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55800.9480Thiamine pyrophosphate riboswitches are targets for the antimicrobial compound pyrithiamine. Thiamine metabolism genes are regulated in numerous bacteria by a riboswitch class that binds the coenzyme thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). We demonstrate that the antimicrobial action of the thiamine analog pyrithiamine (PT) is mediated by interaction with TPP riboswitches in bacteria and fungi. For example, pyrithiamine pyrophosphate (PTPP) binds the TPP riboswitch controlling the tenA operon in Bacillus subtilis. Expression of a TPP riboswitch-regulated reporter gene is reduced in transgenic B. subtilis or Escherichia coli when grown in the presence of thiamine or PT, while mutant riboswitches in these organisms are unresponsive to these ligands. Bacteria selected for PT resistance bear specific mutations that disrupt ligand binding to TPP riboswitches and derepress certain TPP metabolic genes. Our findings demonstrate that riboswitches can serve as antimicrobial drug targets and expand our understanding of thiamine metabolism in bacteria.200516356850
11010.9478Resistance to the macrolide antibiotic tylosin is conferred by single methylations at 23S rRNA nucleotides G748 and A2058 acting in synergy. The macrolide antibiotic tylosin has been used extensively in veterinary medicine and exerts potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Tylosin-synthesizing strains of the Gram-positive bacterium Streptomyces fradiae protect themselves from their own product by differential expression of four resistance determinants, tlrA, tlrB, tlrC, and tlrD. The tlrB and tlrD genes encode methyltransferases that add single methyl groups at 23S rRNA nucleotides G748 and A2058, respectively. Here we show that methylation by neither TlrB nor TlrD is sufficient on its own to give tylosin resistance, and resistance is conferred by the G748 and A2058 methylations acting together in synergy. This synergistic mechanism of resistance is specific for the macrolides tylosin and mycinamycin that possess sugars extending from the 5- and 14-positions of the macrolactone ring and is not observed for macrolides, such as carbomycin, spiramycin, and erythromycin, that have different constellations of sugars. The manner in which the G748 and A2058 methylations coincide with the glycosylation patterns of tylosin and mycinamycin reflects unambiguously how these macrolides fit into their binding site within the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit.200212417742
33120.9475MmpS4 promotes glycopeptidolipids biosynthesis and export in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The MmpS family (mycobacterial membrane protein small) includes over 100 small membrane proteins specific to the genus Mycobacterium that have not yet been studied experimentally. The genes encoding MmpS proteins are often associated with mmpL genes, which are homologous to the RND (resistance nodulation cell division) genes of Gram-negative bacteria that encode proteins functioning as multidrug efflux system. We showed by molecular genetics and biochemical analysis that MmpS4 in Mycobacterium smegmatis is required for the production and export of large amounts of cell surface glycolipids, but is dispensable for biosynthesis per se. A new specific and sensitive method utilizing single-chain antibodies against the surface-exposed glycolipids was developed to confirm that MmpS4 was dispensable for transport to the surface. Orthologous complementation demonstrated that the MmpS4 proteins are exchangeable, thus not specific to a defined lipid species. MmpS4 function requires the formation of a protein complex at the pole of the bacillus, which requires the extracytosolic C-terminal domain of MmpS4. We suggest that MmpS proteins facilitate lipid biosynthesis by acting as a scaffold for coupled biosynthesis and transport machinery.201021062372
