation) glycosyltransferases RodA and FtsW. Since PG biogenesis is an effective target of antibiotics, these recent developments may lead to the discovery of much-needed new classes of antibiotics to fight bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Aurelio Mollo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Natividad Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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28
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Paracini N, Schneck E, Imberty A, Micciulla S. Lipopolysaccharides at Solid and Liquid Interfaces: Models for Biophysical Studies of the Gram-negative Bacterial Outer Membrane. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 301:102603. [PMID: 35093846 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are a constitutive element of the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria, representing the main lipid in the external leaflet of their outer membrane (OM) lipid bilayer. These unique surface-exposed glycolipids play a central role in the interactions of Gram-negative organisms with their surrounding environment and represent a key element for protection against antimicrobials and the development of antibiotic resistance. The biophysical investigation of a wide range of different types of in vitro model membranes containing reconstituted LPS has revealed functional and structural properties of these peculiar membrane lipids, providing molecular-level details of their interaction with antimicrobial compounds. LPS assemblies reconstituted at interfaces represent a versatile tool to study the properties of the Gram-negative OM by exploiting several surface-sensitive techniques, in particular X-ray and neutron scattering, which can probe the structure of thin films with sub-nanometer resolution. This review provides an overview of different approaches employed to investigate structural and biophysical properties of LPS, focusing on studies on Langmuir monolayers of LPS at the air/liquid interface and a range of supported LPS-containing model membranes reconstituted at solid/liquid interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emanuel Schneck
- Physics Departent, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Anne Imberty
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, Grenoble, France
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29
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Biosynthesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa common polysaccharide antigen by D-Rhamnosyltransferases WbpX and WbpY. Glycoconj J 2022; 39:393-411. [PMID: 35166992 PMCID: PMC8853325 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-022-10040-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa simultaneously expresses two O-antigenic glycoforms. While the O-specific antigen (OSA) is variable in composition, the common polysaccharide antigen (CPA) is highly conserved and is composed of a homopolymer of D-rhamnose (D-Rha) in trisaccharide repeating units [D-Rhaα1-2-D-Rhaα1-3-D-Rhaɑ1-3]n. We have previously reported that α3-D-Rha-transferase WbpZ transfers a D-Rha residue from GDP-D-Rha to D-GlcNAcα-O-PO3-PO3-(CH2)11-O-phenyl. Genes encoding two more D-Rha-transferases are found in the O antigen gene cluster (wbpX and wbpY). In this study we showed that WbpX and WbpY recombinantly expressed in E. coli differ in their donor and acceptor specificities and have properties of GT-B folded enzymes of the GT4 glycosyltransferase family. NMR spectroscopic analysis of the WbpY reaction product showed that WbpY transferred one D-Rha residue in α1-3 linkage to synthetic D-Rhaα1-3-D-GlcNAcα-O-PO3-PO3-(CH2)11-O-phenyl acceptor. WbpX synthesized several products that contained D-Rha in both α1-2 and α1-3 linkages. Mass spectrometry indicated that the mixture of WbpX and WbpY efficiently catalyzed the synthesis of D-Rha oligomers in a non-processive mechanism. Since O antigens are virulence factors, these findings open the door to advancing technology for antibacterial drug discovery and vaccine development.
