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Quaiyum S, Yuan Y, Kuipers PJ, Martinelli M, Jaroch M, de Crécy-Lagard V. Deciphering the Diversity in Bacterial Transporters That Salvage Queuosine Precursors. EPIGENOMES 2024; 8:16. [PMID: 38804365 PMCID: PMC11130926 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes8020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Queuosine (Q) is a modification of the wobble base of tRNA harboring GUN anticodons with roles in decoding accuracy and efficiency. Its synthesis is complex with multiple enzymatic steps, and several pathway intermediates can be salvaged. The only two transporter families known to salvage Q precursors are QPTR/COG1738 and QrtT/QueT. Analyses of the distribution of known Q synthesis and salvage genes in human gut and oral microbiota genomes have suggested that more transporter families remain to be found and that Q precursor exchanges must occur within the structured microenvironments of the mammalian host. Using physical clustering and fusion-based association with Q salvage genes, candidate genes for missing transporters were identified and five were tested experimentally by complementation assays in Escherichia coli. Three genes encoding transporters from three different Pfam families, a ureide permease (PF07168) from Acidobacteriota bacterium, a hemolysin III family protein (PF03006) from Bifidobacterium breve, and a Major Facilitator Superfamily protein (PF07690) from Bartonella henselae, were found to allow the transport of both preQ0 and preQ1 in this heterologous system. This work suggests that many transporter families can evolve to transport Q precursors, reinforcing the concept of transporter plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Quaiyum
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (S.Q.); (Y.Y.); (P.J.K.)
| | - Yifeng Yuan
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (S.Q.); (Y.Y.); (P.J.K.)
| | - Paul J. Kuipers
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (S.Q.); (Y.Y.); (P.J.K.)
| | - Maria Martinelli
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (S.Q.); (Y.Y.); (P.J.K.)
- eSTEAMed Learning Inc., Maitland, FL 32751, USA
| | - Marshall Jaroch
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (S.Q.); (Y.Y.); (P.J.K.)
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (S.Q.); (Y.Y.); (P.J.K.)
- Genetic Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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2
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Fang T, Szklarczyk D, Hachilif R, von Mering C. Enhancing coevolutionary signals in protein-protein interaction prediction through clade-wise alignment integration. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6009. [PMID: 38472223 PMCID: PMC10933411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55655-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play essential roles in most biological processes. The binding interfaces between interacting proteins impose evolutionary constraints that have successfully been employed to predict PPIs from multiple sequence alignments (MSAs). To construct MSAs, critical choices have to be made: how to ensure the reliable identification of orthologs, and how to optimally balance the need for large alignments versus sufficient alignment quality. Here, we propose a divide-and-conquer strategy for MSA generation: instead of building a single, large alignment for each protein, multiple distinct alignments are constructed under distinct clades in the tree of life. Coevolutionary signals are searched separately within these clades, and are only subsequently integrated using machine learning techniques. We find that this strategy markedly improves overall prediction performance, concomitant with better alignment quality. Using the popular DCA algorithm to systematically search pairs of such alignments, a genome-wide all-against-all interaction scan in a bacterial genome is demonstrated. Given the recent successes of AlphaFold in predicting direct PPIs at atomic detail, a discover-and-refine approach is proposed: our method could provide a fast and accurate strategy for pre-screening the entire genome, submitting to AlphaFold only promising interaction candidates-thus reducing false positives as well as computation time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Fang
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Damian Szklarczyk
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Radja Hachilif
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian von Mering
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Yan M, Hu Z, Duan Z, Sun Y, Dong T, Sun X, Zhen F, Li Y. Microbiome re-assembly boosts anaerobic digestion under volatile fatty acid inhibition: focusing on reactive oxygen species metabolism. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 246:120711. [PMID: 37844339 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems resulting from food waste overload poses a risk of system collapse. However, limited understanding exists regarding the inhibitory mechanisms and effective strategies to address VFAs-induced stress. This study found that accumulated VFAs exert reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress on indigenous microbiota, particularly impacting methanogens due to their lower antioxidant capability compared to bacteria, which is supposed to be the primary reason for methanogenesis failure. To enhance the VFAs-stressed AD process, microbiome re-assembly using customized propionate-degrading consortia and bioaugmentation with concentrated digestate were implemented. Microbiome re-assembly demonstrated superior efficiency, yielding an average methane yield of 563.6±159.8 mL/L·d and reducing VFAs to undetectable levels for a minimum of 80 days. This strategy improved the abundance of Syntrophomonas, Syntrophobacter and Methanothrix, alleviating ROS stress. Conversely, microbial community in reactor with other strategy experienced an escalating intracellular damage, as indicated by the increase of ROS generation-related genes. This study fills knowledge gaps in stress-related metabolic mechanisms of anaerobic microbiomes exposed to VFAs and microbiome re-assembly to boost methanogenesis process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yan
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China; Shandong Minhe Biotechnology Co., Ltd
| | - Zhiyuan Hu
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Zhenhan Duan
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangdong 510655 , PR China
| | - Yongming Sun
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | | | | | - Feng Zhen
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Ying Li
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China.