80530.9475LexR Positively Regulates the LexABC Efflux Pump Involved in Self-Resistance to the Antimicrobial Di-N-Oxide Phenazine in Lysobacter antibioticus. Myxin, a di-N-oxide phenazine isolated from the soil bacterium Lysobacter antibioticus, exhibits potent activity against various microorganisms and has the potential to be developed as an agrochemical. Antibiotic-producing microorganisms have developed self-resistance mechanisms to protect themselves from autotoxicity. Antibiotic efflux is vital for such protection. Recently, we identified a resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pump, LexABC, involved in self-resistance against myxin in L. antibioticus. Expression of its genes, lexABC, was induced by myxin and was positively regulated by the LysR family transcriptional regulator LexR. The molecular mechanisms, however, have not been clear. Here, LexR was found to bind to the lexABC promoter region to directly regulate expression. Moreover, myxin enhanced this binding. Molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that myxin bound LexR with valine and lysine residues at positions 146 (V146) and 195 (K195), respectively. Furthermore, mutation of K195 in vivo led to downregulation of the gene lexA. These results indicated that LexR sensed and bound with myxin, thereby directly activating the expression of the LexABC efflux pump and increasing L. antibioticus resistance against myxin. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic-producing bacteria exhibit various sophisticated mechanisms for self-protection against their own secondary metabolites. RND efflux pumps that eliminate antibiotics from cells are ubiquitous in Gram-negative bacteria. Myxin is a heterocyclic N-oxide phenazine with potent antimicrobial and antitumor activities produced by the soil bacterium L. antibioticus. The RND pump LexABC contributes to the self-resistance of L. antibioticus against myxin. Herein, we report a mechanism involving the LysR family regulator LexR that binds to myxin and directly activates the LexABC pump. Further study on self-resistance mechanisms could help the investigation of strategies to deal with increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance and enable the discovery of novel natural products with resistance genes as selective markers.202337166326
53340.9466Construction of broad-host-range cosmid cloning vectors: identification of genes necessary for growth of Methylobacterium organophilum on methanol. Four new cloning vectors have been constructed from the broad-host-range cloning vector pRK290. These vectors, pLA2901, pLA2905, pLA2910, and pLA2917, confer resistance to kanamycin and tetracycline. The latter two are cosmid derivatives of pLA2901. The new vectors can be mobilized into, and are stably maintained in, a variety of gram-negative bacteria. A Sau3A genomic bank of Methylobacterium organophilum strain xx DNA has been constructed in pLA2917, and complementation analysis, with a variety of mutants unable to grow on methanol, revealed at least five separate regions necessary for growth on methanol. Complementation analysis and Tn5 mutagenesis data suggest that at least three genes are responsible for expression of active methanol dehydrogenase.19852982796
52050.9465Respiratory chain components are required for peptidoglycan recognition protein-induced thiol depletion and killing in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Mammalian peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs or PGLYRPs) kill bacteria through induction of synergistic oxidative, thiol, and metal stress. Tn-seq screening of Bacillus subtilis transposon insertion library revealed that mutants in the shikimate pathway of chorismate synthesis had high survival following PGLYRP4 treatment. Deletion mutants for these genes had decreased amounts of menaquinone (MK), increased resistance to killing, and attenuated depletion of thiols following PGLYRP4 treatment. These effects were reversed by MK or reproduced by inhibiting MK synthesis. Deletion of cytochrome aa(3)-600 or NADH dehydrogenase (NDH) genes also increased B. subtilis resistance to PGLYRP4-induced killing and attenuated thiol depletion. PGLYRP4 treatment also inhibited B. subtilis respiration. Similarly in Escherichia coli, deletion of ubiquinone (UQ) synthesis, formate dehydrogenases (FDH), NDH-1, or cytochrome bd-I genes attenuated PGLYRP4-induced thiol depletion. PGLYRP4-induced low level of cytoplasmic membrane depolarization in B. subtilis and E. coli was likely not responsible for thiol depletion. Thus, our results show that the respiratory electron transport chain components, cytochrome aa(3)-600, MK, and NDH in B. subtilis, and cytochrome bd-I, UQ, FDH-O, and NDH-1 in E. coli, are required for both PGLYRP4-induced killing and thiol depletion and indicate conservation of the PGLYRP4-induced thiol depletion and killing mechanisms in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.202133420211
