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Oh Y, Oh JI. The RsfSR two-component system regulates SigF function by monitoring the state of the respiratory electron transport chain in Mycobacterium smegmatis. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105764. [PMID: 38367670 PMCID: PMC10950880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105764] [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] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In Mycobacterium smegmatis, the transcriptional activity of the alternative sigma factor SigF is posttranslationally regulated by the partner switching system consisting of SigF, the anti-SigF RsbW1, and three anti-SigF antagonists (RsfA, RsfB, and RsbW3). We previously demonstrated that expression of the SigF regulon is strongly induced in the Δaa3 mutant of M. smegmatis lacking the aa3 cytochrome c oxidase, the major terminal oxidase in the respiratory electron transport chain. Here, we identified and characterized the RsfSR two-component system involved in regulating the phosphorylation state of the major anti-SigF antagonist RsfB. RsfS (MSMEG_6130) is a histidine kinase with the cyclase/histidine kinase-associated sensing extracellular 3 domain at its N terminus, and RsfR (MSMEG_6131) is a receiver domain-containing protein phosphatase 2C-type phosphatase that can dephosphorylate phosphorylated RsfB. We demonstrated that phosphorylation of RsfR on Asp74 by RsfS reduces the phosphatase activity of RsfR toward phosphorylated RsfB and that the cellular abundance of the active unphosphorylated RsfB is increased in the Δaa3 mutant relative to the WT strain. We also demonstrated that the RsfSR two-component system is required for induction of the SigF regulon under respiration-inhibitory conditions such as inactivation of the cytochrome bcc1 complex and aa3 cytochrome c oxidase, as well as hypoxia, electron donor-limiting, high ionic strength, and low pH conditions. Collectively, our results reveal a key regulatory element involved in regulating the SigF signaling system by monitoring the state of the respiratory electron transport chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Oh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea
| | - Jeong-Il Oh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea; Microbiological Resource Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea.
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2
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Jankowski G, Sawicki R, Truszkiewicz W, Wolan N, Ziomek M, Hryć B, Sieniawska E. Molecular insight into thymoquinone mechanism of action against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1353875. [PMID: 38414774 PMCID: PMC10896893 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1353875] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural products are promising antimicrobials, usually having multiple and different cellular targets than synthetic antibiotics. Their influence on bacteria at various metabolic and functional levels contributes to higher efficacy even against drug-resistant strains. One such compound is a naturally occurring p-benzoquinone - thymoquinone. It is effective against different bacteria, including multidrug-resistant and extremely drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its antibacterial mechanism of action was studied in several bacterial species except mycobacteria. To get an insight into the antimycobacterial activity of thymoquinone at the molecular level, we performed metabolomic and transcriptomic analyzes of bacteria exposed to this compound. The expression of genes coding stress-responsive sigma factors revealed that thymoquinone rapidly induces the production of sigE transcripts. At the same time, prolonged influence results in the overexpression of all sigma factor genes and significantly upregulates sigF. The metabolomic analysis confirmed that the antimycobacterial activity of thymoquinone was related to the depletion of NAD and ATP pools and the downregulation of plasma membrane lipids. This state was observed after 24 h and was persistent the next day, suggesting that bacteria could not activate catabolic mechanisms and produce energy. Additionally, the presence of a thymoquinone nitrogen derivative in the bacterial broth and the culture was reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Jankowski
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Rafał Sawicki
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Wiesław Truszkiewicz
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Natalia Wolan
- Student Research Group, Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcin Ziomek
- Student Research Group, Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Benita Hryć
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Elwira Sieniawska
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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3
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Oh Y, Lee HN, Ko EM, Jeong JA, Park SW, Oh JI. Mycobacterial Regulatory Systems Involved in the Regulation of Gene Expression Under Respiration-Inhibitory Conditions. J Microbiol 2023; 61:297-315. [PMID: 36847970 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-023-00026-8] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis can survive in a dormant state within the granuloma, avoiding the host-mounting immune attack. M. tuberculosis bacilli in this state show increased tolerance to antibiotics and stress conditions, and thus the transition of M. tuberculosis to the nonreplicating dormant state acts as an obstacle to tuberculosis treatment. M. tuberculosis in the granuloma encounters hostile environments such as hypoxia, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, low pH, and nutrient deprivation, etc., which are expected to inhibit respiration of M. tuberculosis. To adapt to and survive in respiration-inhibitory conditions, it is required for M. tuberculosis to reprogram its metabolism and physiology. In order to get clues to the mechanism underlying the entry of M. tuberculosis to the dormant state, it is important to understand the mycobacterial regulatory systems that are involved in the regulation of gene expression in response to respiration inhibition. In this review, we briefly summarize the information regarding the regulatory systems implicated in upregulation of gene expression in mycobacteria exposed to respiration-inhibitory conditions. The regulatory systems covered in this review encompass the DosSR (DevSR) two-component system, SigF partner switching system, MprBA-SigE-SigB signaling pathway, cAMP receptor protein, and stringent response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Oh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Na Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Eon-Min Ko
- Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Osong, 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-A Jeong
- Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Osong, 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae Woong Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jeong-Il Oh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea. .,Microbiological Resource Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Ncube P, Bagheri B, Goosen WJ, Miller MA, Sampson SL. Evidence, Challenges, and Knowledge Gaps Regarding Latent Tuberculosis in Animals. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10091845. [PMID: 36144447 PMCID: PMC9503773 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10091845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium bovis and other Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) pathogens that cause domestic animal and wildlife tuberculosis have received considerably less attention than M. tuberculosis, the primary cause of human tuberculosis (TB). Human TB studies have shown that different stages of infection can exist, driven by host–pathogen interactions. This results in the emergence of heterogeneous subpopulations of mycobacteria in different phenotypic states, which range from actively replicating (AR) cells to viable but slowly or non-replicating (VBNR), viable but non-culturable (VBNC), and dormant mycobacteria. The VBNR, VBNC, and dormant subpopulations are believed to underlie latent tuberculosis (LTB) in humans; however, it is unclear if a similar phenomenon could be happening in animals. This review discusses the evidence, challenges, and knowledge gaps regarding LTB in animals, and possible host–pathogen differences in the MTBC strains M. tuberculosis and M. bovis during infection. We further consider models that might be adapted from human TB research to investigate how the different phenotypic states of bacteria could influence TB stages in animals. In addition, we explore potential host biomarkers and mycobacterial changes in the DosR regulon, transcriptional sigma factors, and resuscitation-promoting factors that may influence the development of LTB.
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5
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Sengupta S, Bhawsinghka N, Shaw R, Patra MM, Das Gupta SK. Mycobacteriophage D29 induced association of Mycobacterial RNA polymerase with ancillary factors leads to increased transcriptional activity. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35353035 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacteriophage D29 infects species belonging to the genus Mycobacterium including the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. D29 is a lytic phage, although, related to the lysogenic mycobacteriophage L5. This phage is unable to lysogenize in mycobacteria as it lacks the gene encoding the phage repressor. Infection by many mycobacteriophages cause various changes in the host that ultimately leads to inactivation of the latter. One of the host targets often modified in the process is RNA polymerase. During our investigations with phage D29 infected Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) we observed that the promoters from both phage, and to a lesser extent those of the host were found to be more active in cells that were exposed to D29, as compared to the unexposed. Further experiments indicate that the RNA polymerase purified from phage infected cells possessed higher affinity for promoters particularly those that were phage derived. Comparison of the purified RNA polymerase preparations from infected and uninfected cells showed that several ancillary transcription factors, Sigma factor F, Sigma factor H, CarD and RbpA are prominently associated with the RNA polymerase from infected cells. Based on our observations we conclude that the higher activity of RNA polymerase observed in D29 infected cells is due to its increased association with ancillary transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Sengupta
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, P-1/12 C.I.T Road. Scheme VIIM, Kolkata-700054, West Bengal, India
| | - Niketa Bhawsinghka
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, P-1/12 C.I.T Road. Scheme VIIM, Kolkata-700054, West Bengal, India.,Present address: Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rahul Shaw
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, P-1/12 C.I.T Road. Scheme VIIM, Kolkata-700054, West Bengal, India
| | - Madhu Manti Patra
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, P-1/12 C.I.T Road. Scheme VIIM, Kolkata-700054, West Bengal, India
| | - Sujoy K Das Gupta
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, P-1/12 C.I.T Road. Scheme VIIM, Kolkata-700054, West Bengal, India
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6
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The Neglected Contribution of Streptomycin to the Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Problem. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12122003. [PMID: 34946952 PMCID: PMC8701281 DOI: 10.3390/genes12122003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The airborne pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for a present major public health problem worsened by the emergence of drug resistance. M. tuberculosis has acquired and developed streptomycin (STR) resistance mechanisms that have been maintained and transmitted in the population over the last decades. Indeed, STR resistant mutations are frequently identified across the main M. tuberculosis lineages that cause tuberculosis outbreaks worldwide. The spread of STR resistance is likely related to the low impact of the most frequent underlying mutations on the fitness of the bacteria. The withdrawal of STR from the first-line treatment of tuberculosis potentially lowered the importance of studying STR resistance. However, the prevalence of STR resistance remains very high, could be underestimated by current genotypic methods, and was found in outbreaks of multi-drug (MDR) and extensively drug (XDR) strains in different geographic regions. Therefore, the contribution of STR resistance to the problem of tuberculosis drug resistance should not be neglected. Here, we review the impact of STR resistance and detail well-known and novel candidate STR resistance mechanisms, genes, and mutations. In addition, we aim to provide insights into the possible role of STR resistance in the development of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
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The Mycobacterium tuberculosis sRNA F6 Modifies Expression of Essential Chaperonins, GroEL2 and GroES. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0109521. [PMID: 34549992 PMCID: PMC8557902 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01095-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost 140 years after the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the etiological agent of tuberculosis, important aspects of its biology remain poorly described. Little is known about the role of posttranscriptional control of gene expression and RNA biology, including the role of most of the small RNAs (sRNAs) identified to date. We have carried out a detailed investigation of the M. tuberculosis sRNA F6 and shown it to be dependent on SigF for expression and significantly induced in starvation conditions in vitro and in a mouse model of infection. Further exploration of F6 using an in vitro starvation model of infection indicates that F6 affects the expression of the essential chaperonins GroEL2 and GroES. Our results point toward a role for F6 during periods of low metabolic activity typically associated with long-term survival of M. tuberculosis in human granulomas. IMPORTANCE Control of gene expression via small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) is poorly understood in one of the most successful pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Here, we present an in-depth characterization of the sRNA F6, including its expression in different infection models and the differential gene expression observed upon deletion of the sRNA. Our results demonstrate that deletion of F6 leads to dysregulation of the two essential chaperonins GroEL2 and GroES and, moreover, indicate a role for F6 in the long-term survival and persistence of M. tuberculosis in the human host.
