Endolysin EN572-5 as an alternative to treat urinary tract infection caused by Streptococcus agalactiae

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is an opportunistic pathogen causing urinary tract infection (UTI). Endolysin EN572-5 was identified in prophage KMB-572-E of the human isolate Streptococcus agalactiae KMB-572. The entire EN572-5 gene was cloned into an expression vector and the corresponding recombinant protein EN572-5 was expressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form, isolated by affinity chromatography, and characterized. The isolated protein was highly active after 30 min incubation in a temperature range of - 20 °C to 37 °C and in a pH range of 5.5-8.0. The endolysin EN572-5 lytic activity was tested on different Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. The enzyme lysed clinical GBS (n = 31/31) and different streptococci (n = 6/8), and also exhibited moderate lytic activity against UPEC (n = 4/4), but no lysis of beneficial vaginal lactobacilli (n = 4) was observed. The ability of EN572-5 to eliminate GBS during UTI was investigated using an in vitro model of UPSA. After the administration of 3 μM EN572-5, a nearly 3-log decrease of urine bacterial burden was detected within 3 h. To date, no studies have been published on the use of endolysins against S. agalactiae during UTI. KEY POINTS: • A lytic protein, EN572-5, from a prophage of a human GBS isolate has been identified. • This protein is easily produced, simple to prepare, and stable after lyophilization. • The bacteriolytic activity of EN572-5 was demonstrated for the first time in human urine.

Characterization of a newly discovered putative DNA replication initiator from Paenibacillus polymyxa phage phiBP

The bacteriophage phiBP contains a newly discovered putative replisome organizer, a helicase loader, and a beta clamp, which together may serve to replicate its DNA. Bioinformatics analysis of the phiBP replisome organizer sequence showed that it belongs to a recently identified family of putative initiator proteins. We prepared and isolated a wild type-like recombinant protein, gpRO-HC, and a mutant protein gpRO-HCK8A, containing a lysine to alanine substitution at position 8. gpRO-HC had low ATPase activity regardless of the presence of DNA, while the ATPase activity of the mutant was significantly higher. gpRO-HC bound to both single- and double-stranded DNA substrates. Different methods showed that gpRO-HC forms higher oligomers containing about 12 subunits. This work provides the first information about another group of phage initiator proteins, which trigger DNA replication in phages infecting low GC Gram-positive bacteria.

A novel phage-encoded endolysin EN534-C active against clinical strain Streptococcus agalactiae GBS

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is primarily known as a major neonatal pathogen. In adults, these bacteria often colonize the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. Treatment of infections using antibiotics is often complicated by recurrences caused by multi-resistant streptococci. Endolysin EN534 from prophage A2 of human isolate Streptococcus agalactiae KMB-534 has a modular structure consisting of two terminal catalytic domains, amidase_3 and CHAP, and one central binding domain, LysM. The EN534 gene was cloned into an expression vector, and the corresponding recombinant protein EN534-C was expressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form and isolated by affinity chromatography. The lytic activity of this endolysin was tested on cell wall substrates from different GBS serotypes, B. subtilis, L. jensenii, and E. coli. The enzyme lysed streptococci, but not beneficial vaginal lactobacilli. The isolated protein is stable in a temperature range of 20 °C to 37 °C. Calcium ions enhanced the activity of the enzyme in the pH range from 5.0 to 8.0. The exolytic activity of EN534-C was observed by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy on a S. agalactiae CCM 6187 substrate. Recombinant endolysin EN534-C may have the potential to become an antimicrobial agent for the treatment of S. agalactiae infections.