56460.9462Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses an unusual tmRNA rescue system. Trans-translation is a key process in bacteria which recycles stalled ribosomes and tags incomplete nascent proteins for degradation. This ensures the availability of ribosomes for protein synthesis and prevents the accumulation of dysfunctional proteins. The tmRNA, ssrA, is responsible for both recovering stalled ribosomes and encodes the degradation tag; ssrA associates and functions with accessory proteins such as SmpB. Although ssrA and smpB are ubiquitous in bacteria, they are not essential for the viability of many species. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome has homologues of both ssrA and smpB. We demonstrated that ssrA is essential in M. tuberculosis, since the chromosomal copy of the gene could only be deleted in the presence of a functional copy integrated elsewhere. However, we were able to delete the proteolytic tagging function by constructing strains carrying a mutant allele (ssrADD). This demonstrates that ribosome rescue by ssrA is the essential function in M. tuberculosis, SmpB was not required for aerobic growth, since we were able to construct a deletion strain. However, the smpBΔ strain was more sensitive to antibiotics targeting the ribosome. Strains with deletion of smpB or mutations in ssrA did not show increased sensitivity (or resistance) to pyrazinamide suggesting that this antibiotic does not directly target these components of the tmRNA tagging system.201424145139
11370.9462Characterization of O-acetylation of N-acetylglucosamine: a novel structural variation of bacterial peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan (PG) N-acetyl muramic acid (MurNAc) O-acetylation is widely spread in gram-positive bacteria and is generally associated with resistance against lysozyme and endogenous autolysins. We report here the presence of O-acetylation on N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in Lactobacillus plantarum PG. This modification of glycan strands was never described in bacteria. Fine structural characterization of acetylated muropeptides released from L. plantarum PG demonstrated that both MurNAc and GlcNAc are O-acetylated in this species. These two PG post-modifications rely on two dedicated O-acetyltransferase encoding genes, named oatA and oatB, respectively. By analyzing the resistance to cell wall hydrolysis of mutant strains, we showed that GlcNAc O-acetylation inhibits N-acetylglucosaminidase Acm2, the major L. plantarum autolysin. In this bacterial species, inactivation of oatA, encoding MurNAc O-acetyltransferase, resulted in marked sensitivity to lysozyme. Moreover, MurNAc over-O-acetylation was shown to activate autolysis through the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase LytH enzyme. Our data indicate that in L. plantarum, two different O-acetyltransferases play original and antagonistic roles in the modulation of the activity of endogenous autolysins.201121586574
61680.9461Identification of lipoteichoic acid as a ligand for draper in the phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus by Drosophila hemocytes. Phagocytosis is central to cellular immunity against bacterial infections. As in mammals, both opsonin-dependent and -independent mechanisms of phagocytosis seemingly exist in Drosophila. Although candidate Drosophila receptors for phagocytosis have been reported, how they recognize bacteria, either directly or indirectly, remains to be elucidated. We searched for the Staphylococcus aureus genes required for phagocytosis by Drosophila hemocytes in a screening of mutant strains with defects in the structure of the cell wall. The genes identified included ltaS, which encodes an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of lipoteichoic acid. ltaS-dependent phagocytosis of S. aureus required the receptor Draper but not Eater or Nimrod C1, and Draper-lacking flies showed reduced resistance to a septic infection of S. aureus without a change in a humoral immune response. Finally, lipoteichoic acid bound to the extracellular region of Draper. We propose that lipoteichoic acid serves as a ligand for Draper in the phagocytosis of S. aureus by Drosophila hemocytes and that the phagocytic elimination of invading bacteria is required for flies to survive the infection.200919890048
61190.9460The Staphylococcus aureus FASII bypass escape route from FASII inhibitors. Antimicrobials targeting the fatty acid synthesis (FASII) pathway are being developed as alternative treatments for bacterial infections. Emergence of resistance to FASII inhibitors was mainly considered as a consequence of mutations in the FASII target genes. However, an alternative and efficient anti-FASII resistance strategy, called here FASII bypass, was uncovered. Bacteria that bypass FASII incorporate exogenous fatty acids in membrane lipids, and thus dispense with the need for FASII. This strategy is used by numerous Gram-positive low GC % bacteria, including streptococci, enterococci, and staphylococci. Some bacteria repress FASII genes once fatty acids are available, and "constitutively" shift to FASII bypass. Others, such as the major pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, can undergo high frequency mutations that favor FASII bypass. This capacity is particularly relevant during infection, as the host supplies the fatty acids needed for bacteria to bypass FASII and thus become resistant to FASII inhibitors. Screenings for anti-FASII resistance in the presence of exogenous fatty acids confirmed that FASII bypass confers anti-FASII resistance among clinical and veterinary isolates. Polymorphisms in S. aureus FASII initiation enzymes favor FASII bypass, possibly by increasing availability of acyl-carrier protein, a required intermediate. Here we review FASII bypass and consequences in light of proposed uses of anti-FASII to treat infections, with a focus on FASII bypass in S. aureus.201728728970
3100.9459Noncanonical coproporphyrin-dependent bacterial heme biosynthesis pathway that does not use protoporphyrin. It has been generally accepted that biosynthesis of protoheme (heme) uses a common set of core metabolic intermediates that includes protoporphyrin. Herein, we show that the Actinobacteria and Firmicutes (high-GC and low-GC Gram-positive bacteria) are unable to synthesize protoporphyrin. Instead, they oxidize coproporphyrinogen to coproporphyrin, insert ferrous iron to make Fe-coproporphyrin (coproheme), and then decarboxylate coproheme to generate protoheme. This pathway is specified by three genes named hemY, hemH, and hemQ. The analysis of 982 representative prokaryotic genomes is consistent with this pathway being the most ancient heme synthesis pathway in the Eubacteria. Our results identifying a previously unknown branch of tetrapyrrole synthesis support a significant shift from current models for the evolution of bacterial heme and chlorophyll synthesis. Because some organisms that possess this coproporphyrin-dependent branch are major causes of human disease, HemQ is a novel pharmacological target of significant therapeutic relevance, particularly given high rates of antimicrobial resistance among these pathogens.201525646457
534110.9458Plasmid shuttle vector with two insertionally inactivable markers for coryneform bacteria. A new shuttle vector pCEM500 replicating in Escherichia coli and in Brevibacterium flavum was constructed. It carries two antibiotic resistance determinants (Kmr/Gmr from plasmid pSa of Gram-negative bacteria and Smr/Spr from plasmid pCG4 of Corynebacterium glutamicum) which are efficiently expressed in both hosts and can be inactivated by insertion of DNA fragments into the unique restriction endonuclease sites located within them. This vector was found to be stably maintained in B. flavum and can be used for transfer of the cloned genes into this amino-acid-producing coryneform bacterium.19902148164
710120.9457The L box regulon: lysine sensing by leader RNAs of bacterial lysine biosynthesis genes. Expression of amino acid biosynthesis genes in bacteria is often repressed when abundant supplies of the cognate amino acid are available. Repression of the Bacillus subtilis lysC gene by lysine was previously shown to occur at the level of premature termination of transcription. In this study we show that lysine directly promotes transcription termination during in vitro transcription with B. subtilis RNA polymerase and causes a structural shift in the lysC leader RNA. We find that B. subtilis lysC is a member of a large family of bacterial lysine biosynthesis genes that contain similar leader RNA elements. By analogy with related regulatory systems, we designate this leader RNA pattern the "L box." Genes in the L box family from Gram-negative bacteria appear to be regulated at the level of translation initiation rather than transcription termination. Mutations of B. subtilis lysC that disrupt conserved leader features result in loss of lysine repression in vivo and loss of lysine-dependent transcription termination in vitro. The identification of the L box pattern also provides an explanation for previously described mutations in both B. subtilis and Escherichia coli lysC that result in lysC overexpression and resistance to the lysine analog aminoethylcysteine. The L box regulatory system represents an example of gene regulation using an RNA element that directly senses the intracellular concentration of a small molecule.200314523230
