The pho regulon-dependent Ugp uptake system for glycerol-3-phosphate in Escherichia coli is trans inhibited by Pi

Orientia tsutsugamushi infection reduces host gluconeogenic but not glycolytic substrates

Orientia tsutsugamushi a causal agent of scrub typhus, is an obligate intracellular bacterium that, akin to other rickettsiae, is dependent on host cell-derived nutrients for survival and thus pathogenesis. Based on limited experimental evidence and genome-based in silico predictions, O. tsutsugamushi is hypothesized to parasitize host central carbon metabolism (CCM). Here, we (re-)evaluated O. tsutsugamushi dependency on host cell CCM as initiated by glucose and glutamine. Orientia infection had no effect on host glucose and glutamine consumption or lactate accumulation, indicating no change in overall flux through CCM. However, host cell mitochondrial activity and ATP levels were reduced during infection and correspond with lower intracellular glutamine and glutamate pools. To further probe the essentiality of host CCM in O. tsutsugamushi proliferation, we developed a minimal medium for host cell cultivation and paired it with chemical inhibitors to restrict the intermediates and processes related to glucose and glutamine metabolism. These conditions failed to negatively impact O. tsutsugamushi intracellular growth, suggesting the bacterium is adept at scavenging from host CCM. Accordingly, untargeted metabolomics was utilized to evaluate minor changes in host CCM metabolic intermediates across O. tsutsugamushi infection and revealed that pathogen proliferation corresponds with reductions in critical CCM building blocks, including amino acids and TCA cycle intermediates, as well as increases in lipid catabolism. This study directly correlates O. tsutsugamushi proliferation to alterations in host CCM and identifies metabolic intermediates that are likely critical for pathogen fitness.IMPORTANCEObligate intracellular bacterial pathogens have evolved strategies to reside and proliferate within the eukaryotic intracellular environment. At the crux of this parasitism is the balance between host and pathogen metabolic requirements. The physiological basis driving O. tsutsugamushi dependency on its mammalian host remains undefined. By evaluating alterations in host metabolism during O. tsutsugamushi proliferation, we discovered that bacterial growth is independent of the host's nutritional environment but appears dependent on host gluconeogenic substrates, including amino acids. Given that O. tsutsugamushi replication is essential for its virulence, this study provides experimental evidence for the first time in the post-genomic era of metabolic intermediates potentially parasitized by a scrub typhus agent.

New insights in bacterial organophosphorus cycling: From human pathogens to environmental bacteria

In terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, phosphorus (P) availability controls primary production, with consequences for climate regulation and global food security. Understanding the microbial controls on the global P cycle is a prerequisite for minimising our reliance on non-renewable phosphate rock reserves and reducing pollution associated with excessive P fertiliser use. This recognised importance has reinvigorated research into microbial P cycling, which was pioneered over 75 years ago through the study of human pathogenic bacteria-host interactions. Immobilised organic P represents a significant fraction of the total P pool. Hence, microbes have evolved a plethora of mechanisms to transform this fraction into labile inorganic phosphate, the building block for numerous biological molecules. The 'genomics era' has revealed an extraordinary diversity of organic P cycling genes exist in the environment and studies going 'back to the lab' are determining how this diversity relates to function. Through this integrated approach, many hitherto unknown genes and proteins that are involved in microbial P cycling have been discovered. Not only do these fundamental discoveries push the frontier of our knowledge, but several examples also provide exciting opportunities for biotechnology and present possible solutions for improving the sustainability of how we grow our food, both locally and globally. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of bacterial organic P cycling, covering studies on human pathogens and how this knowledge is informing new discoveries in environmental microbiology.

Functional expansion of the natural inorganic phosphorus starvation response system in Escherichia coli

Phosphorus, an indispensable nutrient, plays an essential role in cell composition, metabolism, and signal transduction. When inorganic phosphorus (Pi) is scarce, the Pi starvation response in E. coli is activated to increase phosphorus acquisition and drive the cells into a non-growing state to reduce phosphorus consumption. In the six decades of research history, the initiation, output, and shutdown processes of the Pi starvation response have been extensively studied. Simultaneously, Pi starvation has been used in biosensor development, recombinant protein production, and natural product biosynthesis. In this review, we focus on the output process and the applications of the Pi starvation response that have not been summarized before. Meanwhile, based on the current status of mechanistic studies and applications, we propose practical strategies to develop the natural Pi starvation response into a multifunctional and standardized regulatory system in four aspects, including response threshold, temporal expression, intensity range, and bifunctional regulation, which will contribute to its broader application in more fields such as industrial production, medical analysis, and environmental protection.

