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Bartlett TM, Sisley TA, Mychack A, Walker S, Baker RW, Rudner DZ, Bernhardt TG. FacZ is a GpsB-interacting protein that prevents aberrant division-site placement in Staphylococcus aureus. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:801-813. [PMID: 38443581 PMCID: PMC10914604 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01607-y] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen responsible for antibiotic-resistant infections. To identify vulnerabilities in cell envelope biogenesis that may overcome resistance, we enriched for S. aureus transposon mutants with defects in cell surface integrity or cell division by sorting for cells that stain with propidium iodide or have increased light-scattering properties, respectively. Transposon sequencing of the sorted populations identified more than 20 previously uncharacterized factors impacting these processes. Cells inactivated for one of these proteins, factor preventing extra Z-rings (FacZ, SAOUHSC_01855), showed aberrant membrane invaginations and multiple FtsZ cytokinetic rings. These phenotypes were suppressed in mutants lacking the conserved cell-division protein GpsB, which forms an interaction hub bridging envelope biogenesis factors with the cytokinetic ring in S. aureus. FacZ was found to interact directly with GpsB in vitro and in vivo. We therefore propose that FacZ is an envelope biogenesis factor that antagonizes GpsB function to prevent aberrant division events in S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Bartlett
- Department of Microbiology Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tyler A Sisley
- Department of Microbiology Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Mychack
- Department of Microbiology Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard W Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David Z Rudner
- Department of Microbiology Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Thomas G Bernhardt
- Department of Microbiology Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Naha A, Haeusser DP, Margolin W. Anchors: A way for FtsZ filaments to stay membrane bound. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:525-538. [PMID: 37503768 PMCID: PMC10593102 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Most bacteria use the tubulin homolog FtsZ to organize their cell division. FtsZ polymers initially assemble into mobile complexes that circle around a ring-like structure at the cell midpoint, followed by the recruitment of other proteins that will constrict the cytoplasmic membrane and synthesize septal peptidoglycan to divide the cell. Despite the need for FtsZ polymers to associate with the membrane, FtsZ lacks intrinsic membrane binding ability. Consequently, FtsZ polymers have evolved to interact with the membrane through adaptor proteins that both bind FtsZ and the membrane. Here, we discuss recent progress in understanding the functions of these FtsZ membrane tethers. Some, such as FtsA and SepF, are widely conserved and assemble into varied oligomeric structures bound to the membrane through an amphipathic helix. Other less-conserved proteins, such as EzrA and ZipA, have transmembrane domains, make extended structures, and seem to bind to FtsZ through two separate interactions. This review emphasizes that most FtsZs use multiple membrane tethers with overlapping functions, which not only attach FtsZ polymers to the membrane but also organize them in specific higher-order structures that can optimize cell division activity. We discuss gaps in our knowledge of these concepts and how future studies can address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Naha
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniel P. Haeusser
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Biology, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY 14208, USA
| | - William Margolin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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3
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Zheng T, Jing M, Gong T, Yan J, Wang X, Xu M, Zhou X, Zeng J, Li Y. Regulatory mechanisms of exopolysaccharide synthesis and biofilm formation in Streptococcus mutans. J Oral Microbiol 2023; 15:2225257. [PMID: 37346997 PMCID: PMC10281425 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2023.2225257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Dental caries is a chronic, multifactorial and biofilm-mediated oral bacterial infection affecting almost every age group and every geographical region. Streptococcus mutans is considered an important pathogen responsible for the initiation and development of dental caries. It produces exopolysaccharides in situ to promote the colonization of cariogenic bacteria and coordinate dental biofilm development. Objective The understanding of the regulatory mechanism of S. mutans biofilm formation can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of caries. Design At present, an increasing number of studies have identified many regulatory systems in S. mutans that regulate biofilm formation, including second messengers (e.g. c-di-AMP, Ap4A), transcription factors (e.g. EpsR, RcrR, StsR, AhrC, FruR), two-component systems (e.g. CovR, VicR), small RNA (including sRNA0426, srn92532, and srn133489), acetylation modifications (e.g. ActG), CRISPR-associated proteins (e.g. Cas3), PTS systems (e.g. EIIAB), quorum-sensing signaling system (e.g. LuxS), enzymes (including Dex, YidC, CopZ, EzrA, lmrB, SprV, RecA, PdxR, MurI) and small-molecule metabolites. Results This review summarizes the recent progress in the molecular regulatory mechanisms of exopolysaccharides synthesis and biofilm formation in S. mutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meiling Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiangchuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaowan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuedong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jumei Zeng
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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4
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Bartlett TM, Sisley TA, Mychack A, Walker S, Baker RW, Rudner DZ, Bernhardt TG. Identification of FacZ as a division site placement factor in Staphylococcus aureus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.24.538170. [PMID: 37162900 PMCID: PMC10168275 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.24.538170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive pathogen responsible for life-threatening infections that are difficult to treat due to antibiotic resistance. The identification of new vulnerabilities in essential processes like cell envelope biogenesis represents a promising avenue towards the development of anti-staphylococcal therapies that overcome resistance. To this end, we performed cell sorting-based enrichments for S. aureus mutants with defects in envelope integrity and cell division. We identified many known envelope biogenesis factors as well as a large collection of new factors with roles in this process. Mutants inactivated for one of the hits, the uncharacterized SAOUHSC_01855 protein, displayed aberrant membrane invaginations and multiple FtsZ cytokinetic ring structures. This factor is broadly distributed among Firmicutes, and its inactivation in B. subtilis similarly caused division and membrane defects. We therefore renamed the protein FacZ (Firmicute-associated coordinator of Z-rings). In S. aureus, inactivation of the conserved cell division protein GpsB suppressed the division and morphological defects of facZ mutants. Additionally, FacZ and GpsB were found to interact directly in a purified system. Thus, FacZ is a novel antagonist of GpsB function with a conserved role in controlling division site placement in S. aureus and other Firmicutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Bartlett
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tyler A. Sisley
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aaron Mychack
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Richard W. Baker
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David Z. Rudner
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas G. Bernhardt
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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5
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Benešová M, Bernatová S, Mika F, Pokorná Z, Ježek J, Šiler M, Samek O, Růžička F, Rebrošová K, Zemánek P, Pilát Z. SERS-Tags: Selective Immobilization and Detection of Bacteria by Strain-Specific Antibodies and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:182. [PMID: 36831948 PMCID: PMC9954015 DOI: 10.3390/bios13020182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Efficient separation and sensitive identification of pathogenic bacterial strains is essential for a prosperous modern society, with direct applications in medical diagnostics, drug discovery, biodefense, and food safety. We developed a fast and reliable method for antibody-based selective immobilization of bacteria from suspension onto a gold-plated glass surface, followed by detection using strain-specific antibodies linked to gold nanoparticles decorated with a reporter molecule. The reporter molecules are subsequently detected by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Such a multi-functionalized nanoparticle is called a SERS-tag. The presented procedure uses widely accessible and cheap materials for manufacturing and functionalization of the nanoparticles and the immobilization surfaces. Here, we exemplify the use of the produced SERS-tags for sensitive single-cell detection of opportunistic pathogen Escherichia coli, and we demonstrate the selectivity of our method using two other bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens, as negative controls. We believe that the described approach has a potential to inspire the development of novel medical diagnostic tools for rapid identification of bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Benešová
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Silvie Bernatová
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Mika
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Pokorná
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ježek
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Šiler
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ota Samek
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Růžička
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekařská 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katarina Rebrošová
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and St. Anne’s University Hospital, Pekařská 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Zemánek
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Pilát
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
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6
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Barbuti MD, Myrbråten IS, Morales Angeles D, Kjos M. The cell cycle of Staphylococcus aureus: An updated review. Microbiologyopen 2022; 12:e1338. [PMID: 36825883 PMCID: PMC9733580 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As bacteria proliferate, DNA replication, chromosome segregation, cell wall synthesis, and cytokinesis occur concomitantly and need to be tightly regulated and coordinated. Although these cell cycle processes have been studied for decades, several mechanisms remain elusive, specifically in coccus-shaped cells such as Staphylococcus aureus. In recent years, major progress has been made in our understanding of how staphylococci divide, including new, fundamental insights into the mechanisms of cell wall synthesis and division site selection. Furthermore, several novel proteins and mechanisms involved in the regulation of replication initiation or progression of the cell cycle have been identified and partially characterized. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding of the cell cycle processes in the spheroid model bacterium S. aureus, with a focus on recent advances in the understanding of how these processes are regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D. Barbuti
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Ine S. Myrbråten
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Danae Morales Angeles
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Morten Kjos
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
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7
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The Staphylococcus aureus cell division protein, DivIC, interacts with the cell wall and controls its biosynthesis. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1228. [DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04161-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractBacterial cell division is a complex, dynamic process that requires multiple protein components to orchestrate its progression. Many division proteins are highly conserved across bacterial species alluding to a common, basic mechanism. Central to division is a transmembrane trimeric complex involving DivIB, DivIC and FtsL in Gram-positives. Here, we show a distinct, essential role for DivIC in division and survival of Staphylococcus aureus. DivIC spatially regulates peptidoglycan synthesis, and consequently cell wall architecture, by influencing the recruitment to the division septum of the major peptidoglycan synthetases PBP2 and FtsW. Both the function of DivIC and its recruitment to the division site depend on its extracellular domain, which interacts with the cell wall via binding to wall teichoic acids. DivIC facilitates the spatial and temporal coordination of peptidoglycan synthesis with the developing architecture of the septum during cell division. A better understanding of the cell division mechanisms in S. aureus and other pathogenic microorganisms can provide possibilities for the development of new, more effective treatments for bacterial infections.