Characterization of Clinical and Carrier Streptococcus agalactiae and Prophage Contribution to the Strain Variability

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS) represents a leading cause of invasive bacterial infections in newborns and is also responsible for diseases in older and immunocompromised adults. Prophages represent an important factor contributing to the genome plasticity and evolution of new strains. In the present study, prophage content was analyzed in human GBS isolates. Thirty-seven prophages were identified in genomes of 20 representative sequenced strains. On the basis of the sequence comparison, we divided the prophages into eight groups named A–H. This division also corresponded to the clustering of phage integrase, even though several different integration sites were observed in some relative prophages. Next, PCR method was used for detection of the prophages in 123 GBS strains from adult hospitalized patients and from pregnancy screening. At least one prophage was present in 105 isolates (85%). The highest prevalence was observed for prophage group A (71%) and satellite prophage group B (62%). Other groups were detected infrequently (1–6%). Prophage distribution did not differ between clinical and screening strains, but it was unevenly distributed in MLST (multi locus sequence typing) sequence types. High content of full-length and satellite prophages detected in present study implies that prophages could be beneficial for the host bacterium and could contribute to evolution of more adapted strains.

Identification of Brevibacterium flavum genes related to receptors involved in bacteriophage BFK20 adsorption

Phage infection of bacterial cells is a process requiring the interaction between phage receptor binding proteins and receptors on the bacterial cell surface. We prepared a Brevibacterium flavum CCM 251 EZ-Tn5 transposon insertional library and isolated phage-resistant mutants. Analysis of the DNA fragments produced by single-primer PCR was used to determine the EZ-Tn5 transposon insertion sites in the genomes of phage-resistant B. flavum mutants. Seven disrupted genes were identified in forty B. flavum mutants. The phage resistance of these mutants was demonstrated by cultivation analysis in the presence of BFK20, and the adsorption rate of BFK20 to these mutants was tested. B. flavum mutants displayed significantly reduced adsorption rates; the lowest rate was observed for mutants containing interrupted major facilitator superfamily (MFS) protein and glycosyltransferase genes. Uninterrupted forms of these genes were cloned into corynebacterial vector pJUP06 and used for in trans complementation of the corresponding B. flavum mutants. The growth of these complemented mutants when infected with BFK20 closely resembled that of wild-type B. flavum. These complemented mutants also exhibited similar BFK20 adsorption as the wild-type control. We infer that the disrupted MFS protein and glycosyltransferase genes are responsible for the phage-resistant phenotype of these B. flavum transposition mutants.

Gp41, a superfamily SF2 helicase from bacteriophage BFK20

Gp41 is one of two helicases encoded by the genome of bacteriophage BFK20. The gp41 sequence contains conserved motifs from the SF2 family of helicases. We prepared and studied three recombinant proteins: gp41HN, a wild type-like protein with an N-terminal His-Tag; gp41HC, with an S2A mutation and a C-terminal His-Tag; and gp41dC, a mutant protein with a deleted C-terminal region and His-Tags on both N- and C-termini. We tested the enzymatic activities and DNA binding abilities of these isolated proteins. We found that both gp41HN and gp41HC had strong DNA-dependent ATPase activities, but that the ATPase activity of gp41dC was significantly lower regardless of the presence of DNA. The preferred substrates for the NTP hydrolysis reactions were ATP and dATP. gp41HC and gp41HN exhibited a low helicase activity in a fluorescence-based assay using dsDNA substrates with a 3' overhang and with a forked end in the presence of ATP. We infer that the C-terminal region of gp41 may be involved in DNA binding, since removing this region in gp41dC reduced the protein's DNA binding ability.

Characterization of a phiBP endolysin encoded by the Paenibacillus polymyxa CCM 7400 phage

Endolysin (gp1.2) from the Paenibacillus polymyxa CCM 7400 temperate phage phiBP has a modular structure consisting of an N-terminal region with a catalytic glycosyl hydrolase 25 domain and a C-terminal cell wall-binding domain. The entire gene of this endolysin and fragments containing its catalytic and binding domains separately were cloned into expression vectors and the corresponding recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography. The lytic activities of endolysin and its catalytic domain were tested on cell wall substrates from paenibacilli, bacilli, corynebacteria and E. coli. The presence of a cell wall-binding domain was found to be essential, as the phiBP endolysin was fully active only as a full-length protein. The binding ability of the cell wall-binding domain alone and in fusion with green fluorescent protein was demonstrated by specific binding assays to the cell surface of P. polymyxa CCM 7400 and to those of other Paenibacillus strains. Thus the ability of phiBP endolysin to hydrolyze the paenibacilli cell wall was confirmed.