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8
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Robbe-Saule M, Foulon M, Poncin I, Esnault L, Varet H, Legendre R, Besnard A, Grzegorzewicz AE, Jackson M, Canaan S, Marsollier L, Marion E. Transcriptional adaptation of Mycobacterium ulcerans in an original mouse model: New insights into the regulation of mycolactone. Virulence 2021; 12:1438-1451. [PMID: 34107844 PMCID: PMC8204960 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1929749] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causal agent of Buruli ulcer, a chronic infectious disease and the third most common mycobacterial disease worldwide. Without early treatment, M. ulcerans provokes massive skin ulcers, caused by the mycolactone toxin, its main virulence factor. However, spontaneous healing may occur in Buruli ulcer patients several months or years after the disease onset. We have shown, in an original mouse model, that bacterial load remains high and viable in spontaneously healed tissues, with a switch of M. ulcerans to low levels of mycolactone production, adapting its strategy to survive in such a hostile environment. This original model offers the possibility to investigate the regulation of mycolactone production, by using an RNA-seq strategy to study bacterial adaptation during mouse infection. Pathway analysis and characterization of the tissue environment showed that the bacillus adapted to its new environment by modifying its metabolic activity and switching nutrient sources. Thus, M. ulcerans ensures its survival in healing tissues by reducing its secondary metabolism, leading to an inhibition of mycolactone synthesis. These findings shed new light on mycolactone regulation and pave the way for new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hugo Varet
- Plate-forme Transcriptome Et Epigenome, Biomics, Centre De Ressources Et Recherches Technologiques (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Hub De Bioinformatique Et Biostatistique - Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Legendre
- Plate-forme Transcriptome Et Epigenome, Biomics, Centre De Ressources Et Recherches Technologiques (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Hub De Bioinformatique Et Biostatistique - Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Anna E Grzegorzewicz
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| | - Mary Jackson
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
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9
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Lanfranconi MP, Arabolaza A, Gramajo H, Alvarez HM. Insights into the evolutionary history of the virulent factor HBHA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:2171-2182. [PMID: 33620522 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02192-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHAMT) has a relevant role in infection. It is also present in non-virulent mycobacteria and ancient actinobacteria, such as Rhodococcus opacus. To have a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that shaped the evolutionary divergence of these proteins, we performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the regulatory sequences that drive the expression of hbha in saprophytic and pathogenic mycobacterial species. The alignment of the hbha loci showed the appearance of intergenic sequences containing regulatory elements upstream the hbha gene; this sequence arrangement is present only in slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria. The heterologous expression of HBHAMT in oleaginous R. opacus PD630 results in protein binding to lipid droplets, as it happens with HBHA proteins from saprophytic mycobacteria. We hypothesize that mycobacterial hbha gene cluster underwent functional divergence during the evolutionary differentiation of slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria. We propose here an evolutionary scenario to explain the structural and functional divergence of HBHA in fast and slow-growing mycobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P Lanfranconi
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, INBIOP (Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Ruta Provincial N° 1, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria, 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Ana Arabolaza
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Hugo Gramajo
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Héctor M Alvarez
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, INBIOP (Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Ruta Provincial N° 1, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria, 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
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10
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Oh Y, Song SY, Kim HJ, Han G, Hwang J, Kang HY, Oh JI. The Partner Switching System of the SigF Sigma Factor in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Induction of the SigF Regulon Under Respiration-Inhibitory Conditions. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:588487. [PMID: 33304334 PMCID: PMC7693655 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.588487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The partner switching system (PSS) of the SigF regulatory pathway in Mycobacterium smegmatis has been previously demonstrated to include the anti-sigma factor RsbW (MSMEG_1803) and two anti-sigma factor antagonists RsfA and RsfB. In this study, we further characterized two additional RsbW homologs and revealed the distinct roles of three RsbW homologs [RsbW1 (MSMEG_1803), RsbW2 (MSMEG_6129), and RsbW3 (MSMEG_1787)] in the SigF PSS. RsbW1 and RsbW2 serve as the anti-sigma factor of SigF and the protein kinase phosphorylating RsfB, respectively, while RsbW3 functions as an anti-SigF antagonist through its protein interaction with RsbW1. Using relevant mutant strains, RsfB was demonstrated to be the major anti-SigF antagonist in M. smegmatis. The phosphorylation state of Ser-63 was shown to determine the functionality of RsfB as an anti-SigF antagonist. RsbW2 was demonstrated to be the only protein kinase that phosphorylates RsfB in M. smegmatis. Phosphorylation of Ser-63 inactivates RsfB to render it unable to interact with RsbW1. Our comparative RNA sequencing analysis of the wild-type strain of M. smegmatis and its isogenic Δaa3 mutant strain lacking the aa3 cytochrome c oxidase of the respiratory electron transport chain revealed that expression of the SigF regulon is strongly induced under respiration-inhibitory conditions in an RsfB-dependent way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Oh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Su-Yeon Song
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Hye-Jun Kim
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Gil Han
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jihwan Hwang
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Ho-Young Kang
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Il Oh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
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11
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Rodriguez Ayala F, Bartolini M, Grau R. The Stress-Responsive Alternative Sigma Factor SigB of Bacillus subtilis and Its Relatives: An Old Friend With New Functions. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1761. [PMID: 33042030 PMCID: PMC7522486 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative sigma factors have led the core RNA polymerase (RNAP) to recognize different sets of promoters to those recognized by the housekeeping sigma A-directed RNAP. This change in RNAP promoter selectivity allows a rapid and flexible reformulation of the genetic program to face environmental and metabolic stimuli that could compromise bacterial fitness. The model bacterium Bacillus subtilis constitutes a matchless living system in the study of the role of alternative sigma factors in gene regulation and physiology. SigB from B. subtilis was the first alternative sigma factor described in bacteria. Studies of SigB during the last 40 years have shown that it controls a genetic universe of more than 150 genes playing crucial roles in stress response, adaption, and survival. Activation of SigB relies on three separate pathways that specifically respond to energy, environmental, and low temperature stresses. SigB homologs, present in other Gram-positive bacteria, also play important roles in virulence against mammals. Interestingly, during recent years, other unexpected B. subtilis responses were found to be controlled by SigB. In particular, SigB controls the efficiencies of spore and biofilm formation, two important features that play critical roles in adaptation and survival in planktonic and sessile B. subtilis communities. In B. subtilis, SigB induces the expression of the Spo0E aspartyl-phosphatase, which is responsible for the blockage of sporulation initiation. The upregulated activity of Spo0E connects the two predominant adaptive pathways (i.e., sporulation and stress response) present in B. subtilis. In addition, the RsbP serine-phosphatase, belonging to the energy stress arm of the SigB regulatory cascade, controls the expression of the key transcription factor SinR to decide whether cells residing in the biofilm remain in and maintain biofilm growth or scape to colonize new niches through biofilm dispersal. SigB also intervenes in the recognition of and response to surrounding microorganisms, a new SigB role that could have an agronomic impact. SigB is induced when B. subtilis is confronted with phytopathogenic fungi (e.g., Fusarium verticillioides) and halts fungal growth to the benefit of plant growth. In this article, we update and review literature on the different regulatory networks that control the activation of SigB and the new roles that have been described the recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Facundo Rodriguez Ayala