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30
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Martorana AM, Moura ECCM, Sperandeo P, Di Vincenzo F, Liang X, Toone E, Zhou P, Polissi A. Degradation of Components of the Lpt Transenvelope Machinery Reveals LPS-Dependent Lpt Complex Stability in Escherichia coli. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:758228. [PMID: 35004843 PMCID: PMC8727689 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.758228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a peculiar component of the outer membrane (OM) of many Gram-negative bacteria that renders these bacteria highly impermeable to many toxic molecules, including antibiotics. LPS is assembled at the OM by a dedicated intermembrane transport system, the Lpt (LPS transport) machinery, composed of seven essential proteins located in the inner membrane (IM) (LptB2CFG), periplasm (LptA), and OM (LptDE). Defects in LPS transport compromise LPS insertion and assembly at the OM and result in an overall modification of the cell envelope and its permeability barrier properties. LptA is a key component of the Lpt machine. It connects the IM and OM sub-complexes by interacting with the IM protein LptC and the OM protein LptD, thus enabling the LPS transport across the periplasm. Defects in Lpt system assembly result in LptA degradation whose stability can be considered a marker of an improperly assembled Lpt system. Indeed, LptA recruitment by its IM and OM docking sites requires correct maturation of the LptB2CFG and LptDE sub-complexes, respectively. These quality control checkpoints are crucial to avoid LPS mistargeting. To further dissect the requirements for the complete Lpt transenvelope bridge assembly, we explored the importance of LPS presence by blocking its synthesis using an inhibitor compound. Here, we found that the interruption of LPS synthesis results in the degradation of both LptA and LptD, suggesting that, in the absence of the LPS substrate, the stability of the Lpt complex is compromised. Under these conditions, DegP, a major chaperone–protease in Escherichia coli, is responsible for LptD but not LptA degradation. Importantly, LptD and LptA stability is not affected by stressors disturbing the integrity of LPS or peptidoglycan layers, further supporting the notion that the LPS substrate is fundamental to keeping the Lpt transenvelope complex assembled and that LptA and LptD play a major role in the stability of the Lpt system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra M Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabete C C M Moura
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Sperandeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavia Di Vincenzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Xiaofei Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Eric Toone
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Pei Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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31
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Thélot FA, Liao M. Cryo-EM Analysis of the Lipopolysaccharide Flippase MsbA. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2548:233-247. [PMID: 36151501 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2581-1_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
MsbA is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family and harnesses the energy from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding and hydrolysis to flip lipopolysaccharide (LPS) across the cytoplasmic membrane in Gram-negative bacteria. MsbA is an essential component of the bacterial envelope biogenesis pathway and an attractive target for developing novel antibiotics against multidrug-resistant strains. Structural characterization of MsbA in different conformations provides crucial insights in understanding druggable pockets and mechanisms of inhibition of this transporter. Recent advances in membrane-mimetic environments and cryo-EM data acquisition and processing have enabled high-resolution imaging of MsbA in complex with its native LPS substrate. Despite these technical advances, MsbA remains a challenging target for cryo-EM analysis due to its small size and extraordinary conformational flexibility. Herein, we provide a protocol for the purification and incorporation of MsbA in lipid nanodiscs, cryo-EM sample preparation, and cryo-EM image processing. The method outlined here is generalizable to the study of other bacterial ABC transporters, including the LPS extractor LptB2FGC.
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Affiliation(s)
- François A Thélot
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maofu Liao
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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32
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Vieni C, Coudray N, Isom GL, Bhabha G, Ekiert DC. Role of Ring6 in the function of the E. coli MCE protein LetB. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167463. [PMID: 35077766 PMCID: PMC9112829 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
LetB is a tunnel-forming protein found in the cell envelope of some double-membraned bacteria, and is thought to be important for the transport of lipids between the inner and outer membranes. In Escherichia coli the LetB tunnel is formed from a stack of seven rings (Ring1 - Ring7), in which each ring is composed of a homo-hexameric assembly of MCE domains. The primary sequence of each MCE domain of the LetB protein is substantially divergent from the others, making each MCE ring unique in nature. The role of each MCE domain and how it contributes to the function of LetB is not well understood. Here we probed the importance of each MCE ring for the function of LetB, using a combination of bacterial growth assays and cryo-EM. Surprisingly, we find that ΔRing3 and ΔRing6 mutants, in which Ring3 and Ring6 have been deleted, confer increased resistance to membrane perturbing agents. Specific mutations in the pore-lining loops of Ring6 similarly confer increased resistance. A cryo-EM structure of the ΔRing6 mutant shows that despite the absence of Ring6, which leads to a shorter assembly, the overall architecture is maintained, highlighting the modular nature of MCE proteins. Previous work has shown that Ring6 is dynamic and in its closed state, may restrict the passage of substrate through the tunnel. Our work suggests that removal of Ring6 may relieve this restriction. The deletion of Ring6 combined with mutations in the pore-lining loops leads to a model for the tunnel gating mechanism of LetB. Together, these results provide insight into the functional roles of individual MCE domains and pore-lining loops in the LetB protein.