614130.9456Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum lack genes for lipid A biosynthesis and incorporate cholesterol for their survival. Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum are agents of human monocytic and granulocytic ehrlichioses, respectively. They are extremely sensitive to mechanical stress and are pleomorphic gram-negative bacteria. Membrane incorporation of cholesterol from the eukaryotic host is known to be essential for other fragile and pleomorphic bacteria and mycoplasmas that lack a cell wall. Thus, we tested whether cholesterol is required for E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum. Using a freeze fracture technique and biochemical analysis, these bacteria were found to contain significant levels of membrane cholesterol. These bacteria lack genes for cholesterol biosynthesis or modification. However, host cell-free bacteria had the ability to take up directly exogenous cholesterol or NBD-cholesterol, a fluorescent cholesterol derivative. Treatment of the bacteria with cholesterol extraction reagent methyl-beta-cyclodextrin caused their ultrastructural changes. Furthermore, pretreatment of the bacteria with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin or NBD-cholesterol deprived these bacteria of the ability to infect leukocytes, thus killing these obligate intracellular bacteria. Analysis of E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum genome sequences revealed that these bacteria lack all genes for the biosynthesis of lipid A and most genes for the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan, which confer structural strength to gram-negative bacteria. Taken together, these results suggest that human ehrlichiosis agents became cholesterol dependent due to the loss of these genes. As the first report of gram-negative bacteria incorporating cholesterol for survival, these findings offer insight into the unique nature of their parasitism and imply that cholesterol is important in the control of human ehrlichioses.200312933880
161140.9456Uniform designation for genes of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham reductive pentose phosphate pathway of bacteria. Structural and regulatory genes encoding enzymes and proteins of the reductive pentose phosphate pathway have been isolated from a number of bacteria recently. In the phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and in two chemoautotrophic bacteria, Alcaligenes eutrophus and Xanthobacter flavus, these genes have been found in distinct operons. However, in these three organisms and in other bacteria where certain of these genes have been discovered, a uniform nomenclature to designate these genes has been lacking. This report represents an effort to provide uniformity to the designation of these genes from all bacteria.19921490592
609150.9455A metazoan ortholog of SpoT hydrolyzes ppGpp and functions in starvation responses. In nutrient-starved bacteria, RelA and SpoT proteins have key roles in reducing cell growth and overcoming stresses. Here we identify functional SpoT orthologs in metazoa (named Mesh1, encoded by HDDC3 in human and Q9VAM9 in Drosophila melanogaster) and reveal their structures and functions. Like the bacterial enzyme, Mesh1 proteins contain an active site for ppGpp hydrolysis and a conserved His-Asp-box motif for Mn(2+) binding. Consistent with these structural data, Mesh1 efficiently catalyzes hydrolysis of guanosine 3',5'-diphosphate (ppGpp) both in vitro and in vivo. Mesh1 also suppresses SpoT-deficient lethality and RelA-induced delayed cell growth in bacteria. Notably, deletion of Mesh1 (Q9VAM9) in Drosophila induces retarded body growth and impaired starvation resistance. Microarray analyses reveal that the amino acid-starved Mesh1 null mutant has highly downregulated DNA and protein synthesis-related genes and upregulated stress-responsible genes. These data suggest that metazoan SpoT orthologs have an evolutionarily conserved function in starvation responses.201020818390