Strategies of organic phosphorus recycling by soil bacteria: acquisition, metabolism, and regulation

Critical to meeting cellular phosphorus (P) demand, soil bacteria deploy a number of strategies to overcome limitation in inorganic P (P_i ) in soils. As a significant contributor to P recycling, soil bacteria secrete extracellular enzymes to degrade organic P (P_o ) in soils into the readily bioavailable P_i . In addition, several P_o compounds can be transported directly via specific transporters and subsequently enter intracellular metabolic pathways. In this review, we highlight the strategies that soil bacteria employ to recycle P_o from the soil environment. We discuss the diversity of extracellular phosphatases in soils, the selectivity of these enzymes towards various P_o biomolecules and the influence of the soil environmental conditions on the enzyme's activities. Moreover, we outline the intracellular metabolic pathways for P_o biosynthesis and transporter-assisted P_o and P_i uptake at different P_i availabilities. We further highlight the regulatory mechanisms that govern the production of phosphatases, the expression of P_o transporters and the key metabolic changes in P metabolism in response to environmental P_i availability. Due to the depletion of natural resources for P_i , we propose future studies needed to leverage bacteria-mediated P recycling from the large pools of P_o in soils or organic wastes to benefit agricultural productivity.

A Mycoplasma gallisepticum Glycerol ABC Transporter Involved in Pathogenicity

MalF has been shown to be required for virulence in the important avian pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum To characterize the function of MalF, predicted to be part of a putative ABC transporter, we compared metabolite profiles of a mutant with a transposon inserted in malF (MalF-deficient ST mutant 04-1; ΔmalF) with those of wild-type bacteria using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Of the substrates likely to be transported by an ABC transport system, glycerol was detected at significantly lower abundance in the ΔmalF mutant, compared to the wild type. Stable isotope labeling using [U-¹³C]glycerol and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis indicated that MalF was responsible for the import of glycerol into M. gallisepticum and that, in the absence of MalF, the transcription of gtsA, which encodes a second transporter, GtsA, was upregulated, potentially to increase the import of glycerol-3-phosphate into the cell to compensate for the loss of MalF. The loss of MalF appeared to have a global effect on glycerol metabolism, suggesting that it may also play a regulatory role, and cellular morphology was also affected, indicating that the change to glycerol metabolism may have a broader effect on cellular organization. Overall, this study suggests that the reduced virulence of the ΔmalF mutant is due to perturbed glycerol uptake and metabolism and that the operon including malF should be reannotated as golABC to reflect its function in glycerol transport.IMPORTANCE Many mycoplasmas are pathogenic and cause disease in humans and animals. M. gallisepticum causes chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys, resulting in economic losses in poultry industries throughout the world. Expanding our knowledge about the pathogenesis of mycoplasma infections requires better understanding of the specific gene functions of these bacteria. In this study, we have characterized the metabolic function of a protein involved in the pathogenicity of M. gallisepticum, as well as its effect on expression of selected genes, cell phenotype, and H₂O₂ production. This study is a key step forward in elucidating why this protein plays a key role in virulence in chickens. This study also emphasizes the importance of functional characterization of mycoplasma proteins, using tools such as metabolomics, since prediction of function based on homology to other bacterial proteins is not always accurate.

Molecular Mechanisms of Phosphate Sensing, Transport and Signalling in Streptomyces and Related Actinobacteria