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33
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Egea PF. Mechanisms of Non-Vesicular Exchange of Lipids at Membrane Contact Sites: Of Shuttles, Tunnels and, Funnels. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:784367. [PMID: 34912813 PMCID: PMC8667587 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.784367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are characterized by their exquisite compartmentalization resulting from a cornucopia of membrane-bound organelles. Each of these compartments hosts a flurry of biochemical reactions and supports biological functions such as genome storage, membrane protein and lipid biosynthesis/degradation and ATP synthesis, all essential to cellular life. Acting as hubs for the transfer of matter and signals between organelles and throughout the cell, membrane contacts sites (MCSs), sites of close apposition between membranes from different organelles, are essential to cellular homeostasis. One of the now well-acknowledged function of MCSs involves the non-vesicular trafficking of lipids; its characterization answered one long-standing question of eukaryotic cell biology revealing how some organelles receive and distribute their membrane lipids in absence of vesicular trafficking. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in synergy with the mitochondria, stands as the nexus for the biosynthesis and distribution of phospholipids (PLs) throughout the cell by contacting nearly all other organelle types. MCSs create and maintain lipid fluxes and gradients essential to the functional asymmetry and polarity of biological membranes throughout the cell. Membrane apposition is mediated by proteinaceous tethers some of which function as lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). We summarize here the current state of mechanistic knowledge of some of the major classes of LTPs and tethers based on the available atomic to near-atomic resolution structures of several "model" MCSs from yeast but also in Metazoans; we describe different models of lipid transfer at MCSs and analyze the determinants of their specificity and directionality. Each of these systems illustrate fundamental principles and mechanisms for the non-vesicular exchange of lipids between eukaryotic membrane-bound organelles essential to a wide range of cellular processes such as at PL biosynthesis and distribution, lipid storage, autophagy and organelle biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal F Egea
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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34
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MsbA: an ABC transporter paradigm. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2917-2927. [PMID: 34821931 DOI: 10.1042/bst20211030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters play an important role in various cellular processes. They display a similar architecture and share a mechanism which couples ATP hydrolysis to substrate transport. However, in the light of current data and recent experimental progress, this protein superfamily appears as multifaceted as their broad substrate range. Among the prokaryotic ABC transporters, MsbA can serve as a paradigm for research in this field. It is located in the inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and functions as a floppase for the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) precursor core-LPS, which is involved in the biogenesis of the bacterial outer membrane. While MsbA shows high similarity to eukaryotic ABC transporters, its expression in Gram-negative bacteria makes it conveniently accessible for many experimental approaches from spectroscopy to 3D structure determination. As an essential protein for bacterial membrane integrity, MsbA has also become an attractive target for the development of novel antibiotics. Furthermore, it serves as a model for multidrug efflux pumps. Here we provide an overview of recent findings and their relevance to the field, highlight the potential of methods such as solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopy and provide a perspective for future work.
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35
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Abstract
Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates produce a range of different polysaccharide structures that play important roles in their biology. E. coli isolates often possess capsular polysaccharides (K antigens), which form a surface structural layer. These possess a wide range of repeat-unit structures. In contrast, only one capsular polymer (Vi antigen) is found in Salmonella, and it is confined to typhoidal serovars. In both genera, capsules are vital virulence determinants and are associated with the avoidance of host immune defenses. Some isolates of these species also produce a largely secreted exopolysaccharide called colanic acid as part of their complex Rcs-regulated phenotypes, but the precise function of this polysaccharide in microbial cell biology is not fully understood. E. coli isolates produce two additional secreted polysaccharides, bacterial cellulose and poly-N-acetylglucosamine, which play important roles in biofilm formation. Cellulose is also produced by Salmonella isolates, but the genes for poly-N-acetylglucosamine synthesis appear to have been lost during its evolution toward enhanced virulence. Here, we discuss the structures, functions, relationships, and sophisticated assembly mechanisms for these important biopolymers.
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36
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Guo D, Singh H, Shimoyama A, Guffick C, Tang Y, Rowe SM, Noel T, Spring DR, Fukase K, van Veen HW. Energetics of lipid transport by the ABC transporter MsbA is lipid dependent. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1379. [PMID: 34887543 PMCID: PMC8660845 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02902-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ABC multidrug exporter MsbA mediates the translocation of lipopolysaccharides and phospholipids across the plasma membrane in Gram-negative bacteria. Although MsbA is structurally well characterised, the energetic requirements of lipid transport remain unknown. Here, we report that, similar to the transport of small-molecule antibiotics and cytotoxic agents, the flopping of physiologically relevant long-acyl-chain 1,2-dioleoyl (C18)-phosphatidylethanolamine in proteoliposomes requires the simultaneous input of ATP binding and hydrolysis and the chemical proton gradient as sources of metabolic energy. In contrast, the flopping of the large hexa-acylated (C12-C14) Lipid-A anchor of lipopolysaccharides is only ATP dependent. This study demonstrates that the energetics of lipid transport by MsbA is lipid dependent. As our mutational analyses indicate lipid and drug transport via the central binding chamber in MsbA, the lipid availability in the membrane can affect the drug transport activity and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Himansha Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Atsushi Shimoyama
- Department of Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Charlotte Guffick
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Yakun Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Sam M Rowe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Timothy Noel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - David R Spring
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Koichi Fukase
- Department of Chemistry, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Hendrik W van Veen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK.