- Departamento de Micro y Nanotecnología, Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marco Bartolini
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Roberto Grau
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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12
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Andrews ESV, Rzoska-Smith E, Arcus VL. Post-transcriptional modulation of the SigF regulon in Mycobacterium smegmatis by the PhoH2 toxin-antitoxin. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236551. [PMID: 32726339 PMCID: PMC7390352 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PhoH2 proteins are highly conserved across bacteria and archaea yet their biological function is poorly characterised. We examined the growth profiles of Mycobacterium smegmatis strains mc2155 and mc2155 ΔphoH2 and observed the same growth profile and growth rate in a variety of conditions. In light of the comparable growth, we used RNAseq to provide a snapshot of the differences between the transcriptomes of M. smegmatis mc2155 and M. smegmatis mc2155 ΔphoH2 during normal growth. At 48 hours, elevated expression of the sigF regulon was observed in ΔphoH2 relative to wild type. In biochemical assays, PhoH2 showed activity toward sigF mRNA insinuating a role of PhoH2 in modulating the pool of sigF mRNA in the cell during normal growth, adding further complexity to the repertoire of reported mechanisms of post-translational regulation. Multiple copies of the preferred target site of PhoH2 were identified in loops of the sigF mRNA structure, leading us to propose a mechanism for the activity of PhoH2 that is initiated after assembly on specific single-stranded loops of RNA. We hypothesise that PhoH2 is a toxin-antitoxin that contributes to the regulation of SigF at a post-transcriptional level through targeted activity on sigF mRNA. This work presents the first evidence for post-transcriptional regulation of SigF along with the biological function of PhoH2 from M. smegmatis. This has implications for the highly conserved PhoH2 toxin-antitoxin module across the mycobacteria including the important human pathogen M. tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma S. V. Andrews
- School of Science, Division of Health, Engineering, Computing and Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Elizabeth Rzoska-Smith
- School of Science, Division of Health, Engineering, Computing and Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Vickery L. Arcus
- School of Science, Division of Health, Engineering, Computing and Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
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TLR-2 mediated cytosolic-Ca 2+ surge activates ER-stress-superoxide-NO signalosome augmenting TNF-α production leading to apoptosis of Mycobacterium smegmatis-infected fish macrophages. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12330. [PMID: 31444398 PMCID: PMC6707155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48847-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The implications of TLR-2 mediated alterations in cytosolic-Ca2+((Ca2+)c) levels in M. smegmatis infections is not well known. Using headkidney macrophages (HKM) from Clarias gariepinus, we observed TLR-2 signalling is required in the phagocytosis of M. smegmatis. M. smegmatis induced caspase-dependent HKM apoptosis in MOI, time and growth-phase dependent manner. RNAi and inhibitor studies demonstrated critical role of TLR-2 in eliciting (Ca2+)c-surge and c-Src-PI3K-PLC axis playing an intermediary role in the process. The (Ca2+)c-surge triggered downstream ER-stress and superoxide (O2−) generation. The cross-talk between ER-stress and O2− amplified TNF-α production, which led to HKM apoptosis and bacterial clearance. Release of nitric oxide (NO) was also observed and silencing the NOS2-NO axis enhanced intracellular bacterial survival and attenuated caspase activity. Pre-treatment with diphenyleneidonium chloride inhibited NO production implicating O2−–NO axis imperative in M. smegmatis-induced HKM apoptosis. NO positively impacted CHOP expression and TNF-α production in infected HKM. We conclude that, TLR-2 induced (Ca2+)c-surge and ensuing cross-talk between ER-stress and O2− potentiates HKM pathology by amplifying pro-inflammatory TNF-α production. Moreover, the pro-oxidant environment triggers NO release which prolonged ER-stress and TNF-α production, culminating in HKM apoptosis and bacterial clearance. Together, our study suggests HKM an alternate model to study macrophage-mycobacteria interactions.
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Dutta D, Srivastava V, Tripathi A, Singh V, Ansari MM, Pant G, Mishra M, Sharma S, Thota JR, Singh PK, Singh BN. Mycobacterium bovis sigF mutant exhibits altered surface phenotype and compromised pathogenesis. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2019; 118:101855. [PMID: 31430695 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Dutta
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, 3C1, FL33458, USA; Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Vishal Srivastava
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Ashutosh Tripathi
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Vandana Singh
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Mohd Mustkim Ansari
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Garima Pant
- Electron Microscopy Unit, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Manisha Mishra
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, 226001, India.
| | - Sharad Sharma
- Division of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Jagadehswar Reddy Thota
- Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | | | - Bhupendra N Singh
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
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Tuning the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Alternative Sigma Factor SigF through the Multidomain Regulator Rv1364c and Osmosensory Kinase Protein Kinase D. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00725-18. [PMID: 30642988 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00725-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial alternative sigma factors are mostly regulated by a partner-switching mechanism. Regulation of the virulence-associated alternative sigma factor SigF of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been an area of intrigue, with SigF having more predicted regulators than other sigma factors in this organism. Rv1364c is one such predicted regulator, the mechanism of which is confounded by the presence of both anti-sigma factor and anti-sigma factor antagonist functions in a single polypeptide. Using protein binding and phosphorylation assays, we demonstrate that the anti-sigma factor domain of Rv1364c mediates autophosphorylation of its antagonist domain and binds efficiently to SigF. Furthermore, we identified a direct role for the osmosensor serine/threonine kinase PknD in regulating the SigF-Rv1364c interaction, adding to the current understanding about the intersection of these discrete signaling networks. Phosphorylation of SigF also showed functional implications in its DNA binding ability, which may help in activation of the regulon. In M. tuberculosis, osmotic stress-dependent induction of espA, a SigF target involved in maintaining cell wall integrity, is curtailed upon overexpression of Rv1364c, showing its role as an anti-SigF factor. Overexpression of Rv1364c led to induction of another target, pks6, involved in lipid metabolism. This induction was, however, curtailed in the presence of osmotic stress conditions, suggesting modulation of SigF target gene expression via Rv1364c. These data provide evidence that Rv1364c acts an independent SigF regulator that is sensitive to the osmosensory signal, mediating the cross talk of PknD with the SigF regulon.IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis, capable of latently infecting the host and causing aggressive tissue damage during active tuberculosis, is endowed with a complex regulatory capacity built of several sigma factors, protein kinases, and phosphatases. These proteins regulate expression of genes that allow the bacteria to adapt to various host-derived stresses, like nutrient starvation, acidic pH, and hypoxia. The cross talk between these systems is not well understood. SigF is one such regulator of gene expression that helps M. tuberculosis to adapt to stresses and imparts virulence. This work provides evidence for its inhibition by the multidomain regulator Rv1364c and activation by the kinase PknD. The coexistence of negative and positive regulators of SigF in pathogenic bacteria reveals an underlying requirement for tight control of virulence factor expression.