Phosphorous, in the form of phosphate, is a key element in the nutrition of all living beings. In nature, it is present in the form of phosphate salts, organophosphates, and phosphonates. Bacteria transport inorganic phosphate by the high affinity phosphate transport system PstSCAB, and the low affinity PitH transporters. The PstSCAB system consists of four components. PstS is the phosphate binding protein and discriminates between arsenate and phosphate. In the Streptomyces species, the PstS protein, attached to the outer side of the cell membrane, is glycosylated and released as a soluble protein that lacks its phosphate binding ability. Transport of phosphate by the PstSCAB system is drastically regulated by the inorganic phosphate concentration and mediated by binding of phosphorylated PhoP to the promoter of the PstSCAB operon. In Mycobacterium smegmatis, an additional high affinity transport system, PhnCDE, is also under PhoP regulation. Additionally, Streptomyces have a duplicated low affinity phosphate transport system encoded by the pitH1–pitH2 genes. In this system phosphate is transported as a metal-phosphate complex in simport with protons. Expression of pitH2, but not that of pitH1 in Streptomyces coelicolor, is regulated by PhoP. Interestingly, in many Streptomyces species, three gene clusters pitH1–pstSCAB–ppk (for a polyphosphate kinase), are linked in a supercluster formed by nine genes related to phosphate metabolism. Glycerol-3-phosphate may be transported by the actinobacteria Corynebacterium glutamicum that contains a ugp gene cluster for glycerol-3-P uptake, but the ugp cluster is not present in Streptomyces genomes. Sugar phosphates and nucleotides are used as phosphate source by the Streptomyces species, but there is no evidence of the uhp gene involved in the transport of sugar phosphates. Sugar phosphates and nucleotides are dephosphorylated by extracellular phosphatases and nucleotidases. An isolated uhpT gene for a hexose phosphate antiporter is present in several pathogenic corynebacteria, such as Corynebacterium diphtheriae, but not in non-pathogenic ones. Phosphonates are molecules that contains phosphate linked covalently to a carbon atom through a very stable C–P bond. Their utilization requires the phnCDE genes for phosphonates/phosphate transport and genes for degradation, including those for the subunits of the C–P lyase. Strains of the Arthrobacter and Streptomyces genera were reported to degrade simple phosphonates, but bioinformatic analysis reveals that whole sets of genes for putative phosphonate degradation are present only in three Arthrobacter species and a few Streptomyces species. Genes encoding the C–P lyase subunits occur in several Streptomyces species associated with plant roots or with mangroves, but not in the laboratory model Streptomyces species; however, the phnCDE genes that encode phosphonates/phosphate transport systems are frequent in Streptomyces species, suggesting that these genes, in the absence of C–P lyase genes, might be used as surrogate phosphate transporters. In summary, Streptomyces and related actinobacteria seem to be less versatile in phosphate transport systems than Enterobacteria.

DOP Stimulates Heterotrophic Bacterial Production in the Oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Coastal Waters

Phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria rely on a suite of inorganic and organic macronutrients to satisfy their cellular needs. Here, we explored the effect of dissolved inorganic phosphate (PO₄) and several dissolved organic molecules containing phosphorus [ATP, glucose-6-phosphate, 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid, collectively referred to as dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP)], on the activity and biomass of autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial populations in the coastal water of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) during summertime. To this end, surface waters were supplemented with PO₄, one of the different organic molecules, or PO₄ + ATP, and measured the PO₄ turnover time (Tt), alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), heterotrophic bacterial production (BP), primary production (PP), and the abundance of the different microbial components. Our results show that PO₄ alone does not stimulate any significant change in most of the autotrophic or heterotrophic bacterial variables tested. ATP addition (alone or with PO₄) triggers the strongest increase in primary and bacterial productivity or biomass. Heterotrophic bacterial abundance and BP respond faster than phytoplankton (24 h post addition) to the various additions of DOP or PO₄ + ATP, followed by a recovery of primary productivity (48 h post addition). These observations suggest that both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial communities compete for labile organic molecules containing P, such as ATP, to satisfy their cellular needs. It also suggests that SEMS coastal water heterotrophic bacteria are likely C and P co-limited.

Regulatory rewiring through global gene regulations by PhoB and alarmone (p)ppGpp under various stress conditions

The phosphorus availability in soil ranged from <0.01 to 1 ppm and found limiting for the utilization by plants. Hence, phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) proficiently fulfill the phosphorus requirement of plants in an eco-friendly manner. The PSB encounter dynamic and challenging environmental conditions viz., high temperature, osmotic, acid, and climatic changes often hamper their activity and proficiency. The modern trend is shifting from isolation of the PSB to their genetic potentials and genome annotation not only for their better performance in the field trials but also to study their ability to cope up with stresses. In order to withstand environmental stress, bacteria need to restructure its metabolic network to ensure its survival. Pi starving condition response regulator (PhoB) and the mediator of stringent stress response alarmone (p)ppGpp known to regulate the global regulatory network of bacteria to provide balanced physiology under various stress condition. The current review discusses the global regulation and crosstalk of genes involved in phosphorus homeostasis, solubilization, and various stress response to fine tune the bacterial physiology. The knowledge of these network crosstalk help bacteria to respond efficiently to the challenging environmental parameters, and their physiological plasticity lead us to develop proficient long-lasting consortia for plant growth promotion.