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37
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Thoma J, Burmann BM. Architects of their own environment: How membrane proteins shape the Gram-negative cell envelope. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:1-34. [PMID: 35034716 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are surrounded by a complex multilayered cell envelope, consisting of an inner and an outer membrane, and separated by the aqueous periplasm, which contains a thin peptidoglycan cell wall. These bacteria employ an arsenal of highly specialized membrane protein machineries to ensure the correct assembly and maintenance of the membranes forming the cell envelope. Here, we review the diverse protein systems, which perform these functions in Escherichia coli, such as the folding and insertion of membrane proteins, the transport of lipoproteins and lipopolysaccharide within the cell envelope, the targeting of phospholipids, and the regulation of mistargeted envelope components. Some of these protein machineries have been known for a long time, yet still hold surprises. Others have only recently been described and some are still missing pieces or yet remain to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Thoma
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden; Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.
| | - Björn M Burmann
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden; Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
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38
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YhdP, TamB, and YdbH Are Redundant but Essential for Growth and Lipid Homeostasis of the Gram-Negative Outer Membrane. mBio 2021; 12:e0271421. [PMID: 34781743 PMCID: PMC8593681 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02714-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell envelope is the first line of defense and point of contact with the environment and other organisms. Envelope biogenesis is therefore crucial for the survival and physiology of bacteria and is often targeted by antimicrobials. Gram-negative bacteria have a multilayered envelope delimited by an inner and outer membrane (IM and OM, respectively). The OM is a barrier against many antimicrobials because of its asymmetric lipid structure, with phospholipids composing the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) the outer leaflet. Since lipid synthesis occurs at the IM, phospholipids and LPS are transported across the cell envelope and asymmetrically assembled at the OM during growth. How phospholipids are transported to the OM remains unknown. Recently, the Escherichia coli protein YhdP has been proposed to participate in this process through an unknown mechanism. YhdP belongs to the AsmA-like clan and contains domains homologous to those found in lipid transporters. Here, we used genetics to investigate the six members of the AsmA-like clan of proteins in E. coli. Our data show that YhdP and its paralogs TamB and YdbH are redundant, but not equivalent, in performing an essential function in the cell envelope. Among the AsmA-like paralogs, only the combined loss of YhdP, TamB, and YdbH is lethal, and any of these three proteins is sufficient for growth. We also show that these proteins are required for OM lipid homeostasis and propose that they are the long-sought-after phospholipid transporters that are required for OM biogenesis.
