Identification of hopanoid biosynthesis genes involved in polymyxin resistance in Burkholderia multivorans. - Related Documents




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62501.0000Identification of hopanoid biosynthesis genes involved in polymyxin resistance in Burkholderia multivorans. A major challenge to clinical therapy of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) pulmonary infections is their innate resistance to a broad range of antimicrobials, including polycationic agents such as aminoglycosides, polymyxins, and cationic peptides. To identify genetic loci associated with this phenotype, a transposon mutant library was constructed in B. multivorans ATCC 17616 and screened for increased susceptibility to polymyxin B. Compared to the parent strain, mutant 26D7 exhibited 8- and 16-fold increases in susceptibility to polymyxin B and colistin, respectively. Genetic analysis of mutant 26D7 indicated that the transposon inserted into open reading frame (ORF) Bmul_2133, part of a putative hopanoid biosynthesis gene cluster. A strain with a mutation in another ORF in this cluster, Bmul_2134, was constructed and named RMI19. Mutant RMI19 also had increased polymyxin susceptibility. Hopanoids are analogues of eukaryotic sterols involved in membrane stability and barrier function. Strains with mutations in Bmul_2133 and Bmul_2134 showed increased permeability to 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine in the presence of increasing concentrations of polymyxin, suggesting that the putative hopanoid biosynthesis genes are involved in stabilizing outer membrane permeability, contributing to polymyxin resistance. Results from a dansyl-polymyxin binding assay demonstrated that polymyxin B does not bind well to the parent or mutant strains, suggesting that Bmul_2133 and Bmul_2134 contribute to polymyxin B resistance by a mechanism that is independent of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding. Through this work, we propose a role for hopanoid biosynthesis as part of the multiple antimicrobial resistance phenotype in Bcc bacteria.201222006009
70410.9991Aminoarabinose is essential for lipopolysaccharide export and intrinsic antimicrobial peptide resistance in Burkholderia cenocepacia(†). One common mechanism of resistance against antimicrobial peptides in Gram-negative bacteria is the addition of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (L-Ara4N) to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule. Burkholderia cenocepacia exhibits extraordinary intrinsic resistance to antimicrobial peptides and other antibiotics. We have previously discovered that unlike other bacteria, B. cenocepacia requires L-Ara4N for viability. Here, we describe the isolation of B. cenocepacia suppressor mutants that remain viable despite the deletion of genes required for L-Ara4N synthesis and transfer to the LPS. The absence of L-Ara4N is the only structural difference in the LPS of the mutants compared with that of the parental strain. The mutants also become highly sensitive to polymyxin B and melittin, two different classes of antimicrobial peptides. The suppressor phenotype resulted from a single amino acid replacement (aspartic acid to histidine) at position 31 of LptG, a protein component of the multi-protein pathway responsible for the export of the LPS molecule from the inner to the outer membrane. We propose that L-Ara4N modification of LPS provides a molecular signature required for LPS export and proper assembly at the outer membrane of B. cenocepacia, and is the most critical determinant for the intrinsic resistance of this bacterium to antimicrobial peptides.201222742453
63320.9988The sensor kinase PhoQ mediates virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental Gram-negative bacterium that is also a major opportunistic human pathogen in nosocomial infections and cystic fibrosis chronic lung infections. PhoP-PhoQ is a two-component regulatory system that has been identified as essential for virulence and cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance in several other Gram-negative bacteria. This study demonstrated that mutation of phoQ caused reduced twitching motility, biofilm formation and rapid attachment to surfaces, 2.2-fold reduced cytotoxicity to human lung epithelial cells, substantially reduced lettuce leaf virulence, and a major, 10 000-fold reduction in competitiveness in chronic rat lung infections. Microarray analysis revealed that PhoQ controlled the expression of many genes consistent with these phenotypes and with its known role in polymyxin B resistance. It was also demonstrated that PhoQ controls the expression of many genes outside the known PhoP regulon.200919246741