Nutrient Acquisition, Rather Than Stress Response Over Diel Cycles, Drives Microbial Transcription in a Hyper-Arid Namib Desert Soil

Hot desert surface soils are characterized by extremely low water activities for large parts of any annual cycle. It is widely assumed that microbial processes in such soils are very limited. Here we present the first metatranscriptomic survey of microbial community function in a low water activity hyperarid desert soil. Sequencing of total mRNA revealed a diverse and active community, dominated by Actinobacteria. Metatranscriptomic analysis of samples taken at different times over 3 days indicated that functional diel variations were limited at the whole community level, and mostly affected the eukaryotic subpopulation which was induced during the cooler night hours. High levels of transcription of chemoautotrophic carbon fixation genes contrasted with limited expression of photosynthetic genes, indicating that chemoautotrophy is an important alternative to photosynthesis for carbon cycling in desiccated desert soils. Analysis of the transcriptional levels of key N-cycling genes provided strong evidence that soil nitrate was the dominant nitrogen input source. Transcriptional network analyses and taxon-resolved functional profiling suggested that nutrient acquisition processes, and not diurnal environmental variation, were the main drivers of community activity in hyperarid Namib Desert soil. While we also observed significant levels of expression of common stress response genes, these genes were not dominant hubs in the co-occurrence network.

Differential utilization patterns of dissolved organic phosphorus compounds by heterotrophic bacteria in two mountain lakes

Although phosphorus limitation is common in freshwaters and bacteria are known to use dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), little is known about how efficiently DOP compounds are taken up by individual bacterial taxa. Here, we assessed bacterial uptake of three model DOP substrates in two mountain lakes and examined whether DOP uptake followed concentration-dependent patterns. We determined bulk uptake rates by the bacterioplankton and examined bacterial taxon-specific substrate uptake patterns using microautoradiography combined with catalyzed reporter deposition–fluorescence in situ hybridization. Our results show that in the oligotrophic alpine lake, bacteria took up ATP, glucose-6-phosphate and glycerol-3-phosphate to similar extents (mean 29.7 ± 4.3% Bacteria), whereas in the subalpine mesotrophic lake, ca. 40% of bacteria took up glucose-6-phosphate, but only ∼20% took up ATP or glycerol-3-phosphate. In both lakes, the R-BT cluster of Betaproteobacteria (lineage of genus Limnohabitans) was over-represented in glucose-6-phosphate and glycerol-3-phosphate uptake, whereas AcI Actinobacteria were under-represented in the uptake of those substrates. Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes contributed to DOP uptake proportionally to their in situ abundance. Our results demonstrate that R-BT Betaproteobacteria are the most active bacteria in DOP acquisition, whereas the abundant AcI Actinobacteria may either lack high affinity DOP uptake systems or have reduced phosphorus requirements.

In phosphorus-limited mountain lakes, the most abundant taxa, the AcI lineage of Actinobacteria and the R-BT cluster of Betaproteobacteria, exhibit strikingly different dissolved organic phosphorus uptake patterns.

Proteomic Analyses of Intracellular Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Reveal Extensive Bacterial Adaptations to Infected Host Epithelial Cells

Salmonella species can gain access into nonphagocytic cells, where the bacterium proliferates in a unique membrane-bounded compartment. In order to reveal bacterial adaptations to their intracellular niche, here we conducted the first comprehensive proteomic survey of Salmonella isolated from infected epithelial cells. Among ∼ 3,300 identified bacterial proteins, we found that about 100 proteins were significantly altered at the onset of Salmonella intracellular replication. In addition to substantially increased iron-uptake capacities, bacterial high-affinity manganese and zinc transporters were also upregulated, suggesting an overall limitation of metal ions in host epithelial cells. We also found that Salmonella induced multiple phosphate utilization pathways. Furthermore, our data suggested upregulation of the two-component PhoPQ system as well as of many downstream virulence factors under its regulation. Our survey also revealed that intracellular Salmonella has increased needs for certain amino acids and biotin. In contrast, Salmonella downregulated glycerol and maltose utilization as well as chemotaxis pathways.