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8
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Wang M, Buist G, van Dijl JM. Staphylococcus aureus cell wall maintenance - the multifaceted roles of peptidoglycan hydrolases in bacterial growth, fitness, and virulence. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6604383. [PMID: 35675307 PMCID: PMC9616470 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is an important human and livestock pathogen that is well-protected against environmental insults by a thick cell wall. Accordingly, the wall is a major target of present-day antimicrobial therapy. Unfortunately, S. aureus has mastered the art of antimicrobial resistance, as underscored by the global spread of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The major cell wall component is peptidoglycan. Importantly, the peptidoglycan network is not only vital for cell wall function, but it also represents a bacterial Achilles' heel. In particular, this network is continuously opened by no less than 18 different peptidoglycan hydrolases (PGHs) encoded by the S. aureus core genome, which facilitate bacterial growth and division. This focuses attention on the specific functions executed by these enzymes, their subcellular localization, their control at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, their contributions to staphylococcal virulence and their overall importance in bacterial homeostasis. As highlighted in the present review, our understanding of the different aspects of PGH function in S. aureus has been substantially increased over recent years. This is important because it opens up new possibilities to exploit PGHs as innovative targets for next-generation antimicrobials, passive or active immunization strategies, or even to engineer them into effective antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Corresponding author: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. box 30001, HPC EB80, 9700 RB Groningen, the Netherlands, Tel. +31-50-3615187; Fax. +31-50-3619105; E-mail:
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9
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Abstract
Cell division and cell wall synthesis in staphylococci need to be precisely coordinated and controlled to allow the cell to multiply while maintaining its nearly spherical shape. The mechanisms ensuring correct placement of the division plane and synthesis of new cell wall have been studied intensively. However, hitherto unknown factors and proteins are likely to play key roles in this complex interplay. Here, we identified and investigated a protein with a major influence on cell morphology in Staphylococcus aureus. The protein, named SmdA (for staphylococcal morphology determinant A), is a membrane protein with septum-enriched localization. By CRISPRi knockdown and overexpression combined with different microscopy techniques, we demonstrated that proper levels of SmdA were necessary for cell division, including septum formation and cell splitting. We also identified conserved residues in SmdA that were critical for its functionality. Pulldown and bacterial two-hybrid interaction experiments showed that SmdA interacted with several known cell division and cell wall synthesis proteins, including penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and EzrA. Notably, SmdA also affected susceptibility to cell wall targeting antibiotics, particularly in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Together, our results showed that S. aureus was dependent on balanced amounts of membrane attached SmdA to carry out proper cell division.
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10
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Perez AJ, Villicana JB, Tsui HCT, Danforth ML, Benedet M, Massidda O, Winkler ME. FtsZ-Ring Regulation and Cell Division Are Mediated by Essential EzrA and Accessory Proteins ZapA and ZapJ in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:780864. [PMID: 34938281 PMCID: PMC8687745 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.780864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial FtsZ-ring initiates division by recruiting a large repertoire of proteins (the divisome; Z-ring) needed for septation and separation of cells. Although FtsZ is essential and its role as the main orchestrator of cell division is conserved in most eubacteria, the regulators of Z-ring presence and positioning are not universal. This study characterizes factors that regulate divisome presence and placement in the ovoid-shaped pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), focusing on FtsZ, EzrA, SepF, ZapA, and ZapJ, which is reported here as a partner of ZapA. Epi-fluorescence microscopy (EFm) and high-resolution microscopy experiments showed that FtsZ and EzrA co-localize during the entire Spn cell cycle, whereas ZapA and ZapJ are late-arriving divisome proteins. Depletion and conditional mutants demonstrate that EzrA is essential in Spn and required for normal cell growth, size, shape homeostasis, and chromosome segregation. Moreover, EzrA(Spn) is required for midcell placement of FtsZ-rings and PG synthesis. Notably, overexpression of EzrA leads to the appearance of extra Z-rings in Spn. Together, these observations support a role for EzrA as a positive regulator of FtsZ-ring formation in Spn. Conversely, FtsZ is required for EzrA recruitment to equatorial rings and for the organization of PG synthesis. In contrast to EzrA depletion, which causes a bacteriostatic phenotype in Spn, depletion of FtsZ results in enlarged spherical cells that are subject to LytA-dependent autolysis. Co-immunoprecipitation and bacterial two-hybrid assays show that EzrA(Spn) is in complexes with FtsZ, Z-ring regulators (FtsA, SepF, ZapA, MapZ), division proteins (FtsK, StkP), and proteins that mediate peptidoglycan synthesis (GpsB, aPBP1a), consistent with a role for EzrA at the interface of cell division and PG synthesis. In contrast to the essentiality of FtsZ and EzrA, ZapA and SepF have accessory roles in regulating pneumococcal physiology. We further show that ZapA interacts with a non-ZapB homolog, named here as ZapJ, which is conserved in Streptococcus species. The absence of the accessory proteins, ZapA, ZapJ, and SepF, exacerbates growth defects when EzrA is depleted or MapZ is deleted. Taken together, these results provide new information about the spatially and temporally distinct proteins that regulate FtsZ-ring organization and cell division in Spn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilcar J Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Jesus Bazan Villicana
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Ho-Ching T Tsui
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Madeline L Danforth
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Mattia Benedet
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Orietta Massidda
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Malcolm E Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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11
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Reassessment of the distinctive geometry of Staphylococcus aureus cell division. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4097. [PMID: 32796861 PMCID: PMC7427965 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17940-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is generally thought to divide in three alternating orthogonal planes over three consecutive division cycles. Although this mode of division was proposed over four decades ago, the molecular mechanism that ensures this geometry of division has remained elusive. Here we show, for three different strains, that S. aureus cells do not regularly divide in three alternating perpendicular planes as previously thought. Imaging of the divisome shows that a plane of division is always perpendicular to the previous one, avoiding bisection of the nucleoid, which segregates along an axis parallel to the closing septum. However, one out of the multiple planes perpendicular to the septum which divide the cell in two identical halves can be used in daughter cells, irrespective of its orientation in relation to the penultimate division plane. Therefore, division in three orthogonal planes is not the rule in S. aureus.
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12
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Hesser AR, Matano LM, Vickery CR, Wood BM, Santiago AG, Morris HG, Do T, Losick R, Walker S. The length of lipoteichoic acid polymers controls Staphylococcus aureus cell size and envelope integrity. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00149-20. [PMID: 32482719 PMCID: PMC8404710 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00149-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is protected by a cell envelope that is crucial for viability. In addition to peptidoglycan, lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is an especially important component of the S. aureus cell envelope. LTA is an anionic polymer anchored to a glycolipid in the outer leaflet of the cell membrane. It was known that deleting the gene for UgtP, the enzyme that makes this glycolipid anchor, causes cell growth and division defects. In Bacillus subtilis, growth abnormalities from the loss of ugtP have been attributed to both the absence of the encoded protein and to the loss of its products. Here, we show that growth defects in S. aureus ugtP deletion mutants are due to the long, abnormal LTA polymer that is produced when the glycolipid anchor is missing from the outer leaflet of the membrane. Dysregulated cell growth leads to defective cell division, and these phenotypes are corrected by mutations in the LTA polymerase, ltaS, that reduce polymer length. We also show that S. aureus mutants with long LTA are sensitized to cell wall hydrolases, beta-lactam antibiotics, and compounds that target other cell envelope pathways. We conclude that control of LTA polymer length is important for S. aureus physiology and promotes survival under stressful conditions, including antibiotic stress.IMPORTANCE Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common cause of community- and hospital-acquired infections and is responsible for a large fraction of deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. S. aureus is surrounded by a complex cell envelope that protects it from antimicrobial compounds and other stresses. Here we show that controlling the length of an essential cell envelope polymer, lipoteichoic acid, is critical for controlling S. aureus cell size and cell envelope integrity. We also show that genes involved in LTA length regulation are required for resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in MRSA. The proteins encoded by these genes may be targets for combination therapy with an appropriate beta-lactam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Hesser
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Leigh M Matano
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - B McKay Wood
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ace George Santiago
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Heidi G Morris
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Truc Do
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Richard Losick
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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13
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Cannabidiol is an effective helper compound in combination with bacitracin to kill Gram-positive bacteria. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4112. [PMID: 32139776 PMCID: PMC7057955 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60952-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) is characterised in this study as a helper compound against resistant bacteria. CBD potentiates the effect of bacitracin (BAC) against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus species, Listeria monocytogenes, and Enterococcus faecalis) but appears ineffective against Gram-negative bacteria. CBD reduced the MIC value of BAC by at least 64-fold and the combination yielded an FIC index of 0.5 or below in most Gram-positive bacteria tested. Morphological changes in S. aureus as a result of the combination of CBD and BAC included several septa formations during cell division along with membrane irregularities. Analysis of the muropeptide composition of treated S. aureus indicated no changes in the cell wall composition. However, CBD and BAC treated bacteria did show a decreased rate of autolysis. The bacteria further showed a decreased membrane potential upon treatment with CBD; yet, they did not show any further decrease upon combination treatment. Noticeably, expression of a major cell division regulator gene, ezrA, was reduced two-fold upon combination treatment emphasising the impact of the combination on cell division. Based on these observations, the combination of CBD and BAC is suggested to be a putative novel treatment in clinical settings for treatment of infections with antibiotic resistant Gram-positive bacteria.