66130.9988A Putative Bacterial ABC Transporter Circumvents the Essentiality of Signal Peptidase. The type I signal peptidase of Staphylococcus aureus, SpsB, is an attractive antibacterial target because it is essential for viability and extracellularly accessible. We synthesized compound 103, a novel arylomycin-derived inhibitor of SpsB with significant potency against various clinical S. aureus strains (MIC of ~1 µg/ml). The predominant clinical strain USA300 developed spontaneous resistance to compound 103 with high frequency, resulting from single point mutations inside or immediately upstream of cro/cI, a homolog of the lambda phage transcriptional repressor cro These cro/cI mutations led to marked (>50-fold) overexpression of three genes encoding a putative ABC transporter. Overexpression of this ABC transporter was both necessary and sufficient for resistance and, notably, circumvented the essentiality of SpsB during in vitro culture. Mutation of its predicted ATPase gene abolished resistance, suggesting a possible role for active transport; in these bacteria, resistance to compound 103 occurred with low frequency and through mutations in spsB Bacteria overexpressing the ABC transporter and lacking SpsB were capable of secreting a subset of proteins that are normally cleaved by SpsB and instead were cleaved at a site distinct from the canonical signal peptide. These bacteria secreted reduced levels of virulence-associated proteins and were unable to establish infection in mice. This study reveals the mechanism of resistance to a novel arylomycin derivative and demonstrates that the nominal essentiality of the S. aureus signal peptidase can be circumvented by the upregulation of a putative ABC transporter in vitro but not in vivo IMPORTANCE: The type I signal peptidase of Staphylococcus aureus (SpsB) enables the secretion of numerous proteins by cleavage of the signal peptide. We synthesized an SpsB inhibitor with potent activity against various clinical S. aureus strains. The predominant S. aureus strain USA300 develops resistance to this inhibitor by mutations in a novel transcriptional repressor (cro/cI), causing overexpression of a putative ABC transporter. This mechanism promotes the cleavage and secretion of various proteins independently of SpsB and compensates for the requirement of SpsB for viability in vitro However, bacteria overexpressing the ABC transporter and lacking SpsB secrete reduced levels of virulence-associated proteins and are unable to infect mice. This study describes a bacterial resistance mechanism that provides novel insights into the biology of bacterial secretion.201627601569
894040.9988Construction of aminoglycoside-sensitive Burkholderia cenocepacia strains for use in studies of intracellular bacteria with the gentamicin protection assay. Burkholderia cenocepacia is a multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen that infects the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and can survive intracellularly in macrophages and epithelial cells. The gentamicin protection assay, which relies on the poor ability of gentamicin or other aminoglycosides to permeate eukaryotic cell membranes, is traditionally employed to quantify intracellular bacteria. However, the high resistance of these bacteria to aminoglycosides hampers the use of the gentamicin protection assay to investigate intracellular infection by B. cenocepacia. Here, we report the construction of gentamicin-sensitive strains of B. cenocepacia carrying a deletion of the BCAL1674, BCAL1675, and BCAL1676 genes that form an operon encoding an AmrAB-OprA-like efflux pump. We show that bacteria carrying this deletion are hypersensitive to gentamicin and also delay phagolysosomal fusion upon infection of RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, as previously demonstrated for the parental strain. We also demonstrate for the first time that low concentrations of gentamicin can be used to effectively kill extracellular bacteria and reliably quantify the intracellular infection by B. cenocepacia, which can replicate in RAW 264.7 macrophages.201020348312
63250.9988The Role of the Two-Component System PhoP/PhoQ in Intrinsic Resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica to Polymyxin. Polymyxin is the "last resort" of antibiotics. The self-induced resistance to polymyxin in Gram-negative bacteria could be mediated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification, which is regulated by the two-component system, PhoP/PhoQ. Yersinia enterocolitica is a common foodborne pathogen. However, PhoP/PhoQ has not been thoroughly studied in Y. enterocolitica. In this study, the functions of PhoP/PhoQ in Y. enterocolitica intrinsic resistance were investigated. The resistance of Y. enterocolitica was found to decrease with the deletion of PhoP/PhoQ. Further, PhoP/PhoQ was found to play an important role in maintaining membrane permeability, intercellular metabolism, and reducing membrane depolarization. Based on subsequent studies, the binding ability of polymyxin to Y. enterocolitica was decreased by the modification of LPS with structures, such as L-Ara4N and palmitate. Analysis of the gene transcription levels revealed that the LPS modification genes, pagP and arn operon, were downregulated with the deletion of PhoP/PhoQ in Y. enterocolitica during exposure to polymyxin. In addition, pmrA, pmrB, and eptA were downregulated in the mutants compared with the wild-type strain. Such findings demonstrate that PhoP/PhoQ contributes to the intrinsic resistance of Y. enterocolitica toward polymyxins. LPS modification with L-Ara4N or palmitate is mainly responsible for the resistance of Y. enterocolitica to polymyxins. The transcription of genes related to LPS modification and PmrA/PmrB can be both affected by PhoP/PhoQ in Y. enterocolitica. This study adds to current knowledge regarding the role of PhoP/PhoQ in intrinsic resistance of Y. enterocolitica to polymyxin.202235222323
30460.9988Analysis of the carbapenem gene cluster of Erwinia carotovora: definition of the antibiotic biosynthetic genes and evidence for a novel beta-lactam resistance mechanism. Members of two genera of Gram-negative bacteria, Serratia and Erwinia, produce a beta-lactam antibiotic, 1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid. We have reported previously the cloning and sequencing of the genes responsible for production of this carbapenem in Erwinia carotovora. These genes are organized as an operon, carA--H, and are controlled by a LuxR-type transcriptional activator, encoded by the linked carR gene. We report in this paper the genetic dissection of this putative operon to determine the function of each of the genes. We demonstrate by mutational analysis that the products of the first five genes of the operon are involved in the synthesis of the carbapenem molecule. Three of these, carABC, are absolutely required. In addition, we provide evidence for the existence of a novel carbapenem resistance mechanism, encoded by the CarF and carG genes. Both products of these overlapping and potentially translationally coupled genes have functional, N-terminal signal peptides. Removal of these genes from the Erwinia chromosome results in a carbapenem-sensitive phenotype. We assume that these novel beta-lactam resistance genes have evolved in concert with the biosynthetic genes to ensure 'self-resistance' in the Erwinia carbapenem producer.19979402024
70370.9988Bacterial modification of LPS and resistance to antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides (APs) are ubiquitous in nature and are thought to kill micro-organisms by affecting membrane integrity. These positively charged peptides interact with negative charges in the LPS of Gram-negative bacteria. A common mechanism of resistance to AP killing is LPS modification. These modifications include fatty acid additions, phosphoethanolamine (PEtN) addition to the core and lipid A regions, 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (Ara4N) addition to the core and lipid A regions, acetylation of the O-antigen, and possibly hydroxylation of fatty acids. In Salmonella typhimurium, LPS modifications are induced within host tissues by the two-component regulatory systems PhoPQ and PmrAB. PmrAB activation results in AP resistance by Ara4N addition to lipid A through the activation of at least 8 genes, 7 of which are transcribed as an operon. Loss of this operon and, therefore, Ara4N LPS modification, affects S. typhimurium virulence when administered orally. Transposon mutagenesis of Proteus mirabilis also suggests that LPS modifications affect AP resistance and virulence phenotypes. Therefore, LPS modification in Gram-negative bacteria plays a significant role during infection in resistance to host antimicrobial factors, avoidance of immune system recognition, and maintenance of virulence phenotypes.200111521084
622080.9988Chromosomal DNA deletion confers phage resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacteria develop a broad range of phage resistance mechanisms, such as prevention of phage adsorption and CRISPR/Cas system, to survive phage predation. In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA1 strain was infected with lytic phage PaP1, and phage-resistant mutants were selected. A high percentage (~30%) of these mutants displayed red pigmentation phenotype (Red mutant). Through comparative genomic analysis, one Red mutant PA1r was found to have a 219.6 kb genomic fragment deletion, which contains two key genes hmgA and galU related to the observed phenotypes. Deletion of hmgA resulted in the accumulation of a red compound homogentisic acid; while A galU mutant is devoid of O-antigen, which is required for phage adsorption. Intriguingly, while the loss of galU conferred phage resistance, it significantly attenuated PA1r in a mouse infection experiment. Our study revealed a novel phage resistance mechanism via chromosomal DNA deletion in P. aeruginosa.201424770387