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39
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Su Y, Xu Y, Liang H, Yuan G, Wu X, Zheng D. Genome-Wide Identification of Ralstonia solanacearum Genes Required for Survival in Tomato Plants. mSystems 2021; 6:e0083821. [PMID: 34636662 PMCID: PMC8510521 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00838-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ralstonia solanacearum is an extremely destructive phytopathogenic bacterium for which there is no effective control method. Though many pathogenic factors have been identified, the survival strategies of R. solanacearum in host plants remain unclear. Transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) is a high-throughput genetic screening technology. This study conducted a Tn-seq analysis using the in planta environment as selective pressure to identify R. solanacearum genes required for survival in tomato plants. One hundred thirty genes were identified as putative genes required for survival in tomato plants. Sixty-three of these genes were classified into four Clusters of Orthologous Groups categories. The absence of genes that encode the outer membrane lipoprotein LolB (RS_RS01965) or the membrane protein RS_RS04475 severely decreased the in planta fitness of R. solanacearum. RS_RS09970 and RS_RS04490 are involved in tryptophan and serine biosynthesis, respectively. Mutants that lack RS_RS09970 or RS_RS04490 did not cause any wilt symptoms in susceptible tomato plants. These results confirmed the importance of genes related to "cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis" and "amino acid transport and metabolism" for survival in plants. The gene encoding NADH-quinone oxidoreductase subunit B (RS_RS10340) is one of the 13 identified genes involved in "energy production and conversion," and the Clp protease gene (RS_RS08645) is one of the 11 identified genes assigned to "posttranslational modification, protein turnover, and chaperones." Both genes were confirmed to be required for survival in plants. In conclusion, this study globally identified and validated R. solanacearum genes required for survival in tomato plants and provided essential information for a more complete view of the pathogenic mechanism of R. solanacearum. IMPORTANCE Tomato plant xylem is a nutritionally limiting and dynamically changing habitat. Studies on how R. solanacearum survives in this hostile environment are important for our full understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of this bacterium. Though many omics approaches have been employed to study in planta survival strategies, the direct genome-wide identification of R. solanacearum genes required for survival in plants is still lacking. This study performed a Tn-seq analysis in R. solanacearum and revealed that genes in the categories "cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis," "amino acid transport and metabolism," "energy production and conversion," "posttranslational modification, protein turnover, chaperones" and others play important roles in the survival of R. solanacearum in tomato plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxing Su
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agro-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanan Xu
- Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hailing Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agro-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gaoqing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agro-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agro-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dehong Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agro-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
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40
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Baeta T, Giandoreggio-Barranco K, Ayala I, Moura ECCM, Sperandeo P, Polissi A, Simorre JP, Laguri C. The lipopolysaccharide-transporter complex LptB 2FG also displays adenylate kinase activity in vitro dependent on the binding partners LptC/LptA. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101313. [PMID: 34673027 PMCID: PMC8633020 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential glycolipid that covers the surface of gram-negative bacteria. The transport of LPS involves a dedicated seven-protein transporter system called the lipopolysaccharide transport system (Lpt) machinery that physically spans the entire cell envelope. The LptB2FG complex is an ABC transporter that hydrolyzes ATP to extract LPS from the inner membrane for transport to the outer membrane. Here, we extracted LptB2FG directly from the inner membrane with its original lipid environment using styrene-maleic acid polymers. We found that styrene-maleic acid polymers–LptB2FG in nanodiscs display not only ATPase activity but also a previously uncharacterized adenylate kinase (AK) activity, as it catalyzed phosphotransfer between two ADP molecules to generate ATP and AMP. The ATPase and AK activities of LptB2FG were both stimulated by the interaction on the periplasmic side with the periplasmic LPS transport proteins LptC and LptA and inhibited by the presence of the LptC transmembrane helix. We determined that the isolated ATPase module (LptB) had weak AK activity in the absence of transmembrane proteins LptF and LptG, and one mutation in LptB that weakens its affinity for ADP led to AK activity similar to that of fully assembled complex. Thus, we conclude that LptB2FG is capable of producing ATP from ADP, depending on the assembly of the Lpt bridge, and that this AK activity might be important to ensure efficient LPS transport in the fully assembled Lpt system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Baeta
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Isabel Ayala
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Elisabete C C M Moura
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Sperandeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Cedric Laguri
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France.
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41
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Fiorentino F, Rotili D, Mai A, Bolla JR, Robinson CV. Mass spectrometry enables the discovery of inhibitors of an LPS transport assembly via disruption of protein-protein interactions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:10747-10750. [PMID: 34585198 PMCID: PMC7614387 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc04186j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We developed a native mass spectrometry-based approach to quantify the monomer-dimer equilibrium of the LPS transport protein LptH. We use this method to assess the potency and efficacy of an antimicrobial peptide and small molecule disruptors, obtaining new information on their structure-activity relationships. This approach led to the identification of quinoline-based hit compounds representing the basis for the development of novel LPS transport inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Fiorentino
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK. .,The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, 3 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Drug Chemistry & Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry & Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.
| | - Jani R Bolla
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK. .,The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, 3 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Carol V Robinson
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK.
