| 1. |
- Beljantseva, Jelena, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular mutagenesis of ppGpp : turning a RelA activator into an inhibitor
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The alarmone nucleotide (p) ppGpp is a key regulator of bacterial metabolism, growth, stress tolerance and virulence, making (p) ppGpp-mediated signaling a promising target for development of antibacterials. Although ppGpp itself is an activator of the ribosome-associated ppGpp synthetase RelA, several ppGpp mimics have been developed as RelA inhibitors. However promising, the currently available ppGpp mimics are relatively inefficient, with IC50 in the sub-mM range. In an attempt to identify a potent and specific inhibitor of RelA capable of abrogating (p) ppGpp production in live bacterial cells, we have tested a targeted nucleotide library using a biochemical test system comprised of purified Escherichia coli components. While none of the compounds fulfilled this aim, the screen has yielded several potentially useful molecular tools for biochemical and structural work.
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| 2. |
- Gaca, Anthony O., et al.
(författare)
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From (p)ppGpp to (pp)pGpp : characterization of Regulatory Effects of pGpp Synthesized by the Small Alarmone Synthetase of Enterococcus faecalis
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Bacteriology. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 0021-9193 .- 1098-5530. ; 197:18, s. 2908-2919
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The bacterial stringent response (SR) is a conserved stress tolerance mechanism that orchestrates physiological alterations to enhance cell survival. This response is mediated by the intracellular accumulation of the alarmones pppGpp and ppGpp, collectively called (p) ppGpp. In Enterococcus faecalis, (p) ppGpp metabolism is carried out by the bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase E. faecalis Rel (Rel(Ef)) and the small alarmone synthetase (SAS) RelQ(Ef). Although Rel is the main enzyme responsible for SR activation in Firmicutes, there is emerging evidence that SASs can make important contributions to bacterial homeostasis. Here, we showed that RelQ(Ef) synthesizes ppGpp more efficiently than pppGpp without the need for ribosomes, tRNA, or mRNA. In addition to (p) ppGpp synthesis from GDP and GTP, RelQ(Ef) also efficiently utilized GMP to form GMP 3'-diphosphate (pGpp). Based on this observation, we sought to determine if pGpp exerts regulatory effects on cellular processes affected by (p) ppGpp. We found that pGpp, like (p) ppGpp, strongly inhibits the activity of E. faecalis enzymes involved in GTP biosynthesis and, to a lesser extent, transcription of rrnB by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Activation of E. coli RelA synthetase activity was observed in the presence of both pGpp and ppGpp, while RelQ(Ef) was activated only by ppGpp. Furthermore, enzymatic activity of RelQ(Ef) is insensitive to relacin, a (p) ppGpp analog developed as an inhibitor of "long" RelA/SpoT homolog (RSH) enzymes. We conclude that pGpp can likely function as a bacterial alarmone with target-specific regulatory effects that are similar to what has been observed for (p) ppGpp. IMPORTANCE Accumulation of the nucleotide second messengers (p) ppGpp in bacteria is an important signal regulating genetic and physiological networks contributing to stress tolerance, antibiotic persistence, and virulence. Understanding the function and regulation of the enzymes involved in (p) ppGpp turnover is therefore critical for designing strategies to eliminate the protective effects of this molecule. While characterizing the (p) ppGpp synthetase RelQ of Enterococcus faecalis (RelQ(Ef)), we found that, in addition to (p) ppGpp, RelQ(Ef) is an efficient producer of pGpp (GMP 3'-diphosphate). In vitro analysis revealed that pGpp exerts complex, target-specific effects on processes known to be modulated by (p) ppGpp. These findings provide a new regulatory feature of RelQ(Ef) and suggest that pGpp may represent a new member of the (pp) pGpp family of alarmones.
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| 3. |
- Jimmy, Steffi, et al.
(författare)
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A widespread toxin-antitoxin system exploiting growth control via alarmone signaling
- 2020
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 117:19, s. 10500-10510
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Under stressful conditions, bacterial RelA-SpoT Homolog (RSH) enzymes synthesize the alarmone (p)ppGpp, a nucleotide second messenger. (p)ppGpp rewires bacterial transcription and metabolism to cope with stress, and, at high concentrations, inhibits the process of protein synthesis and bacterial growth to save and redirect resources until conditions improve. Single-domain small alarmone synthetases (SASs) are RSH family members that contain the (p)ppGpp synthesis (SYNTH) domain, but lack the hydrolysis (HD) domain and regulatory C-terminal domains of the long RSHs such as Rel, RelA, and SpoT. We asked whether analysis of the genomic context of SASs can indicate possible functional roles. Indeed, multiple SAS subfamilies are encoded in widespread conserved bicistronic operon architectures that are reminiscent of those typically seen in toxin-antitoxin (TA) operons. We have validated five of these SASs as being toxic (toxSASs), with neutralization by the protein products of six neighboring antitoxin genes. The toxicity of Cellulomonas marina toxSAS FaRel is mediated by the accumulation of alarmones ppGpp and ppApp, and an associated depletion of cellular guanosine triphosphate and adenosine triphosphate pools, and is counteracted by its HD domain-containing antitoxin. Thus, the ToxSAS-antiToxSAS system with its multiple different antitoxins exemplifies how ancient nucleotide-based signaling mechanisms can be repurposed as TA modules during evolution, potentially multiple times independently.
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| 4. |
- Kudrin, Pavel, et al.
