A model for the common control of enzymes of ethanolamine catabolism in Escherichia coli

Ethanolamine controls expression of genes encoding components involved in interkingdom signaling and virulence in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Bacterial pathogens must be able to both recognize suitable niches within the host for colonization and successfully compete with commensal flora for nutrients in order to establish infection. Ethanolamine (EA) is a major component of mammalian and bacterial membranes and is used by pathogens as a carbon and/or nitrogen source in the gastrointestinal tract. The deadly human pathogen enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) uses EA in the intestine as a nitrogen source as a competitive advantage for colonization over the microbial flora. Here we show that EA is not only important for nitrogen metabolism but that it is also used as a signaling molecule in cell-to-cell signaling to activate virulence gene expression in EHEC. EA in concentrations that cannot promote growth as a nitrogen source can activate expression of EHEC’s repertoire of virulence genes. The EutR transcription factor, known to be the receptor of EA, is only partially responsible for this regulation, suggesting that yet another EA receptor exists. This important link of EA with metabolism, cell-to-cell signaling, and pathogenesis, highlights the fact that a fundamental means of communication within microbial communities relies on energy production and processing of metabolites. Here we show for the first time that bacterial pathogens not only exploit EA as a metabolite but also coopt EA as a signaling molecule to recognize the gastrointestinal environment and promote virulence expression.

In order to successfully cause disease, a pathogen must be able to sense a host environment and modulate expression of its virulence genes as well as compete with the indigenous microbiota for nutrients. Ethanolamine (EA) is present in the large intestine due to the turnover of intestinal cells. Here, we show that the human pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7, which causes bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome, regulates virulence gene expression through EA metabolism and by responding to EA as a signal. These findings provide the first information directly linking EA with bacterial pathogenesis.

Evidence that a B12-adenosyl transferase is encoded within the ethanolamine operon of Salmonella enterica

Adenosylcobalamin (Ado-B12) is both the cofactor and inducer of ethanolamine ammonia lyase (EA-lyase), a catabolic enzyme for ethanolamine. De novo synthesis of Ado-B12 by Salmonella enterica occurs only under anaerobic conditions. Therefore, aerobic growth on ethanolamine requires import of Ado-B12 or a precursor (CN-B12 or OH-B12) that can be adenosylated internally. Several known enzymes adenosylate corrinoids. The CobA enzyme transfers adenosine from ATP to a biosynthetic intermediate in de novo B12 synthesis and to imported CN-B12, OH-B12, or Cbi (a B12 precursor). The PduO adenosyl transferase is encoded in an operon (pdu) for cobalamin-dependent propanediol degradation and is induced by propanediol. Evidence is presented here that a third transferase (EutT) is encoded within the operon for ethanolamine utilization (eut). Surprisingly, these three transferases share no apparent sequence similarity. CobA produces sufficient Ado-B12 to initiate eut operon induction and to serve as a cofactor for EA-lyase when B12 levels are high. Once the eut operon is induced, the EutT transferase supplies more Ado-B12 during the period of high demand. Another protein encoded in the operon (EutA) protects EA-lyase from inhibition by CN-B12 but does so without adenosylation of this corrinoid.

The 17-gene ethanolamine (eut) operon of Salmonella typhimurium encodes five homologues of carboxysome shell proteins

The eut operon of Salmonella typhimurium encodes proteins involved in the cobalamin-dependent degradation of ethanolamine. Previous genetic analysis revealed six eut genes that are needed for aerobic use of ethanolamine; one (eutR), encodes a positive regulator which mediates induction of the operon by vitamin B12 plus ethanolamine. The DNA sequence of the eut operon included 17 genes, suggesting a more complex pathway than that revealed genetically. We have correlated an open reading frame in the sequence with each of the previously identified genes. Nonpolar insertion and deletion mutations made with the Tn10-derived transposable element T-POP showed that at least 10 of the 11 previously undetected eut genes have no Eut phenotype under the conditions tested. Of the dispensable eut genes, five encode apparent homologues of proteins that serve (in other organisms) as shell proteins of the carboxysome. This bacterial organelle, found in photosynthetic and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, may contribute to CO2 fixation by concentrating CO2 and excluding oxygen. The presence of these homologues in the eut operon of Salmonella suggests that CO2 fixation may be a feature of ethanolamine catabolism in Salmonella.