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14
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Chan H, Söderström B, Skoglund U. Spo0J and SMC are required for normal chromosome segregation in Staphylococcus aureus. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e999. [PMID: 31990138 PMCID: PMC7142367 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chromosome segregation is an essential cellular process that is particularly elusive in spherical bacteria such as the opportunistic human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, we examined the functional significance of a ParB homologue, Spo0J, in staphylococcal chromosome segregation and investigated the role of the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) bacterial condensin in this process. We show that neither spo0J nor smc is essential in S. aureus; however, their absence causes abnormal chromosome segregation. We demonstrate that formation of complexes containing Spo0J and SMC is required for efficient S. aureus chromosome segregation and that SMC localization is dependent on Spo0J. Furthermore, we found that cell division and cell cycle progression are unaffected by the absence of spo0J or smc. Our results verify the role of Spo0J and SMC in ensuring accurate staphylococcal chromosome segregation and also imply functional redundancy or the involvement of additional mechanisms that might contribute to faithful chromosome inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Chan
- Structural Cellular Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Bill Söderström
- Structural Cellular Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ulf Skoglund
- Structural Cellular Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
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15
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Do T, Schaefer K, Santiago AG, Coe KA, Fernandes PB, Kahne D, Pinho MG, Walker S. Staphylococcus aureus cell growth and division are regulated by an amidase that trims peptides from uncrosslinked peptidoglycan. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:291-303. [PMID: 31932712 PMCID: PMC7046134 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0632-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria are protected by a polymer of peptidoglycan that serves as an exoskeleton1. In Staphylococcus aureus, the peptidoglycan assembly enzymes relocate during the cell cycle from the periphery, where they are active during growth, to the division site where they build the partition between daughter cells2-4. But how peptidoglycan synthesis is regulated throughout the cell cycle is poorly understood5,6. Here, we used a transposon screen to identify a membrane protein complex that spatially regulates S. aureus peptidoglycan synthesis. This complex consists of an amidase that removes stem peptides from uncrosslinked peptidoglycan and a partner protein that controls its activity. Amidases typically hydrolyse crosslinked peptidoglycan between daughter cells so that they can separate7. However, this amidase controls cell growth. In its absence, peptidoglycan synthesis becomes spatially dysregulated, which causes cells to grow so large that cell division is defective. We show that the cell growth and division defects due to loss of this amidase can be mitigated by attenuating the polymerase activity of the major S. aureus peptidoglycan synthase. Our findings lead to a model wherein the amidase complex regulates the density of peptidoglycan assembly sites to control peptidoglycan synthase activity at a given subcellular location. Removal of stem peptides from peptidoglycan at the cell periphery promotes peptidoglycan synthase relocation to midcell during cell division. This mechanism ensures that cell expansion is properly coordinated with cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Do
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaitlin Schaefer
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn A Coe
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pedro B Fernandes
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mariana G Pinho
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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de Souza Feitosa Lima IM, Zagmignan A, Santos DM, Maia HS, Dos Santos Silva L, da Silva Cutrim B, Vieira SL, Bezerra Filho CM, de Sousa EM, Napoleão TH, Krogfelt KA, Løbner-Olesen A, Paiva PMG, Nascimento da Silva LC. Schinus terebinthifolia leaf lectin (SteLL) has anti-infective action and modulates the response of Staphylococcus aureus-infected macrophages. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18159. [PMID: 31796807 PMCID: PMC6890730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54616-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is recognized as an important pathogen causing a wide spectrum of diseases. Here we examined the antimicrobial effects of the lectin isolated from leaves of Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (SteLL) against S. aureus using in vitro assays and an infection model based on Galleria mellonella larvae. The actions of SteLL on mice macrophages and S. aureus-infected macrophages were also evaluated. SteLL at 16 µg/mL (8 × MIC) increased cell mass and DNA content of S. aureus in relation to untreated bacteria, suggesting that SteLL impairs cell division. Unlike ciprofloxacin, SteLL did not induce the expression of recA, crucial for DNA repair through SOS response. The antimicrobial action of SteLL was partially inhibited by 50 mM N-acetylglucosamine. SteLL reduced staphyloxathin production and increased ciprofloxacin activity towards S. aureus. This lectin also improved the survival of G. mellonella larvae infected with S. aureus. Furthermore, SteLL induced the release of cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α), nitric oxide and superoxide anion by macrophagens. The lectin improved the bactericidal action of macrophages towards S. aureus; while the expression of IL-17A and IFN-γ was downregulated in infected macrophages. These evidences suggest SteLL as important lead molecule in the development of anti-infective agents against S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adrielle Zagmignan
- Programas de Pós-Graduação, Universidade Ceuma, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Karen Angeliki Krogfelt
- Department of Viral and Microbial Diagnostics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Anders Løbner-Olesen
- Department of Biology, Section for Functional Genomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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17
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Abstract
Reproduction in the bacterial kingdom predominantly occurs through binary fission-a process in which one parental cell is divided into two similarly sized daughter cells. How cell division, in conjunction with cell elongation and chromosome segregation, is orchestrated by a multitude of proteins has been an active area of research spanning the past few decades. Together, the monumental endeavors of multiple laboratories have identified several cell division and cell shape regulators as well as their underlying regulatory mechanisms in rod-shaped Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, which serve as model organisms for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Yet our understanding of bacterial cell division and morphology regulation is far from complete, especially in noncanonical and non-rod-shaped organisms. In this review, we focus on two proteins that are highly conserved in Gram-positive organisms, DivIVA and its homolog GpsB, and attempt to summarize the recent advances in this area of research and discuss their various roles in cell division, cell growth, and chromosome segregation in addition to their interactome and posttranslational regulation.
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18
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Xiang Z, Li Z, Ren Z, Zeng J, Peng X, Li Y, Li J. EzrA, a cell shape regulator contributing to biofilm formation and competitiveness in Streptococcus mutans. Mol Oral Microbiol 2019; 34:194-208. [PMID: 31287946 DOI: 10.1111/omi.12264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cell division is initiated by tubulin homologue FtsZ that assembles into a ring structure at mid-cell to facilitate cytokinesis. EzrA has been identified to be implicated in FtsZ-ring dynamics and cell wall biosynthesis during cell division of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, the model rod and cocci. However, its role in pathogenic streptococci remains largely unknown. Here, the role of EzrA was investigated in Streptococcus mutans, the primary etiological agent of human dental caries, by constructing an ezrA in-frame deletion mutant. Our data showed that the ezrA mutant was slow-growing with a shortened length and extended width round cell shape compared to the wild type, indicating a delay in cell division with abnormalities of peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Additionally, FtsZ irregularly localized in dividing ezrA mutant cells forming angled division planes, potentially contributing to an aberrant cell shape. Furthermore, investigation using single-species cariogenic biofilm model revealed that deletion of ezrA resulted in defective biofilm formation with less extracellular polysaccharides and altered three-dimensional biofilm architecture. Unexpectedly, in a dual-species ecological model, the ezrA mutant exhibited substantially lower tolerance for H2 O2 and reduced competitiveness against one commensal species, Streptococcus sanguinis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that EzrA plays a key role in regulating cell division and maintaining a normal morphology in S. mutans and is required for its robust biofilm formation/interspecies competition. Therefore, EzrA protein represents a potential therapeutic target in the development of drugs controlling dental caries and other biofilm-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenting Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zongbo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zhi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.,Biofilm Research Labs, Levy Center for Oral Health, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jumei Zeng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xian Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Yuqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Jiyao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
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19
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Reichmann NT, Tavares AC, Saraiva BM, Jousselin A, Reed P, Pereira AR, Monteiro JM, Sobral RG, VanNieuwenhze MS, Fernandes F, Pinho MG. SEDS-bPBP pairs direct lateral and septal peptidoglycan synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:1368-1377. [PMID: 31086309 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0437-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PGN) is the major component of the bacterial cell wall, a structure that is essential for the physical integrity and shape of the cell. Bacteria maintain cell shape by directing PGN incorporation to distinct regions of the cell, namely, through the localization of late-stage PGN synthesis proteins. These include two key protein families, SEDS transglycosylases and bPBP transpeptidases, proposed to function in cognate pairs. Rod-shaped bacteria have two SEDS-bPBP pairs, involved in elongation and division. Here, we elucidate why coccoid bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, also possess two SEDS-bPBP pairs. We determined that S. aureus RodA-PBP3 and FtsW-PBP1 probably constitute cognate pairs of interacting proteins. A lack of RodA-PBP3 resulted in more spherical cells due to deficient sidewall PGN synthesis, whereas depletion of FtsW-PBP1 arrested normal septal PGN incorporation. Although PBP1 is an essential protein, a mutant lacking PBP1 transpeptidase activity is viable, showing that this protein has a second function. We propose that the FtsW-PBP1 pair has a role in stabilizing the divisome at midcell. In the absence of these proteins, the divisome appears as multiple rings or arcs that drive lateral PGN incorporation, leading to cell elongation. We conclude that RodA-PBP3 and FtsW-PBP1 mediate sidewall and septal PGN incorporation, respectively, and that their activity must be balanced to maintain coccoid morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie T Reichmann
