Microcin C51 plasmid genes: possible source of horizontal gene transfer

Colicins and Microcins Produced by Enterobacteriaceae: Characterization, Mode of Action, and Putative Applications

Enterobacteriaceae are widely present in many environments related to humans, including the human body and the food that they consume, from both plant or animal origin. Hence, they are considered relevant members of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota. On the other hand, these bacteria are also recognized as putative pathogens, able to impair human health and, in food, they are considered indicators for the microbiological quality and hygiene status of a production process. Nevertheless, beneficial properties have also been associated with Enterobacteriaceae, such as the ability to synthesize peptides and proteins, which can have a role in the structure of microbial communities. Among these antimicrobial molecules, those with higher molecular mass are called colicins, while those with lower molecular mass are named microcins. In recent years, some studies show an emphasis on molecules that can help control the development of pathogens. However, not enough data are available on this subject, especially related to microcins. Hence, this review gathers and summarizes current knowledge on colicins and microcins, potential usage in the treatment of pathogen-associated diseases and cancer, as well as putative applications in food biotechnology.

Microcins reveal natural mechanisms of bacterial manipulation to inform therapeutic development

Microcins are an understudied and poorly characterized class of antimicrobial peptides. Despite the existence of only 15 examples, all identified from the Enterobacteriaceae, microcins display diversity in sequence, structure, target cell uptake, cytotoxic mechanism of action and target specificity. Collectively, these features describe some of the unique means nature has contrived for molecules to cross the 'impermeable' barrier of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane and inflict cytotoxic effects. Microcins appear to be widely dispersed among different species and in different environments, where they function in regulating microbial communities in diverse ways, including through competition. Growing evidence suggests that microcins may be adapted for therapeutic uses such as antimicrobial drugs, microbiome modulators or facilitators of peptide uptake into cells. Advancing our biological, ecological and biochemical understanding of the roles of microcins in bacterial interactions, and learning how to regulate and modify microcin activity, is essential to enable such therapeutic applications.

Natural Products Containing 'Rare' Organophosphorus Functional Groups

Phosphorous-containing molecules are essential constituents of all living cells. While the phosphate functional group is very common in small molecule natural products, nucleic acids, and as chemical modification in protein and peptides, phosphorous can form P⁻N (phosphoramidate), P⁻S (phosphorothioate), and P⁻C (e.g., phosphonate and phosphinate) linkages. While rare, these moieties play critical roles in many processes and in all forms of life. In this review we thoroughly categorize P⁻N, P⁻S, and P⁻C natural organophosphorus compounds. Information on biological source, biological activity, and biosynthesis is included, if known. This review also summarizes the role of phosphorylation on unusual amino acids in proteins (N- and S-phosphorylation) and reviews the natural phosphorothioate (P⁻S) and phosphoramidate (P⁻N) modifications of DNA and nucleotides with an emphasis on their role in the metabolism of the cell. We challenge the commonly held notion that nonphosphate organophosphorus functional groups are an oddity of biochemistry, with no central role in the metabolism of the cell. We postulate that the extent of utilization of some phosphorus groups by life, especially those containing P⁻N bonds, is likely severely underestimated and has been largely overlooked, mainly due to the technological limitations in their detection and analysis.

Peptide-nucleotide antibiotic Microcin C is a potent inducer of stringent response and persistence in both sensitive and producing cells

Microcin C (McC) is a peptide-nucleotide antibiotic that inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Here, we show that McC is a strong inducer of persistence in Escherichia coli. Persistence induced by McC is mediated by (p)ppGpp and requires chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin modules. McC-producing cells have increased persistence levels due to a combined effect of McC imported from the cultured medium and intracellularly synthesized antibiotic. McC-producing cells also induce persistence in sensitive cells during co-cultivation, underscoring complex interactions in bacterial communities where an antagonistic compound produced by one community member can benefit other members by increasing their ability to withstand antibiotics.