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42
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Vickery ON, Stansfeld PJ. CG2AT2: an Enhanced Fragment-Based Approach for Serial Multi-scale Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:6472-6482. [PMID: 34492188 PMCID: PMC8515810 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Coarse-grained molecular
dynamics provides a means for simulating
the assembly and interactions of macromolecular complexes at a reduced
level of representation, thereby allowing both longer timescale and
larger sized simulations. Here, we describe an enhanced fragment-based
protocol for converting macromolecular complexes from coarse-grained
to atomistic resolution, for further refinement and analysis. While
the focus is upon systems that comprise an integral membrane protein
embedded in a phospholipid bilayer, the technique is also suitable
for membrane-anchored and soluble protein/nucleotide complexes. Overall,
this provides a method for generating an accurate and well-equilibrated
atomic-level description of a macromolecular complex. The approach
is evaluated using a diverse test set of 11 system configurations
of varying size and complexity. Simulations are assessed in terms
of protein stereochemistry, conformational drift, lipid/protein interactions,
and lipid dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen N Vickery
- School of Life Sciences & Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Phillip J Stansfeld
- School of Life Sciences & Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
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43
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Abidi W, Torres-Sánchez L, Siroy A, Krasteva PV. Weaving of bacterial cellulose by the Bcs secretion systems. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6388354. [PMID: 34634120 PMCID: PMC8892547 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellulose is the most abundant biological compound on Earth and while it is the predominant building constituent of plants, it is also a key extracellular matrix component in many diverse bacterial species. While bacterial cellulose was first described in the 19th century, it was not until this last decade that a string of structural works provided insights into how the cellulose synthase BcsA, assisted by its inner-membrane partner BcsB, senses c-di-GMP to simultaneously polymerize its substrate and extrude the nascent polysaccharide across the inner bacterial membrane. It is now established that bacterial cellulose can be produced by several distinct types of cellulose secretion systems and that in addition to BcsAB, they can feature multiple accessory subunits, often indispensable for polysaccharide production. Importantly, the last years mark significant progress in our understanding not only of cellulose polymerization per se but also of the bigger picture of bacterial signaling, secretion system assembly, biofilm formation and host tissue colonization, as well as of structural and functional parallels of this dominant biosynthetic process between the bacterial and eukaryotic domains of life. Here, we review current mechanistic knowledge on bacterial cellulose secretion with focus on the structure, assembly and cooperativity of Bcs secretion system components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiem Abidi
- 'Structural Biology of Biofilms' group, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB), F-33600 Pessac, France.,Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, F-33600 Pessac, France.,École doctorale 'Innovation thérapeutique: du fundamental à l'appliqué' (ITFA), Université Paris-Saclay, 92296, Chatenay-Malabry, France
| | - Lucía Torres-Sánchez
- 'Structural Biology of Biofilms' group, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB), F-33600 Pessac, France.,Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, F-33600 Pessac, France.,École doctorale 'Innovation thérapeutique: du fundamental à l'appliqué' (ITFA), Université Paris-Saclay, 92296, Chatenay-Malabry, France
| | - Axel Siroy
- 'Structural Biology of Biofilms' group, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB), F-33600 Pessac, France.,Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Petya Violinova Krasteva
- 'Structural Biology of Biofilms' group, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB), F-33600 Pessac, France.,Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, F-33600 Pessac, France
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44
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Scarbrough BA, Eade CR, Reid AJ, Williams TC, Troutman JM. Lipopolysaccharide Is a 4-Aminoarabinose Donor to Exogenous Polyisoprenyl Phosphates through the Reverse Reaction of the Enzyme ArnT. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:25729-25741. [PMID: 34632229 PMCID: PMC8495848 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Modification of the lipid A portion of LPS with cationic monosaccharides provides resistance to polymyxins, which are often employed as a last resort to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Here, we describe the use of fluorescent polyisoprenoids, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and bacterial genetics to probe the activity of membrane-localized proteins that utilize the 55-carbon lipid carrier bactoprenyl phosphate (BP). We have discovered that a substantial background reaction occurs when B-strain E. coli cell membrane fractions are supplemented with exogenous BP. This reaction involves proteins associated with the arn operon, which is necessary for the covalent modification of lipid A with the cationic 4-aminoarabinose (Ara4N). Using a series of arn operon gene deletion mutants, we identified that the modification was dependent on ArnC, which is responsible for forming BP-linked Ara4N, or ArnT, which transfers Ara4N to lipid A. Surprisingly, we found that the majority of the Ara4N-modified isoprenoid was due to the reverse reaction catalyzed by ArnT and demonstrate this using heat-inactivated membrane fractions, isolated lipopolysaccharide fractions, and analyses of a purified ArnT. This work provides methods that will facilitate thorough and rapid investigation of bacterial outer membrane remodeling and the evaluation of polyisoprenoid precursors required for covalent glycan modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A. Scarbrough
