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Perkins A, Tudorica DA, Teixeira RD, Schirmer T, Zumwalt L, Ogba OM, Cassidy CK, Stansfeld PJ, Guillemin K. A Bacterial Inflammation Sensor Regulates c-di-GMP Signaling, Adhesion, and Biofilm Formation. mBio 2021; 12:e0017321. [PMID: 34154415 PMCID: PMC8262984 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00173-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria that colonize animals must overcome, or coexist, with the reactive oxygen species products of inflammation, a front-line defense of innate immunity. Among these is the neutrophilic oxidant bleach, hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a potent antimicrobial that plays a primary role in killing bacteria through nonspecific oxidation of proteins, lipids, and DNA. Here, we report that in response to increasing HOCl levels, Escherichia coli regulates biofilm production via activation of the diguanylate cyclase DgcZ. We identify the mechanism of DgcZ sensing of HOCl to be direct oxidation of its regulatory chemoreceptor zinc-binding (CZB) domain. Dissection of CZB signal transduction reveals that oxidation of the conserved zinc-binding cysteine controls CZB Zn2+ occupancy, which in turn regulates the catalysis of c-di-GMP by the associated GGDEF domain. We find DgcZ-dependent biofilm formation and HOCl sensing to be regulated in vivo by the conserved zinc-coordinating cysteine. Additionally, point mutants that mimic oxidized CZB states increase total biofilm. A survey of bacterial genomes reveals that many pathogenic bacteria that manipulate host inflammation as part of their colonization strategy possess CZB-regulated diguanylate cyclases and chemoreceptors. Our findings suggest that CZB domains are zinc-sensitive regulators that allow host-associated bacteria to perceive host inflammation through reactivity with HOCl. IMPORTANCE Immune cells are well equipped to eliminate invading bacteria, and one of their primary tools is the synthesis of bleach, hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the same chemical used as a household disinfectant. In this work, we present findings showing that many host-associated bacteria possess a bleach-sensing protein that allows them to adapt to the presence of this chemical in their environment. We find that the bacterium Escherichia coli responds to bleach by hunkering down and producing a sticky matrix known as biofilm, which helps it aggregate and adhere to surfaces. This behavior may play an important role in pathogenicity for E. coli and other bacteria, as it allows the bacteria to detect and adapt to the weapons of the host immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arden Perkins
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Dan A. Tudorica
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | | | | | - Lindsay Zumwalt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Program, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - O. Maduka Ogba
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Program, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - C. Keith Cassidy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip J. Stansfeld
- School of Life Sciences & Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Guillemin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Humans and the Microbiome Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Zumwalt L, Perkins A, Ogba OM. Mechanism and Chemoselectivity for HOCl-Mediated Oxidation of Zinc-Bound Thiolates. Chemphyschem 2020; 21:2384-2387. [PMID: 32915482 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Quantum mechanical calculations reveal the preferred mechanism and origins of chemoselectivity for HOCl-mediated oxidation of zinc-bound thiolates implicated in bacterial redox sensing. Distortion/interaction models show that minimizing geometric distortion at the zinc complex during the rate-limiting nucleophilic substitution step controls the mechanistic preference for OH over Cl transfer with HOCl and the chemoselectivity for HOCl over H2 O2 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Zumwalt
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Program, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, U.S.A
| | - Arden Perkins
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, 1585 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403, U.S.A
| | - O Maduka Ogba
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Program, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, U.S.A
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Abstract
Neutrophils kill invading microbes and therefore represent the first line of defense of the innate immune response. Activated neutrophils assemble NADPH oxidase to convert substantial amounts of molecular oxygen into superoxide, which, after dismutation into peroxide, serves as the substrate for the generation of the potent antimicrobial hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in the phagosomal space. In this minireview, we explore the most recent insights into physiological consequences of HOCl stress. Not surprisingly, Gram-negative bacteria have evolved diverse posttranslational defense mechanisms to protect their proteins, the main targets of HOCl, from HOCl-mediated damage. We discuss the idea that oxidation of conserved cysteine residues and partial unfolding of its structure convert the heat shock protein Hsp33 into a highly active chaperone holdase that binds unfolded proteins and prevents their aggregation. We examine two novel members of the Escherichia coli chaperone holdase family, RidA and CnoX, whose thiol-independent activation mechanism differs from that of Hsp33 and requires N-chlorination of positively charged amino acids during HOCl exposure. Furthermore, we summarize the latest findings with respect to another bacterial defense strategy employed in response to HOCl stress, which involves the accumulation of the universally conserved biopolymer inorganic polyphosphate. We then discuss sophisticated adaptive strategies that bacteria have developed to enhance their survival during HOCl stress. Understanding bacterial defense and survival strategies against one of the most powerful neutrophilic oxidants may provide novel insights into treatment options that potentially compromise the ability of pathogens to resist HOCl stress and therefore may increase the efficacy of the innate immune response.