Antibiotics and specialized metabolites from the human microbiota

Human microbiota associated with each body site produce specialized molecules to kill human pathogens. Advanced bioinformatics tools will help to discover unique microbiome chemistry.

The RimL transacetylase provides resistance to translation inhibitor microcin C

Peptide-nucleotide antibiotic microcin C (McC) is produced by some Escherichia coli strains. Inside a sensitive cell, McC is processed, releasing a nonhydrolyzable analog of aspartyl-adenylate, which inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. The product of mccE, a gene from the plasmid-borne McC biosynthetic cluster, acetylates processed McC, converting it into a nontoxic compound. MccE is homologous to chromosomally encoded acetyltransferases RimI, RimJ, and RimL, which acetylate, correspondingly, the N termini of ribosomal proteins S18, S5, and L12. Here, we show that E. coli RimL, but not other Rim acetyltransferases, provides a basal level of resistance to McC and various toxic nonhydrolyzable aminoacyl adenylates. RimL acts by acetylating processed McC, which along with ribosomal protein L12 should be considered a natural RimL substrate. When overproduced, RimL also makes cells resistant to albomycin, an antibiotic that upon intracellular processing gives rise to a seryl-thioribosyl pyrimidine that targets seryl-tRNA synthetase. We further show that E. coli YhhY, a protein related to Rim acetyltransferases but without a known function, is also able to detoxify several nonhydrolyzable aminoacyl adenylates but not processed McC. We propose that RimL and YhhY protect bacteria from various toxic aminoacyl nucleotides, either exogenous or those generated inside the cell during normal metabolism.

Enzymatic synthesis of bioinformatically predicted microcin C-like compounds encoded by diverse bacteria

ABSTRACT The Trojan horse Escherichia coli antibiotic microcin C (McC) consists of a heptapeptide attached to adenosine through a phosphoramidate linkage. McC is synthesized by the MccB enzyme, which terminally adenylates the ribosomally synthesized heptapeptide precursor MccA. The peptide part is responsible for McC uptake; it is degraded inside the cell to release a toxic nonhydrolyzable aspartyl-adenylate. Bionformatic analysis reveals that diverse bacterial genomes encoding mccB homologues also contain adjacent short open reading frames that may encode MccA-like adenylation substrates. Using chemically synthesized predicted peptide substrates and recombinant cognate MccB protein homologs, adenylated products were obtained in vitro for predicted MccA peptide-MccB enzyme pairs from Helicobacter pylori, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus johnsonii, Bartonella washoensis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and Synechococcus sp. Some adenylated products were shown to inhibit the growth of E. coli by targeting aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, the target of McC. IMPORTANCE Our results prove that McC-like adenylated peptides are widespread and are encoded by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and by cyanobacteria, opening ways for analyses of physiological functions of these compounds and for creation of microcin C-like antibiotics targeting various bacteria.

Role of a microcin-C-like biosynthetic gene cluster in allelopathic interactions in marine Synechococcus

Competition between phytoplankton species for nutrients and light has been studied for many years, but allelopathic interactions between them have been more difficult to characterize. We used liquid and plate assays to determine whether these interactions occur between marine unicellular cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus. We have found a clear growth impairment of Synechococcus sp. CC9311 and Synechococcus sp. WH8102 when they are cultured in the presence of Synechococcus sp. CC9605. The genome of CC9605 contains a region showing homology to genes of the Escherichia coli Microcin C (McC) biosynthetic pathway. McC is a ribosome-synthesized peptide that inhibits translation in susceptible strains. We show that the CC9605 McC gene cluster is expressed and that three genes (mccD, mccA, and mccB) are further induced by coculture with CC9311. CC9605 was resistant to McC purified from E. coli, whereas strains CC9311 and WH8102 were sensitive. Cloning the CC9605 McC biosynthetic gene cluster into sensitive CC9311 led this strain to become resistant to both purified E. coli McC and Synechococcus sp. CC9605. A CC9605 mutant lacking mccA1, mccA2, and the N-terminal domain of mccB did not inhibit CC9311 growth, whereas the inhibition of WH8102 was reduced. Our results suggest that an McC-like molecule is involved in the allelopathic interactions with CC9605.