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4
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Wang J, Sheng Z, Liu Y, Chen X, Wang S, Yang H. Combined proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of the antimicrobial mechanism of tannic acid against Staphylococcus aureus. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1178177. [PMID: 37654613 PMCID: PMC10466393 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1178177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a zoonotic opportunistic pathogen that represents a significant threat to public health. Previous studies have shown that tannic acid (TA) has an inhibitory effect on a variety of bacteria. In this study, the proteome and transcriptome of S. aureus were analyzed to comprehensively assess changes in genes and proteins induced by TA. Initial observations of morphological changes revealed that TA damaged the integrity of the cell membrane. Next, proteomic and genetic analyses showed that exposure to TA altered the expression levels of 651 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs, 283 upregulated and 368 downregulated) and 503 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 191 upregulated and 312 downregulated). Analysis of the identified DEPs and DEGs suggested that TA damages the integrity of the cell envelope by decreasing the expression and protein abundance of enzymes involved in the synthesis of peptidoglycans, teichoic acids and fatty acids, such as murB, murQ, murG, fmhX and tagA. After treatment with TA, the assembly of ribosomes in S. aureus was severely impaired by significant reductions in available ribosome components, and thus protein synthesis was hindered. The levels of genes and proteins associated with amino acids and purine synthesis were remarkably decreased, which further reduced bacterial viability. In addition, ABC transporters, which are involved in amino acid and ion transport, were also badly affected. Our results reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of TA on S. aureus and provide a theoretical basis for the application of TA as an antibacterial chemotherapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhicun Sheng
- Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yunying Liu
- Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- Zhongchong Sino Biotech Taizhou Co., Ltd., Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiaolan Chen
- Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shuaibing Wang
- Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haifeng Yang
- Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Tian K, Yu Y, Qiu Q, Sun X, Meng F, Bi Y, Gu J, Wang Y, Zhang F, Huo H. Mechanisms of BPA Degradation and Toxicity Resistance in Rhodococcus equi. Microorganisms 2022; 11:microorganisms11010067. [PMID: 36677360 PMCID: PMC9862853 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) pollution poses an increasingly serious problem. BPA has been detected in a variety of environmental media and human tissues. Microbial degradation is an effective method of environmental BPA remediation. However, BPA is also biotoxic to microorganisms. In this study, Rhodococcus equi DSSKP-R-001 (R-001) was used to degrade BPA, and the effects of BPA on the growth metabolism, gene expression patterns, and toxicity-resistance mechanisms of Rhodococcus equi were analyzed. The results showed that R-001 degraded 51.2% of 5 mg/L BPA and that 40 mg/L BPA was the maximum BPA concentration tolerated by strain R-001. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and multicopper oxidases played key roles in BPA degradation. However, BPA was toxic to strain R-001, exhibiting nonlinear inhibitory effects on the growth and metabolism of this bacterium. R-001 bacterial biomass, total protein content, and ATP content exhibited V-shaped trends as BPA concentration increased. The toxic effects of BPA included the downregulation of R-001 genes related to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate metabolism, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Genes involved in aspects of the BPA-resistance response, such as base excision repair, osmoprotectant transport, iron-complex transport, and some energy metabolisms, were upregulated to mitigate the loss of energy associated with BPA exposure. This study helped to clarify the bacterial mechanisms involved in BPA biodegradation and toxicity resistance, and our results provide a theoretical basis for the application of strain R-001 in BPA pollution treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejian Tian
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Yue Yu
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Qing Qiu
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Xuejian Sun
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Fanxing Meng
- Jilin Province Water Resources and Hydropower Consultative Company of P.R. China, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Yuanping Bi
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, No. 5268, Renmin Main Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Jinming Gu
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Fenglin Zhang
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Hongliang Huo
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, No. 2555 Jingyue Avenue, Changchun 130117, China
- Jilin Province Laboratory of Water Pollution Treatment and Resource Engineering, Changchun 130117, China
- Northeast China Low Carbon Water Pollution Treatment and Green Development Engineering Research Center, Changchun 130117, China
- Correspondence:
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Perez-Fernandez CA, Wilburn P, Davila A, DiRuggiero J. Adaptations of endolithic communities to abrupt environmental changes in a hyper-arid desert. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20022. [PMID: 36414646 PMCID: PMC9681764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23437-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptation mechanisms of microbial communities to natural perturbations remain unexplored, particularly in extreme environments. The extremophilic communities of halite (NaCl) nodules from the hyper-arid core of the Atacama Desert are self-sustained and represent a unique opportunity to study functional adaptations and community dynamics with changing environmental conditions. We transplanted halite nodules to different sites in the desert and investigated how their taxonomic, cellular, and biochemical changes correlated with water availability, using environmental data modeling and metagenomic analyses. Salt-in strategists, mainly represented by haloarchaea, significantly increased in relative abundance at sites characterized by extreme dryness, multiple wet/dry cycles, and colder conditions. The functional analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) revealed site-specific enrichments in archaeal MAGs encoding for the uptake of various compatible solutes and for glycerol utilization. These findings suggest that opportunistic salt-in strategists took over the halite communities at the driest sites. They most likely benefited from compounds newly released in the environment by the death of microorganisms least adapted to the new conditions. The observed changes were consistent with the need to maximize cellular bioenergetics when confronted with lower water availability and higher salinity, providing valuable information on microbial community adaptations and resilience to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A. Perez-Fernandez
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Paul Wilburn
- grid.419075.e0000 0001 1955 7990NASA Ames Research Center-Exobiology Branch MS 239-4, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Alfonso Davila
- grid.419075.e0000 0001 1955 7990NASA Ames Research Center-Exobiology Branch MS 239-4, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Jocelyne DiRuggiero
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
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Investigating Differential Expressed Genes of Limosilactobacillus reuteri LR08 Regulated by Soybean Protein and Peptides. Foods 2022; 11:foods11091251. [PMID: 35563974 PMCID: PMC9105380 DOI: 10.3390/foods11091251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Soybean protein and peptides have the potential to promote the growth of Lactobacillus, but the mechanisms involved are not well understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) LR08 responding to soybean protein and peptides using transcriptome. The results showed that both digested protein (dpro) and digested peptides (dpep) could enhance a purine biosynthesis pathway which could provide more nucleic acid and ATP for bacteria growth. Moreover, dpep could be used instead of dpro to promote the ABC transporters, especially the genes involved in the transportation of various amino acids. Interestingly, dpro and dpep played opposite roles in modulating DEGs from the acc and fab gene families which participate in fatty acid biosynthesis. These not only provide a new direction for developing nitrogen-sourced prebiotics in the food industry but could also help us to understand the fundamental mechanism of the effects of dpro and dpep on their growth and metabolisms and provides relevant evidence for further investigation.
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8
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Shen L, Yu Y, Zhou Y, Pruett-Miller SM, Zhang GF, Karner CM. SLC38A2 provides proline to fulfil unique synthetic demands arising during osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. eLife 2022; 11:76963. [PMID: 35261338 PMCID: PMC9007586 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular differentiation is associated with the acquisition of a unique protein signature which is essential to attain the ultimate cellular function and activity of the differentiated cell. This is predicted to result in unique biosynthetic demands that arise during differentiation. Using a bioinformatic approach, we discovered osteoblast differentiation is associated with increased demand for the amino acid proline. When compared to other differentiated cells, osteoblast-associated proteins including RUNX2, OSX, OCN and COL1A1 are significantly enriched in proline. Using a genetic and metabolomic approach, we demonstrate that the neutral amino acid transporter SLC38A2 acts cell autonomously to provide proline to facilitate the efficient synthesis of proline-rich osteoblast proteins. Genetic ablation of SLC38A2 in osteoblasts limits both osteoblast differentiation and bone formation in mice. Mechanistically, proline is primarily incorporated into nascent protein with little metabolism observed. Collectively, these data highlight a requirement for proline in fulfilling the unique biosynthetic requirements that arise during osteoblast differentiation and bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyao Shen
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Yilin Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Yunji Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Guo-Fang Zhang
- Sarah W Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
| | - Courtney M Karner
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
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Transcriptome Analysis of Halotolerant Staphylococcus saprophyticus Isolated from Korean Fermented Shrimp. Foods 2022; 11:foods11040524. [PMID: 35206000 PMCID: PMC8870806 DOI: 10.3390/foods11040524] [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: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Saeu-jeotgal, a Korean fermented shrimp food, is commonly used as an ingredient for making kimchi and other side dishes. The high salinity of the jeotgal contributes to its flavor and inhibits the growth of food spoilage microorganisms. Interestingly, Staphylococcus saprophyticus was discovered to be capable of growth even after treatment with 20% NaCl. To elucidate the tolerance mechanism, a genome-wide gene expression of S. saprophyticus against 0%, 10%, and 20% NaCl was investigated by RNA sequencing. A total of 831, 1314, and 1028 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the 0% vs. 10%, 0% vs. 20%, and 10% vs. 20% NaCl comparisons, respectively. The Clusters of Orthologous Groups analysis revealed that the DEGs were involved in amino acid transport and metabolism, transcription, and inorganic ion transport and metabolism. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the expression of the genes encoding mechanosensitive ion channels, sodium/proton antiporters, and betaine/carnitine/choline transporter family proteins was downregulated, whereas the expression of the genes encoding universal stress proteins and enzymes for glutamate, glycine, and alanine synthesis was upregulated. Therefore, these findings suggest that the S. saprophyticus isolated from the saeu-jeotgal utilizes different molecular strategies for halotolerance, with glutamate as the key molecule.