- Nanoscale
Science Program, The University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, United States
| | - Colleen R. Eade
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, United States
| | - Amanda J. Reid
- Nanoscale
Science Program, The University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, United States
| | - Tiffany C. Williams
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, United States
| | - Jerry M. Troutman
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, United States
- Nanoscale
Science Program, The University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, United States
- . Phone: 704-687-5180
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45
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Leonzino M, Reinisch KM, De Camilli P. Insights into VPS13 properties and function reveal a new mechanism of eukaryotic lipid transport. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2021; 1866:159003. [PMID: 34216812 PMCID: PMC8325632 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2021.159003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of protein mediated lipid transfer between intracellular membranes has been known since the late 1960's. Since these early discoveries, numerous proteins responsible for such transport, which often act at membrane contact sites, have been identified. Typically, they comprise a lipid harboring module thought to shuttle back and forth between the two adjacent bilayers. Recently, however, studies of the chorein domain protein family, which includes VPS13 and ATG2, has led to the identification of a novel mechanism of lipid transport between organelles in eukaryotic cells mediated by a rod-like protein bridge with a hydrophobic groove through which lipids can slide. This mechanism is ideally suited for bulk transport of bilayer lipids to promote membrane growth. Here we describe how studies of VPS13 led to the discovery of this new mechanism, summarize properties and known roles of VPS13 proteins, and discuss how their dysfunction may lead to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Leonzino
- Department of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy and Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, MI, Italy.
| | - Karin M Reinisch
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| | - Pietro De Camilli
- Department of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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46
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Abstract
Polysaccharides are often the most abundant antigens found on the extracellular surfaces of bacterial cells. These polysaccharides play key roles in interactions with the outside world, and for many bacterial pathogens, they represent what is presented to the human immune system. As a result, many vaccines have been or currently are being developed against carbohydrate antigens. In this review, we explore the diversity of capsular polysaccharides (CPS) in Salmonella and other selected bacterial species and explain the classification and function of CPS as vaccine antigens. Despite many vaccines being developed using carbohydrate antigens, the low immunogenicity and the diversity of infecting strains and serovars present an antigen formulation challenge to manufacturers. Vaccines tend to focus on common serovars or have changing formulations over time, reflecting the trends in human infection, which can be costly and time-consuming. We summarize the approaches to generate carbohydrate-based vaccines for Salmonella, describe vaccines that are in development and emphasize the need for an effective vaccine against non-typhoidal Salmonella strains.
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47
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Reinisch KM, Prinz WA. Mechanisms of nonvesicular lipid transport. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:211813. [PMID: 33605998 PMCID: PMC7901144 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202012058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We have long known that lipids traffic between cellular membranes via vesicles but have only recently appreciated the role of nonvesicular lipid transport. Nonvesicular transport can be high volume, supporting biogenesis of rapidly expanding membranes, or more targeted and precise, allowing cells to rapidly alter levels of specific lipids in membranes. Most such transport probably occurs at membrane contact sites, where organelles are closely apposed, and requires lipid transport proteins (LTPs), which solubilize lipids to shield them from the aqueous phase during their transport between membranes. Some LTPs are cup like and shuttle lipid monomers between membranes. Others form conduits allowing lipid flow between membranes. This review describes what we know about nonvesicular lipid transfer mechanisms while also identifying many remaining unknowns: How do LTPs facilitate lipid movement from and into membranes, do LTPs require accessory proteins for efficient transfer in vivo, and how is directionality of transport determined?