Microcins in action: amazing defence strategies of Enterobacteria

Probably the oldest and most widespread antimicrobial strategy in living organisms is the use of antimicrobial peptides. Bacteria secrete such defence peptides, termed bacteriocins, that they use for microbial competitions. Microcins are bacteriocins of less than 10 kDa produced by Escherichia coli and related enterobacteria through the ribosomal pathway. They are synthesized as linear precursors, which can further undergo complex post-translational modifications resulting from dedicated maturation enzymes encoded in the microcin gene clusters, and are processed by proteolytic cleavage. Microcins exert potent bactericidal activities that use subtle and clever mechanisms to cross outer and inner membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. To cross the outer membrane, siderophore-microcins hijack receptors involved in iron acquisition. The lasso-peptide microcin J25, which is characterized by a knotted arrangement where the C-terminal tail is threaded through an N-terminal macrolactam ring, uses a hydroxamate siderophore receptor and the inner-membrane protein SbmA for import in sensitive bacteria, where it inhibits bacterial transcription through binding to RNAP (RNA polymerase). Microcin C produced as a heptapeptide adenylate, requires an outer-membrane porin and an inner-membrane ABC (ATP-binding-cassette) transporter to reach the cytoplasm of target bacteria, where it is processed by proteases into a non-hydrolysable aspartyl-adenylate analogue. Therefore, despite showing different killing mechanisms and the absence of any structural homology, microcins have the common characteristic to use Trojan horse strategies to destroy their competitors. They offer new and promising tracks for further design and engineering of novel efficient antibiotics.

Microcin C: biosynthesis and mechanisms of bacterial resistance

Nonhydrolyzable aminoacyl-adenylates that inhibit protein synthesis provide a promising route towards the development of novel antibiotics whose mechanism of action limits the appearance of bacterial drug resistance. The 'Trojan horse' antibiotic microcin C (McC) consists of a nonhydrolyzable aspartyl-adenylate that is efficiently imported into bacterial cells owing to a covalently attached peptide carrier. Once inside the cell, the carrier is removed by proteolytic processing to release a potent aspartyl tRNA synthetase inhibitor. The focus of this article is on the mechanism of biosynthesis of McC. We also examine the strategies utilized by McC-producing strains to overcome toxicity due to unwanted, premature processing of the drug. This article will discuss how McC biosynthesis can be systematically manipulated for the development of derivatives that will target the entire battery of aminoacyl tRNA synthetases in various bacteria.

Microcin C: biosynthesis, mode of action, and potential as a lead in antibiotics development

The natural compound Microcin C (McC) is a Trojan horse inhibitor of aspartyl tRNA synthetases endowed with strong antibacterial properties, in which a heptapeptide moiety is responsible for active transport of the inhibitory metabolite part into the bacterial cell. The intracellularly formed aspartyl AMP analogue carries a chemically more stable phosphoramidate linkage, in comparison to the labile aspartyl-adenylate, and in addition is esterified with a 3-aminopropyl moiety. Therefore, this compound can target aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. The biochemical production and secretion of McC, and the possibilities to develop new classes of antibiotics using the McC Trojan horse concept in combination with sulfamoylated adenosine analogues will be discussed briefly.

Structural basis for microcin C7 inactivation by the MccE acetyltransferase

The antibiotic microcin C7 (McC) acts as a bacteriocide by inhibiting aspartyl-tRNA synthetase and stalling the protein translation machinery. McC is synthesized as a heptapeptide-nucleotide conjugate, which is processed by cellular peptidases within target strains to yield the biologically active compound. As unwanted processing of intact McC can result in self-toxicity, producing strains utilize multiple mechanisms for autoimmunity against processed McC. We have shown previously that the mccE gene within the biosynthetic cluster can inactivate processed McC by acetylating the antibiotic. Here, we present the characterization of this acetylation mechanism through biochemical and structural biological studies of the MccE acetyltransferase domain (MccE(AcTase)). We have also determined five crystal structures of the MccE-acetyl-CoA complex with bound substrates, inhibitor, and reaction product. The structural data reveal an unexpected mode of substrate recognition through π-stacking interactions similar to those found in cap-binding proteins and nucleotidyltransferases. These studies provide a rationale for the observation that MccE(AcTase) can detoxify a range of aminoacylnucleotides, including those that are structurally distinct from microcin C7.

