| 1. |
- Akar, Roya, et al.
(författare)
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Regulation of the general stress response sigma factor σT by Lon-mediated proteolysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 205:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Lon protease is widely conserved in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and fulfills important regulatory functions. Nevertheless, the number of identified Lon substrates is limited in most organisms, and the precise role of Lon in regulating these proteins is poorly understood. Here, we describe the α-proteobacterial general stress response sigma factor σT as a novel Lon substrate in Caulobacter crescentus. Based on previously published quantitative proteomics data, we find σT to be a promising putative Lon substrate and confirm a direct role of Lon in degrading σT. We show that Lon contributes to the downregulation of σT abundance under optimal conditions and during recovery from sucrose-induced osmotic stress. Furthermore, the presence of the Lon activity regulator LarA enhances Lon-mediated degradation of σT in vitro and reduces σT levels in vivo indicating a role of LarA in modulating Lon-mediated degradation of σT. Together, our results highlight the importance of Lon during the recovery phase following stress exposure by adjusting the concentrations of critical regulators of stress responses.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Amer, Ayad, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of the N-terminal secretor domain on YopD translocator function in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis type III secretion
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 193:23, s. 6683-6700
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) secrete needle components, pore-forming translocators, and the translocated effectors. In part, effector recognition by a T3SS involves their N-terminal amino acids and their 5′ mRNA. To investigate whether similar molecular constraints influence translocator secretion, we scrutinized this region within YopD from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Mutations in the 5′ end of yopD that resulted in specific disruption of the mRNA sequence did not affect YopD secretion. On the other hand, a few mutations affecting the protein sequence reduced secretion. Translational reporter fusions identified the first five codons as a minimal N-terminal secretion signal and also indicated that the YopD N terminus might be important for yopD translation control. Hybrid proteins in which the N terminus of YopD was exchanged with the equivalent region of the YopE effector or the YopB translocator were also constructed. While the in vitro secretion profile was unaltered, these modified bacteria were all compromised with respect to T3SS activity in the presence of immune cells. Thus, the YopD N terminus does harbor a secretion signal that may also incorporate mechanisms of yopD translation control. This signal tolerates a high degree of variation while still maintaining secretion competence suggestive of inherent structural peculiarities that make it distinct from secretion signals of other T3SS substrates.
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| 4. |
- Amon, Jeremy D., et al.
(författare)
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SwsB and SafA Are Required for CwlJ-Dependent Spore Germination in Bacillus subtilis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 202:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- When Bacillus subtilis spores detect nutrients, they exit dormancy through the processes of germination and outgrowth. A key step in germination is the activation of two functionally redundant cell wall hydrolases (SleB and CwlJ) that degrade the specialized cortex peptidoglycan that surrounds the spore. How these enzymes are regulated remains poorly understood. To identify additional factors that affect their activity, we used transposon sequencing to screen for synthetic germination defects in spores lacking SleB or CwlJ. Other than the previously characterized protein YpeB, no additional factors were found to be specifically required for SleB activity. In contrast, our screen identified SafA and YlxY (renamed SwsB) in addition to the known factors GerQ and CotE as proteins required for CwlJ function. SafA is a member of the spore's proteinaceous coat and we show that, like GerQ and CotE, it is required for accumulation and retention of CwlJ in the dormant spore. SwsB is broadly conserved among spore formers, and we show that it is required for CwlJ to efficiently degrade the cortex during germination. Intriguingly, SwsB resembles polysaccharide deacetylases, and its putative catalytic residues are required for its role in germination. However, we find no chemical signature of its activity on the spore cortex or in vitro. While the precise, mechanistic role of SwsB remains unknown, we explore and discuss potential activities. IMPORTANCE Spore formation in Bacillus subtilis has been studied for over half a century, and virtually every step in this developmental process has been characterized in molecular detail. In contrast, how spores exit dormancy remains less well understood. A key step in germination is the degradation of the specialized cell wall surrounding the spore called the cortex. Two enzymes (SleB and CwlJ) specifically target this protective layer, but how they are regulated and whether additional factors promote their activity are unknown. Here, we identified the coat protein SafA and a conserved but uncharacterized protein YlxY as additional factors required for CwlJ-dependent degradation of the cortex. Our analysis provides a more complete picture of this essential step in the exit from dormancy.