Isolation and characterization of bacteriophage PhiBP from Paenibacillus polymyxa CCM 7400

A bacteriophage PhiBP infecting Paenibacillus polymyxa CCM 7400 was isolated from culture lysate. Electron microscopy of lysate samples revealed the presence of bacteriophage particles with polyhedral heads 56 nm in diameter and flexible noncontractile tails 144 nm in length. The profile of PhiBP structural proteins resembles that of other bacteriophages. The PhiBP genome consists of double-stranded DNA of 43-kbp size. Homology search of sequenced DNA fragments from EcoRI digest revealed regions with significant similarity to other known bacteriophage genes. Regions similar to phage terminase genes were identified within the 1.2-kbp fragment. Three lytic genes, two holin genes and one endolysin gene were identified within the 2.5-kbp fragment. We tested the isolates of P. polymyxa CCM 7400 for the presence of phage DNA on bacterial chromosome using PCR amplification with primers derived from proposed terminase and holin gene sequences. We confirmed the presence of PhiBP DNA on P. polymyxa chromosome by Southern hybridization. The bacteriophage PhiBP was capable of causing lysis of a P. polymyxaPhiBP lysogen despite the presence of the phage DNA on bacterial chromosome. Therefore, we concluded that PhiBP was a virulent mutant phage.

Transcriptional profiling of bacteriophage BFK20: Coexpression interrogated by “guilt-by-association” algorithm

Global gene expression profiling of bacteriophage BFK20 infecting the industrial L-lysine producer Brevibacterium flavum CCM 251 was performed using DNA microarray. The relative gene expressions were measured in fourteen time samples collected during phage development. Phage genes were classified as early, middle, late or unassigned based on complex expression patterns during infection. Temporal classification of BFK20 genes was in concordance with previous predictions. However, proposed late regulatory genes were reclassified and new functional assignments for ORF55 were strongly suggested. Furthermore, we consider possible functions of other genes and their products regarding coexpression pattern by using "guilt-by-association" algorithm. Microarray results were validated using real-time RT-PCR. The detailed description of phage BFK20 transcriptional profile can answer the basic questions of its life cycle and it also can help to prevent phage contamination during industrial fermentation. In addition, this work presents the first complete microarray time course study of gene expression utilizing loop design.

Complete nucleotide sequence and genome analysis of bacteriophage BFK20 — A lytic phage of the industrial producer Brevibacterium flavum

The entire double-stranded DNA genome of bacteriophage BFK20, a lytic phage of the Brevibacterium flavum CCM 251--industrial producer of L-lysine--was sequenced and analyzed. It consists of 42,968 base pairs with an overall molar G + C content of 56.2%. Fifty-five potential open reading frames were identified and annotated using various bioinformatics tools. Clusters of functionally related putative genes were defined (structural, lytic, replication and regulatory). To verify the annotation of structural proteins, they were resolved by 2D gel electrophoresis and were submitted to N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Structural proteins identified included the portal and major and minor tail proteins. Based on the overall genome sequence comparison, similarities with other known bacteriophage genomes include primarily bacteriophages from Mycobacterium spp. and some regions of Corynebacterium spp. genomes--possible prophages. Our results support the theory that phage genomes are mosaics with respect to each other.

The Brevibacterium flavum sigma factor SigB has a role in the environmental stress response

We have previously cloned a gene encoding a SigB, a principal-like sigma factor in Brevibacterium flavum, which was induced by several stress conditions. To clarify the in vivo function of this sigma factor, the sigB gene was disrupted by a homologous recombination, replacing the internal essential coding region in B. flavum chromosome by a kanamycin resistance marker gene. This mutation dramatically decreased vegetative growth rates of B. flavum. Studies of the effect of the sigB mutation on growth and viability of the cells under conditions of stress showed that the sigB mutant had increased susceptibility to acid, salt, alcohol, heat and cold stress. The plasmid-born wild-type sigB gene complemented the mutation. Based on the results, we propose that SigB has a role in vegetative growth and in response to various environmental stresses.