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Perkins A, Tudorica DA, Amieva MR, Remington SJ, Guillemin K. Helicobacter pylori senses bleach (HOCl) as a chemoattractant using a cytosolic chemoreceptor. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000395. [PMID: 31465435 PMCID: PMC6715182 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori requires a noncanonical cytosolic chemoreceptor transducer-like protein D (TlpD) for efficient colonization of the mammalian stomach. Here, we reconstituted a complete chemotransduction signaling complex in vitro with TlpD and the chemotaxis (Che) proteins CheW and CheA, enabling quantitative assays for potential chemotaxis ligands. We found that TlpD is selectively sensitive at micromolar concentrations to bleach (hypochlorous acid, HOCl), a potent antimicrobial produced by neutrophil myeloperoxidase during inflammation. HOCl acts as a chemoattractant by reversibly oxidizing a conserved cysteine within a 3His/1Cys Zn-binding motif in TlpD that inactivates the chemotransduction signaling complex. We found that H. pylori is resistant to killing by millimolar concentrations of HOCl and responds to HOCl in the micromolar range by increasing its smooth-swimming behavior, leading to chemoattraction to HOCl sources. We show related protein domains from Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli possess similar reactivity toward HOCl. We propose that this family of proteins enables host-associated bacteria to sense sites of tissue inflammation, a strategy that H. pylori uses to aid in colonizing and persisting in inflamed gastric tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arden Perkins
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Dan A. Tudorica
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Manuel R. Amieva
- Departments of Pediatrics and of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - S. James Remington
- Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Karen Guillemin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
- Humans and the Microbiome Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Krewing M, Stepanek JJ, Cremers C, Lackmann JW, Schubert B, Müller A, Awakowicz P, Leichert LIO, Jakob U, Bandow JE. The molecular chaperone Hsp33 is activated by atmospheric-pressure plasma protecting proteins from aggregation. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20180966. [PMID: 31213177 PMCID: PMC6597770 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas are an alternative means to sterilize and disinfect. Plasma-mediated protein aggregation has been identified as one of the mechanisms responsible for the antibacterial features of plasma. Heat shock protein 33 (Hsp33) is a chaperone with holdase function that is activated when oxidative stress and unfolding conditions coincide. In its active form, it binds unfolded proteins and prevents their aggregation. Here we analyse the influence of plasma on the structure and function of Hsp33 of Escherichia coli using a dielectric barrier discharge plasma. While most other proteins studied so far were rapidly inactivated by atmospheric-pressure plasma, exposure to plasma activated Hsp33. Both, oxidation of cysteine residues and partial unfolding of Hsp33 were observed after plasma treatment. Plasma-mediated activation of Hsp33 was reversible by reducing agents, indicating that cysteine residues critical for regulation of Hsp33 activity were not irreversibly oxidized. However, the reduction yielded a protein that did not regain its original fold. Nevertheless, a second round of plasma treatment resulted again in a fully active protein that was unfolded to an even higher degree. These conformational states were not previously observed after chemical activation with HOCl. Thus, although we could detect the formation of HOCl in the liquid phase during plasma treatment, we conclude that other species must be involved in plasma activation of Hsp33. E. coli cells over-expressing the Hsp33-encoding gene hslO from a plasmid showed increased survival rates when treated with plasma while an hslO deletion mutant was hypersensitive emphasizing the importance of protein aggregation as an inactivation mechanism of plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Krewing
- Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jennifer Janina Stepanek
- Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Claudia Cremers
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jan-Wilm Lackmann
- Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Britta Schubert
- Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Alexandra Müller
- Microbial Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Peter Awakowicz
- Electrical Engineering and Plasma Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Sciences, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars I. O. Leichert
- Microbial Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ursula Jakob
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julia E. Bandow
- Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Chabert V, Lebrun V, Lebrun C, Latour JM, Sénèque O. Model peptide for anti-sigma factor domain HHCC zinc fingers: high reactivity toward 1O 2 leads to domain unfolding. Chem Sci 2019; 10:3608-3615. [PMID: 30996953 PMCID: PMC6432622 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc00341j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
All organisms have to cope with the deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species. Some of them are able to mount a transcriptional response to various oxidative stresses, which involves sensor proteins capable of assessing the redox status of the cell or to detect reactive oxygen species. In this article, we describe the design, synthesis and characterization of Zn·LASD(HHCC), a model for the Zn(Cys)2(His)2 zinc finger site of ChrR, a sensor protein involved in the bacterial defence against singlet oxygen that belongs to the family of zinc-binding anti-sigma factors possessing a characteristic H/C-X24/25-H-X3-C-X2-C motif. The 46-amino acid model peptide LASD(HHCC) was synthetized by solid phase peptide synthesis and its Zn2+-binding properties were investigated using electronic absorption, circular dichroism and NMR. LASD(HHCC) forms a 1 : 1 complex with Zn2+, namely Zn·LASD(HHCC), that adopts a well-defined conformation with the Zn2+ ion capping a 3-helix core that reproduces almost perfectly the fold of the ChrR in the vicinity of its zinc site. H2O2 reacts with Zn·LASD(HHCC) to yield a disulfide with a second order rate constant of 0.030 ± 0.002 M-1 s-1. Zn·LASD(HHCC) reacts rapidly with singlet oxygen to yield sulfinates and sulfonates. A lower limit of the chemical reaction rate constant between Zn·LASD(HHCC) and 1O2 was determined to be 3.9 × 106 M-1 s-1. Therefore, the Zn(Cys)2(His)2 site of Zn·LASD(HHCC) appears to be at least 5 times more reactive toward these two oxidants than that of a classical ββα zinc finger. Consequences for the activation mechanism of ChrR are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Chabert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CNRS , CEA , BIG , LCBM (UMR 5249) , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | - Vincent Lebrun
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CNRS , CEA , BIG , LCBM (UMR 5249) , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | - Colette Lebrun
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CEA , CNRS , INAC-SyMMES , F-38000 Grenoble , France
| | - Jean-Marc Latour
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CNRS , CEA , BIG , LCBM (UMR 5249) , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | - Olivier Sénèque
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CNRS , CEA , BIG , LCBM (UMR 5249) , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
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Kluska K, Adamczyk J, Krężel A. Metal binding properties, stability and reactivity of zinc fingers. Coord Chem Rev 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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