(författare)
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Subinhibitory Concentrations of Bacteriostatic Antibiotics Induce relA-Dependent and relA-Independent Tolerance to beta-Lactams
- 2017
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Ingår i: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. - : AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY. - 0066-4804 .- 1098-6596. ; 61:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nucleotide (p) ppGpp is a key regulator of bacterial metabolism, growth, stress tolerance, and virulence. During amino acid starvation, the Escherichia coli (p) ppGpp synthetase RelA is activated by deacylated tRNA in the ribosomal A-site. An increase in (p) ppGpp is believed to drive the formation of antibiotic-tolerant persister cells, prompting the development of strategies to inhibit (p) ppGpp synthesis. We show that in a biochemical system from purified E. coli components, the antibiotic thiostrepton efficiently inhibits RelA activation by the A-site tRNA. In bacterial cultures, the ribosomal inhibitors thiostrepton, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline all efficiently abolish accumulation of (p) ppGpp induced by the Ile-tRNA synthetase inhibitor mupirocin. This abolishment, however, does not reduce the persister level. In contrast, the combination of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor trimethoprim with mupirocin, tetracycline, or chloramphenicol leads to ampicillin tolerance. The effect is independent of RelA functionality, specific to beta-lactams, and not observed with the fluoroquinolone norfloxacin. These results refine our understanding of (p) ppGpp's role in antibiotic tolerance and persistence and demonstrate unexpected drug interactions that lead to tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics.
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| 5. |
- Kurata, Tatsuaki, et al.
(författare)
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RelA-SpoT Homolog toxins pyrophosphorylate the CCA end of tRNA to inhibit protein synthesis
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Cell. - : Cell Press. - 1097-2765 .- 1097-4164. ; 81:15, s. 3160-3170.e9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RelA-SpoT Homolog (RSH) enzymes control bacterial physiology through synthesis and degradation of the nucleotide alarmone (p)ppGpp. We recently discovered multiple families of small alarmone synthetase (SAS) RSH acting as toxins of toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules, with the FaRel subfamily of toxSAS abrogating bacterial growth by producing an analog of (p)ppGpp, (pp)pApp. Here we probe the mechanism of growth arrest used by four experimentally unexplored subfamilies of toxSAS: FaRel2, PhRel, PhRel2, and CapRel. Surprisingly, all these toxins specifically inhibit protein synthesis. To do so, they transfer a pyrophosphate moiety from ATP to the tRNA 3′ CCA. The modification inhibits both tRNA aminoacylation and the sensing of cellular amino acid starvation by the ribosome-associated RSH RelA. Conversely, we show that some small alarmone hydrolase (SAH) RSH enzymes can reverse the pyrophosphorylation of tRNA to counter the growth inhibition by toxSAS. Collectively, we establish RSHs as RNA-modifying enzymes.
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| 6. |
- Mojr, Viktor, et al.
(författare)
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Nonhydrolysable Analogues of (p)ppGpp and (p)ppApp Alarmone Nucleotides as Novel Molecular Tools
- 2021
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Ingår i: ACS Chemical Biology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1554-8929 .- 1554-8937. ; 16:9, s. 1680-1691
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While alarmone nudeotides guanosine-3',5'-bisdiphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate (pppGpp) are archetypical bacterial second messengers, their adenosine analogues ppApp (adenosine-3',5'-bisdiphosphate) and pppApp (adenosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate) are toxic effectors that abrogate bacterial growth. The alarmones are both synthesized and degraded by the members of the ReIA-SpoT Homologue (RSH) enzyme family. Because of the chemical and enzymatic liability of (p)ppGpp and (p)ppApp, these alarmones are prone to degradation during structural biology experiments. To overcome this limitation, we have established an efficient and straightforward procedure for synthesizing nonhydrolysable (p)ppNu(N)pp analogues starting from 3'-azido-3'-deoxyribonucleotides as key intermediates. To demonstrate the utility of (p)ppG(N)pp as a molecular tool, we show that (i) as an HD substrate mimic, ppG(N)pp competes with ppGpp to inhibit the enzymatic activity of human MESHI Small Alarmone Hyrolase, SAH; and (ii) mimicking the allosteric effects of (p)ppGpp, (p)ppG(N)pp acts as a positive regulator of the synthetase activity of long ribosome-associated RSHs Rel and ReIA. Finally, by solving the structure of the N-terminal domain region (NTD) of T. thermophilus Rel complexed with pppG(N)pp, we show that as an HD substrate mimic, the analogue serves as a bona fide orthosteric regulator that promotes the same intra-NTD structural rearrangements as the native substrate.
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| 7. |
- Zbornikova, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of nucleotide pools in bacteria using HPLC-MS in HILIC mode
- 2019
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Ingår i: Talanta. - : Elsevier. - 0039-9140 .- 1873-3573. ; 205
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nucleotides, nucleosides and their derivatives are present in all cells at varying concentrations that change with the nutritional, and energetic status of the cell. Precise measurement of the concentrations of these molecules is instrumental for understanding their regulatory effects. Such measurement is challenging due to the inherent instability of these molecules and, despite many decades of research, the reported values differ widely. Here, we present a comprehensive and easy-to-use approach for determination of the intracellular concentrations of > 25 target molecular species. The approach uses rapid filtration and cold acidic extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) mode using zwitterionic columns coupled with UV and MS detectors. The method reliably detects and quantifies all the analytes expected to be observed in the bacterial cell and paves the way for future studies correlating their concentrations with biological effects.
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