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10
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Michel AM, Borrero-de Acuña JM, Molinari G, Ünal CM, Will S, Derksen E, Barthels S, Bartram W, Schrader M, Rohde M, Zhang H, Hoffmann T, Neumann-Schaal M, Bremer E, Jahn D. Cellular adaptation of Clostridioides difficile to high salinity encompasses a compatible solute-responsive change in cell morphology. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:1499-1517. [PMID: 35106888 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Infections by the pathogenic gut bacterium Clostridioides difficile cause severe diarrheas up to a toxic megacolon and are currently among the major causes of lethal bacterial infections. Successful bacterial propagation in the gut is strongly associated with the adaptation to changing nutrition-caused environmental conditions; e.g. environmental salt stresses. Concentrations of 350 mM NaCl, the prevailing salinity in the colon, led to significantly reduced growth of C. difficile. Metabolomics of salt- stressed bacteria revealed a major reduction of the central energy generation pathways, including the Stickland-fermentation reactions. No obvious synthesis of compatible solutes was observed up to 24 h of growth. The ensuing limited tolerance to high salinity and absence of compatible solute synthesis might result from an evolutionary adaptation to the exclusive life of C. difficile in the mammalian gut. Addition of the compatible solutes carnitine, glycine-betaine, γ-butyrobetaine, crotonobetaine, homobetaine, proline-betaine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) restored growth (choline and proline failed) under conditions of high salinity. A bioinformatically-identified OpuF-type ABC-transporter imported most of the used compatible solutes. A long-term adaptation after 48 h included a shift of the Stickland fermentation-based energy metabolism from the utilization to the accumulation of L-proline and resulted in restored growth. Surprisingly, salt stress resulted in the formation of coccoid C. difficile cells instead of the typical rod-shaped cells, a process reverted by the addition of several compatible solutes. Hence, compatible solute import via OpuF is the major immediate adaptation strategy of C. difficile to high salinity-incurred cellular stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika-Marisa Michel
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - José Manuel Borrero-de Acuña
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Universidad de Sevilla, Facultad de Biología, Departamento de Microbiología, Av. de la Reina Mercedes, n° 6, CP, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Gabriella Molinari
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Can Murat Ünal
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sabine Will
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Derksen
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Barthels
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Wiebke Bartram
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michel Schrader
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Hao Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, No. 7186 Weixing Road, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Tamara Hoffmann
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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11
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Gregory GJ, Boyd EF. Stressed out: Bacterial response to high salinity using compatible solute biosynthesis and uptake systems, lessons from Vibrionaceae. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1014-1027. [PMID: 33613867 PMCID: PMC7876524 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved mechanisms that allow them to adapt to changes in osmolarity and some species have adapted to live optimally in high salinity environments such as in the marine ecosystem. Most bacteria that live in high salinity do so by the biosynthesis and/or uptake of compatible solutes, small organic molecules that maintain the turgor pressure of the cell. Osmotic stress response mechanisms and their regulation among marine heterotrophic bacteria are poorly understood. In this review, we discuss what is known about compatible solute metabolism and transport and new insights gained from studying marine bacteria belonging to the family Vibrionaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E. Fidelma Boyd
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biological Sciences, 341 Wolf Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
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12
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Specificity of Interactions between Components of Two Zinc ABC Transporters in Paracoccus denitrificans. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239098. [PMID: 33265916 PMCID: PMC7731109 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239098] [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: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters mediate the influx of numerous substrates. The cluster A-I ABC transporters are responsible for the specific uptake of the essential metals zinc, manganese or iron, making them necessary for survival in metal-limited environments, which for pathogens include the animal host. In Paracoccus denitrificans, there are two zinc ABC transporter systems: ZnuABC and AztABCD with apparently redundant functions under zinc-limited conditions. The unusual presence of two zinc ABC transporter systems in the same organism allowed for the investigation of specificity in the interaction between the solute binding protein (SBP) and its cognate permease. We also assessed the role of flexible loop features in the SBP in permease binding and zinc transport. The results indicate that the SBP–permease interaction is highly specific and does not require the flexible loop features of the SBP. We also present an expanded table of the properties of characterized cluster A-I SBPs and a multiple sequence alignment highlighting the conserved features. Through this analysis, an apparently new family of binding proteins associated with ABC transporters was identified. The presence of homologues in several human pathogens raises the possibility of using it as a target for the development of new antimicrobial therapies.