29690.9988An indigenous posttranscriptional modification in the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center confers resistance to an array of protein synthesis inhibitors. A number of nucleotide residues in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) undergo specific posttranscriptional modifications. The roles of most modifications are unclear, but their clustering in functionally important regions of rRNA suggests that they might either directly affect the activity of the ribosome or modulate its interactions with ligands. Of the 25 modified nucleotides in Escherichia coli 23S rRNA, 14 are located in the peptidyl transferase center, the main antibiotic target in the large ribosomal subunit. Since nucleotide modifications have been closely associated with both antibiotic sensitivity and antibiotic resistance, loss of some of these posttranscriptional modifications may affect the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics. We investigated the antibiotic sensitivity of E. coli cells in which the genes of 8 rRNA-modifying enzymes targeting the peptidyl transferase center were individually inactivated. The lack of pseudouridine at position 2504 of 23S rRNA was found to significantly increase the susceptibility of bacteria to peptidyl transferase inhibitors. Therefore, this indigenous posttranscriptional modification may have evolved as an intrinsic resistance mechanism protecting bacteria against natural antibiotics.200818554609
645100.9988Activation of cryptic aminoglycoside resistance in Salmonella enterica. Aminoglycoside resistance in bacteria can be acquired by several mechanisms, including drug modification, target alteration, reduced uptake and increased efflux. Here we demonstrate that increased resistance to the aminoglycosides streptomycin and spectinomycin in Salmonella enterica can be conferred by increased expression of an aminoglycoside adenyl transferase encoded by the cryptic, chromosomally located aadA gene. During growth in rich medium the wild-type strain was susceptible but mutations that impaired electron transport and conferred a small colony variant (SCV) phenotype or growth in glucose/glycerol minimal media resulted in activation of the aadA gene and aminoglycoside resistance. Expression of the aadA gene was positively regulated by the stringent response regulator guanosine penta/tetraphosphate ((p)ppGpp). SCV mutants carrying stop codon mutations in the hemA and ubiA genes showed a streptomycin pseudo-dependent phenotype, where growth was stimulated by streptomycin. Our data suggest that this phenotype is due to streptomycin-induced readthrough of the stop codons, a resulting increase in HemA/UbiA levels and improved electron transport and growth. Our results demonstrate that environmental and mutational activation of a cryptic resistance gene can confer clinically significant resistance and that a streptomycin-pseudo-dependent phenotype can be generated via a novel mechanism that does not involve the classical rpsL mutations.201121507083
8924110.9988Genomic Signatures of Experimental Adaptation to Antimicrobial Peptides in Staphylococcus aureus. The evolution of resistance against antimicrobial peptides has long been considered unlikely due to their mechanism of action, yet experimental selection with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) results in rapid evolution of resistance in several species of bacteria. Although numerous studies have utilized mutant screens to identify loci that determine AMP susceptibility, there is a dearth of data concerning the genomic changes that accompany experimental evolution of AMP resistance. Using genome resequencing, we analyzed the mutations that arose during experimental evolution of resistance to the cationic AMPs iseganan, melittin, and pexiganan, as well as to a combination of melittin and pexiganan, or to the aminoglycoside antibiotic streptomycin. Analysis of 17 independently replicated Staphylococcus aureus selection lines, including unselected controls, showed that each AMP selected for mutations at distinct loci. We identify mutations in genes involved in the synthesis and maintenance of the cell envelope. These include genes previously identified from mutant screens for AMP resistance, and genes involved in the response to AMPs and cell-wall-active antibiotics. Furthermore, transposon insertion mutants were used to verify that a number of the identified genes are directly involved in determining AMP susceptibility. Strains selected for AMP resistance under controlled experimental evolution displayed consistent AMP-specific mutations in genes that determine AMP susceptibility. This suggests that different routes to evolve resistance are favored within a controlled genetic background.201627172179