Cloning and transcriptional characterization of two sigma factor genes, sigA and sigB, from Brevibacterium flavum

Using a DNA fragment containing the principal sigma factor gene hrdB of Streptomyces aureofaciens, we identified two sigma70-like genes in a library of Brevibacterium flavum. Sequence analysis of the complete genes revealed two ORFs coding for gene products of 498 and 331 amino acid residues, which showed the greatest similarity to SigA and SigB sigma factors from Brevibacterium lactofermentum. We designated them similarly sigA and sigB. Transcription of B. flavum sigA and sigB has been investigated by S1-nuclease mapping by using RNA from different growth phases and after exposure to several stress conditions. Both genes are transcribed from a single promoter with transcription start points of 368 bp and 25 bp upstream from the proposed translation initiation codon of the sigA and sigB genes, respectively. Whereas sigA is transcribed almost constitutively during growth and after stress conditions, expression of sigB is significantly induced after several stress conditions, like acid stress, ethanol shock, and cold shock. Expression of both genes is significantly reduced after heat shock. Considering these transcriptional results, and also on the basis of the similarity to other principal sigma factor genes, sigA probably encodes the functional principal sigma factor, and sigB might have a function in stress response.

Transsulfuration depends on heme in addition to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Cystathionine beta-synthase is a heme protein

The first committed step of transsulfuration is catalyzed by cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS), a known pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) enzyme. The inferred amino acid sequences of rat liver CBS and rat liver hemoprotein H-450 are identical. We now confirm the presence of heme b in rat and human liver CBS. Heme almost entirely accounts for the visible spectrum of CBS rather than PLP. Human CBS, expressed in Escherichia coli, acquires heme b from the host bacteria. delta-Aminolevulinate supplementation during bacterial growth increases both the heme saturation and the specific activity of the homogeneous enzyme more than 3-fold. 1 mol of the 63-kDa CBS subunit binds 1 mol of each (heme and PLP). The presence of heme is required for PLP binding, and the amount of PLP bound is limited by the heme content. Removal of PLP, but not heme, from CBS is reversible. These findings suggest that heme is functionally incorporated into CBS only during protein folding. This report describes the first instance of an enzyme that depends upon both heme and PLP for its function.

Expression of human cystathionine beta-synthase in Escherichia coli: purification and characterization

Cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) purification from mammalian tissues is complicated by proteolysis and enzyme aggregation. To surmount these difficulties, we cloned human CBS cDNA in tandem with the beta-galactosidase sequence of the fusion vector, pAX5-, then expressed the fusion protein, beta-galactosidase/CBS, in transformed Escherichia coli cells. Proteolytic treatment of the ammonium sulfate fraction of bacterial lysates with endoproteinase Xa liberated CBS which could then be separated from its fusion partner by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. This nearly homogeneous enzyme preparation was purified 140-fold over the crude bacterial lysate with nearly 50% recovery, and its specific activity, 210 U/mg protein, was comparable to that purified from human liver. The purified enzyme contained pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and exhibited positive cooperativity toward S-adenosyl-L-methionine (Hill coefficient = 5.2; Kact = 34 microM). Km values of the cloned enzyme in the absence of AdoMet are 3.1 and 1.1 mM for serine and homocysteine, respectively. They are virtually identical to those from human hepatic CBS. A Soret absorbance band (lambda max = 428 nm) which shifted to 448 nm after reduction with sodium dithionite revealed the presence of heme in the enzyme. Expression of the fusion protein in E. coli with subsequent purification represents the first time this enzyme has been isolated in sufficient quantities for biophysical and biochemical investigation.