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin M Reinisch
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - William A Prinz
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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48
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Lipopolysaccharide Transport System Links Physiological Roles of σ E and ArcA in the Cell Envelope Biogenesis in Shewanella oneidensis. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0069021. [PMID: 34406804 PMCID: PMC8552667 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00690-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell envelope is not only a protective structure that surrounds the cytoplasm but also the place where a myriad of biological processes take place. This multilayered complex is particularly important for electroactive bacteria such as Shewanella oneidensis, as it generally hosts branched electron transport chains and numerous reductases for extracellular respiration. However, little is known about how the integrity of the cell envelope is established and maintained in these bacteria. By tracing the synthetic lethal effect of Arc two-component system and σE in S. oneidensis, in this study, we identified the lipopolysaccharide transport (Lpt) system as the determining factor. Both Arc and σE, by regulating transcription of lptFG and lptD, respectively, are required for the Lpt system to function properly. The ArcA loss results in an LptFG shortage that triggers activation of σE and leads to LptD overproduction. LptFG and LptD at abnormal levels cause a defect in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transport, leading to cell death unless σE-dependent envelope stress response is in place. Overall, our report reveals for the first time that Arc works together with σE to maintain the integrity of the S. oneidensis cell envelope by participating in the regulation of the LPS transport system. IMPORTANCE Arc is a well-characterized global regulatory system that modulates cellular respiration by responding to changes in the redox status in bacterial cells. In addition to regulating expression of respiratory enzymes, Shewanella oneidensis Arc also plays a critical role in cell envelope integrity. The absence of Arc and master envelope stress response (ESR) regulator σE causes a synthetic lethal phenotype. Our research shows that the Arc loss downregulates lptFG expression, leading to cell envelope defects that require σE-mediated ESR for viability. The complex mechanisms revealed here underscore the importance of the interplay between global regulators in bacterial adaption to their natural inhabits.
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49
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Reconstitution of Bam Complex-Mediated Assembly of a Trimeric Porin into Proteoliposomes. mBio 2021; 12:e0169621. [PMID: 34399610 PMCID: PMC8406188 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01696-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many integral membrane proteins form oligomeric complexes, but the assembly of these structures is poorly understood. Here, we show that the assembly of OmpC, a trimeric porin that resides in the Escherichia coli outer membrane (OM), can be reconstituted in vitro. Although we observed the insertion of both urea-denatured and in vitro-synthesized OmpC into pure lipid vesicles at physiological pH, the protein assembled only into dead-end dimers. In contrast, in vitro-synthesized OmpC was inserted into proteoliposomes that contained the barrel assembly machinery (Bam) complex, a conserved heterooligomer that catalyzes protein integration into the bacterial OM, and folded into heat-stable trimers by passing through a short-lived dimeric intermediate. Interestingly, complete OmpC assembly was also dependent on the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a glycolipid located exclusively in the OM. Our results strongly suggest that trimeric porins form through a stepwise process that requires the integration of the protein into the OM in an assembly-competent state. Furthermore, our results provide surprising evidence that interaction with LPS is required not only for trimerization but also for the productive insertion of individual subunits into the lipid bilayer.
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50
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Chen S, Zhu H, Sun J, Zhu L, Qin L, Wan J. Anti-inflammatory effects of miR-150 are associated with the downregulation of STAT1 in macrophages following lipopolysaccharide treatment. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1049. [PMID: 34434263 PMCID: PMC8353636 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is a condition that is associated with high rates of mortality. It is characterized by serious systemic inflammatory responses induced by pathogenic invasion. Although microRNA-150 (miR-150) has been previously reported to be involved in the modulation of sepsis, the underlying molecular mechanism in sepsis remains poorly understood. In the present study, the human monocytic cell line THP-1 was treated with LPS to mimic sepsis in vitro, following which miR-150 and STAT1 expression were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR or western blotting. Secretion of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) into the medium were measured by ELISA. The potential relationship between STAT1 and miR-150 was determined using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. miR-150 expression was found to be was downregulated by LPS treatment in THP-1 cells in both dose- and time-dependent manners. LPS treatment also induced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α secretion in a manner that could be inhibited by miR-150 overexpression and enhanced by transfection with the miR-150 inhibitor. miR-150 was revealed to directly target STAT1 by negatively regulating its expression. In addition, STAT1 expression was demonstrated to be upregulated by LPS treatment. STAT1 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-150 overexpression on IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α secretion whilst STAT1 knockdown attenuated IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α secretion induced by miR-150 inhibitor transfection. In conclusion, the present study suggested that miR-150 regulates the inflammatory response in macrophages following LPS challenge by regulating the expression of STAT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Chen
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai University of Health and Science, Shanghai 201200, P.R. China
| | - Haijun Zhu
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai University of Health and Science, Shanghai 201200, P.R. China
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai University of Health and Science, Shanghai 201200, P.R. China
| | - Lili Zhu
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai University of Health and Science, Shanghai 201200, P.R. China
| | - Long Qin
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai University of Health and Science, Shanghai 201200, P.R. China
| | - Jian Wan
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai University of Health and Science, Shanghai 201200, P.R. China
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