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Andreia C Tavares
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Bruno M Saraiva
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ambre Jousselin
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Patricia Reed
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana R Pereira
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - João M Monteiro
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rita G Sobral
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Vida e UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | | | - Fábio Fernandes
- Centro de Química-Física Molecular and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mariana G Pinho
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
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20
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Eswara PJ, Brzozowski RS, Viola MG, Graham G, Spanoudis C, Trebino C, Jha J, Aubee JI, Thompson KM, Camberg JL, Ramamurthi KS. An essential Staphylococcus aureus cell division protein directly regulates FtsZ dynamics. eLife 2018; 7:38856. [PMID: 30277210 PMCID: PMC6168285 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Binary fission has been well studied in rod-shaped bacteria, but the mechanisms underlying cell division in spherical bacteria are poorly understood. Rod-shaped bacteria harbor regulatory proteins that place and remodel the division machinery during cytokinesis. In the spherical human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, we found that the essential protein GpsB localizes to mid-cell during cell division and co-constricts with the division machinery. Depletion of GpsB arrested cell division and led to cell lysis, whereas overproduction of GpsB inhibited cell division and led to the formation of enlarged cells. We report that S. aureus GpsB, unlike other Firmicutes GpsB orthologs, directly interacts with the core divisome component FtsZ. GpsB bundles and organizes FtsZ filaments and also stimulates the GTPase activity of FtsZ. We propose that GpsB orchestrates the initial stabilization of the Z-ring at the onset of cell division and participates in the subsequent remodeling of the divisome during cytokinesis. A bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus causes many infections in humans, especially in hospital patients with weakened immune systems. These infections are generally treated with drugs known as antibiotics that interact with specific proteins in the bacteria to kill the cells, or stop them from growing. However, some S. aureus infections are resistant to the antibiotics currently available so there is a need to develop new drugs that target different bacterial proteins. Bacteria multiply by dividing to make identical copies of themselves. When a bacterium is preparing to divide, filaments made of a protein called FtsZ form a ring at the site where the cell will split. Many other proteins are involved in controlling how and when a cell divides. For example, several species of bacteria harbor a dispensable cell division protein called GpsB. In at least one organism, it helps to maintain the proper shape of the cell during cell division. In S. aureus, though, GpsB is essential for cells to survive and could therefore be a potential target for new antibiotics. However, its role in S. aureus has not been studied. Eswara et al. have now used genetic and biochemical approaches to study the S. aureus form of the GpsB protein. The experiments show that GpsB moves to the middle of S. aureus cells just before they begin to divide and binds directly to FtsZ. This helps to secure the position of FtsZ across the middle of the cell and activates the protein so that the cell can begin to divide into two. In cells that produce too much GpsB, the FtsZ proteins become active too early, leading to the cells growing larger and larger until they burst. The findings of Eswara et al. reveal that GpsB plays a different role in S. aureus cells than in some other species of bacteria. Further studies into such differences could help researchers to develop new antibiotics, as well as improving our understanding of why bacteria are so diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prahathees J Eswara
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States
| | - Robert S Brzozowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States
| | - Marissa G Viola
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States
| | - Gianni Graham
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States
| | - Catherine Spanoudis
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States
| | - Catherine Trebino
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States
| | - Jyoti Jha
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Joseph I Aubee
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, United States
| | - Karl M Thompson
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, United States
| | - Jodi L Camberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States.,Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States
| | - Kumaran S Ramamurthi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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21
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Stamsås GA, Myrbråten IS, Straume D, Salehian Z, Veening JW, Håvarstein LS, Kjos M. CozEa and CozEb play overlapping and essential roles in controlling cell division in Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Microbiol 2018; 109:615-632. [PMID: 29884993 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus needs to control the position and timing of cell division and cell wall synthesis to maintain its spherical shape. We identified two membrane proteins, named CozEa and CozEb, which together are important for proper cell division in S. aureus. CozEa and CozEb are homologs of the cell elongation regulator CozESpn of Streptococcus pneumoniae. While cozEa and cozEb were not essential individually, the ΔcozEaΔcozEb double mutant was lethal. To study the functions of cozEa and cozEb, we constructed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for S. aureus, allowing transcriptional knockdown of essential genes. CRISPRi knockdown of cozEa in the ΔcozEb strain (and vice versa) causes cell morphological defects and aberrant nucleoid staining, showing that cozEa and cozEb have overlapping functions and are important for normal cell division. We found that CozEa and CozEb interact with and possibly influence localization of the cell division protein EzrA. Furthermore, the CozE-EzrA interaction is conserved in S. pneumoniae, and cell division is mislocalized in cozESpn -depleted S. pneumoniae cells. Together, our results show that CozE proteins mediate control of cell division in S. aureus and S. pneumoniae, likely via interactions with key cell division proteins such as EzrA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gro Anita Stamsås
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Ine Storaker Myrbråten
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Daniel Straume
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Zhian Salehian
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leiv Sigve Håvarstein
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Morten Kjos
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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22
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Li Y, Shao S, Xu X, Su X, Sun Y, Wei S. MapZ Forms a Stable Ring Structure That Acts As a Nanotrack for FtsZ Treadmilling in Streptococcus mutans. ACS NANO 2018; 12:6137-6146. [PMID: 29812902 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b02469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial binary cell division requires accurate placement of division machinery. FtsZ, a vital component of the division machinery, can assemble into filaments and self-organize into a ring structure (Z ring) at the appropriate site for cell division. MapZ, a recently identified FtsZ regulator in Streptococcaceae, has been found to localize at the midcell where it helps to properly position the FtsZ ring. However, its mechanism is still unclear. Here, by using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, super-resolution imaging, and single molecule tracking, we investigated the mechanism by which MapZ controls the position of the FtsZ ring. Our results show that FtsZ exhibits a dynamic treadmilling motion in S. mutans. Importantly, depletion of MapZ leads to the unconstrained movement of treadmilling FtsZ filaments and a shorter lifetime of the constricting FtsZ ring, which is frequently misplaced. Furthermore, by revealing that MapZ forms an immobile ring-like nanostructure at the division site, our study suggests that MapZ forms a stable ring that acts as a nanotrack to guide and restrict treadmilling FtsZ filaments in S. mutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongliang Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Central Laboratory, School and Hospital of Stomatology , Peking University, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology , 22 Zhonguancun South Road , Haidian District, Beijing 100081 , China
| | - Shipeng Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences , Peking University , 5 Yiheyuan Road , Beijing 100871 , China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Central Laboratory, School and Hospital of Stomatology , Peking University, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology , 22 Zhonguancun South Road , Haidian District, Beijing 100081 , China
| | - Xiaodong Su
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences , Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China
| | - Yujie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences , Peking University , 5 Yiheyuan Road , Beijing 100871 , China
| | - Shicheng Wei
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Central Laboratory, School and Hospital of Stomatology , Peking University, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology , 22 Zhonguancun South Road , Haidian District, Beijing 100081 , China
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23
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Lee W, Do T, Zhang G, Kahne D, Meredith TC, Walker S. Antibiotic Combinations That Enable One-Step, Targeted Mutagenesis of Chromosomal Genes. ACS Infect Dis 2018. [PMID: 29534563 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Targeted modification of bacterial chromosomes is necessary to understand new drug targets, investigate virulence factors, elucidate cell physiology, and validate results of -omics-based approaches. For some bacteria, reverse genetics remains a major bottleneck to progress in research. Here, we describe a compound-centric strategy that combines new negative selection markers with known positive selection markers to achieve simple, efficient one-step genome engineering of bacterial chromosomes. The method was inspired by the observation that certain nonessential metabolic pathways contain essential late steps, suggesting that antibiotics targeting a late step can be used to select for the absence of genes that control flux into the pathway. Guided by this hypothesis, we have identified antibiotic/counterselectable markers to accelerate reverse engineering of two increasingly antibiotic-resistant pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. For S. aureus, we used wall teichoic acid biosynthesis inhibitors to select for the absence of tarO and for A. baumannii, we used colistin to select for the absence of lpxC. We have obtained desired gene deletions, gene fusions, and promoter swaps in a single plating step with perfect efficiency. Our method can also be adapted to generate markerless deletions of genes using FLP recombinase. The tools described here will accelerate research on two important pathogens, and the concept we outline can be readily adapted to any organism for which a suitable target pathway can be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonsik Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Truc Do
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Timothy C. Meredith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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24