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13
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Sikkema HR, van den Noort M, Rheinberger J, de Boer M, Krepel ST, Schuurman-Wolters GK, Paulino C, Poolman B. Gating by ionic strength and safety check by cyclic-di-AMP in the ABC transporter OpuA. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/47/eabd7697. [PMID: 33208376 PMCID: PMC7673798 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd7697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
(Micro)organisms are exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions, and adaptation to stress is essential for survival. Increased osmolality (hypertonicity) causes outflow of water and loss of turgor and is dangerous if the cell is not capable of rapidly restoring its volume. The osmoregulatory adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter OpuA restores the cell volume by accumulating large amounts of compatible solute. OpuA is gated by ionic strength and inhibited by the second messenger cyclic-di-AMP, a molecule recently shown to affect many cellular processes. Despite the master regulatory role of cyclic-di-AMP, structural and functional insights into how the second messenger regulates (transport) proteins on the molecular level are lacking. Here, we present high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of OpuA and in vitro activity assays that show how the osmoregulator OpuA is activated by high ionic strength and how cyclic-di-AMP acts as a backstop to prevent unbridled uptake of compatible solutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik R Sikkema
- Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marco van den Noort
- Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jan Rheinberger
- Department of Biochemistry, Structural Biology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marijn de Boer
- Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Sabrina T Krepel
- Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Gea K Schuurman-Wolters
- Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Cristina Paulino
- Department of Biochemistry, Structural Biology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands.
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14
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Warmbold B, Ronzheimer S, Freibert SA, Seubert A, Hoffmann T, Bremer E. Two MarR-Type Repressors Balance Precursor Uptake and Glycine Betaine Synthesis in Bacillus subtilis to Provide Cytoprotection Against Sustained Osmotic Stress. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1700. [PMID: 32849357 PMCID: PMC7396694 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis adjusts to high osmolarity surroundings through the amassing of compatible solutes. It synthesizes the compatible solute glycine betaine from prior imported choline and scavenges many pre-formed osmostress protectants, including glycine betaine, from environmental sources. Choline is imported through the substrate-restricted ABC transporter OpuB and the closely related, but promiscuous, OpuC system, followed by its GbsAB-mediated oxidation to glycine betaine. We have investigated the impact of two MarR-type regulators, GbsR and OpcR, on gbsAB, opuB, and opuC expression. Judging by the position of the previously identified OpcR operator in the regulatory regions of opuB and opuC [Lee et al. (2013) Microbiology 159, 2087−2096], and that of the GbsR operator identified in the current study, we found that the closely related GbsR and OpcR repressors use different molecular mechanisms to control transcription. OpcR functions by sterically hindering access of RNA-polymerase to the opuB and opuC promoters, while GbsR operates through a roadblock mechanism to control gbsAB and opuB transcription. Loss of GbsR or OpcR de-represses opuB and opuC transcription, respectively. With respect to the osmotic control of opuB and opuC expression, we found that this environmental cue operates independently of the OpcR and GbsR regulators. When assessed over a wide range of salinities, opuB and opuC exhibit a surprisingly different transcriptional profile. Expression of opuB increases monotonously in response to incrementally increase in salinity, while opuC transcription levels decrease after an initial up-regulation at moderate salinities. Transcription of the gbsR and opcR regulatory genes is up-regulated in response to salt stress, and is also affected through auto-regulatory processes. The opuB and opuC operons have evolved through a gene duplication event. However, evolution has shaped their mode of genetic regulation, their osmotic-stress dependent transcriptional profile, and the substrate specificity of the OpuB and OpuC ABC transporters in a distinctive fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Warmbold
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Ronzheimer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sven-Andreas Freibert
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Cytobiology and Cytopathology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Seubert
- Faculty of Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Hoffmann
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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15
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Feng Z, Liu D, Wang L, Wang Y, Zang Z, Liu Z, Song B, Gu L, Fan Z, Yang S, Chen J, Cui Y. A Putative Efflux Transporter of the ABC Family, YbhFSR, in Escherichia coli Functions in Tetracycline Efflux and Na +(Li +)/H + Transport. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:556. [PMID: 32390957 PMCID: PMC7190983 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette transporters are ubiquitous in almost all organisms. The Escherichia coli genome is predicted to encode 69 ABC transporters. Eleven of the ABC transporters are presumed to be exporters, of which seven are possible drug export transporters. There has been minimal research on the function of YbhFSR, which is one of the putative drug resistance exporters. In this study, the ybhF gene of this transporter was characterized. Overexpression and knockout strains of ybhF were constructed. The ATPase activity of YbhF was studied using the malachite green assay, and the efflux abilities of knockout strains were demonstrated by using ethidium bromide (EB) as a substrate. The substrates of YbhFSR efflux, examined with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), were determined to be tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, EB, and Hoechst33342. Furthermore, tetracycline and EB efflux and accumulation experiments confirmed that the substrates of YbhFSR were tetracyclines and EB. The MIC assay and the fluorescence test results showed that tetracyclines are likely to be the major antibiotic substrate of YbhFSR. The existence of the signature NatA motif suggested that YbhFSR may also function as a Na+/H+ transporter. Overexpression of YbhF in E. coli KNabc lacking crucial Na+/H+ transporters conferred tolerance to NaCl, LiCl, and an alkaline pH. Together, the results showed that YbhFSR exhibited dual functions as a drug efflux pump and a Na+ (Li+)/H+ antiporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyue Feng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Defu Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Lizi Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Yanhong Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Zhongjing Zang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Baifen Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Liwei Gu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Zhaowei Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Siyu Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Jing Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Yudong Cui