9037120.9987Assessment of three Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division drug efflux transporters of Burkholderia cenocepacia in intrinsic antibiotic resistance. BACKGROUND: Burkholderia cenocepacia are opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria that can cause chronic pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. These bacteria demonstrate a high-level of intrinsic antibiotic resistance to most clinically useful antibiotics complicating treatment. We previously identified 14 genes encoding putative Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division (RND) efflux pumps in the genome of B. cenocepacia J2315, but the contribution of these pumps to the intrinsic drug resistance of this bacterium remains unclear. RESULTS: To investigate the contribution of efflux pumps to intrinsic drug resistance of B. cenocepacia J2315, we deleted 3 operons encoding the putative RND transporters RND-1, RND-3, and RND-4 containing the genes BCAS0591-BCAS0593, BCAL1674-BCAL1676, and BCAL2822-BCAL2820. Each deletion included the genes encoding the RND transporter itself and those encoding predicted periplasmic proteins and outer membrane pores. In addition, the deletion of rnd-3 also included BCAL1672, encoding a putative TetR regulator. The B. cenocepacia rnd-3 and rnd-4 mutants demonstrated increased sensitivity to inhibitory compounds, suggesting an involvement of these proteins in drug resistance. Moreover, the rnd-3 and rnd-4 mutants demonstrated reduced accumulation of N-acyl homoserine lactones in the growth medium. In contrast, deletion of the rnd-1 operon had no detectable phenotypes under the conditions assayed. CONCLUSION: Two of the three inactivated RND efflux pumps in B. cenocepacia J2315 contribute to the high level of intrinsic resistance of this strain to some antibiotics and other inhibitory compounds. Furthermore, these efflux systems also mediate accumulation in the growth medium of quorum sensing molecules that have been shown to contribute to infection. A systematic study of RND efflux systems in B. cenocepacia is required to provide a full picture of intrinsic antibiotic resistance in this opportunistic bacterium.200919761586
6177130.9987Genes involved in intrinsic antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter baylyi. Bacterial genes defining intrinsic resistance to antibiotics encode proteins that can be targeted by antibiotic potentiators. To find such genes, a transposon insertion library of Acinetobacter baylyi was screened with subinhibitory concentrations of various antibiotics to find supersusceptible mutants. A DNA microarray printer was used to replica plate 10,000 individual library clones to select mutants unable to grow at 1/10 the MICs of 12 different antibiotics. Transposon insertions in 11 genes were found to cause an eightfold or higher hypersusceptibility to at least one antibiotic. Most of the mutants identified exhibited hypersusceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. These included mutants with disruptions of genes encoding proteins involved in efflux (acrB and oprM) as well as genes pertaining to peptidoglycan synthesis and modification (ampD, mpl, and pbpG). However, disruptions of genes encoding proteins with seemingly unrelated functions (gph, argH, hisF, and ACIAD0795) can also render cells hypersusceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics. A knockout of gshA, involved in glutathione biosynthesis, enhanced the susceptibility to metronidazole, while a knockout of recD, involved in recombination and repair, made the bacteria hypersusceptible to ciprofloxacin. Disruption of acrB in Escherichia coli rendered the cells hypersusceptible to several antibiotics. However, knockout mutants of other homologous genes in E. coli showed no significant changes in antibiotic MICs, indicating that the intrinsic resistance genes are species specific.200616940057