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Lund VA, Wacnik K, Turner RD, Cotterell BE, Walther CG, Fenn SJ, Grein F, Wollman AJ, Leake MC, Olivier N, Cadby A, Mesnage S, Jones S, Foster SJ. Molecular coordination of Staphylococcus aureus cell division. eLife 2018; 7:32057. [PMID: 29465397 PMCID: PMC5821461 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell wall is essential for viability, but despite its ability to withstand internal turgor must remain dynamic to permit growth and division. Peptidoglycan is the major cell wall structural polymer, whose synthesis requires multiple interacting components. The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is a prolate spheroid that divides in three orthogonal planes. Here, we have integrated cellular morphology during division with molecular level resolution imaging of peptidoglycan synthesis and the components responsible. Synthesis occurs across the developing septal surface in a diffuse pattern, a necessity of the observed septal geometry, that is matched by variegated division component distribution. Synthesis continues after septal annulus completion, where the core division component FtsZ remains. The novel molecular level information requires re-evaluation of the growth and division processes leading to a new conceptual model, whereby the cell cycle is expedited by a set of functionally connected but not regularly distributed components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Lund
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Wacnik
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Robert D Turner
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Bryony E Cotterell
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Christa G Walther
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel J Fenn
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Fabian Grein
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Adam Jm Wollman
- Biological Physical Sciences Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C Leake
- Biological Physical Sciences Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Olivier
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley Cadby
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Stéphane Mesnage
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Jones
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J Foster
- Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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25
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Peptidoglycan synthesis drives an FtsZ-treadmilling-independent step of cytokinesis. Nature 2018; 554:528-532. [PMID: 29443967 PMCID: PMC5823765 DOI: 10.1038/nature25506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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26
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Shin SM, Song SH, Lee JW, Kwak MK, Kang SO. Methylglyoxal synthase regulates cell elongation via alterations of cellular methylglyoxal and spermidine content in Bacillus subtilis. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 91:14-28. [PMID: 28807600 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Methylglyoxal regulates cell division and differentiation through its interaction with polyamines. Loss of their biosynthesizing enzyme causes physiological impairment and cell elongation in eukaryotes. However, the reciprocal effects of methylglyoxal and polyamine production and its regulatory metabolic switches on morphological changes in prokaryotes have not been addressed. Here, Bacillus subtilis methylglyoxal synthase (mgsA) and polyamine biosynthesizing genes encoding arginine decarboxylase (SpeA), agmatinase (SpeB), and spermidine synthase (SpeE), were disrupted or overexpressed. Treatment of 0.2mM methylglyoxal and 1mM spermidine led to the elongation and shortening of B. subtilis wild-type cells to 12.38±3.21μm (P<0.05) and 3.24±0.73μm (P<0.01), respectively, compared to untreated cells (5.72±0.68μm). mgsA-deficient (mgsA-) and -overexpressing (mgsAOE) mutants also demonstrated cell shortening and elongation, similar to speB- and speE-deficient (speB- and speE-) and -overexpressing (speBOE and speEOE) mutants. Importantly, both mgsA-depleted speBOE and speEOE mutants (speBOE/mgsA- and speEOE/mgsA-) were drastically shortened to 24.5% and 23.8% of parental speBOE and speEOE mutants, respectively. These phenotypes were associated with reciprocal alterations of mgsA and polyamine transcripts governed by the contents of methylglyoxal and spermidine, which are involved in enzymatic or genetic metabolite-control mechanisms. Additionally, biophysically detected methylglyoxal-spermidine Schiff bases did not affect morphogenesis. Taken together, the findings indicate that methylglyoxal triggers cell elongation. Furthermore, cells with methylglyoxal accumulation commonly exhibit an elongated rod-shaped morphology through upregulation of mgsA, polyamine genes, and the global regulator spx, as well as repression of the cell division and shape regulator, FtsZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Min Shin
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hyun Song
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Lee
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Kyu Kwak
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sa-Ouk Kang
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
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27
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Spengler C, Thewes N, Jung P, Bischoff M, Jacobs K. Determination of the nano-scaled contact area of staphylococcal cells. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:10084-10093. [PMID: 28695218 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02297b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial adhesion is a crucial step during the development of infections as well as the formation of biofilms. Hence, fundamental research of bacterial adhesion mechanisms is of utmost importance. So far, less is known about the size of the contact area between bacterial cells and a surface. This gap will be filled by this study using a single-cell force spectroscopy-based method to investigate the contact area between a single bacterial cell of Staphylococcus aureus and a solid substrate. The technique relies on the strong influence of the hydrophobic interaction on bacterial adhesion: by incrementally crossing a very sharp hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface while performing force-distance curves with a single bacterial probe, the bacterial contact area can be determined. Assuming circular contact areas, their radii - determined in our experiments - are in the range from tens of nanometers to a few hundred nanometers. The contact area can be slightly enlarged by a larger load force, yet does not resemble a Hertzian contact, rather, the enlargement is a property of the individual bacterial cell. Additionally, Staphylococcus carnosus has been probed, which is less adherent than S. aureus, yet both bacteria exhibit a similar contact area size. This corroborates the notion that the adhesive strength of bacteria is not a matter of contact area, but rather a matter of which and how many molecules of the bacterial species' cell wall form the contact. Moreover, our method of determining the contact area can be applied to other microorganisms and the results might also be useful for studies using nanoparticles covered with soft, macromolecular coatings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Spengler
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany.
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28
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Abstract
The last three decades have witnessed an explosion of discoveries about the mechanistic details of binary fission in model bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Caulobacter crescentus. This was made possible not only by advances in microscopy that helped answer questions about cell biology but also by clever genetic manipulations that directly and easily tested specific hypotheses. More recently, research using understudied organisms, or nonmodel systems, has revealed several alternate mechanistic strategies that bacteria use to divide and propagate. In this review, we highlight new findings and compare these strategies to cell division mechanisms elucidated in model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prahathees J Eswara
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620;
| | - Kumaran S Ramamurthi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5132;
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29
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Egan AJF, Cleverley RM, Peters K, Lewis RJ, Vollmer W. Regulation of bacterial cell wall growth. FEBS J 2017; 284:851-867. [PMID: 27862967 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During growth and propagation, a bacterial cell enlarges and subsequently divides its peptidoglycan (PG) sacculus, a continuous mesh-like layer that encases the cell membrane to confer mechanical strength and morphological robustness. The mechanism of sacculus growth, how it is regulated and how it is coordinated with other cellular processes is poorly understood. In this article, we will discuss briefly the current knowledge of how cell wall synthesis is regulated, on multiple levels, from both sides of the cytoplasmic membrane. According to the current knowledge, cytosolic scaffolding proteins connect PG synthases with cytoskeletal elements, and protein phosphorylation regulates cell wall growth in Gram-positive species. PG-active enzymes engage in multiple protein-protein interactions within PG synthesis multienzyme complexes, and some of the interactions modulate activities. PG synthesis is also regulated by central metabolism, and by PG maturation through the action of PG hydrolytic enzymes. Only now are we beginning to appreciate how these multiple levels of regulating PG synthesis enable the cell to propagate robustly with a defined cell shape under different and variable growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J F Egan
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Robert M Cleverley
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Katharina Peters
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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30
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Wollman AJM, Miller H, Foster S, Leake MC. An automated image analysis framework for segmentation and division plane detection of single liveStaphylococcus aureuscells which can operate at millisecond sampling time scales using bespoke Slimfield microscopy. Phys Biol 2016; 13:055002. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/13/5/055002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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31
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Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of the determination and maintenance of the simplest bacterial cell shape, a sphere, remains elusive compared with that of more complex shapes. Cocci seem to lack a dedicated elongation machinery, and a spherical shape has been considered an evolutionary dead-end morphology, as a transition from a spherical to a rod-like shape has never been observed in bacteria. Here we show that a Staphylococcus aureus mutant (M5) expressing the ftsZG193D allele exhibits elongated cells. Molecular dynamics simulations and in vitro studies indicate that FtsZG193D filaments are more twisted and shorter than wild-type filaments. In vivo, M5 cell wall deposition is initiated asymmetrically, only on one side of the cell, and progresses into a helical pattern rather than into a constricting ring as in wild-type cells. This helical pattern of wall insertion leads to elongation, as in rod-shaped cells. Thus, structural flexibility of FtsZ filaments can result in an FtsZ-dependent mechanism for generating elongated cells from cocci. The mechanisms by which bacteria generate and maintain even the simplest cell shape remain an elusive but fundamental question in microbiology. In the absence of examples of coccus-to-rod transitions, the spherical shape has been suggested to be an evolutionary dead end in morphogenesis. We describe the first observation of the generation of elongated cells from truly spherical cocci, occurring in a Staphylococcus aureus mutant containing a single point mutation in its genome, in the gene encoding the bacterial tubulin homologue FtsZ. We demonstrate that FtsZ-dependent cell elongation is possible, even in the absence of dedicated elongation machinery.