Molecular characterization of eutF mutants of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 identifies eutF lesions as partial-loss-of-function tonB alleles

The eutF locus of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 was identified as a locus necessary for the utilization of ethanolamine as a sole carbon source. Initial models suggested that EutF was involved in either ethanolamine transport or was a transcriptional regulator of an ethanolamine transporter. Phenotypic characterization of eutF mutants suggested EutF was somehow involved in 1,2-propanediol, propionate, and succinate utilization. Here we provide evidence that two alleles defining the eutF locus, Delta903 and eutF1115, are partial-loss-of-function tonB alleles. Both mutations were complemented by plasmids containing a wild-type allele of the Escherichia coli tonB gene. Immunoblot analysis using TonB monoclonal antibodies detected a TonB fusion protein in strains carrying eutF alleles. Molecular analysis of the Delta903 allele identified a deletion that resulted in the fusion of the 3' end of tonB with the 3' end of trpA. In-frame translation of the tonB-trpA fusion resulted in the final 9 amino acids of TonB being replaced by a 45-amino-acid addition. We isolated a derivative of a strain carrying allele Delta903 that regained the ability to grow on ethanolamine as a carbon and energy source. The molecular characterization of the mutation that corrected the Eut- phenotype caused by allele Delta903 showed that the new mutation was a deletion of two nucleotides at the tonB-trpA fusion site. This deletion resulted in a frameshift that replaced the 45-amino-acid addition with a 5-amino-acid addition. This change resulted in a TonB protein with sufficient activity to restore growth on ethanolamine and eut operon expression to nearly wild-type levels. It was concluded that the observed EutF phenotypes were due to the partial loss of TonB function, which is proposed to result in reduced cobalamin and ferric siderophore transport in an aerobic environment; thus, the eutF locus does not exist.

A rationale for autoinduction of a transcriptional activator: ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EutBC) and the operon activator (EutR) compete for adenosyl-cobalamin in Salmonella typhimurium

The ethanolamine utilization (eut) operon of Salmonella typhimurium is controlled by a positive regulatory protein (EutR) which stimulates eut operon expression in response to the simultaneous presence of two effectors, ethanolamine and adenosyl-cobalamin (Ado-B12). Ado-B12 is a cofactor for ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (lyase), the first enzyme in the ethanolamine-degradative pathway. The dependence of this pathway on the use of Ado-B12 as an effector in eut operon induction may be explained by its role in the degradation of ethanolamine and the fact that this cofactor is not always made by S. typhimurium. The eutR gene lies within the eut operon, and its autoinduction is required for maximum operon expression. Evidence is presented that the placement of the eutR regulatory gene within the operon provides a means of balancing the competition between lyase and the regulatory protein for a very small pool of Ado-B12. Since both lyase and the regulatory protein are induced, they can compete more equally for a small pool of Ado-B12. This permits both continued eut operon induction and lyase activity. Two general observations support this model. First, mutations that inactivate lyase allow the operon to be fully induced by a lower level of exogenous cobalamin (CN-B12) than required by a wild-type operon. This increase in sensitivity is measured as a reduction in the apparent Km for operon induction by exogenous CN-B12. Second, the maximum level of operon induction by excess CN-B12 is dictated by the level of EutR regulatory protein, regardless of the level of lyase.

Autogenous regulation of ethanolamine utilization by a transcriptional activator of the eut operon in Salmonella typhimurium

The genes required for use of ethanolamine as a carbon and nitrogen source are encoded by a single operon (eut) whose expression is induced by the simultaneous presence of both ethanolamine and cobalamin (vitamin B12). The action of B12 as an inducer of this operon reflects the fact that this cofactor is required by the degradative enzyme ethanolamine lyase (eutBC). The eutR gene encodes a protein that activates transcription of the eut operon in response to the simultaneous presence of B12 and ethanolamine. The eutR gene is expressed by a weak constitutive promoter activity (PII) and by the main regulated promoter (PI). Because it is encoded within the operon that it activates, the EutR protein controls its own production. Initial induction of the eut operon by ethanolamine plus B12 causes an increase in expression of the eutR gene; this increase acts as part of a positive feedback loop that is required for maximal operon expression. Because of this mode of regulation, constitutive regulatory mutations, described here, include mutations that generate new internal promoters and thereby increase the basal level of eutR gene expression. In mutants with an increased level of activator protein, each inducer (B12 or ethanolamine), presented singly, is sufficient for partial operon induction.