Mechanism of bactericidal activity of microcin L in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica

For the first time, the mechanism of action of microcin L (MccL) was investigated in live bacteria. MccL is a gene-encoded peptide produced by Escherichia coli LR05 that exhibits a strong antibacterial activity against related Enterobacteriaceae, including Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis. We first subcloned the MccL genetic system to remove the sequences not involved in MccL production. We then optimized the MccL purification procedure to obtain large amounts of purified microcin to investigate its antimicrobial and membrane properties. We showed that MccL did not induce outer membrane permeabilization, which indicated that MccL did not use this way to kill the sensitive cell or to enter into it. Using a set of E. coli and Salmonella enterica mutants lacking iron-siderophore receptors, we demonstrated that the MccL uptake required the outer membrane receptor Cir. Moreover, the MccL bactericidal activity was shown to depend on the TonB protein that transduces the proton-motive force of the cytoplasmic membrane to transport iron-siderophore complexes across the outer membrane. Using carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone, which is known to fully dissipate the proton-motive force, we proved that the proton-motive force was required for the bactericidal activity of MccL on E. coli. In addition, we showed that a primary target of MccL could be the cytoplasmic membrane: a high level of MccL disrupted the inner membrane potential of E. coli cells. However, no permeabilization of the membrane was detected.

Group-specific comparison of four lactobacilli isolated from human sources using differential blast analysis

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been used in fermentation processes for centuries. More recent applications including the use of LAB as probiotics have significantly increased industrial interest. Here we present a comparative genomic analysis of four completely sequenced Lactobacillus strains, isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract, versus 25 lactic acid bacterial genomes present in the public database at the time of analysis. Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, Lactobacillus johnsonii NCC533, Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC33323, and Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1are all considered probiotic and widely used in industrial applications. Using Differential Blast Analysis (DBA), each genome was compared to the respective remaining three other Lactobacillus and 25 other LAB genomes. DBA highlighted strain-specific genes that were not represented in any other LAB used in this analysis and also identified group-specific genes shared within lactobacilli. Initial comparative analyses highlighted a significant number of genes involved in cell adhesion, stress responses, DNA repair and modification, and metabolic capabilities. Furthermore, the range of the recently identified potential autonomous units (PAUs) was broadened significantly, indicating the possibility of distinct families within this genetic element. Based on in silico results obtained for the model organism L. acidophilus NCFM, DBA proved to be a valuable tool to identify new key genetic regions for functional genomics and also suggested re-classification of previously annotated genes.

MccE provides resistance to protein synthesis inhibitor microcin C by acetylating the processed form of the antibiotic

The heptapeptide-nucleotide microcin C (McC) is a potent inhibitor of enteric bacteria growth. McC is excreted from producing cells by the MccC transporter. The residual McC that remains in the producing cell can be processed by cellular aminopeptidases with the release of a non-hydrolyzable aspartyl-adenylate, a strong inhibitor of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Accumulation of processed McC inside producing cells should therefore lead to translation inhibition and cessation of growth. Here, we show that a product of another gene of the McC biosynthetic cluster, mccE, acetylates processed McC and converts it into a non-toxic compound. MccE also makes Escherichia coli resistant to albomycin, a Trojan horse inhibitor unrelated to McC that, upon processing, gives rise to a serine coupled to a thioxylofuranosyl pyrimidine, an inhibitor of seryl-tRNA synthetase. We speculate that MccE and related cellular acetyltransferases of the Rim family may detoxify various aminoacyl-nucleotides, either exogenous or those generated inside the cell.