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32
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Cleverley RM, Rismondo J, Lockhart-Cairns MP, Van Bentum PT, Egan AJ, Vollmer W, Halbedel S, Baldock C, Breukink E, Lewis RJ. Subunit Arrangement in GpsB, a Regulator of Cell Wall Biosynthesis. Microb Drug Resist 2016; 22:446-60. [PMID: 27257764 PMCID: PMC5111876 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2016.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
GpsB, a key regulator of cell division in Gram-positive bacteria, interacts with a key peptidoglycan synthase at the cell division septum, the penicillin binding protein PBP1 (a.k.a. PonA). Bacillus subtilis GpsB has been reported to interact with other components of the cell division machinery, including EzrA, MreC, and PrkC. In this study, we report an analysis of the arrangement of subunits in Listeria monocytogenes GpsB by small-angle X-ray scattering. The resulting model has an elongated shape with residues critical for interaction with PBP1 and the cell membrane clustered at one end of the molecule. Mutations that destabilize the hexameric assembly of the wild-type protein have a gpsB null phenotype, indicating that oligomerization is critical for the correct function of GpsB. We suggest a model in which a single GpsB hexamer can interact with multiple PBP1 molecules and can therefore influence the arrangement of PBP1 molecules within the cell division machinery, a dynamic multiprotein complex called the divisome, consistent with a role for GpsB in modulating the synthesis of the cell wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Cleverley
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jeanine Rismondo
- FG11 Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella, Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | - Michael P. Lockhart-Cairns
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Paulien T. Van Bentum
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander J.F. Egan
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Sven Halbedel
- FG11 Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella, Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | - Clair Baldock
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Eefjan Breukink
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Richard J. Lewis
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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33
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Walworth NG, Fu FX, Webb EA, Saito MA, Moran D, Mcllvin MR, Lee MD, Hutchins DA. Mechanisms of increased Trichodesmium fitness under iron and phosphorus co-limitation in the present and future ocean. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12081. [PMID: 27346420 PMCID: PMC4931248 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria supplies critical bioavailable nitrogen to marine ecosystems worldwide; however, field and lab data have demonstrated it to be limited by iron, phosphorus and/or CO2. To address unknown future interactions among these factors, we grew the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Trichodesmium for 1 year under Fe/P co-limitation following 7 years of both low and high CO2 selection. Fe/P co-limited cell lines demonstrated a complex cellular response including increased growth rates, broad proteome restructuring and cell size reductions relative to steady-state growth limited by either Fe or P alone. Fe/P co-limitation increased abundance of a protein containing a conserved domain previously implicated in cell size regulation, suggesting a similar role in Trichodesmium. Increased CO2 further induced nutrient-limited proteome shifts in widespread core metabolisms. Our results thus suggest that N2-fixing microbes may be significantly impacted by interactions between elevated CO2 and nutrient limitation, with broad implications for global biogeochemical cycles in the future ocean. Cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation supplies bioavailable nitrogen to marine ecosystems, but the mechanisms governing iron and phosphorus co-limitation in elevated CO2 remain unknown. Here, the authors show a complex cellular response to co-limitation characterized by changes in growth, cell size, and the proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan G Walworth
- Marine and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Fei-Xue Fu
- Marine and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Eric A Webb
- Marine and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Mak A Saito
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Dawn Moran
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Matthew R Mcllvin
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Michael D Lee
- Marine and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - David A Hutchins
- Marine and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
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34
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Adams DW, Wu LJ, Errington J. A benzamide-dependent ftsZ mutant reveals residues crucial for Z-ring assembly. Mol Microbiol 2015; 99:1028-42. [PMID: 26601800 PMCID: PMC4832351 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In almost all bacteria, cell division is co-ordinated by the essential tubulin homologue FtsZ and represents an attractive but as yet unexploited target for new antibiotics. The benzamides, e.g. PC190723, are potent FtsZ inhibitors that have the potential to yield an important new class of antibiotic. However, the evolution of resistance poses a challenge to their development. Here we show that a collection of PC190723-resistant and -dependent strains of Staphylococcus aureus exhibit severe growth and morphological defects, questioning whether these ftsZ mutations would be clinically relevant. Importantly, we show that the most commonly isolated substitution remains sensitive to the simplest benzamide 3-MBA and likely works by occluding compound binding. Extending this analysis to Bacillus subtilis, we isolated a novel benzamide-dependent strain that divides using unusual helical division events. The ftsZ mutation responsible encodes the substitution of a highly conserved residue, which lies outside the benzamide-binding site and forms part of an interface between the N- and C-terminal domains that we show is necessary for normal FtsZ function. Together with an intragenic suppressor mutation that mimics benzamide binding, the results provide genetic evidence that benzamides restrict conformational changes in FtsZ and also highlights their utility as tools to probe bacterial division.
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Affiliation(s)
- David William Adams
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Baddiley-Clark Building, Medical School, Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Ling Juan Wu
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Baddiley-Clark Building, Medical School, Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Jeff Errington
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Baddiley-Clark Building, Medical School, Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK
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35
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Abstract
All life demands the temporal and spatial control of essential biological functions. In bacteria, the recent discovery of coordinating elements provides a framework to begin to explain cell growth and division. Here we present the discovery of a supramolecular structure in the membrane of the coccal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which leads to the formation of a large-scale pattern across the entire cell body; this has been unveiled by studying the distribution of essential proteins involved in lipid metabolism (PlsY and CdsA). The organization is found to require MreD, which determines morphology in rod-shaped cells. The distribution of protein complexes can be explained as a spontaneous pattern formation arising from the competition between the energy cost of bending that they impose on the membrane, their entropy of mixing, and the geometric constraints in the system. Our results provide evidence for the existence of a self-organized and nonpercolating molecular scaffold involving MreD as an organizer for optimal cell function and growth based on the intrinsic self-assembling properties of biological molecules.
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36
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Reed P, Atilano ML, Alves R, Hoiczyk E, Sher X, Reichmann NT, Pereira PM, Roemer T, Filipe SR, Pereira-Leal JB, Ligoxygakis P, Pinho MG. Staphylococcus aureus Survives with a Minimal Peptidoglycan Synthesis Machine but Sacrifices Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004891. [PMID: 25951442 PMCID: PMC4423922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many important cellular processes are performed by molecular machines, composed of multiple proteins that physically interact to execute biological functions. An example is the bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis machine, responsible for the synthesis of the main component of the cell wall and the target of many contemporary antibiotics. One approach for the identification of essential components of a cellular machine involves the determination of its minimal protein composition. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen, renowned for its resistance to many commonly used antibiotics and prevalence in hospitals. Its genome encodes a low number of proteins with PG synthesis activity (9 proteins), when compared to other model organisms, and is therefore a good model for the study of a minimal PG synthesis machine. We deleted seven of the nine genes encoding PG synthesis enzymes from the S. aureus genome without affecting normal growth or cell morphology, generating a strain capable of PG biosynthesis catalyzed only by two penicillin-binding proteins, PBP1 and the bi-functional PBP2. However, multiple PBPs are important in clinically relevant environments, as bacteria with a minimal PG synthesis machinery became highly susceptible to cell wall-targeting antibiotics, host lytic enzymes and displayed impaired virulence in a Drosophila infection model which is dependent on the presence of specific peptidoglycan receptor proteins, namely PGRP-SA. The fact that S. aureus can grow and divide with only two active PG synthesizing enzymes shows that most of these enzymes are redundant in vitro and identifies the minimal PG synthesis machinery of S. aureus. However a complex molecular machine is important in environments other than in vitro growth as the expendable PG synthesis enzymes play an important role in the pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance of S. aureus. Peptidoglycan forms the stress-bearing sacculus that prevents lysis of bacteria due to turgor pressure. The integrity of peptidoglycan is therefore essential for bacterial survival and its synthesis is the target of many important antibiotics, such as penicillin. The final steps of peptidoglycan synthesis are catalyzed by penicillin-binding proteins, enzymes that are proposed to work in multi-enzyme complexes. We show that seven of the nine genes encoding peptidoglycan synthesis enzymes can be deleted from the Staphylococcus aureus genome without affecting normal growth and cell morphology in vitro, identifying the minimal peptidoglycan synthesis machinery of this organism. Identification of minimal machineries is key for synthetic biology efforts towards the design of systems with reduced complexity. However, the non-essential peptidoglycan synthetic proteins are important for survival of S. aureus in more challenging environments, such as in the presence of antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis or within the host, as shown by the inability of the mutant strain to establish a successful infection and kill Drosophila flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Reed
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Magda L. Atilano
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surface and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- Laboratory of Genes and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Renato Alves
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Egbert Hoiczyk
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- The University of Sheffield, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Western Bank, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Xinwei Sher
- Merck Research Laboratories IT, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nathalie T. Reichmann
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pedro M. Pereira
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Terry Roemer
- Infectious Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Sérgio R. Filipe
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surface and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Laboratory of Genes and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mariana G. Pinho
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- * E-mail:
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37
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Krute CN, Bell-Temin H, Miller HK, Rivera FE, Weiss A, Stevens SM, Shaw LN. The membrane protein PrsS mimics σS in protecting Staphylococcus aureus against cell wall-targeting antibiotics and DNA-damaging agents. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2015; 161:1136-1148. [PMID: 25741016 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus possesses a lone extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor, σ(S). In Bacillus subtilis, the ECF sigma factor, σ(W), is activated through a proteolytic cascade that begins with cleavage of the RsiW anti-sigma factor by a site-1 protease (S1P), PrsW. We have identified a PrsW homologue in S. aureus (termed PrsS) and explored its role in σ(S) regulation. Herein, we demonstrate that although a cognate σ(S) anti-sigma factor currently remains elusive, prsS phenocopies sigS in a wealth of regards. Specifically, prsS expression mimics the upregulation observed for sigS in response to DNA-damaging agents, cell wall-targeting antibiotics and during ex vivo growth in human serum and murine macrophages. prsS mutants also display the same sensitivities of sigS mutants to the DNA-damaging agents methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and hydrogen peroxide, and the cell wall-targeting antibiotics ampicillin, bacitracin and penicillin-G. These phenotypes appear to be explained by alterations in abundance of proteins involved in drug resistance (Pbp2a, FemB, HmrA) and the response to DNA damage (BmrA, Hpt, Tag). Our findings seem to be mediated by putative proteolytic activity of PrsS, as site-directed mutagenesis of predicted catalytic residues fails to rescue the sensitivity of the mutant to H2O2 and MMS. Finally, a role for PrsS in S. aureus virulence was identified using human and murine models of infection. Collectively, our data indicate that PrsS and σ(S) function in a similar manner, and perhaps mediate virulence and resistance to DNA damage and cell wall-targeting antibiotics, via a common pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina N Krute
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Harris Bell-Temin
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Halie K Miller
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Frances E Rivera
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Andy Weiss
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Stanley M Stevens
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Lindsey N Shaw
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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38
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Structure and function of a spectrin-like regulator of bacterial cytokinesis. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5421. [PMID: 25403286 PMCID: PMC4243239 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cell division is facilitated by a molecular machine--the divisome--that assembles at mid-cell in dividing cells. The formation of the cytokinetic Z-ring by the tubulin homologue FtsZ is regulated by several factors, including the divisome component EzrA. Here we describe the structure of the 60-kDa cytoplasmic domain of EzrA, which comprises five linear repeats of an unusual triple helical bundle. The EzrA structure is bent into a semicircle, providing the protein with the potential to interact at both N- and C-termini with adjacent membrane-bound divisome components. We also identify at least two binding sites for FtsZ on EzrA and map regions of EzrA that are responsible for regulating FtsZ assembly. The individual repeats, and their linear organization, are homologous to the spectrin proteins that connect actin filaments to the membrane in eukaryotes, and we thus propose that EzrA is the founding member of the bacterial spectrin family.