Horizontal transfers and gene losses in the phospholipid pathway of bartonella reveal clues about early ecological niches

Bartonellae are mammalian pathogens vectored by blood-feeding arthropods. Although of increasing medical importance, little is known about their ecological past, and host associations are underexplored. Previous studies suggest an influence of horizontal gene transfers in ecological niche colonization by acquisition of host pathogenicity genes. We here expand these analyses to metabolic pathways of 28 Bartonella genomes, and experimentally explore the distribution of bartonellae in 21 species of blood-feeding arthropods. Across genomes, repeated gene losses and horizontal gains in the phospholipid pathway were found. The evolutionary timing of these patterns suggests functional consequences likely leading to an early intracellular lifestyle for stem bartonellae. Comparative phylogenomic analyses discover three independent lineage-specific reacquisitions of a core metabolic gene—NAD(P)H-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpsA)—from Gammaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria. Transferred genes are significantly closely related to invertebrate Arsenophonus-, and Serratia-like endosymbionts, and mammalian Helicobacter-like pathogens, supporting a cellular association with arthropods and mammals at the base of extant Bartonella spp. Our studies suggest that the horizontal reacquisitions had a key impact on bartonellae lineage specific ecological and functional evolution.

Phosphate limited fed-batch processes: impact on carbon usage and energy metabolism in Escherichia coli

Phosphate starvation is often applied as a tool to limit cell growth in microbial production processes without hampering carbon and/or nitrogen supply alternatively. This contribution focuses on the interplay of process induced phosphate starvation and microbial performance studying an l-tryptophan overproducing Escherichia coli strain as a model for highly ATP demanding processes in comparison with an E. coli wildtype strain. To enable a time-resolved analysis, constant phosphate feeding strategies were applied to elongate the transition from phosphate saturated to phosphate limited cell growth. With increasing phosphate limitation, a reduced cellular efficiency of ATP formation via respiratory chain activity and the ATP synthase complex was found for both strains. Process balancing, transcriptome analysis and flux balance analysis are pointing toward a multi-stage decoupling scenario, which in essence deteriorates the stoichiometric ratio of ATP formation to proton translocation, thereby affecting ATP availability from respiration and carbon usage. Starting off with a potential influence on ATP-synthase efficiency (stage 1), decoupling is further increased by modified respiratory activity (stage 2) and byproduct overflow (stage 3) finally resulting in a metabolic breakdown entering complete phosphate depletion (stage 4). The decoupling is initiated by phosphate limitation; further effects are mainly mediated on metabolic level through ATP availability and energy charge, additionally affected by ATP demanding product synthesis.

Determinants of substrate specificity and biochemical properties of the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate ATP binding cassette transporter (UgpB-AEC2 ) of Escherichia coli

Under phosphate starvation conditions, Escherichia coli can utilize sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) and G3P diesters as phosphate source when transported by an ATP binding cassette importer composed of the periplasmic binding protein, UgpB, the transmembrane subunits, UgpA and UgpE, and a homodimer of the nucleotide binding subunit, UgpC. The current knowledge on the Ugp transporter is solely based on genetic evidence and transport assays using intact cells. Thus, we set out to characterize its properties at the level of purified protein components. UgpB was demonstrated to bind G3P and glycerophosphocholine with dissociation constants of 0.68 ± 0.02 μM and 5.1 ± 0.3 μM, respectively, while glycerol-2-phosphate (G2P) is not a substrate. The crystal structure of UgpB in complex with G3P was solved at 1.8 Å resolution and revealed the interaction with two tryptophan residues as key to the preferential binding of linear G3P in contrast to the branched G2P. Mutational analysis validated the crucial role of Trp-169 for G3P binding. The purified UgpAEC2 complex displayed UgpB/G3P-stimulated ATPase activity in proteoliposomes that was neither inhibited by phosphate nor by the signal transducing protein PhoU or the phosphodiesterase UgpQ. Furthermore, a hybrid transporter composed of MalFG-UgpC could be functionally reconstituted while a UgpAE-MalK complex was unstable.

Metaproteogenomic analysis of a community of sponge symbionts

Sponges harbour complex communities of diverse microorganisms, which have been postulated to form intimate symbiotic relationships with their host. Here we unravel some of these interactions by characterising the functional features of the microbial community of the sponge Cymbastela concentrica through a combined metagenomic and metaproteomic approach. We discover the expression of specific transport functions for typical sponge metabolites (for example, halogenated aromatics, dipeptides), which indicates metabolic interactions between the community and the host. We also uncover the simultaneous performance of aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification, which would aid to remove ammonium secreted by the sponge. Our analysis also highlights the requirement for the microbial community to respond to variable environmental conditions and hence express an array of stress protection proteins. Molecular interactions between symbionts and their host might also be mediated by a set of expressed eukaryotic-like proteins and cell-cell mediators. Finally, some sponge-associated bacteria (for example, a Phyllobacteriaceae phylotype) appear to undergo an evolutionary adaptation process to the sponge environment as evidenced by active mobile genetic elements. Our data clearly show that a combined metaproteogenomic approach can provide novel information on the activities, physiology and interactions of sponge-associated microbial communities.