Maturation of the translation inhibitor microcin C

Microcin C (McC), an inhibitor of the growth of enteric bacteria, consists of a heptapeptide with a modified AMP residue attached to the backbone of the C-terminal aspartate through an N-acyl phosphamidate bond. Here we identify maturation intermediates produced by cells lacking individual mcc McC biosynthesis genes. We show that the products of the mccD and mccE genes are required for attachment of a 3-aminopropyl group to the phosphate of McC and that this group increases the potency of inhibition of the McC target, aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.

Maturation of an Escherichia coli ribosomal peptide antibiotic by ATP-consuming N-P bond formation in microcin C7

Synthetic phosphoramidate analogues of nucleosides have been used as enzyme inhibitors for decades and have therapeutic applications in the treatments of HIV and cancer, but little is known about how N-P bonds are fashioned in nature. The heptapeptide MccA undergoes post-translational processing in producer strains of Escherichia coli to afford microcin C7 (MccC7), a "Trojan horse" antibiotic that contains a phosphoramidate linkage to adenosine monophosphate at its C-terminus. We show that the enzyme MccB, encoded by the MccC7 gene cluster, is responsible for formation of the N-P bond in MccC7. This modification requires the consumption of two ATP molecules per MccA peptide and formation and breakdown of a peptidyl-succinimide intermediate.

Escherichia coli peptidase A, B, or N can process translation inhibitor microcin C

The heptapeptide-nucleotide microcin C (McC) targets aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Upon its entry into a susceptible cell, McC is processed to release a nonhydrolyzable aspartyl-adenylate that inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, leading to the cessation of translation and cell growth. Here, we surveyed Escherichia coli cells with singly, doubly, and triply disrupted broad-specificity peptidase genes to show that any of three nonspecific oligopeptidases (PepA, PepB, or PepN) can effectively process McC. We also show that the rate-limiting step of McC processing in vitro is deformylation of the first methionine residue of McC.

Complete sequence of low-copy-number plasmid MccC7-H22 of probiotic Escherichia coli H22 and the prevalence of mcc genes among human E. coli

The complete sequence of the plasmid MccC7-H22 encoding microcin C7, isolated from probiotic E. coli H22, was determined and analyzed. DNA of pMccC7-H22 comprises 32,014 bp and contains 39 predicted ORFs. Two main gene clusters, i.e., genes involved in plasmid replication and maintenance and genes encoding microcin C7 synthesis, are separated by several ORFs homologous to ORFs present in IS (insertion sequence) elements and transposons. Additional 14 ORFs code for proteins with similarities to known proteins (4 ORFs) or for hypothetical proteins with unknown function (10 ORFs). The differences in G+C content of individual ORFs and gene clusters of pMccC7-H22 indicate a mosaic structure for the plasmid, resulting from recombination events. Real-time PCR quantification was applied to measure the copy number of pMccC7-H22. Escherichia coli H22 carries approximately 5 copies of pMccC7-H22 per chromosome and thus pMccC7-H22 belongs to the group of relatively low-copy-number plasmids. Following 360 generations, all bacterial colonies (out of 100 tested) synthesized microcin C7 indicating that pMccC7-H22 is stably maintained in E. coli H22. Screening of 105 E. coli strains isolated from human fecal samples revealed 2 (1.9%) strains that produced microcin C7.

The Escherichia coli Yej transporter is required for the uptake of translation inhibitor microcin C

Microcin C (McC), a peptide-nucleotide antibiotic, targets aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. By analyzing a random transposon library, we identified Escherichia coli mutants resistant to McC. Transposon insertions were localized to a single locus, yejABEF, which encodes components of a putative inner membrane ABC transporter. Analysis of site-specific mutants established that all four components of the transporter are required for McC sensitivity. Since aspartyl-tRNA synthetase in yej mutant extracts was fully sensitive to McC, we conclude that yej mutations interfere with McC uptake and that YejABEF is the only inner membrane transporter responsible for McC uptake in E. coli. Other substrates of YejABEF remain to be identified.