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
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16
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Rath H, Reder A, Hoffmann T, Hammer E, Seubert A, Bremer E, Völker U, Mäder U. Management of Osmoprotectant Uptake Hierarchy in Bacillus subtilis via a SigB-Dependent Antisense RNA. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:622. [PMID: 32373088 PMCID: PMC7186363 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Under hyperosmotic conditions, bacteria accumulate compatible solutes through synthesis or import. Bacillus subtilis imports a large set of osmostress protectants via five osmotically controlled transport systems (OpuA to OpuE). Biosynthesis of the particularly effective osmoprotectant glycine betaine requires the exogenous supply of choline. While OpuB is rather specific for choline, OpuC imports a broad spectrum of compatible solutes, including choline and glycine betaine. One previously mapped antisense RNA of B. subtilis, S1290, exhibits strong and transient expression in response to a suddenly imposed salt stress. It covers the coding region of the opuB operon and is expressed from a strictly SigB-dependent promoter. By inactivation of this promoter and analysis of opuB and opuC transcript levels, we discovered a time-delayed osmotic induction of opuB that crucially depends on the S1290 antisense RNA and on the degree of the imposed osmotic stress. Time-delayed osmotic induction of opuB is apparently caused by transcriptional interference of RNA-polymerase complexes driving synthesis of the converging opuB and S1290 mRNAs. When our data are viewed in an ecophysiological framework, it appears that during the early adjustment phase of B. subtilis to acute osmotic stress, the cell prefers to initially rely on the transport activity of the promiscuous OpuC system and only subsequently fully induces opuB. Our data also reveal an integration of osmostress-specific adjustment systems with the SigB-controlled general stress response at a deeper level than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Rath
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alexander Reder
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Tamara Hoffmann
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Elke Hammer
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andreas Seubert
- Faculty of Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Völker
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Institute of Marine Biotechnology e.V. (IMaB), Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ulrike Mäder
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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17
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Sabrialabed S, Yang JG, Yariv E, Ben-Tal N, Lewinson O. Substrate recognition and ATPase activity of the E. coli cysteine/cystine ABC transporter YecSC-FliY. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:5245-5256. [PMID: 32144203 PMCID: PMC7170509 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.012063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfur is essential for biological processes such as amino acid biogenesis, iron-sulfur cluster formation, and redox homeostasis. To acquire sulfur-containing compounds from the environment, bacteria have evolved high-affinity uptake systems, predominant among which is the ABC transporter family. Theses membrane-embedded enzymes use the energy of ATP hydrolysis for transmembrane transport of a wide range of biomolecules against concentration gradients. Three distinct bacterial ABC import systems of sulfur-containing compounds have been identified, but the molecular details of their transport mechanism remain poorly characterized. Here we provide results from a biochemical analysis of the purified Escherichia coli YecSC-FliY cysteine/cystine import system. We found that the substrate-binding protein FliY binds l-cystine, l-cysteine, and d-cysteine with micromolar affinities. However, binding of the l- and d-enantiomers induced different conformational changes of FliY, where the l- enantiomer-substrate-binding protein complex interacted more efficiently with the YecSC transporter. YecSC had low basal ATPase activity that was moderately stimulated by apo FliY, more strongly by d-cysteine-bound FliY, and maximally by l-cysteine- or l-cystine-bound FliY. However, at high FliY concentrations, YecSC reached maximal ATPase rates independent of the presence or nature of the substrate. These results suggest that FliY exists in a conformational equilibrium between an open, unliganded form that does not bind to the YecSC transporter and closed, unliganded and closed, liganded forms that bind this transporter with variable affinities but equally stimulate its ATPase activity. These findings differ from previous observations for similar ABC transporters, highlighting the extent of mechanistic diversity in this large protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwar Sabrialabed
- Department of Biochemistry and the Rappaport Institute for Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Janet G Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94117
| | - Elon Yariv
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6139001, Israel
| | - Nir Ben-Tal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6139001, Israel
| | - Oded Lewinson
- Department of Biochemistry and the Rappaport Institute for Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
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18