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| 5. |
- Ampomah, Osei Y., et al.
(författare)
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The thuEFGKAB operon of Rhizobia and Agrobacterium tumefaciens codes for transport of trehalose, maltitol, and isomers of sucrose and their assimilation through the formation of their 3-keto derivatives
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 195:17, s. 3797-3807
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The thu operon (thuEFGKAB) in Sinorhizobium meliloti codes for transport and utilization functions of the disaccharide trehalose. Sequenced genomes of members of the Rhizobiaceae reveal that some rhizobia and Agrobacterium possess the entire thu operon in similar organizations and that Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099 lacks the transport (thuEFGK) genes. In this study, we show that this operon is dedicated to the transport and assimilation of maltitol and isomers of sucrose (leucrose, palatinose, and trehalulose) in addition to trehalulose, not only in S. meliloti but also in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. By using genetic complementation, we show that the thuAB genes of S. meliloti, M. loti, and A. tumefaciens are functionally equivalent. Further, we provide both genetic and biochemical evidence to show that these bacteria assimilate these disaccharides by converting them to their respective 3-keto derivatives and that the thuAB genes code for this ketodisaccharide-forming enzyme(s). Formation of 3-ketotrehalose in real time in live S. meliloti is shown through Raman spectroscopy. The presence of an additional ketodisaccharide- forming pathway(s) in A. tumefaciens is also indicated. To our knowledge, this is the first report to identify the genes that code for the conversion of disaccharides to their 3-ketodisaccharide derivatives in any organism.
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| 6. |
- Areschoug, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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A Proline-Rich Region with a Highly Periodic Sequence in Streptococcal beta Protein Adopts the Polyproline II Structure and Is Exposed on the Bacterial Surface.
- 2002
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - 0021-9193. ; 184:22, s. 6376-6383
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Proline-rich regions have been identified in many surface proteins of pathogenic streptococci and staphylococci. These regions have been suggested to be located in cell wall-spanning domains and/or to be required for surface expression of the protein. Because little is known about these regions, which are found in extensively studied and biologically important surface proteins, we characterized the proline-rich region in one such protein, the beta protein of group B streptococci. The proline-rich region in beta, designated the XPZ region, has a proline at every third position, and the sequence is highly periodic in other respects. Immunochemical analysis showed that the XPZ region was not associated with the cell wall but was exposed on the bacterial surface. Moreover, characterization of a beta mutant lacking the XPZ region demonstrated that this region was not required for surface expression of the beta protein. Comparison of the XPZ region in different beta proteins showed that it varied in size but always retained the typical sequence periodicity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the XPZ region had the structure of a polyproline II helix, an extended and solvent-exposed structure with exactly three residues per turn. Because of the three-residue sequence periodicity in the XPZ region, it is expected to be amphipathic and to have distinct nonpolar and polar surfaces. This study identified a proline-rich structure with unique properties that is exposed on the surface of an important human pathogen.
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| 7. |
- Ast, Jennifer C, et al.