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Kai-Cheen A, Lay-Harn G. Comparison of aqueous soluble proteins profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and H37Ra and a Malaysian clinical isolate. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2018; 65:876-882. [PMID: 30132993 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Differentially expressed aqueous soluble proteins between Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and H37Rv were identified. The protein extracts were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by tandem mass spectrometric analysis. Twelve proteins were detected to be differentially expressed significantly between virulent strain H37Rv and attenuated strain H37Ra. The differentially expression of these proteins was validated by a recently isolated clinical virulent strains of M. tuberculosis, TB138. Out of the 12 proteins identified, which consisted of ten upregulated and two downregulated proteins, nine were belonged to intermediate metabolism and respiration protein group, two were in lipid metabolism, and one protein was involved in information pathways and virulence. Among these proteins, two of the upregulated proteins, namely, mmsA and pntAa, showed a consistent expression pattern in both virulent mycobacterium strains. These proteins can serve as potential biomarkers for the intervention treatment of TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Kai-Cheen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Gam Lay-Harn
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
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Hingston P, Chen J, Allen K, Truelstrup Hansen L, Wang S. Strand specific RNA-sequencing and membrane lipid profiling reveals growth phase-dependent cold stress response mechanisms in Listeria monocytogenes. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180123. [PMID: 28662112 PMCID: PMC5491136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes continues to pose a challenge in the food industry, where it is known to contaminate ready-to-eat foods and grow during refrigerated storage. Increased knowledge of the cold-stress response of this pathogen will enhance the ability to control it in the food-supply-chain. This study utilized strand-specific RNA sequencing and whole cell fatty acid (FA) profiling to characterize the bacterium's cold stress response. RNA and FAs were extracted from a cold-tolerant strain at five time points between early lag phase and late stationary-phase, both at 4°C and 20°C. Overall, more genes (1.3×) were suppressed than induced at 4°C. Late stationary-phase cells exhibited the greatest number (n = 1,431) and magnitude (>1,000-fold) of differentially expressed genes (>2-fold, p<0.05) in response to cold. A core set of 22 genes was upregulated at all growth phases, including nine genes required for branched-chain fatty acid (BCFA) synthesis, the osmolyte transporter genes opuCBCD, and the internalin A and D genes. Genes suppressed at 4°C were largely associated with cobalamin (B12) biosynthesis or the production/export of cell wall components. Antisense transcription accounted for up to 1.6% of total mapped reads with higher levels (2.5×) observed at 4°C than 20°C. The greatest number of upregulated antisense transcripts at 4°C occurred in early lag phase, however, at both temperatures, antisense expression levels were highest in late stationary-phase cells. Cold-induced FA membrane changes included a 15% increase in the proportion of BCFAs and a 15% transient increase in unsaturated FAs between lag and exponential phase. These increases probably reduced the membrane phase transition temperature until optimal levels of BCFAs could be produced. Collectively, this research provides new information regarding cold-induced membrane composition changes in L. monocytogenes, the growth-phase dependency of its cold-stress regulon, and the active roles of antisense transcripts in regulating its cold stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Hingston
- Department of Food, Nutrition, and Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica Chen
- Department of Food, Nutrition, and Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kevin Allen
- Department of Food, Nutrition, and Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Siyun Wang
- Department of Food, Nutrition, and Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Physiology, Biochemistry, and Applications of F420- and Fo-Dependent Redox Reactions. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2016; 80:451-93. [PMID: 27122598 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00070-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
5-Deazaflavin cofactors enhance the metabolic flexibility of microorganisms by catalyzing a wide range of challenging enzymatic redox reactions. While structurally similar to riboflavin, 5-deazaflavins have distinctive and biologically useful electrochemical and photochemical properties as a result of the substitution of N-5 of the isoalloxazine ring for a carbon. 8-Hydroxy-5-deazaflavin (Fo) appears to be used for a single function: as a light-harvesting chromophore for DNA photolyases across the three domains of life. In contrast, its oligoglutamyl derivative F420 is a taxonomically restricted but functionally versatile cofactor that facilitates many low-potential two-electron redox reactions. It serves as an essential catabolic cofactor in methanogenic, sulfate-reducing, and likely methanotrophic archaea. It also transforms a wide range of exogenous substrates and endogenous metabolites in aerobic actinobacteria, for example mycobacteria and streptomycetes. In this review, we discuss the physiological roles of F420 in microorganisms and the biochemistry of the various oxidoreductases that mediate these roles. Particular focus is placed on the central roles of F420 in methanogenic archaea in processes such as substrate oxidation, C1 pathways, respiration, and oxygen detoxification. We also describe how two F420-dependent oxidoreductase superfamilies mediate many environmentally and medically important reactions in bacteria, including biosynthesis of tetracycline and pyrrolobenzodiazepine antibiotics by streptomycetes, activation of the prodrugs pretomanid and delamanid by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and degradation of environmental contaminants such as picrate, aflatoxin, and malachite green. The biosynthesis pathways of Fo and F420 are also detailed. We conclude by considering opportunities to exploit deazaflavin-dependent processes in tuberculosis treatment, methane mitigation, bioremediation, and industrial biocatalysis.
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transcription Machinery: Ready To Respond to Host Attacks. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:1360-73. [PMID: 26883824 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00935-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulating responses to stress is critical for all bacteria, whether they are environmental, commensal, or pathogenic species. For pathogenic bacteria, successful colonization and survival in the host are dependent on adaptation to diverse conditions imposed by the host tissue architecture and the immune response. Once the bacterium senses a hostile environment, it must enact a change in physiology that contributes to the organism's survival strategy. Inappropriate responses have consequences; hence, the execution of the appropriate response is essential for survival of the bacterium in its niche. Stress responses are most often regulated at the level of gene expression and, more specifically, transcription. This minireview focuses on mechanisms of regulating transcription initiation that are required by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to respond to the arsenal of defenses imposed by the host during infection. In particular, we highlight how certain features of M. tuberculosis physiology allow this pathogen to respond swiftly and effectively to host defenses. By enacting highly integrated and coordinated gene expression changes in response to stress,M. tuberculosis is prepared for battle against the host defense and able to persist within the human population.
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20
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Chauhan R, Ravi J, Datta P, Chen T, Schnappinger D, Bassler KE, Balázsi G, Gennaro ML. Reconstruction and topological characterization of the sigma factor regulatory network of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11062. [PMID: 27029515 PMCID: PMC4821874 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Accessory sigma factors, which reprogram RNA polymerase to transcribe specific gene sets, activate bacterial adaptive responses to noxious environments. Here we reconstruct the complete sigma factor regulatory network of the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis by an integrated approach. The approach combines identification of direct regulatory interactions between M. tuberculosis sigma factors in an E. coli model system, validation of selected links in M. tuberculosis, and extensive literature review. The resulting network comprises 41 direct interactions among all 13 sigma factors. Analysis of network topology reveals (i) a three-tiered hierarchy initiating at master regulators, (ii) high connectivity and (iii) distinct communities containing multiple sigma factors. These topological features are likely associated with multi-layer signal processing and specialized stress responses involving multiple sigma factors. Moreover, the identification of overrepresented network motifs, such as autoregulation and coregulation of sigma and anti-sigma factor pairs, provides structural information that is relevant for studies of network dynamics. Sigma factors are regulatory proteins that reprogram the bacterial RNA polymerase in response to stress conditions to transcribe certain genes, including those for other sigma factors. Here, Chauhan et al. describe the complete sigma factor regulatory network of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Chauhan
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Janani Ravi
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Pratik Datta
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
| | - Tianlong Chen
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5005, USA.,Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5002, USA
| | - Dirk Schnappinger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA
| | - Kevin E Bassler
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5005, USA.,Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5002, USA.,Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, D-01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gábor Balázsi
- Laufer Center for Physical &Quantitative Biology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Maria Laura Gennaro
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
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21
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Sigma Factors: Key Molecules in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Physiology and Virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2015; 2:MGM2-0007-2013. [PMID: 26082107 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.mgm2-0007-2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid adaptation to changing environments is one of the keys to the success of microorganisms. Since infection is a dynamic process, it is possible to predict that Mycobacterium tuberculosis adaptation involves continuous modulation of its global transcriptional profile in response to the changing environment found in the human body. In the last 18 years several studies have stressed the role of sigma (σ) factors in this process. These are small interchangeable subunits of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme that are required for transcriptional initiation and that determine promoter specificity. The M. tuberculosis genome encodes 13 of these proteins, one of which--the principal σ factor σA--is essential. Of the other 12 σ factors, at least 6 are required for virulence. In this article we review our current knowledge of mycobacterial σ factors, their regulons, the complex mechanisms determining their regulation, and their roles in M. tuberculosis physiology and virulence.
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22
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Comparative Sigma Factor-mRNA Levels in Mycobacterium marinum under Stress Conditions and during Host Infection. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139823. [PMID: 26445268 PMCID: PMC4596819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We have used RNASeq and qRT-PCR to study mRNA levels for all σ-factors in different Mycobacterium marinum strains under various growth and stress conditions. We also studied their levels in M. marinum from infected fish and mosquito larvae. The annotated σ-factors were expressed and transcripts varied in relation to growth and stress conditions. Some were highly abundant such as sigA, sigB, sigC, sigD, sigE and sigH while others were not. The σ-factor mRNA profiles were similar after heat stress, during infection of fish and mosquito larvae. The similarity also applies to some of the known heat shock genes such as the α-crystallin gene. Therefore, it seems probable that the physiological state of M. marinum is similar when exposed to these different conditions. Moreover, the mosquito larvae data suggest that this is the state that the fish encounter when infected, at least with respect to σ-factor mRNA levels. Comparative genomic analysis of σ-factor gene localizations in three M. marinum strains and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv revealed chromosomal rearrangements that changed the localization of especially sigA, sigB, sigD, sigE, sigF and sigJ after the divergence of these two species. This may explain the variation in species-specific expression upon exposure to different growth conditions.