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39
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Bottomley AL, Kabli AF, Hurd AF, Turner RD, Garcia-Lara J, Foster SJ. Staphylococcus aureus DivIB is a peptidoglycan-binding protein that is required for a morphological checkpoint in cell division. Mol Microbiol 2014; 94:1041-1064. [PMID: 25287423 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cell division is a fundamental process that requires the coordinated actions of a number of proteins which form a complex macromolecular machine known as the divisome. The membrane-spanning proteins DivIB and its orthologue FtsQ are crucial divisome components in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria respectively. However, the role of almost all of the integral division proteins, including DivIB, still remains largely unknown. Here we show that the extracellular domain of DivIB is able to bind peptidoglycan and have mapped the binding to its β subdomain. Conditional mutational studies show that divIB is essential for Staphylococcus aureus growth, while phenotypic analyses following depletion of DivIB results in a block in the completion, but not initiation, of septum formation. Localisation studies suggest that DivIB only transiently localises to the division site and may mark previous sites of septation. We propose that DivIB is required for a molecular checkpoint during division to ensure the correct assembly of the divisome at midcell and to prevent hydrolytic growth of the cell in the absence of a completed septum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Bottomley
- The Krebs Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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40
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Functional domain analysis of the cell division inhibitor EzrA. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102616. [PMID: 25068683 PMCID: PMC4113482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise spatial and temporal control of bacterial cell division is achieved through the balanced actions of factors that inhibit assembly of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ at aberrant subcellular locations or promote its assembly at the future sites of division. In Bacillus subtilis, the membrane anchored cell division protein EzrA, interacts directly with FtsZ to prevent aberrant FtsZ assembly at cell poles and contributes to the inherently dynamic nature of the cytokinetic ring. Recent work suggests EzrA also serves as a scaffolding protein to coordinate lateral growth with cell wall biosynthesis through interactions with a host of proteins, a finding consistent with EzrA's four extensive coiled-coil domains. In a previous study we identified a conserved patch of residues near EzrA's C-terminus (the QNR motif) that are critical for maintenance of a dynamic cytokinetic ring, but dispensable for EzrA-mediated inhibition of FtsZ assembly at cell poles. In an extension of this work, here we report that EzrA's two C-terminal coiled-coils function in concert with the QNR motif to mediate interactions with FtsZ and maintain the dynamic nature of the cytokinetic ring. In contrast, EzrA's two N-terminal coiled-coils are dispensable for interaction between EzrA and FtsZ in vitro and in vivo, but required for EzrA mediated inhibition of FtsZ assembly at cell poles. Finally, chimeric analysis indicates that EzrA's transmembrane anchor plays a generic role: concentrating EzrA at the plasma membrane where presumably it can most effectively modulate FtsZ assembly.
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41
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Donovan C, Bramkamp M. Cell division in Corynebacterineae. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:132. [PMID: 24782835 PMCID: PMC3989709 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells must coordinate a number of events during the cell cycle. Spatio-temporal regulation of bacterial cytokinesis is indispensable for the production of viable, genetically identical offspring. In many rod-shaped bacteria, precise midcell assembly of the division machinery relies on inhibitory systems such as Min and Noc. In rod-shaped Actinobacteria, for example Corynebacterium glutamicum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the divisome assembles in the proximity of the midcell region, however more spatial flexibility is observed compared to Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Actinobacteria represent a group of bacteria that spatially regulate cytokinesis in the absence of recognizable Min and Noc homologs. The key cell division steps in E. coli and B. subtilis have been subject to intensive study and are well-understood. In comparison, only a minimal set of positive and negative regulators of cytokinesis are known in Actinobacteria. Nonetheless, the timing of cytokinesis and the placement of the division septum is coordinated with growth as well as initiation of chromosome replication and segregation. We summarize here the current knowledge on cytokinesis and division site selection in the Actinobacteria suborder Corynebacterineae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catriona Donovan
- Department of Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marc Bramkamp
- Department of Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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42
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The giant protein Ebh is a determinant of Staphylococcus aureus cell size and complement resistance. J Bacteriol 2013; 196:971-81. [PMID: 24363342 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01366-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus USA300, the clonal type associated with epidemic community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections, displays the giant protein Ebh on its surface. Mutations that disrupt the ebh reading frame increase the volume of staphylococcal cells and alter the cross wall, a membrane-enclosed peptidoglycan synthesis and assembly compartment. S. aureus ebh variants display increased sensitivity to oxacillin (methicillin) as well as susceptibility to complement-mediated killing. Mutations in ebh are associated with reduced survival of mutant staphylococci in blood and diminished virulence in mice. We propose that Ebh, following its secretion into the cross wall, contributes to the characteristic cell growth and envelope assembly pathways of S. aureus, thereby enabling complement resistance and the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections.
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43
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How to get (a)round: mechanisms controlling growth and division of coccoid bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2013; 11:601-14. [PMID: 23949602 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria come in a range of shapes, including round, rod-shaped, curved and spiral cells. This morphological diversity implies that different mechanisms exist to guide proper cell growth, division and chromosome segregation. Although the majority of studies on cell division have focused on rod-shaped cells, the development of new genetic and cell biology tools has provided mechanistic insight into the cell cycles of bacteria with different shapes, allowing us to appreciate the underlying molecular basis for their morphological diversity. In this Review, we discuss recent progress that has advanced our knowledge of the complex mechanisms for chromosome segregation and cell division in bacteria which have, deceptively, the simplest possible shape: the cocci.