(författare)
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Natural merodiploidy of the lux-rib operon of Photobacterium leiognathi from coastal waters of Honshu, Japan.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 189:17, s. 6148-58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sequence analysis of the bacterial luminescence (lux) genes has proven effective in helping resolve evolutionary relationships among luminous bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis using lux genes, however, is based on the assumptions that the lux genes are present as single copies on the bacterial chromosome and are vertically inherited. We report here that certain strains of Photobacterium leiognathi carry multiple phylogenetically distinct copies of the entire operon that codes for luminescence and riboflavin synthesis genes, luxCDABEG-ribEBHA. Merodiploid lux-rib strains of P. leiognathi were detected during sequence analysis of luxA. To define the gene content, organization, and sequence of each lux-rib operon, we constructed a fosmid library of genomic DNA from a representative merodiploid strain, lnuch.13.1. Sequence analysis of fosmid clones and genomic analysis of lnuch.13.1 defined two complete, physically separate, and apparently functional operons, designated lux-rib1 and lux-rib2. P. leiognathi strains lelon.2.1 and lnuch.21.1 were also found to carry lux-rib1 and lux-rib2, whereas ATCC 25521T apparently carries only lux-rib1. In lnuch.13.1, lelon.2.1, lnuch.21.1, and ATCC 25521T, lux-rib1 is flanked upstream by lumQ and putA and downstream by a gene for a hypothetical multidrug efflux pump. In contrast, transposase genes flank lux-rib2 of lnuch.13.1, and the chromosomal location of lux-rib2 apparently differs in lnuch.13.1, lelon.2.1, and lnuch.21.1. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that lux-rib1 and lux-rib2 are more closely related to each other than either one is to the lux and rib genes of other bacterial species, which rules out interspecies lateral gene transfer as the origin of lux-rib2 in P. leiognathi; lux-rib2 apparently arose within a previously unsampled or extinct P. leiognathi lineage. Analysis of 170 additional strains of P. leiognathi, for a total of 174 strains examined from coastal waters of Japan, Taiwan, the Philippine Islands, and Thailand, identified 106 strains that carry only a single lux-rib operon and 68 that carry multiple lux-rib operons. Strains bearing a single lux-rib operon were obtained throughout the geographic sampling range, whereas lux-rib merodiploid strains were found only in coastal waters of central Honshu. This is the first report of merodiploidy of lux or rib genes in a luminous bacterium and the first indication that a natural merodiploid state in bacteria can correlate with geography.
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| 8. |
- Avican, Ummehan, et al.
(författare)
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Transcriptomic and phenotypic analysis reveals new functions for the Tat pathway in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - Washington : American Society for Microbiology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 198:20, s. 2876-2886
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system mediates secretion of folded proteins that in bacteria, plants and archaea are identified via an N-terminal signal peptide. Tat systems are associated with virulence in many bacterial pathogens and our previous studies revealed that Tat deficient Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was severely attenuated for virulence. Aiming to identify Tat-dependent pathways and phenotypes of relevance for in vivo infection, we analysed the global transcriptome of parental and ∆tatC mutant strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis during exponential and stationary growth at 26oC and 37oC. The most significant changes in the transcriptome of the ∆tatC mutant were seen at 26oC during stationary phase growth and these included the altered expression of genes related to virulence, stress responses and metabolism. Subsequent phenotypic analysis based on these transcriptome changes revealed several novel Tat-dependent phenotypes including decreased YadA expression, impaired growth under iron-limiting and high copper conditions as well as acidic pH and SDS. Several functionally related Tat substrates were also verified to contribute to these phenotypes. Interestingly, the phenotypic defects observed in the Tat-deficient strain were generally more pronounced than in mutants lacking the Tat substrate predicted to contribute to that specific function. Altogether, this provides new insight into the impact of Tat deficiency on in vivo fitness and survival/replication of Y. pseudotuberculosis during infection.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Balsalobre, Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Cyclic AMP-dependent osmoregulation of crp gene expression in Escherichia coli.
- 2006
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Ingår i: J Bacteriol. - 0021-9193. ; 188:16, s. 5935-44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have found that the cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP)-cAMP regulatory complex in Escherichia coli is subject to osmoregulation at the level of crp gene expression. This osmoregulation was lost in a cya mutant strain but could be restored by external addition of cAMP, suggesting that the intracellular level of cAMP is a key factor in the osmoregulation of CRP. The ability of the cell to maintain optimal CRP activity was essential for the growth and survival of the bacteria under low-osmolarity conditions as shown by studies with different crp mutant alleles. A suppressor mutant with a novel amino acid substitution (L124R) in CRP showed restored growth at low osmolarity. CRP(L124R) was not activated by cAMP and was shown to be dominant negative over the wild type. Our findings suggest that the fine-tuning of the CRP activity may be critical for bacterial viability and adaptability to changing osmotic conditions.
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