Structural and Functional Diversity of Microcins, Gene-Encoded Antibacterial Peptides from Enterobacteria

Microcins are a peculiar class of gene-encoded low-molecular-mass antibacterial peptides secreted by enterobacteria. They contribute to the regulation of microbial competitions within the intestinal microbiota. The genetic systems involved in microcin biosynthesis share a conserved organization. Similar to bacteriocins of Gram-positive bacteria, microcins exert potent antibacterial activity directed against phylogenetically-related bacterial strains, with minimal inhibitory concentrations in the nanomolar range. In contrast to bacteriocins, they display a great structural diversity among the few representatives well characterized until now, that makes difficult the description of microcin subclasses. This review focuses on three microcins, MccE492m that carries a C-terminal posttranslational modification containing a catechol-type siderophore, MccJ25, a cyclic peptide with a unique 'lasso-type' structure and MccC7 or C51, with a common N-formylated heptapeptide-nucleotide structure. We show these microcins exhibit 'Trojan horse' mechanisms of antibacterial activity: either (i) the microcin structure is a mime of an essential element, permitting its recognition by outer membrane receptors used for vital functions in bacteria and further translocation into the periplasmic space, or (ii) it is secreted as a harmless molecule and further processed in susceptible bacteria to form the toxic entity. When inside target bacteria, microcins bind essential enzymes or interact with the inner membrane to form a bacterial killing structure.

Low-molecular-weight post-translationally modified microcins

Microcins are a class of ribosomally synthesized antibacterial peptides produced by Enterobacteriaceae and active against closely related bacterial species. While some microcins are active as unmodified peptides, others are heavily modified by dedicated maturation enzymes. Low-molecular-weight microcins from the post-translationally modified group target essential molecular machines inside the cells. In this review, available structural and functional data about three such microcins--microcin J25, microcin B17 and microcin C7-C51--are discussed. While all three low-molecular-weight post-translationally modified microcins are produced by Escherichia coli, inferences based on sequence and structural similarities with peptides encoded or produced by phylogenetically diverse bacteria are made whenever possible to put these compounds into a larger perspective.

Microcins, gene-encoded antibacterial peptides from enterobacteria

Microcins are gene-encoded antibacterial peptides, with molecular masses below 10 kDa, produced by enterobacteria. They are secreted under conditions of nutrient depletion and exert potent antibacterial activity against closely related species. Typical gene clusters encoding the microcin precursor, the self-immunity factor, the secretion proteins and frequently the post-translational modification enzymes are located either on plasmids or on the chromosome. In contrast to most of the antibiotics of microbial origin, which are non-ribosomally synthesized by multimodular enzymes termed peptide synthetases, microcins are ribosomally synthesized as precursors, which are further modified enzymatically. They form a restricted class of potent antibacterial peptides. Fourteen microcins have been reported so far, among which only seven have been isolated and characterized. Despite the low number of known representatives, microcins exhibit a diversity of structures and antibacterial mechanisms. This review provides an updated overview of microcin structures, antibacterial activities, genetic systems and biosyntheses, as well as of their mechanisms of action.

Plasmids and rickettsial evolution: insight from Rickettsia felis

BACKGROUND

The genome sequence of Rickettsia felis revealed a number of rickettsial genetic anomalies that likely contribute not only to a large genome size relative to other rickettsiae, but also to phenotypic oddities that have confounded the categorization of R. felis as either typhus group (TG) or spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Most intriguing was the first report from rickettsiae of a conjugative plasmid (pRF) that contains 68 putative open reading frames, several of which are predicted to encode proteins with high similarity to conjugative machinery in other plasmid-containing bacteria.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Using phylogeny estimation, we determined the mode of inheritance of pRF genes relative to conserved rickettsial chromosomal genes. Phylogenies of chromosomal genes were in agreement with other published rickettsial trees. However, phylogenies including pRF genes yielded different topologies and suggest a close relationship between pRF and ancestral group (AG) rickettsiae, including the recently completed genome of R. bellii str. RML369-C. This relatedness is further supported by the distribution of pRF genes across other rickettsiae, as 10 pRF genes (or inactive derivatives) also occur in AG (but not SFG) rickettsiae, with five of these genes characteristic of typical plasmids. Detailed characterization of pRF genes resulted in two novel findings: the identification of oriV and replication termination regions, and the likelihood that a second proposed plasmid, pRFdelta, is an artifact of the original genome assembly.

CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE

Altogether, we propose a new rickettsial classification scheme with the addition of a fourth lineage, transitional group (TRG) rickettsiae, that is unique from TG and SFG rickettsiae and harbors genes from possible exchanges with AG rickettsiae via conjugation. We offer insight into the evolution of a plastic plasmid system in rickettsiae, including the role plasmids may have played in the acquirement of virulence traits in pathogenic strains, and the likely origin of plasmids within the rickettsial tree.

Amino acid residues required for maturation, cell uptake, and processing of translation inhibitor microcin C

Microcin C (McC), a peptide-nucleotide Trojan horse antibiotic, targets aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. We present the results of a systematic mutational study of the 7-amino-acid ribosomally synthesized peptide moiety of McC. Our results define amino acid positions important for McC maturation and cell uptake and processing and open the way for creation of more potent McC-based inhibitors.

Exoproducts of the Escherichia coli strain H22 inhibiting some enteric pathogens both in vitro and in vivo

AIMS

The antagonistic activity of the Escherichia coli strain H22 against enteric bacteria was studied both in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In vitro, bacterial strains belonging to seven of nine genera of the family Enterobacteriaceae (Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Morganella, Salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia) were inhibited by the strain H22. Six days after simultaneous oral inoculation in germ-free mice, E. coli strain H22 reduced the faecal population of Shigella flexneri 4 to undetectable levels (P < 0.05). In ex vivo assay, inhibitory zones against Sh. flexneri 4 were observed around faecal samples from mice inoculated with E. coli strain H22. The in vitro inhibition of Sh. flexneri 4 was shown to be mediated by microcin C7. In addition to microcin C7, strain H22 was shown to produce aerobactin, new variants of colicins E1 and Ib, and bacteriophage particles with morphology similar to the phages of the family Myoviridae.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether, the properties of E. coli H22, observed both under in vitro and in vivo conditions, suggest its potential use as a probiotic strain for livestock and humans.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The strain H22 was shown to produce several antimicrobial compounds with inhibitory capabilities against pathogenic or potentially pathogenic enterobacteria.

Aspartyl-tRNA Synthetase Is the Target of Peptide Nucleotide Antibiotic Microcin C

Microcin C is a ribosome-synthesized heptapeptide that contains a modified adenosine monophosphate covalently attached to the C-terminal aspartate. Microcin C is a potent inhibitor of bacterial cell growth. Based on the in vivo kinetics of inhibition of macromolecular synthesis, Microcin C targets translation, through a mechanism that remained undefined. Here, we show that Microcin C is a subject of specific degradation inside the sensitive cell. The product of degradation, a modified aspartyl-adenylate containing an N-acylphosphoramidate linkage, strongly inhibits translation by blocking the function of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.

Bases of biocontrol: sequence predicts synthesis and mode of action of agrocin 84, the Trojan horse antibiotic that controls crown gall