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23
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Singh AK, Dutta D, Singh V, Srivastava V, Biswas RK, Singh BN. Characterization of Mycobacterium smegmatis sigF mutant and its regulon: overexpression of SigF antagonist (MSMEG_1803) in M. smegmatis mimics sigF mutant phenotype, loss of pigmentation, and sensitivity to oxidative stress. Microbiologyopen 2015; 4:896-916. [PMID: 26434659 PMCID: PMC4694148 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Revised: 08/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In Mycobacterium smegmatis, sigF is widely expressed during different growth stages and plays role in adaptation to stationary phase and oxidative stress. Using a sigF deletion mutant of M. smegmatis mc2155, we demonstrate that SigF is not essential for growth of bacterium. Deletion of sigF results in loss of carotenoid pigmentation which rendered increased susceptibility to H2O2 induced oxidative stress in M. smegmatis. SigF modulates the cell surface architecture and lipid biosynthesis extending the repertoire of SigF function in this species. M. smegmatis SigF regulon included variety of genes expressed during exponential and stationary phases of growth and those responsible for oxidative stress, lipid biosynthesis, energy, and central intermediary metabolism. Furthermore, we report the identification of a SigF antagonist, an anti‐sigma factor (RsbW), which upon overexpression in M. smegmatis wild type strain produced a phenotype similar to M. smegmatis mc2155 ΔsigF strain. The SigF‐anti‐SigF interaction is duly validated using bacterial two‐hybrid and pull down assays. In addition, anti‐sigma factor antagonists, RsfA and RsfB were identified and their interactions with anti‐sigma factor were experimentally validated. Identification of these proteins will help decode regulatory circuit of this alternate sigma factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirudh K Singh
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Debashis Dutta
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Vandana Singh
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Vishal Srivastava
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Rajesh K Biswas
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Bhupendra N Singh
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
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Li X, Wu J, Han J, Hu Y, Mi K. Distinct Responses of Mycobacterium smegmatis to Exposure to Low and High Levels of Hydrogen Peroxide. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26225431 PMCID: PMC4520597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a natural oxidant produced by aerobic organisms and gives rise to oxidative damage, including DNA mutations, protein inactivation and lipid damage. The genus Mycobacterium utilizes redox sensors and H2O2 scavenging enzymes for the detoxification of H2O2. To date, the precise response to oxidative stress has not been fully elucidated. Here, we compared the effects of different levels of H2O2 on transcription in M. smegmatis using RNA-sequencing. A 0.2 mM H2O2 treatment had little effect on the growth and viability of M. smegmatis whereas 7 mM H2O2 was lethal. Analysis of global transcription showed that 0.2 mM H2O2 induced relatively few changes in gene expression, whereas a large proportion of the mycobacterial genome was found to be differentially expressed after treatment with 7 mM H2O2. Genes differentially expressed following treatment with 0.2 mM H2O2 included those coding for proteins involved in glycolysis-gluconeogenesis and fatty acid metabolism pathways, and expression of most genes encoding ribosomal proteins was lower following treatment with 7 mM H2O2. Our analysis shows that M. smegmatis utilizes the sigma factor MSMEG_5214 in response to 0.2 mM H2O2, and the RpoE1 sigma factors MSMEG_0573 and MSMEG_0574 in response to 7 mM H2O2. In addition, different transcriptional regulators responded to different levels of H2O2: MSMEG_1919 was induced by 0.2 mM H2O2, while high-level induction of DevR occurred in response to 7 mM H2O2. We detected the induction of different detoxifying enzymes, including genes encoding KatG, AhpD, TrxB and Trx, at different levels of H2O2 and the detoxifying enzymes were expressed at different levels of H2O2. In conclusion, our study reveals the changes in transcription that are induced in response to different levels of H2O2 in M. smegmatis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microbial Drug Resistance and Resistome, Beijing 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microbial Drug Resistance and Resistome, Beijing 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yongfei Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microbial Drug Resistance and Resistome, Beijing 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Kaixia Mi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microbial Drug Resistance and Resistome, Beijing 100101, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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25
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Kumar S, Matange N, Umapathy S, Visweswariah SS. Linking carbon metabolism to carotenoid production in mycobacteria using Raman spectroscopy. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2015; 362:1-6. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnu048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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26
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Li X, Tao J, Hu X, Chan J, Xiao J, Mi K. A bacterial hemerythrin-like protein MsmHr inhibits the SigF-dependent hydrogen peroxide response in mycobacteria. Front Microbiol 2015; 5:800. [PMID: 25642228 PMCID: PMC4295536 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is one of a variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by aerobic organisms. Host production of toxic H2O2 in response to pathogen infection is an important classical innate defense mechanism against invading microbes. Understanding the mechanisms by which pathogens, in response to oxidative stress, mediate defense against toxic ROS, can reveal anti-microbial targets and shed light on pathogenic mechanisms. In this study, we provide evidence that a Mycobacterium smegmatis hemerythrin-like protein MSMEG_2415, designated MsmHr, is a H2O2-modulated repressor of the SigF-mediated response to H2O2. Circular dichroism and spectrophotometric analysis of MsmHr revealed properties characteristic of a typical hemerythrin-like protein. An msmHr knockout strain of M. smegmatis mc2155 (ΔmsmHr) was more resistant to H2O2 than its parental strain, and overexpression of MsmHr increased mycobacterial susceptibility to H2O2. Mutagenesis studies revealed that the hemerythrin domain of MsmHr is required for the regulation of the H2O2 response observed in the overexpression study. We show that MsmHr inhibits the expression of SigF (MSMEG_1804), an alternative sigma factor that plays an important role in bacterial oxidative stress responses, including those elicited by H2O2, thus providing a mechanistic link between ΔmsmHr and its enhanced resistance to H2O2. Together, these results strongly suggest that MsmHr is involved in the response of mycobacteria to H2O2 by negatively regulating a sigma factor, a function not previously described for hemerythrins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Jun Tao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Xinling Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - John Chan
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jing Xiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Kaixia Mi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Beijing Key Laboratory of Microbial Drug Resistance and Resistome Beijing, China
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Hu Y, Morichaud Z, Perumal AS, Roquet-Baneres F, Brodolin K. Mycobacterium RbpA cooperates with the stress-response σB subunit of RNA polymerase in promoter DNA unwinding. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:10399-408. [PMID: 25122744 PMCID: PMC4176334 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
RbpA, a transcriptional activator that is essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis replication and survival during antibiotic treatment, binds to RNA polymerase (RNAP) in the absence of promoter DNA. It has been hypothesized that RbpA stimulates housekeeping gene expression by promoting assembly of the σA subunit with core RNAP. Here, using a purified in vitro transcription system of M. tuberculosis, we show that RbpA functions in a promoter-dependent manner as a companion of RNAP essential for promoter DNA unwinding and formation of the catalytically active open promoter complex (RPo). Screening for RbpA activity using a full panel of the M. tuberculosis σ subunits demonstrated that RbpA targets σA and stress-response σB, but not the alternative σ subunits from the groups 3 and 4. In contrast to σA, the σB subunit activity displayed stringent dependency upon RbpA. These results suggest that RbpA-dependent control of RPo formation provides a mechanism for tuning gene expression during the switch between different physiological states, and in the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangbo Hu
- CNRS UMR 5236 - UM1 - UM2, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogénes et Biothechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Zakia Morichaud
- CNRS UMR 5236 - UM1 - UM2, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogénes et Biothechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Ayyappasamy Sudalaiyadum Perumal
- CNRS UMR 5236 - UM1 - UM2, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogénes et Biothechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Françoise Roquet-Baneres
- CNRS UMR 5236 - UM1 - UM2, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogénes et Biothechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Konstantin Brodolin
- CNRS UMR 5236 - UM1 - UM2, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogénes et Biothechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
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Mustyala KK, Malkhed V, Potlapally SR, Chittireddy VR, Vuruputuri U. Macromolecular structure and interaction studies of SigF and Usfx inMycobacterium tuberculosis. J Recept Signal Transduct Res 2014; 34:162-73. [DOI: 10.3109/10799893.2013.868903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Cossu A, Sechi LA, Bandino E, Zanetti S, Rosu V. Expression profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and Mycobacterium smegmatis in acid-nitrosative multi-stress displays defined regulatory networks. Microb Pathog 2013; 65:89-96. [PMID: 24184341 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Several studies regarding the transcriptome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis following the exposure to various in vitro simulated phagosomal stressors, have already tried to elucidate the bacterium behavior during the intracellular infection. An in vitro acid-nitrosative multi-stress was carried out for M. tuberculosis H37Rv and Mycobacterium smegmatis MC(2)155 in order to analyze by DNA-microarray the gene expression changes associated respectively to pathogenic and non-pathogenic mycobacterial species. During acid-nitrosative multi-stress both mycobacteria shift their transcriptome to allow the anaerobic respiratory state and energy pathways characteristic of starvation. M. tuberculosis counteracts the combined acid-nitrosative stress more efficiently than M. smegmatis as also shown by the up-regulation of glbN and hmp genes, that are specifically directed to NO detoxification. Moreover, the down-regulation of some virulence factors involved in phthiocerol dimycocerosates synthesis strengthens the hypothesis that these major virulence determinants may be attenuated by M. tuberculosis in the presence of reactive nitrogen species. In fact, it down-regulates other genes implicated in the synthesis of membrane structural lipids but in contrast to M. smegmatis, M. tuberculosis up-regulates many genes annotated for the synthesis of peptidoglycan. Results suggest a gene regulation of M. tuberculosis which reveals a distinctive expression pattern under stressful environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cossu