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Bradshaw WJ, Bruxelle JF, Kovacs-Simon A, Harmer NJ, Janoir C, Péchiné S, Acharya KR, Michell SL. Molecular features of lipoprotein CD0873: A potential vaccine against the human pathogen Clostridioides difficile. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:15850-15861. [PMID: 31420448 PMCID: PMC6816091 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the primary cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, a healthcare-associated intestinal disease resulting in a significant fatality rate. Colonization of the gut is critical for C. difficile pathogenesis. The bacterial molecules essential for efficient colonization therefore offer great potential as vaccine candidates. Here we present findings demonstrating that the C. difficile immunogenic lipoprotein CD0873 plays a critical role in pathogen success in vivo. We found that in a dixenic colonization model, a CD0873-positive strain of C. difficile significantly outcompeted a CD0873-negative strain. Immunization of mice with recombinant CD0873 prevented long-term gut colonization and was correlated with a strong secretory IgA immune response. We further present high-resolution crystal structures of CD0873, at 1.35–2.50 Å resolutions, offering a first view of the ligand-binding pocket of CD0873 and provide evidence that this lipoprotein adhesin is part of a tyrosine import system, an amino acid key in C. difficile infection. These findings suggest that CD0873 could serve as an effective component in a vaccine against C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Bradshaw
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-François Bruxelle
- EA4043 Unité Bactéries Pathogènes et Santé (UBaPS), University Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - Andrea Kovacs-Simon
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Harmer
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.,Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Janoir
- EA4043 Unité Bactéries Pathogènes et Santé (UBaPS), University Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - Severine Péchiné
- EA4043 Unité Bactéries Pathogènes et Santé (UBaPS), University Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - K Ravi Acharya
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen L Michell
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
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19
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Abstract
The cytoplasm of bacterial cells is a highly crowded cellular compartment that possesses considerable osmotic potential. As a result, and owing to the semipermeable nature of the cytoplasmic membrane and the semielastic properties of the cell wall, osmotically driven water influx will generate turgor, a hydrostatic pressure considered critical for growth and viability. Both increases and decreases in the external osmolarity inevitably trigger water fluxes across the cytoplasmic membrane, thus impinging on the degree of cellular hydration, molecular crowding, magnitude of turgor, and cellular integrity. Here, we assess mechanisms that permit the perception of osmotic stress by bacterial cells and provide an overview of the systems that allow them to genetically and physiologically cope with this ubiquitous environmental cue. We highlight recent developments implicating the secondary messenger c-di-AMP in cellular adjustment to osmotic stress and the role of osmotic forces in the life of bacteria-assembled in biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; and Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Reinhard Krämer
- Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany;
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20
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Ronzheimer S, Warmbold B, Arnhold C, Bremer E. The GbsR Family of Transcriptional Regulators: Functional Characterization of the OpuAR Repressor. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2536. [PMID: 30405586 PMCID: PMC6207618 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of compatible solutes is a common stress response of microorganisms challenged by high osmolarity; it can be achieved either through synthesis or import. These processes have been intensively studied in Bacillus subtilis, where systems for the production of the compatible solutes proline and glycine betaine have been identified, and in which five transporters for osmostress protectants (Opu) have been characterized. Glycine betaine synthesis relies on the import of choline via the substrate-restricted OpuB system and the promiscuous OpuC transporter and its subsequent oxidation by the GbsAB enzymes. Transcription of the opuB and gbsAB operons is under control of the MarR-type regulator GbsR, which acts as an intracellular choline-responsive repressor. Modeling studies using the X-ray structure of the Mj223 protein from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii as the template suggest that GbsR is a homo-dimer with an N-terminal DNA-reading head and C-terminal dimerization domain; a flexible linker connects these two domains. In the vicinity of the linker region, an aromatic cage is predicted as the inducer-binding site, whose envisioned architecture resembles that present in choline and glycine betaine substrate-binding proteins of ABC transporters. We used bioinformatics to assess the phylogenomics of GbsR-type proteins and found that they are widely distributed among Bacteria and Archaea. Alignments of GbsR proteins and analysis of the genetic context of the corresponding structural genes allowed their assignment into four sub-groups. In one of these sub-groups of GbsR-type proteins, gbsR-type genes are associated either with OpuA-, OpuB-, or OpuC-type osmostress protectants uptake systems. We focus here on GbsR-type proteins, named OpuAR by us, that control the expression of opuA-type gene clusters. Using such a system from the marine bacterium Bacillus infantis, we show that OpuAR acts as a repressor of opuA transcription, where several compatible solutes (e.g., choline, glycine betaine, proline betaine) serve as its inducers. Site-directed mutagenesis studies allowed a rational improvement of the putative inducer-binding site in OpuAR with respect to the affinity of choline and glycine betaine binding. Collectively, our data characterize GbsR-/OpuAR-type proteins as an extended sub-group within the MarR-superfamily of transcriptional regulators and identify a novel type of substrate-inducible import system for osmostress protectants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Ronzheimer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bianca Warmbold
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christian Arnhold
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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21