Characterizing the dynamic nature of the Yersinia pestis periplasmic proteome in response to nutrient exhaustion and temperature change

The periplasmic proteome of Yersinia pestis strain KIM6+ was characterized using differential 2-DE display of proteins isolated from several subcellular fractions. Circa 160 proteins were designated as periplasmic, including 62 (putative) solute-binding proteins of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters (SBPs) and 46 (putative) metabolic enzymes. More than 30 SBPs were significantly increased in abundance during stationary phase cell growth, compared to the exponential phase. The data suggest that nutrient exhaustion in the stationary phase triggers cellular responses resulting in the induced expression of numerous ABC transporters, which are responsible for the import of solutes/nutrients. Limited availability of inorganic phosphate (P(i)) also caused dramatic proteomic changes. Nine proteins were functionally linked to the mobilization and import of three small molecules (P(i), phosphonate and glycerol-3-phosphate) and accounted for nearly half of the total protein mass in the periplasm of P(i)-starved cells. When cells were grown at 26 degrees C versus 37 degrees C, corresponding to ambient temperatures in the flea vector and mammalian hosts, respectively, several periplasmic proteins with no known roles in the Y. pestis life cycle were strongly altered in abundance. This included a putative nitrate/sulfonate/bicarbonate-specific SBP (Y1004), encoded by the virulence-associated plasmid pMT1 and increased in abundance at 37 degrees C.

Escherichia coli cytosolic glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (UgpQ) requires Mg2+, Co2+, or Mn2+ for its enzyme activity

Escherichia coli cytosolic glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, UgpQ, functions in the absence of other proteins encoded by the ugp operon and requires Mg2+, Mn2+, or Co2+, in contrast to Ca2+-dependent periplasmic glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, GlpQ. UgpQ has broad substrate specificity toward various glycerophosphodiesters, producing sn-glycerol-3-phosphate and the corresponding alcohols. UgpQ accumulates under conditions of phosphate starvation, suggesting that it allows the utilization of glycerophosphodiesters as a source of phosphate. These results clarify how E. coli utilizes glycerophosphodiesters using two homologous enzymes, UgpQ and GlpQ.

The phosphate starvation stimulon of Corynebacterium glutamicum determined by DNA microarray analyses

The phosphate (P(i)) starvation stimulon of Corynebacterium glutamicum was characterized by global gene expression analysis by using DNA microarrays. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the genes showing altered expression 10 to 180 min after a shift from P(i)-sufficient to P(i)-limiting conditions led to identification of five groups comprising 92 genes. Four of these groups included genes which are not directly involved in P metabolism and changed expression presumably due to the reduced growth rate observed after the shift or to the exchange of medium. One group, however, comprised 25 genes, most of which are obviously related to phosphorus (P) uptake and metabolism and exhibited 4- to >30-fold-greater expression after the shift to P(i) limitation. Among these genes, the RNA levels of the pstSCAB (ABC-type P(i) uptake system), glpQ (glycerophosphoryldiester phosphodiesterase), ugpAEBC (ABC-type sn-glycerol 3-phosphate uptake system), phoH (unknown function), nucH (extracellular nuclease), and Cgl0328 (5'-nucleotidase or related esterase) genes were increased, and pstSCAB exhibited a faster response than the other genes. Transcriptional fusion analyses revealed that elevated expression of pstSCAB and ugpAEBC was primarily due to transcriptional regulation. Several genes also involved in P uptake and metabolism were not affected by P(i) starvation; these included the genes encoding a PitA-like P(i) uptake system and a putative Na(+)-dependent P(i) transporter and the genes involved in the metabolism of pyrophosphate and polyphosphate. In summary, a global, time-resolved picture of the response of C. glutamicum to P(i) starvation was obtained.