- Department of Food Science, Division of Food Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Ang KC, Ibrahim P, Gam LH. Analysis of differentially expressed proteins in late-stationary growth phase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2013; 61:153-64. [PMID: 23826872 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). The ability of M. tuberculosis to be quiescent in the cell has caused the emergence of latent infection. A comprehensive proteomic analysis of M. tuberculosis H37Rv over three growth phases, namely mid-log (14-day culture), early stationary (28-day culture), and late stationary (50-day culture), was performed in order to study the change in proteome from the mid-log phase to late-stationary phase. Combination methods of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and tandem mass spectrometry were used to generate proteome maps of M. tuberculosis at different growth phases. Ten proteins were detected differentially expressed in the late-stationary phase compared with the other two phases. These proteins were SucD, TrpD, and Rv2161c, which belong to metabolic pathway proteins; FadE5, AccD5, DesA1, and Rv1139c are proteins involved in cell wall or lipid biosynthesis, whereas TB21.7 and Rv3224 are conserved hypothetical proteins with unknown function. A surface antigen protein, DesA1, was not detectable in the late-stationary phase, although present in both log and early-stationary phases. The changes in the expression levels of these proteins were in line with the growth environment changes of the bacteria from mid-log phase to late-stationary phase. The information gathered may be valuable in the intervention against latent TB infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Cheen Ang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
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31
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Pettersson BMF, Nitharwal RG, Das S, Behra KPR, Benedik E, Arasu UT, Islam NM, Dasgupta S, Bhattacharya A, Kirsebom LA. Identification and expression of stressosomal proteins in Mycobacterium marinum under various growth and stress conditions. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2013; 342:98-105. [PMID: 23480639 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 03/02/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Like other bacteria, Mycobacterium spp. have developed different strategies in response to environmental changes such as nutrient limitations and other different stress situations. We have identified candidate genes (rsb genes) from Mycobacterium marinum involved in the regulation of the activity of the alternative sigma factor, σ(F) . This is a homolog of the master regulator of general stress response, σ(B) , and the sporulation-specific sigma factor, σ(F) , in Bacillus subtilis. The organization of these genes in M. marinum and B. subtilis is similar. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR data show that these genes are indeed expressed in M. marinum and that the levels of expression vary with growth phase and exposure to stress. In particular, cold stress caused a significant rise in the expression of all identified rsb and sigF genes. We discuss these data in relation to what is currently known for other Mycobacterium spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Fredrik Pettersson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
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Bashiri G, Perkowski EF, Turner AP, Feltcher ME, Braunstein M, Baker EN. Tat-dependent translocation of an F420-binding protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45003. [PMID: 23110042 PMCID: PMC3478262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
F(420) is a unique cofactor present in a restricted range of microorganisms, including mycobacteria. It has been proposed that F(420) has an important role in the oxidoreductive reactions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, possibly associated with anaerobic survival and persistence. The protein encoded by Rv0132c has a predicted N-terminal signal sequence and is annotated as an F(420)-dependent glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Here we show that Rv0132c protein does not have the annotated activity. It does, however, co-purify with F(420) during expression experiments in M. smegmatis. We also show that the Rv0132c-F(420) complex is a substrate for the Tat pathway, which mediates translocation of the complex across the cytoplasmic membrane, where Rv0132c is anchored to the cell envelope. This is the first report of any F(420)-binding protein being a substrate for the Tat pathway and of the presence of F(420) outside of the cytosol in any F(420)-producing microorganism. The Rv0132c protein and its Tat export sequence are essentially invariant in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Taken together, these results show that current understanding of F(420) biology in mycobacteria should be expanded to include activities occurring in the extra-cytoplasmic cell envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghader Bashiri
- School of Biological Sciences,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ellen F. Perkowski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina United State of America
| | - Adrian P. Turner
- Microscopy and Graphics Unit, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Meghan E. Feltcher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina United State of America
| | - Miriam Braunstein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina United State of America
| | - Edward N. Baker
- School of Biological Sciences,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
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Forrellad MA, Klepp LI, Gioffré A, Sabio y García J, Morbidoni HR, de la Paz Santangelo M, Cataldi AA, Bigi F. Virulence factors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Virulence 2012; 4:3-66. [PMID: 23076359 PMCID: PMC3544749 DOI: 10.4161/viru.22329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) consists of closely related species that cause tuberculosis in both humans and animals. This illness, still today, remains to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The mycobacteria enter the host by air, and, once in the lungs, are phagocytated by macrophages. This may lead to the rapid elimination of the bacillus or to the triggering of an active tuberculosis infection. A large number of different virulence factors have evolved in MTBC members as a response to the host immune reaction. The aim of this review is to describe the bacterial genes/proteins that are essential for the virulence of MTBC species, and that have been demonstrated in an in vivo model of infection. Knowledge of MTBC virulence factors is essential for the development of new vaccines and drugs to help manage the disease toward an increasingly more tuberculosis-free world.
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Newton-Foot M, Gey van Pittius NC. The complex architecture of mycobacterial promoters. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2012; 93:60-74. [PMID: 23017770 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2012.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Revised: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The genus Mycobacterium includes a variety of species with differing phenotypic properties, including growth rate, pathogenicity and environment- and host-specificity. Although many mycobacterial species have been extensively studied and their genomes sequenced, the reasons for phenotypic variation between closely related species remain unclear. Variation in gene expression may contribute to these characteristics and enable the bacteria to respond to changing environmental conditions. Gene expression is controlled primarily at the level of transcription, where the main element of regulation is the promoter. Transcriptional regulation and associated promoter sequences have been studied extensively in E. coli. This review describes the complex structure and characteristics of mycobacterial promoters, in comparison to the classical E. coli prokaryotic promoter structure. Some components of mycobacterial promoters are similar to those of E. coli. These include the predominant guanine residue at the transcriptional start point, conserved -10 hexamer, similar interhexameric distances, the use of ATG as a start codon, the guanine- and adenine-rich ribosome binding site and the presence of extended -10 (TGn) motifs in strong promoters. However, these components are much more variable in sequence in mycobacterial promoters and no conserved -35 hexamer sequence (clearly defined in E. coli) can be identified. This may be a result of the high G+C content of mycobacterial genomes, as well as the large number of sigma factors present in mycobacteria, which may recognise different promoter sequences. Mycobacteria possess a complex transcriptional regulatory network. Numerous regulatory motifs have been identified in mycobacterial promoters, predominantly in the interhexameric region. These are bound by specific transcriptional regulators in response to environmental changes. The combination of specific promoter sequences, transcriptional regulators and a variety of sigma factors enables rapid and specific responses to diverse conditions and different stages of infection. This review aims to provide an overview of the complex architecture of mycobacterial transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mae Newton-Foot
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 19063, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
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Hu Y, Morichaud Z, Chen S, Leonetti JP, Brodolin K. Mycobacterium tuberculosis RbpA protein is a new type of transcriptional activator that stabilizes the σ A-containing RNA polymerase holoenzyme. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 40:6547-57. [PMID: 22570422 PMCID: PMC3413145 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RbpA is an RNA polymerase (RNAP)-binding protein whose presence increases the tolerance levels of Mycobacteria to the first-line anti-tuberculosis drug rifampicin by an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis RbpA in resistance is indirect because it does not affect the sensitivity of RNAP to rifampicin while it stimulates transcription controlled by the housekeeping σA-factor. The transcription regulated by the stress-related σF was not affected by RbpA. The binding site of RbpA maps to the RNAP β subunit Sandwich-Barrel Hybrid Motif, which has not previously been described as an activator target and does not overlap the rifampicin binding site. Our data suggest that RbpA modifies the structure of the core RNAP, increases its affinity for σA and facilitates the assembly of the transcriptionally competent promoter complexes. We propose that RbpA is an essential partner which advantages σA competitiveness for core RNAP binding with respect to the alternative σ factors. The RbpA-driven stimulation of the housekeeping gene expression may help Mycobacteria to tolerate high rifampicin levels and to adapt to the stress conditions during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangbo Hu
- CNRS UMR 5236 - UM1 - UM2, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogénes et Biothechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
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36
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Abstract
In Mycobacterium tuberculosis the alternative sigma factor SigF controls the expression of a particular subset of genes by altering RNA polymerase specificity. Here, we utilize two genome-wide approaches to identify SigF-binding sites: chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-on-chip) and microarray analysis of SigF-mediated transcripts. Since SigF is not an abundant protein in the logarithmic phase of growth, a pristinamyin IA-inducible system was used to control its expression. We identified 67 high-affinity SigF-binding sites and 16 loci where a SigF promoter directs the expression of a transcript. These loci include sigF itself, genes involved in lipid and intermediary metabolism and virulence, and at least one transcriptional regulator (Rv2884), possibly acting downstream of SigF. In addition, SigF was also found to direct the transcription of the gene for small RNA F6. Many loci were also found where SigF may be involved in antisense transcription, and in two cases (Rv1358 and Rv1870c) the SigF-dependent promoter was located within the predicted coding sequence. Quantitative PCR confirmed the microarray findings and 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends was used to map the SigF-specific transcriptional start points. A canonical SigF consensus promoter sequence GGTTT-N((15-17))-GGGTA was found prior to 11 genes. Together, these data help to define the SigF regulon and show that SigF not only governs expression of proteins such as the virulence factor, HbhA, but also impacts novel functions, such as noncoding RNAs and antisense transcripts.