636140.9987Listeria monocytogenes is resistant to lysozyme through the regulation, not the acquisition, of cell wall-modifying enzymes. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen that is highly resistant to lysozyme, a ubiquitous enzyme of the innate immune system that degrades cell wall peptidoglycan. Two peptidoglycan-modifying enzymes, PgdA and OatA, confer lysozyme resistance on L. monocytogenes; however, these enzymes are also conserved among lysozyme-sensitive nonpathogens. We sought to identify additional factors responsible for lysozyme resistance in L. monocytogenes. A forward genetic screen for lysozyme-sensitive mutants led to the identification of 174 transposon insertion mutations that mapped to 13 individual genes. Four mutants were killed exclusively by lysozyme and not other cell wall-targeting molecules, including the peptidoglycan deacetylase encoded by pgdA, the putative carboxypeptidase encoded by pbpX, the orphan response regulator encoded by degU, and the highly abundant noncoding RNA encoded by rli31. Both degU and rli31 mutants had reduced expression of pbpX and pgdA, yet DegU and Rli31 did not regulate each other. Since pbpX and pgdA are also present in lysozyme-sensitive bacteria, this suggested that the acquisition of novel enzymes was not responsible for lysozyme resistance, but rather, the regulation of conserved enzymes by DegU and Rli31 conferred high lysozyme resistance. Each lysozyme-sensitive mutant exhibited attenuated virulence in mice, and a time course of infection revealed that the most lysozyme-sensitive strain was killed within 30 min of intravenous infection, a phenotype that was recapitulated in purified blood. Collectively, these data indicate that the genes required for lysozyme resistance are highly upregulated determinants of L. monocytogenes pathogenesis that are required for avoiding the enzymatic activity of lysozyme in the blood.201425157076
8230150.9987Functional characterization and biological significance of Yersinia pestis lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes. In silico analysis of available bacterial genomes revealed the phylogenetic proximity levels of enzymes responsible for biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, to homologous proteins of closely related Yersinia spp. and some other bacteria (Serratia proteamaculans, Erwinia carotovora, Burkholderia dolosa, Photorhabdus luminescens and others). Isogenic Y. pestis mutants with single or double mutations in 14 genes of LPS biosynthetic pathways were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis on the base of the virulent strain 231 and its attenuated derivative. Using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, the full LPS structures were elucidated in each mutant, and the sequence of monosaccharide transfers in the assembly of the LPS core was inferred. Truncation of the core decreased significantly the resistance of bacteria to normal human serum and polymyxin B, the latter probably as a result of a less efficient incorporation of 4-amino-4-deoxyarabinose into lipid A. Impairing of LPS biosynthesis resulted also in reduction of LPS-dependent enzymatic activities of plasminogen activator and elevation of LD(50) and average survival time in mice and guinea pigs infected with experimental plague. Unraveling correlations between biological properties of bacteria and particular LPS structures may help a better understanding of pathogenesis of plague and implication of appropriate genes as potential molecular targets for treatment of plague.201121999543
6218160.9987An allele of an ancestral transcription factor dependent on a horizontally acquired gene product. Changes in gene regulatory circuits often give rise to phenotypic differences among closely related organisms. In bacteria, these changes can result from alterations in the ancestral genome and/or be brought about by genes acquired by horizontal transfer. Here, we identify an allele of the ancestral transcription factor PmrA that requires the horizontally acquired pmrD gene product to promote gene expression. We determined that a single amino acid difference between the PmrA proteins from the human adapted Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and the broad host range S. enterica serovar Typhimurium rendered transcription of PmrA-activated genes dependent on the PmrD protein in the former but not the latter serovar. Bacteria harboring the serovar Typhimurium allele exhibited polymyxin B resistance under PmrA- or under PmrA- and PmrD-inducing conditions. By contrast, isogenic strains with the serovar Paratyphi B allele displayed PmrA-regulated polymyxin B resistance only when experiencing activating conditions for both PmrA and PmrD. We establish that the two PmrA orthologs display quantitative differences in several biochemical properties. Strains harboring the serovar Paratyphi B allele showed enhanced biofilm formation, a property that might promote serovar Paratyphi B's chronic infection of the gallbladder. Our findings illustrate how subtle differences in ancestral genes can impact the ability of horizontally acquired genes to confer new properties.201223300460