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OpuF, a New Bacillus Compatible Solute ABC Transporter with a Substrate-Binding Protein Fused to the Transmembrane Domain. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.01728-18. [PMID: 30097444 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01728-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of compatible solutes is a common defense of bacteria against the detrimental effects of high osmolarity. Uptake systems for these compounds are cornerstones in cellular osmostress responses because they allow the energy-preserving scavenging of osmostress protectants from environmental sources. Bacillus subtilis is well studied with respect to the import of compatible solutes and its five transport systems (OpuA, OpuB, OpuC, OpuD, and OpuE), for these stress protectants have previously been comprehensively studied. Building on this knowledge and taking advantage of the unabated appearance of new genome sequences of members of the genus Bacillus, we report here the discovery, physiological characterization, and phylogenomics of a new member of the Opu family of transporters, OpuF (OpuFA-OpuFB). OpuF is not present in B. subtilis but it is widely distributed in members of the large genus Bacillus OpuF is a representative of a subgroup of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in which the substrate-binding protein (SBP) is fused to the transmembrane domain (TMD). We studied the salient features of the OpuF transporters from Bacillus infantis and Bacillus panaciterrae by functional reconstitution in a B. subtilis chassis strain lacking known Opu transporters. A common property of the examined OpuF systems is their substrate profile; OpuF mediates the import of glycine betaine, proline betaine, homobetaine, and the marine osmolyte dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). An in silico model of the SBP domain of the TMD-SBP hybrid protein OpuFB was established. It revealed the presence of an aromatic cage, a structural feature commonly present in ligand-binding sites of compatible solute importers.IMPORTANCE The high-affinity import of compatible solutes from environmental sources is an important aspect of the cellular defense of many bacteria and archaea against the harmful effects of high external osmolarity. The accumulation of these osmostress protectants counteracts high-osmolarity-instigated water efflux, a drop in turgor to nonphysiological values, and an undue increase in molecular crowding of the cytoplasm; they thereby foster microbial growth under osmotically unfavorable conditions. Importers for compatible solutes allow the energy-preserving scavenging of osmoprotective and physiologically compliant organic solutes from environmental sources. We report here the discovery, exemplary physiological characterization, and phylogenomics of a new compatible solute importer, OpuF, widely found in members of the Bacillus genus. The OpuF system is a representative of a growing subgroup of ABC transporters in which the substrate-scavenging function of the substrate-binding protein (SBP) and the membrane-embedded substrate translocating subunit (TMD) are fused into a single polypeptide chain.
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22
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Steglich M, Hofmann JD, Helmecke J, Sikorski J, Spröer C, Riedel T, Bunk B, Overmann J, Neumann-Schaal M, Nübel U. Convergent Loss of ABC Transporter Genes From Clostridioides difficile Genomes Is Associated With Impaired Tyrosine Uptake and p-Cresol Production. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:901. [PMID: 29867812 PMCID: PMC5951980 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the frequent, convergent loss of two genes encoding the substrate-binding protein and the ATP-binding protein of an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter from the genomes of unrelated Clostridioides difficile strains. This specific genomic deletion was strongly associated with the reduced uptake of tyrosine and phenylalanine and production of derived Stickland fermentation products, including p-cresol, suggesting that the affected ABC transporter had been responsible for the import of aromatic amino acids. In contrast, the transporter gene loss did not measurably affect bacterial growth or production of enterotoxins. Phylogenomic analysis of publically available genome sequences indicated that this transporter gene deletion had occurred multiple times in diverse clonal lineages of C. difficile, with a particularly high prevalence in ribotype 027 isolates, where 48 of 195 genomes (25%) were affected. The transporter gene deletion likely was facilitated by the repetitive structure of its genomic location. While at least some of the observed transporter gene deletions are likely to have occurred during the natural life cycle of C. difficile, we also provide evidence for the emergence of this mutation during long-term laboratory cultivation of reference strain R20291.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Steglich
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julia D Hofmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julia Helmecke
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Cathrin Spröer
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Riedel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
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23
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Hoffmann T, Warmbold B, Smits SHJ, Tschapek B, Ronzheimer S, Bashir A, Chen C, Rolbetzki A, Pittelkow M, Jebbar M, Seubert A, Schmitt L, Bremer E. Arsenobetaine: an ecophysiologically important organoarsenical confers cytoprotection against osmotic stress and growth temperature extremes. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:305-323. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Hoffmann
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Bianca Warmbold
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Sander H. J. Smits
- Institute of Biochemistry; Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitäts Str. 1; Düsseldorf D-402325 Germany
| | - Britta Tschapek
- Institute of Biochemistry; Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitäts Str. 1; Düsseldorf D-402325 Germany
| | - Stefanie Ronzheimer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Abdallah Bashir
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
- Faculty of Science Biology Department; Al-Azhar University-Gaza, Gaza, P.O. Box 1277; Palestine
- Emeritus Group of R.K. Thauer; Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 10; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Chiliang Chen
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
- LOEWE-Center for Synthetic Microbiology; Philipps-University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Str. 6; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Anne Rolbetzki
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Marco Pittelkow
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Mohamed Jebbar
- European Institute of Marine Studies, Technopole Brest-Iroise, Laboratory of Extreme Environments, Microbiology; University of West Brittany (Brest); Plouzane F-29280 France
| | - Andreas Seubert
- Faculty of Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry; Philipps-University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Str. 4; Marburg D-35043 Germany
| | - Lutz Schmitt
- Institute of Biochemistry; Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitäts Str. 1; Düsseldorf D-402325 Germany
| | - Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology; Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8; Marburg D-35043 Germany
- LOEWE-Center for Synthetic Microbiology; Philipps-University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Str. 6; Marburg D-35043 Germany
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