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Kramko N, Sinitski D, Seebach J, Löffler B, Dieterich P, Heilmann C, Peters G, Schnittler HJ. Early Staphylococcus aureus-induced changes in endothelial barrier function are strain-specific and unrelated to bacterial translocation. Int J Med Microbiol 2013; 303:635-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2013.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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45
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Mann PA, Müller A, Xiao L, Pereira PM, Yang C, Ho Lee S, Wang H, Trzeciak J, Schneeweis J, dos Santos MM, Murgolo N, She X, Gill C, Balibar CJ, Labroli M, Su J, Flattery A, Sherborne B, Maier R, Tan CM, Black T, Önder K, Kargman S, Monsma FJ, Pinho MG, Schneider T, Roemer T. Murgocil is a highly bioactive staphylococcal-specific inhibitor of the peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase enzyme MurG. ACS Chem Biol 2013; 8:2442-51. [PMID: 23957438 DOI: 10.1021/cb400487f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Modern medicine is founded on the discovery of penicillin and subsequent small molecules that inhibit bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) and cell wall synthesis. However, the discovery of new chemically and mechanistically distinct classes of PG inhibitors has become exceedingly rare, prompting speculation that intracellular enzymes involved in PG precursor synthesis are not 'druggable' targets. Here, we describe a β-lactam potentiation screen to identify small molecules that augment the activity of β-lactams against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and mechanistically characterize a compound resulting from this screen, which we have named murgocil. We provide extensive genetic, biochemical, and structural modeling data demonstrating both in vitro and in whole cells that murgocil specifically inhibits the intracellular membrane-associated glycosyltransferase, MurG, which synthesizes the lipid II PG substrate that penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) polymerize and cross-link into the cell wall. Further, we demonstrate that the chemical synergy and cidality achieved between murgocil and the β-lactam imipenem is mediated through MurG dependent localization of PBP2 to the division septum. Collectively, these data validate our approach to rationally identify new target-specific bioactive β-lactam potentiation agents and demonstrate that murgocil now serves as a highly selective and potent chemical probe to assist our understanding of PG biosynthesis and cell wall biogenesis across Staphylococcal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Mann
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Anna Müller
- Institute
of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology—Pharmaceutical
Microbiology Section, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Li Xiao
- Computational
Chemistry, Global Structure Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Pedro M. Pereira
- Laboratory
of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química
e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da República, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Christine Yang
- Medicinal
Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Sang Ho Lee
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Hao Wang
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Joanna Trzeciak
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Jonathan Schneeweis
- In Vitro Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Margarida Moreira dos Santos
- Laboratory
of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química
e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da República, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Nicholas Murgolo
- Research
Solutions, Bioinformatics, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Xinwei She
- Informatics
IT, Merck Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02110, United States
| | - Charles Gill
- In Vivo Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Carl J. Balibar
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Marc Labroli
- Medicinal
Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Jing Su
- Medicinal
Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Amy Flattery
- In Vivo Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Brad Sherborne
- Computational
Chemistry, Global Structure Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Richard Maier
- Procomcure Biotech GmbH, Krems a.d. Donau, Austria
- Division of Molecular
Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christopher M. Tan
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Todd Black
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Kamil Önder
- Procomcure Biotech GmbH, Krems a.d. Donau, Austria
- Division of Molecular
Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stacia Kargman
- In Vitro Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Frederick J Monsma
- In Vitro Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Mariana G. Pinho
- Laboratory
of Bacterial Cell Biology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química
e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da República, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Tanja Schneider
- Institute
of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology—Pharmaceutical
Microbiology Section, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site
Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Terry Roemer
- Infectious
Disease Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
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46
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An FtsZ-targeting prodrug with oral antistaphylococcal efficacy in vivo. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:5860-9. [PMID: 24041882 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01016-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell division protein FtsZ represents a novel antibiotic target that has yet to be exploited clinically. The benzamide PC190723 was among the first FtsZ-targeting compounds to exhibit in vivo efficacy in a murine infection model system. Despite its initial promise, the poor formulation properties of the compound have limited its potential for clinical development. We describe here the development of an N-Mannich base derivative of PC190723 with enhanced drug-like properties and oral in vivo efficacy. The N-Mannich base derivative (TXY436) is ∼100-fold more soluble than PC190723 in an acidic aqueous vehicle (10 mM citrate, pH 2.6) suitable for oral in vivo administration. At physiological pH (7.4), TXY436 acts as a prodrug, converting to PC190723 with a conversion half-life of 18.2 ± 1.6 min. Pharmacokinetic analysis following intravenous administration of TXY436 into mice yielded elimination half-lives of 0.26 and 0.96 h for the TXY436 prodrug and its PC190723 product, respectively. In addition, TXY436 was found to be orally bioavailable and associated with significant extravascular distribution. Using a mouse model of systemic infection with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus or methicillin-resistant S. aureus, we show that TXY436 is efficacious in vivo upon oral administration. In contrast, the oral administration of PC190723 was not efficacious. Mammalian cytotoxicity studies of TXY436 using Vero cells revealed an absence of toxicity up to compound concentrations at least 64 times greater than those associated with antistaphylococcal activity. These collective properties make TXY436 a worthy candidate for further investigation as a clinically useful agent for the treatment of staphylococcal infections.
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47
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Kaul M, Zhang Y, Parhi AK, Lavoie EJ, Tuske S, Arnold E, Kerrigan JE, Pilch DS. Enterococcal and streptococcal resistance to PC190723 and related compounds: molecular insights from a FtsZ mutational analysis. Biochimie 2013; 95:1880-7. [PMID: 23806423 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2013.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
New antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed to overcome the growing bacterial resistance problem faced by clinicians today. PC190723 and related compounds represent a promising new class of antibacterial compounds that target the essential bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. While this family of compounds exhibits potent antistaphylococcal activity, they have poor activity against enterococci and streptococci. The studies described herein are aimed at investigating the molecular basis of the enterococcal and streptococcal resistance to this family of compounds. We show that the poor activity of the compounds against enterococci and streptococci correlates with a correspondingly weak impact of the compounds on the self-polymerization of the FtsZ proteins from those bacteria. In addition, computational and mutational studies identify two key FtsZ residues (E34 and R308) as being important determinants of enterococcal and streptococcal resistance to the PC190723-type class of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvika Kaul
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854-5635, USA
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48
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Son SH, Lee HH. The N-terminal domain of EzrA binds to the C terminus of FtsZ to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ polymerization. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 433:108-14. [PMID: 23485464 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cytokinesis is accompanied by a macro-molecular complex called the "divisome." The divisome consists of two major components involving positive regulators and negative regulators that regulate the polymerization of an essential cytoskeleton protein FtsZ, which plays a key role in bacterial cell division by assembling the Z-ring, and therefore has been identified as a target for antibiotics. The negative regulators prevent the Z-ring assembly by inhibiting FtsZ polymerization. In Staphylococcus aureus, a pandemic human pathogen, one of the negative regulators, EzrA, contains a trans-membrane anchor region at the N-terminus and has five predicted coiled-coils. Recent reports indicate that the polymerization of FtsZ can be inhibited by forming a complex with EzrA. In this study, we attempted to locate the binding site for the interaction between EzrA and FtsZ in S. aureus (SaEzrA and SaFtsZ, respectively), by generating various constructs of SaEzrA and SaFtsZ proteins based on limited proteolysis. Various constructs of SaEzrA and SaFtsZ proteins were expressed and homogeneously purified. A GST pull-down assay indicated that the N-terminal domain of SaEzrA interacts with the C-terminal tail of SaFtsZ, and the elongated shape of EzrA was predicted based on the Stokes radius of each construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Hyeon Son
- Department of Bio & Nano Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 136-702, South Korea
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49
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Abstract
Bacterial cell division is facilitated by the divisome, a dynamic multiprotein assembly localizing at mid-cell to synthesize the stress-bearing peptidoglycan and to constrict all cell envelope layers. Divisome assembly occurs in two steps and involves multiple interactions between more than 20 essential and accessory cell division proteins. Well before constriction and while the cell is still elongating, the tubulin-like FtsZ and early cell division proteins form a ring-like structure at mid-cell. Cell division starts once certain peptidoglycan enzymes and their activators have moved to the FtsZ-ring. Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli simultaneously synthesize and cleave the septum peptidoglycan during division leading to a constriction. The outer membrane constricts together with the peptidoglycan layer with the help of the transenvelope spanning Tol-Pal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J F Egan
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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50
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3D-SIM super resolution microscopy reveals a bead-like arrangement for FtsZ and the division machinery: implications for triggering cytokinesis. PLoS Biol 2012; 10:e1001389. [PMID: 22984350 PMCID: PMC3439403 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Super resolution three-dimensional imaging reveals a new picture of how bacterial cell division proteins localize to the division site, including the formation of dynamic bead-like patterns, and explains how the division ring constricts. FtsZ is a tubulin-like GTPase that is the major cytoskeletal protein in bacterial cell division. It polymerizes into a ring, called the Z ring, at the division site and acts as a scaffold to recruit other division proteins to this site as well as providing a contractile force for cytokinesis. To understand how FtsZ performs these functions, the in vivo architecture of the Z ring needs to be established, as well as how this structure constricts to enable cytokinesis. Conventional wide-field fluorescence microscopy depicts the Z ring as a continuous structure of uniform density. Here we use a form of super resolution microscopy, known as 3D-structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM), to examine the architecture of the Z ring in cells of two Gram-positive organisms that have different cell shapes: the rod-shaped Bacillus subtilis and the coccoid Staphylococcus aureus. We show that in both organisms the Z ring is composed of a heterogeneous distribution of FtsZ. In addition, gaps of fluorescence were evident, which suggest that it is a discontinuous structure. Time-lapse studies using an advanced form of fast live 3D-SIM (Blaze) support a model of FtsZ localization within the Z ring that is dynamic and remains distributed in a heterogeneous manner. However, FtsZ dynamics alone do not trigger the constriction of the Z ring to allow cytokinesis. Lastly, we visualize other components of the divisome and show that they also adopt a bead-like localization pattern at the future division site. Our data lead us to propose that FtsZ guides the divisome to adopt a similar localization pattern to ensure Z ring constriction only proceeds following the assembly of a mature divisome. Because bacterial cells are so small, it is challenging to image the spatial organization of proteins inside them. All the proteins that orchestrate cell division in these organisms localize to the division site prior to division, but it has not so far been possible to obtain a clear highresolution three-dimensional picture of the dynamics of their localization. In this study we use a new type of super resolution microscopy called three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) to analyze the localization of proteins involved in cell division in two types of bacteria that have different cell shapes: the rod-shaped Bacillus subtilis and the spherical Staphylococcus aureus. We show that FtsZ, a cytoskeletal protein that serves as a scaffold for the cytokinetic ring, localizes to the division site in a dynamic bead-like pattern, rather than a uniform ring as was previously proposed, in both types of bacteria. Our observations also provide an explanation of how this ring constricts to split a bacterial cell in two and suggests that this spatial organization of division proteins is conserved among bacteria and is crucial for the regulation of this central cellular process.
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