Identification and initial characterization of the eutF locus of Salmonella typhimurium

We report the isolation and initial characterization of mutations in the newly described eutF locus of Salmonella typhimurium LT2. Mutations in eutF render a strain unable to utilize ethanolamine as a source of carbon and/or energy and impair growth on ethanolamine as a sole nitrogen source. Strains carrying eutF mutations exhibit a 2-order-of-magnitude decrease in transcription of the unlinked eutDEABCR operon (50 min), which codes for the enzymes needed to catabolize ethanolamine; have only 10% of the ethanolamine ammonia-lyase activity found in the wild type; and show a marked reduction in the rate of ethanolamine uptake. Deletion mapping and three-factor cross analysis results are consistent with the gene order cobA trp eutF tonB at 34 min on the linkage map. We discuss two possible roles for the EutF protein: (i) as an ethanolamine permease or (ii) as a transcription factor required for the expression of the eutDEABCR operon.

Expression of the Vibrio cholerae gene encoding aldehyde dehydrogenase is under control of ToxR, the cholera toxin transcriptional activator

The toxR gene of Vibrio cholerae encodes a transcriptional activator required for the expression of the cholera toxin genes (ctxAB) and more than 15 other genes encoding secreted or membrane proteins. The latter group includes virulence genes involved in the biogenesis of the TCP pilus, the accessory colonization factor, and such ToxR-activated genes as tagA, mutations in which cause no detectable virulence defect in the suckling mouse model. To analyze the regulation of expression and the structure of tagA, we have cloned and sequenced about 2 kb of DNA upstream from a tagA::TnphoA fusion. While the portion of the tagA gene product examined presented no extensive similarity to any known protein, the amino acid sequence deduced from an open reading frame (designated aldA) located upstream from and in opposite orientation to tagA was highly similar to the sequences of eukaryotic aldehyde dehydrogenases. An assay of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in extracts of a wild-type V. cholerae strainand an aldA mutant confirmed that aldA encodes an aldehyde dehydrogenase. Expression of the aldA gene was studied together with that of tagA in both V. cholerae and Escherichia coli. The expression of both tagA and aldA was environmentally regulated and dependent on a functional toxR gene in V. cholerae, but neither promoter was activated by ToxR in E. coli, suggesting that expression of tagA and aldA requires an additional transcriptional activator besides ToxR. The aldA gene is the first example of a gene encoding a cytoplasmic protein that is under the control of ToxR, and this suggests that metabolic enzymes may constitute novel members of virulence regulons in bacteria.

Ethanolamine utilization in Salmonella typhimurium

Ethanolamine can serve as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen for Salmonella typhimurium if vitamin B12 is present to serve as a cofactor. The pathway for ethanolamine utilization has been investigated in order to understand its regulation and determine whether the pathway is important to the selective forces that have maintained the ability to synthesize B12 in S. typhimurium. We isolated mutants that are defective in ethanolamine utilization (eut mutants). These mutants defined a cluster of genes located between purC and cysA at 50 min on the Salmonella chromosome. A genetic map of the eut region was constructed. Included in the map are mutations which affect ethanolamine ammonia lyase, the first degradative enzyme, and mutations which affect the second enzyme in the pathway, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Transcriptional regulation of the eut genes was studied by using eut-lac operon fusions created by insertion of Mu d lac. Transcription is induced by the simultaneous presence of ethanolamine and B12 in the growth medium. The eut genes constitute a single unit of transcription. One class of mutations located at the promoter-distal end of the eut operon prevent induction of transcription.