Genetic and biochemical characterization of glycerol uptake in mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC: its impact on H(2)O(2) production and virulence

Highly virulent strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC belonging to the African cluster contain an operon with the genes gtsA, gtsB, and gtsC, encoding membrane ATP binding cassette transporter proteins GtsA, GtsB, and GtsC, which are involved in glycerol transport. Strain Afadé from the African cluster incorporated [U-(14)C]glycerol with a time-dependent increase. The less virulent strain L2 of the European cluster, which lacks gtsB and gtsC, failed to incorporate glycerol. Antibodies against GtsB noncompetitively inhibited glycerol uptake. L-alpha-Glycerophosphate was not transported by M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC. It is postulated to be synthesized by phosphorylation of glycerol during transport and subsequently metabolized further to dihydroxyacetone phosphate accompanied by release of H(2)O(2). Peroxide production in glycerol-containing growth medium was high for the African strain Afadé but very low for the European strain L2. Virtually no H(2)O(2) was produced by both strains without glycerol. Hence, the efficient glycerol uptake system found in the virulent strain of the African cluster leads to a strong release of peroxide, a potential virulence factor which is lacking in the less virulent European strains. M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC might have adopted, as a strategy for virulence, a highly efficient uptake system for glycerol which allows the production of an active metabolic intermediate that damages host cells.

Mathematical treatment of transport data of bacterial transport systems to estimate limitation in diffusion through the outer membrane

Bacterial transport systems are traditionally treated as enzymes exhibiting a saturable binding site giving rise to an apparent K(m)of transport, whereas the maximal rate of transport is regarded equivalent to the V(max)of enzymatic reactions. Thus, the Michaelis-Menten theory is usually applied in the analysis of transport data and K(m)and V(max)are derived from the treatment of data obtained from the rate of transport at varying substrate concentrations. Such an analysis tacitly assumes that the substrate recognition site of the transport system is freely accessible to substrate. However, this is not always the case. In systems endowed with high affinity in the micro M range or those recognizing large substrates or those exhibiting high V(max), the diffusion through the outer membrane may become rate determining, particularly at low external substrate concentrations. In such a situation the dependence of the overall rate of transport (from the medium into the cytoplasm) on the substrate concentration in the medium will no longer follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics. By analysing the deviation of transport data from the corresponding ideal Michaelis-Menten plot we developed a method that allows us to determine diffusion limitation through the outer membrane. The method allows us to find the correct K(m)of the transport system functioning at the inner membrane even under conditions of strong diffusion limitation through the outer membrane. The model was tested and validified with the Escherichia coli binding protein-dependent ABC transporter for maltose. The corresponding systems for sn -glycerol-3-phospate of Escherichia coli and the alpha -cyclodextrin transport of Klebsiella oxitoca were used as test systems.

Linkage map of Escherichia coli K-12, edition 10: the traditional map

This map is an update of the edition 9 map by Berlyn et al. (M. K. B. Berlyn, K. B. Low, and K. E. Rudd, p. 1715-1902, in F. C. Neidhardt et al., ed., Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology, 2nd ed., vol. 2, 1996). It uses coordinates established by the completed sequence, expressed as 100 minutes for the entire circular map, and adds new genes discovered and established since 1996 and eliminates those shown to correspond to other known genes. The latter are included as synonyms. An alphabetical list of genes showing map location, synonyms, the protein or RNA product of the gene, phenotypes of mutants, and reference citations is provided. In addition to genes known to correspond to gene sequences, other genes, often older, that are described by phenotype and older mapping techniques and that have not been correlated with sequences are included.

The ABC maltose transporter

Bacterial ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and their homologues in eukaryotic cells form one of the largest superfamilies known today. They function as primary pumps that couple substrate translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane to ATP hydrolysis. Although ABC transporters have been studied for more than three decades, the structure of these multi-component systems is unknown, and the mechanism of transport is not understood. This article reviews one of the most widely studied ABC systems, the maltose transporter of Escherichia coli. A first structural model of the transport channel allows discussion of possible mechanisms of transport. In addition, recent experimental evidence suggests that regulation of gene expression and transport activity is far more complex than expected.

phnE and glpT genes enhance utilization of organophosphates in Escherichia coli K-12