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Be NA, Bishai WR, Jain SK. Role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pknD in the pathogenesis of central nervous system tuberculosis. BMC Microbiol 2012; 12:7. [PMID: 22243650 PMCID: PMC3322341 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central nervous system disease is the most serious form of tuberculosis, and is associated with high mortality and severe neurological sequelae. Though recent clinical reports suggest an association of distinct Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with central nervous system disease, the microbial virulence factors required have not been described previously. RESULTS We screened 398 unique M. tuberculosis mutants in guinea pigs to identify genes required for central nervous system tuberculosis. We found M. tuberculosis pknD (Rv0931c) to be required for central nervous system disease. These findings were central nervous system tissue-specific and were not observed in lung tissues. We demonstrated that pknD is required for invasion of brain endothelia (primary components of the blood-brain barrier protecting the central nervous system), but not macrophages, lung epithelia, or other endothelia. M. tuberculosis pknD encodes a "eukaryotic-like" serine-threonine protein kinase, with a predicted intracellular kinase and an extracellular (sensor) domain. Using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry we demonstrated that the M. tuberculosis PknD sensor is sufficient to trigger invasion of brain endothelia, a process which was neutralized by specific antiserum. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate a novel in vivo role for M. tuberculosis pknD and represent an important mechanism for bacterial invasion and virulence in central nervous system tuberculosis, a devastating and understudied disease primarily affecting young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Be
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
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Bashiri G, Perkowski EF, Turner AP, Feltcher ME, Braunstein M, Baker EN. Tat-dependent translocation of an F420-binding protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PLoS One 2012. [PMID: 23110042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045003pone-d-12-04036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
F(420) is a unique cofactor present in a restricted range of microorganisms, including mycobacteria. It has been proposed that F(420) has an important role in the oxidoreductive reactions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, possibly associated with anaerobic survival and persistence. The protein encoded by Rv0132c has a predicted N-terminal signal sequence and is annotated as an F(420)-dependent glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Here we show that Rv0132c protein does not have the annotated activity. It does, however, co-purify with F(420) during expression experiments in M. smegmatis. We also show that the Rv0132c-F(420) complex is a substrate for the Tat pathway, which mediates translocation of the complex across the cytoplasmic membrane, where Rv0132c is anchored to the cell envelope. This is the first report of any F(420)-binding protein being a substrate for the Tat pathway and of the presence of F(420) outside of the cytosol in any F(420)-producing microorganism. The Rv0132c protein and its Tat export sequence are essentially invariant in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Taken together, these results show that current understanding of F(420) biology in mycobacteria should be expanded to include activities occurring in the extra-cytoplasmic cell envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghader Bashiri
- School of Biological Sciences, Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Velayati AA, Farnia P, Masjedi MR, Zhavnerko GK, Merza MA, Ghanavi J, Tabarsi P, Farnia P, Poleschuyk NN, Ignatyev G. Sequential adaptation in latent tuberculosis bacilli: observation by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Int J Clin Exp Med 2011; 4:193-9. [PMID: 21977232 PMCID: PMC3182511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2011] [Accepted: 08/31/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) can persist within the human host for years without causing disease, in a syndrome known as latent tuberculosis. The mechanisms by which M. tuberculosis establishes a latent metabolic state is unknown, but it is hypothesized that reduced oxygen tension may trigger the bacillus to enter a state of latency. Therefore, we are studying anaerobic culture of M. tuberculosis (H37RV) as a model of latency. For the first time, the sequential adaptation of latent bacilli (every 90 days for 48 months) viewed under Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Two types of adaptation were observed and are described here. First, cells are undergoing temporary adaptation (from 1 to 18 months of latency) that includes; thickening of cell wall (20.5±1.8 nm versus 15.2±1.8 nm, P<0.05), formation of ovoid cells by "folding phenomena"(65-70%), size reduction (0.8±0.1 μm versus 2.5±0.5 μm), and budding type of cell division (20-25%).A second feature include changes that accompany development of specialized cells i.e., production of spore like cells (0.5±0.2 μm) and their progeny (filterable non -acid fast forms; 150 to 300 μm in size). Although, these cells were not real spore because they fail to form a heat resistant colony forming units, after incubation for 35-40 min at 65°C. The filterable non-acid fast forms of bacilli are metabolically active and increased their number by symmetrical type of cell-division. Therefore, survival strategies that developed by M. tuberculosis under oxygen limited condition are linked to its shape, size and conspicuous loss of acid fastness.
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King-Scott J, Konarev PV, Panjikar S, Jordanova R, Svergun DI, Tucker PA. Structural characterization of the multidomain regulatory protein Rv1364c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Structure 2011; 19:56-69. [PMID: 21220116 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Revised: 11/15/2010] [Accepted: 11/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The open reading frame rv1364c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which regulates the stress-dependent σ factor, σ(F), has been analyzed structurally and functionally. Rv1364c contains domains with sequence similarity to the RsbP/RsbW/RsbV regulatory system of the stress-response σ factor of Bacillus subtilis. Rv1364c contains, sequentially, a PAS domain (which shows sequence similarity to the PAS domain of the B. subtilis RsbP protein), an active phosphatase domain, a kinase (anti-σ(F) like) domain and a C-terminal anti-σ(F) antagonist like domain. The crystal structures of two PAS domain constructs (at 2.3 and 1.6 Å) and a phosphatase/kinase dual domain construct (at 2.6 Å) are described. The PAS domain is shown to bind palmitic acid but to have 100 times greater affinity for palmitoleic acid. The full-length protein can exist in solution as both monomer and dimer. We speculate that a switch between monomer and dimer, possibly resulting from fatty acid binding, affects the accessibility of the serine of the C-terminal, anti-σ(F) antagonist domain for dephosphorylation by the phosphatase domain thus indirectly altering the availability of σ(F).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack King-Scott
- EMBL Hamburg Outstation, c/o DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D22603, Hamburg, Germany
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Pribylova R, Kralik P, Donnelly N, Matiasovic J, Pavlik I. Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis and the expression of selected virulence and pathogenesis genes in response to 6°C, 65°c and ph 2.0. Braz J Microbiol 2011; 42:807-17. [PMID: 24031696 PMCID: PMC3769857 DOI: 10.1590/s1517-838220110002000049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 11/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this work was to study the expression of selected Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) genes connected with MAP virulence, adhesion and stress response. The temperature of 6°C and 65°C were chosen with regard to the food industry, storage conditions (refrigerator) and low-temperature pasteurization. A pH of 2.0, using lactic acid, was selected to mimic the natural environment of the stomach. Expression of selected genes was studied using real time reverse transcription PCR on three different MAP isolates. MAP isolates were chosen according to the number of their preceding cultivations. While isolates 8672 and 8819 were previously cultivated only once, MAP isolate 12146 went through four passages. Different expression profiles were observed in each of the three MAP isolates. However, particular similar patterns were observed. SigE, sigF and ahpC were up-regulated, while sigL was down-regulated under temperature stress. Mmp gene was found to be down-regulated under acidic conditions. Low passage isolates (8672 and 8819) showed certain level of acid resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radka Pribylova
- Veterinary Research Institute , Hudcova 70, 621 00 Brno , Czech Republic
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Genes and regulatory networks involved in persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2011; 54:300-10. [PMID: 21267668 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-011-4134-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Accepted: 09/06/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The causative agent of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the most successful of human pathogens. It can evade the host immune response and establish a persistent infection or enter a dormant state within the host which can be reactivated if the host becomes immuno-compromised. Both of these features are major obstacles to tuberculosis eradication. Dormancy and reactivation of M. tuberculosis are tightly coordinated dynamic processes involving numerous genes and their products. Molecular mechanisms underlying M. tuberculosis persistence may provide an opportunity for the discovery of effective drug targets for tuberculosis control. Here, we review the genes required for M. tuberculosis persistence and propose a regulatory network for the action of these genes using text mining. This should provide fresh insights into the persistence mechanisms of M. tuberculosis and suggest candidates for new drug targets and immune intervention.
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Sigma factor F does not prevent rifampin inhibition of RNA polymerase or cause rifampin tolerance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Bacteriol 2010; 192:5472-9. [PMID: 20729364 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00687-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The tolerance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to antituberculosis drugs is a major reason for the lengthy therapy needed to treat a tuberculosis infection. Rifampin is a potent inhibitor of RNA polymerase (RNAP) in vivo but has been shown to be less effective against stationary-phase bacteria. Sigma factor F is associated with bacteria entering stationary phase and has been proposed to impact rifampin activity. Here we investigate whether RNAP containing SigF is more resistant to rifampin inhibition in vitro and whether overexpression of sigF renders M. tuberculosis more tolerant to rifampin. Real-time and radiometric in vitro transcription assays revealed that rifampin equally inhibits transcription by RNAP containing sigma factors SigA and SigF, therefore ruling out the hypothesis that SigF may be responsible for increased resistance of the enzyme to rifampin in vitro. In addition, overexpression or deletion of sigF did not alter rifampin susceptibility in axenic cultures of M. tuberculosis, indicating that SigF does not affect rifampin tolerance in vivo.