6318170.9987Phenotypic differences between Salmonella and Escherichia coli resulting from the disparate regulation of homologous genes. Phenotypic differences among closely related bacteria have been largely ascribed to species-specific genes, such as those residing in pathogenicity islands. However, we now report that the differential regulation of homologous genes is the mechanism responsible for the divergence of the enteric bacteria Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli in their ability to make LPS modifications mediating resistance to the antibiotic polymyxin B. In S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, the PmrA/PmrB two-component system governing polymyxin B resistance is induced in low Mg(2+) in a process that requires the PmrD protein and by Fe(3+) in a PmrD-independent fashion. We establish that E. coli K-12 induces PmrA-activated gene transcription and polymyxin B resistance in response to Fe(3+), but that it is blind to the low Mg(2+) signal. The highly divergent PmrD protein is responsible for this phenotype as replacement of the E. coli pmrD gene by its Salmonella counterpart resulted in an E. coli strain that transcribed PmrA-activated genes and displayed polymyxin B resistance under the same conditions as Salmonella. Molecular analysis of natural isolates of E. coli and Salmonella revealed that the PmrD proteins are conserved within each genus and that selection might have driven the divergence between the Salmonella and E. coli PmrD proteins. Investigation of PmrD function demonstrated statistically different distributions for the Salmonella and E. coli isolates in PmrD-dependent transcription occurring in low Mg(2+). Our results suggest that the differential regulation of conserved genes may have ecological consequences, determining the range of niches a microorganism can occupy.200415569938
635180.9987Transcriptome of Dickeya dadantii infecting Acyrthosiphon pisum reveals a strong defense against antimicrobial peptides. The plant pathogenic bacterium Dickeya dadantii has recently been shown to be able to kill the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. While the factors required to cause plant disease are now well characterized, those required for insect pathogeny remain mostly unknown. To identify these factors, we analyzed the transcriptome of the bacteria isolated from infected aphids. More than 150 genes were upregulated and 300 downregulated more than 5-fold at 3 days post infection. No homologue to known toxin genes could be identified in the upregulated genes. The upregulated genes reflect the response of the bacteria to the conditions encountered inside aphids. While only a few genes involved in the response to oxidative stress were induced, a strong defense against antimicrobial peptides (AMP) was induced. Expression of a great number of efflux proteins and transporters was increased. Besides the genes involved in LPS modification by addition of 4-aminoarabinose (the arnBCADTEF operon) and phosphoethanolamine (pmrC, eptB) usually induced in Gram negative bacteria in response to AMPs, dltBAC and pbpG genes, which confer Gram positive bacteria resistance to AMPs by adding alanine to teichoic acids, were also induced. Both types of modification confer D. dadantii resistance to the AMP polymyxin. A. pisum harbors symbiotic bacteria and it is thought that it has a very limited immune system to maintain these populations and do not synthesize AMPs. The arnB mutant was less pathogenic to A. pisum, which suggests that, in contrast to what has been supposed, aphids do synthesize AMP.201323342088
258190.9987An efficient system for the generation of marked genetic mutants in members of the genus Burkholderia. To elucidate the function of a gene in bacteria it is vital that targeted gene inactivation (allelic replacement) can be achieved. Allelic replacement is often carried out by disruption of the gene of interest by insertion of an antibiotic-resistance marker followed by subsequent transfer of the mutant allele to the genome of the host organism in place of the wild-type gene. However, due to their intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics only selected antibiotic-resistance markers can be used in members of the genus Burkholderia, including the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). Here we describe the construction of improved antibiotic-resistance cassettes that specify resistance to kanamycin, chloramphenicol or trimethoprim effectively in the Bcc and related species. These were then used in combination with and/or to construct a series enhanced suicide vectors, pSHAFT2, pSHAFT3 and pSHAFT-GFP to facilitate effective allelic replacement in the Bcc. Validation of these improved suicide vectors was demonstrated by the genetic inactivation of selected genes in the Bcc species Burkholderia cenocepacia and B. lata, and in the non-Bcc species, B. thailandensis.201727825973