Agrobacterium radiobacter K84, used worldwide to biocontrol crown gall disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, produces an antiagrobacterial compound called agrocin 84. We report the nucleotide sequence of pAgK84, a 44.42-kb plasmid coding for production of this disubstituted adenine nucleotide antibiotic. pAgK84 encodes 36 ORFs, 17 of which (agn) code for synthesis of or immunity to agrocin 84. Two genes, agnB2 and agnA, encode aminoacyl tRNA synthetase homologues. We have shown that the toxic moiety of agrocin 84 inhibits cellular leucyl-tRNA synthetases and AgnB2, which confers immunity to the antibiotic, is a resistant form of this enzyme. AgnA, a truncated homologue of asparaginyl tRNA synthetase could catalyze the phosphoramidate bond between a precursor of the methyl pentanamide side group and the nucleotide. We propose previously undescribed chemistry, catalyzed by AgnB1, to generate the precursor necessary for this phosphoramidate linkage. AgnC7 is related to ribonucleotide reductases and could generate the 3'-deoxyarabinose moiety of the nucleoside. Bioinformatics suggest that agnC3, agnC4, and agnC6 contribute to maturation of the methyl pentanamide, whereas agnC2 may produce the glucofuranose side group bound to the adenine ring. AgnG is related to bacterial exporters. An agnG mutant accumulated agrocin 84 intracellularly but did not export the antibiotic. pAgK84 is transmissible and encodes genes for conjugative DNA processing but lacks a type IV secretion system, suggesting that pAgK84 transfers by mobilization. By sequence analysis, the deletion engineered into pAgK1026 removed the oriT and essential tra genes, confirming the enhanced environmental safety of this modified form of pAgK84.

The TetR family of transcriptional repressors

We have developed a general profile for the proteins of the TetR family of repressors. The stretch that best defines the profile of this family is made up of 47 amino acid residues that correspond to the helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif and adjacent regions in the three-dimensional structures of TetR, QacR, CprB, and EthR, four family members for which the function and three-dimensional structure are known. We have detected a set of 2,353 nonredundant proteins belonging to this family by screening genome and protein databases with the TetR profile. Proteins of the TetR family have been found in 115 genera of gram-positive, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-proteobacteria, cyanobacteria, and archaea. The set of genes they regulate is known for 85 out of the 2,353 members of the family. These proteins are involved in the transcriptional control of multidrug efflux pumps, pathways for the biosynthesis of antibiotics, response to osmotic stress and toxic chemicals, control of catabolic pathways, differentiation processes, and pathogenicity. The regulatory network in which the family member is involved can be simple, as in TetR (i.e., TetR bound to the target operator represses tetA transcription and is released in the presence of tetracycline), or more complex, involving a series of regulatory cascades in which either the expression of the TetR family member is modulated by another regulator or the TetR family member triggers a cell response to react to environmental insults. Based on what has been learned from the cocrystals of TetR and QacR with their target operators and from their three-dimensional structures in the absence and in the presence of ligands, and based on multialignment analyses of the conserved stretch of 47 amino acids in the 2,353 TetR family members, two groups of residues have been identified. One group includes highly conserved positions involved in the proper orientation of the helix-turn-helix motif and hence seems to play a structural role. The other set of less conserved residues are involved in establishing contacts with the phosphate backbone and target bases in the operator. Information related to the TetR family of regulators has been updated in a database that can be accessed at www.bactregulators.org.

Patellamide A and C biosynthesis by a microcin-like pathway in Prochloron didemni, the cyanobacterial symbiont of Lissoclinum patella

Prochloron spp. are obligate cyanobacterial symbionts of many didemnid family ascidians. It has been proposed that the cyclic peptides of the patellamide class found in didemnid extracts are synthesized by Prochloron spp., but studies in which host and symbiont cells are separated and chemically analyzed to identify the biosynthetic source have yielded inconclusive results. As part of the Prochloron didemni sequencing project, we identified patellamide biosynthetic genes and confirmed their function by heterologous expression of the whole pathway in Escherichia coli. The primary sequence of patellamides A and C is encoded on a single ORF that resembles a precursor peptide. We propose that this prepatellamide is heterocyclized to form thiazole and oxazoline rings, and the peptide is cleaved to yield the two cyclic patellamides, A and C. This work represents the full sequencing and functional expression of a marine natural-product pathway from an obligate symbiont. In addition, a related cluster was identified in Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101, an important bloom-forming cyanobacterium.