Wild-type Escherichia coli K-12 strain JA221 grows poorly on low concentrations (< or = 1 mM) of diisopropyl fluorophosphate and its hydrolysis product, diisopropyl phosphate (DIPP), as sole phosphorus sources. Spontaneous organophosphate utilization (OPU) mutants were isolated that efficiently utilized these alternate sources of phosphate. A genomic library was constructed from one such OPU mutant, and two genes were isolated that conferred the OPU phenotype to strain JA221 upon transformation. These genes were identified as phnE and glpT. The original OPU mutation represented phnE gene activation and corresponded to the same 8-bp unit deletion from the cryptic wild-type E. coli K-12 phnE gene that has been shown previously to result in phnE activation. In comparison, sequence analysis revealed that the observed OPU phenotype conferred by the glpT gene was not the result of a mutation. PCR clones of glpT from both the mutant and the wild type were found to confer the OPU phenotype to JA221 when they were present on the high-copy-number pUC19 plasmid but not when they were present on the low-copy-number pWSK29 plasmid. This suggests that the OPU phenotype associated with the glpT gene is the result of amplification and overproduction of the glpT gene product. Both the active phnE and multicopy glpT genes facilitated effective metabolism of low concentrations of DIPP, whereas only the active phnE gene could confer the ability to break down a chromogenic substrate, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl phosphate-p-toluidine (X-Pi). This result indicates that in E. coli, X-Pi is transported exclusively by the Phn system, whereas DIPP (or its metabolite) may be transported by both Phn and Glp systems.

Maltose/maltodextrin system of Escherichia coli: transport, metabolism, and regulation

The maltose system of Escherichia coli offers an unusually rich set of enzymes, transporters, and regulators as objects of study. This system is responsible for the uptake and metabolism of glucose polymers (maltodextrins), which must be a preferred class of nutrients for E. coli in both mammalian hosts and in the environment. Because the metabolism of glucose polymers must be coordinated with both the anabolic and catabolic uses of glucose and glycogen, an intricate set of regulatory mechanisms controls the expression of mal genes, the activity of the maltose transporter, and the activities of the maltose/maltodextrin catabolic enzymes. The ease of isolating many of the mal gene products has contributed greatly to the understanding of the structures and functions of several classes of proteins. Not only was the outer membrane maltoporin, LamB, or the phage lambda receptor, the first virus receptor to be isolated, but also its three-dimensional structure, together with extensive knowledge of functional sites for ligand binding as well as for phage lambda binding, has led to a relatively complete description of this sugar-specific aqueous channel. The periplasmic maltose binding protein (MBP) has been studied with respect to its role in both maltose transport and maltose taxis. Again, the combination of structural and functional information has led to a significant understanding of how this soluble receptor participates in signaling the presence of sugar to the chemosensory apparatus as well as how it participates in sugar transport. The maltose transporter belongs to the ATP binding cassette family, and although its structure is not yet known at atomic resolution, there is some insight into the structures of several functional sites, including those that are involved in interactions with MBP and recognition of substrates and ATP. A particularly astonishing discovery is the direct participation of the transporter in transcriptional control of the mal regulon. The MalT protein activates transcription at all mal promoters. A subset also requires the cyclic AMP receptor protein for transcription. The MalT protein requires maltotriose and ATP as ligands for binding to a dodecanucleotide MalT box that appears in multiple copies upstream of all mal promoters. Recent data indicate that the ATP binding cassette transporter subunit MalK can directly inhibit MalT when the transporter is inactive due to the absence of substrate. Despite this wealth of knowledge, there are still basic issues that require clarification concerning the mechanism of MalT-mediated activation, repression by the transporter, biosynthesis and assembly of the outer membrane and inner membrane transporter proteins, and interrelationships between the mal enzymes and those of glucose and glycogen metabolism.

Kinetic analysis by in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance of internal Pi during the uptake of sn-glycerol-3-phosphate by the pho regulon-dependent Ugp system and the glp regulon-dependent GlpT system

When sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) is taken up exclusively by the pho regulon-dependent Ugp transport system, it can be used as the sole source of Pi but not as the sole source of carbon. We had previously suggested that the inability of G3P to be used as a carbon source under these conditions is due to trans inhibition of G3P uptake by internal Pi derived from the degradation of G3P (P. Brzoska, M. Rimmele, K. Brzostek, and W. Boos, J. Bacteriol. 176:15-20, 1994). Here we report 31P nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of intact cells after exposure to G3P as well as to Pi, using different mutants defective in pst (high-affinity Pi transport), ugp (pho-dependent G3P transport), glpT (glp-dependent G3P transport), and glpD (aerobic G3P dehydrogenase). When G3P was transported by the Ugp system and when metabolism of G3P was allowed (glpD+), Pi accumulated to about 13 to 19 mM. When G3P was taken up by the GlpT system, the preexisting internal Pi pool (whether low or high) did not change. Both systems were inversely controlled by internal Pi. Whereas the Ugp system was inhibited, the GlpT system was stimulated by elevated internal Pi.