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The SigF regulon in Mycobacterium smegmatis reveals roles in adaptation to stationary phase, heat, and oxidative stress. J Bacteriol 2010; 192:2491-502. [PMID: 20233930 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00035-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
SigF is an alternative sigma factor that is highly conserved among species of the genus Mycobacterium. In this study we identified the SigF regulon in Mycobacterium smegmatis using whole-genome microarray and promoter consensus analyses. In total, 64 genes in exponential phase and 124 genes in stationary phase are SigF dependent (P < 0.01, >2-fold expression change). Our experimental data reveal the SigF-dependent promoter consensus GTTT-N((15-17))-GGGTA for M. smegmatis, and we propose 130 potential genes under direct control of SigF, of which more than 50% exhibited reduced expression in a Delta sigF strain. We previously reported an increased susceptibility of the Delta sigF strain to heat and oxidative stress, and our expression data indicate a molecular basis for these phenotypes. We observed SigF-dependent expression of several genes purportedly involved in oxidative stress defense, namely, a heme-containing catalase, a manganese-containing catalase, a superoxide dismutase, the starvation-induced DNA-protecting protein MsDps1, and the biosynthesis genes for the carotenoid isorenieratene. Our data suggest that SigF regulates the biosynthesis of the thermoprotectant trehalose, as well as an uptake system for osmoregulatory compounds, and this may explain the increased heat susceptibility of the Delta sigF strain. We identified the regulatory proteins SigH3, PhoP, WhiB1, and WhiB4 as possible genes under direct control of SigF and propose four novel anti-sigma factor antagonists that could be involved in the posttranslational regulation of SigF in M. smegmatis. This study emphasizes the importance of this sigma factor for stationary-phase adaptation and stress response in mycobacteria.
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Malik SS, Luthra A, Ramachandran R. Interactions of the M. tuberculosis UsfX with the cognate sigma factor SigF and the anti-anti sigma factor RsfA. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2009; 1794:541-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2008.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2008] [Revised: 10/11/2008] [Accepted: 11/03/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Gebhard S, Hümpel A, McLellan AD, Cook GM. The alternative sigma factor SigF of Mycobacterium smegmatis is required for survival of heat shock, acidic pH and oxidative stress. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2008; 154:2786-2795. [PMID: 18757812 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.2008/018044-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The alternative sigma factor SigF of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been characterized in detail as a general-stress, stationary-phase sigma factor involved in the virulence of the bacterium. While a homologous gene has been annotated in the genome of the fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis, little experimental evidence is available on the function of this gene. Here, we demonstrate that SigF of M. smegmatis is required for resistance to hydrogen peroxide, heat shock and acidic pH, but not for survival in human neutrophils. No difference in sensitivity to isoniazid was observed between the wild-type strain and the DeltasigF mutant, suggesting that SigF-mediated resistance to hydrogen peroxide was via a pathway independent of KatG or AhpC. RT-PCR and 5'-RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) analyses showed that sigF of M. smegmatis was co-transcribed with rsbW (thought to encode an anti-sigma factor for SigF) and MSMEG_1802 (unknown function) and was expressed from two promoters, one upstream of MSMEG_1802 and the second upstream of rsbW. Analysis of transcriptional lacZ fusion constructs in the sigF-deletion background revealed that the MSMEG_1802 promoter was dependent on SigF for expression. Moreover, MSMEG_1802-lacZ was induced twofold upon entry into stationary phase, while exposure of exponentially growing cultures to various stress conditions (e.g. heat, cold, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide or different pH values) did not lead to induction of MSMEG_1802-lacZ. Expression of rsbW-lacZ was independent of SigF and remained constant throughout the growth cycle and under various stress conditions unless the bacteria were challenged with d-cycloserine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anja Hümpel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alexander D McLellan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory M Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Mukherjee R, Chatterji D. Stationary phase induced alterations in mycobacterial RNA polymerase assembly: A cue to its phenotypic resistance towards rifampicin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2008; 369:899-904. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.02.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2008] [Accepted: 02/25/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Singh AK, Singh BN. Conservation of sigma F in mycobacteria and its expression in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Curr Microbiol 2008; 56:574-80. [PMID: 18324436 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-008-9126-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2007] [Accepted: 12/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alternate sigma factor SigF controls the expression of virulence-associated genes and is believed to contribute to the pathology of tuberculosis. It was reported to be absent in fast-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria until its orthologs were reported recently in a database. In this study, we demonstrate the presence of sigF gene in few commonly studied nonpathogenic mycobacterial species. Further, we studied the sigF expression in Mycobacterium smegmatis and observed that unlike its late-stage expression in M. tuberculosis and M. bovis, found in earlier studies, sigF is expressed throughout the growth in M. smegmatis, by and large, at the same level, but its expression varies upon exposure to different stress conditions. The presence of sigF orthologs in nontuberculous mycobacteria and its continued expression throughout the growth suggests that apart from regulating the expression of virulence factor genes in pathogenic mycobacteria, SigF is likely to have more roles in the mycobacterial physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirudh K Singh
- Division of Microbiology, Central Drug Research Institute, Post Box No. 173, M G Road, Lucknow, 226 001, India
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Reddy MCM, Gokulan K, Jacobs WR, Ioerger TR, Sacchettini JC. Crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis LrpA, a leucine-responsive global regulator associated with starvation response. Protein Sci 2008; 17:159-70. [PMID: 18042675 PMCID: PMC2144582 DOI: 10.1110/ps.073192208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2007] [Revised: 09/22/2007] [Accepted: 09/27/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) is a global transcriptional regulator that controls the expression of many genes during starvation and the transition to stationary phase. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene Rv3291c encodes a 150-amino acid protein (designated here as Mtb LrpA) with homology with Escherichia coli Lrp. The crystal structure of the native form of Mtb LrpA was solved at 2.1 A. The Mtb LrpA structure shows an N-terminal DNA-binding domain with a helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif, and a C-terminal regulatory domain. In comparison to the complex of E. coli AsnC with asparagine, the effector-binding pocket (including loop 100-106) in LrpA appears to be largely preserved, with hydrophobic substitutions consistent with its specificity for leucine. The effector-binding pocket is formed at the interface between adjacent dimers, with an opening to the core of the octamer as in AsnC, and an additional substrate-access channel opening to the outer surface of the octamer. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, purified Mtb LrpA protein was shown to form a protein-DNA complex with the lat promoter, demonstrating that the lat operon is a direct target of LrpA. Using computational analysis, a putative motif is identified in this region that is also present upstream of other operons differentially regulated under starvation. This study provides insights into the potential role of LrpA as a global regulator in the transition of M. tuberculosis to a persistent state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manchi C M Reddy
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2128, USA
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Chowdhury RP, Gupta S, Chatterji D. Identification and characterization of the dps promoter of Mycobacterium smegmatis: promoter recognition by stress-specific extracytoplasmic function sigma factors sigmaH and sigmaF. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:8973-81. [PMID: 17921287 PMCID: PMC2168604 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01222-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2007] [Accepted: 09/28/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival of a bacterium with a depleted oxygen or nutrient supply is important for its long-term persistence inside the host under stressful conditions. We studied a gene, dps, from Mycobacterium smegmatis, encoding a protein, Dps (for DNA binding protein from starved cells), which is overexpressed under oxidative and nutritional stresses and provides bimodal protection to the bacterial DNA. Characterization of the dps promoter in vivo is therefore important. We cloned a 1-kb putative promoter region of the dps gene of M. smegmatis in an Escherichia coli-Mycobacterium shuttle vector, pSD5B, immediately upstream of the lacZ gene. Promoter activities were assayed in vivo both in solid medium and in liquid cultures by quantitative beta-galactosidase activity measurements. To characterize the minimal promoter region, a 200-bp fragment from the whole 1-kb sequence was further cloned in the same vector, and in a similar way, beta-galactosidase activity was quantitated. Primer extension analysis was performed to determine the +1 transcription start site of the gene. Point mutations were inserted in the putative promoter sequences in the -10 and -20 regions, and the promoter sequence was confirmed. The promoter was not recognized by purified M. smegmatis core RNA polymerase reconstituted with purified Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigmaA or sigmaB during multiple- and single-round in vitro transcription assays. Promoter-specific in vivo pull-down assays with an immobilized 1-kb DNA fragment containing the dps promoter established that extracellular function sigma factors were associated with this starvation-inducible promoter. Single-round transcription at the dps promoter further supported the idea that only core RNA polymerase reconstituted with sigmaF or sigmaH can generate proper transcripts.
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