577160.9455The SIR2 gene family, conserved from bacteria to humans, functions in silencing, cell cycle progression, and chromosome stability. Genomic silencing is a fundamental mechanism of transcriptional regulation, yet little is known about conserved mechanisms of silencing. We report here the discovery of four Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologs of the SIR2 silencing gene (HSTs), as well as conservation of this gene family from bacteria to mammals. At least three HST genes can function in silencing; HST1 overexpression restores transcriptional silencing to a sir2 mutant and hst3 hst4 double mutants are defective in telomeric silencing. In addition, HST3 and HST4 together contribute to proper cell cycle progression, radiation resistance, and genomic stability, establishing new connections between silencing and these fundamental cellular processes.19957498786
521170.9454Terbinafine resistance mediated by salicylate 1-monooxygenase in Aspergillus nidulans. Resistance to antifungal agents is a recurring and growing problem among patients with systemic fungal infections. UV-induced Aspergillus nidulans mutants resistant to terbinafine have been identified, and we report here the characterization of one such gene. A sib-selected, 6.6-kb genomic DNA fragment encodes a salicylate 1-monooxygenase (salA), and a fatty acid synthase subunit (fasC) confers terbinafine resistance upon transformation of a sensitive strain. Subfragments carrying salA but not fasC confer terbinafine resistance. salA is present as a single-copy gene on chromosome VI and encodes a protein of 473 amino acids that is homologous to salicylate 1-monooxygenase, a well-characterized naphthalene-degrading enzyme in bacteria. salA transcript accumulation analysis showed terbinafine-dependent induction in the wild type and the UV-induced mutant Terb7, as well as overexpression in a strain containing the salA subgenomic DNA fragment, probably due to the multicopy effect caused by the transformation event. Additional naphthalene degradation enzyme-coding genes are present in fungal genomes, suggesting that resistance could follow degradation of the naphthalene ring contained in terbinafine.200415328121
587180.9454The Nramp (Slc11) proteins regulate development, resistance to pathogenic bacteria and iron homeostasis in Dictyostelium discoideum. The Dictyostelium discoideum genome harbors two genes encoding members of the Nramp superfamily, which is conserved from bacteria (MntH proteins) to humans (Slc11 proteins). Nramps are proton-driven metal ion transporters with a preference for iron and manganese. Acquisition of these metal cations is vital for all cells, as they act as redox cofactors and regulate key cellular processes, such as DNA synthesis, electron transport, energy metabolism and oxidative stress. Dictyostelium Nramp1 (Slc11a1), like its mammalian ortholog, mediates resistance to infection by invasive bacteria. We have extended the analysis to the nramp2 gene, by generating single and double nramp1/nramp2 knockout mutants and cells expressing GFP fusion proteins. In contrast to Nramp1, which is recruited to phagosomes and macropinosomes, the Nramp2 protein is localized exclusively in the membrane of the contractile vacuole, a vesicular tubular network regulating cellular osmolarity. Both proteins colocalize with the V-H(+)-ATPase, which can provide the electrogenic force for vectorial transport. Like nramp1, nramp2 gene disruption affects resistance to Legionella pneumophila. Disrupting both genes additionally leads to defects in development, with strong delay in cell aggregation, formation of large streams and multi-tipped aggregates. Single and double mutants display differential sensitivity to cell growth under conditions of iron overload or depletion. The data favor the hypothesis that Nramp1 and Nramp2, under control of the V-H(+)-ATPase, synergistically regulate iron homeostasis, with the contractile vacuole possibly acting as a store for metal cations.201322992462
502190.9453A highly specialized flavin mononucleotide riboswitch responds differently to similar ligands and confers roseoflavin resistance to Streptomyces davawensis. Streptomyces davawensis is the only organism known to synthesize the antibiotic roseoflavin, a riboflavin (vitamin B2) analog. Roseoflavin is converted to roseoflavin mononucleotide (RoFMN) and roseoflavin adenine dinucleotide in the cytoplasm of target cells. (Ribo-)Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) riboswitches are genetic elements, which in many bacteria control genes responsible for the biosynthesis and transport of riboflavin. Streptomyces davawensis is roseoflavin resistant, and the closely related bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor is roseoflavin sensitive. The two bacteria served as models to investigate roseoflavin resistance of S. davawensis and to analyze the mode of action of roseoflavin in S. coelicolor. Our experiments demonstrate that the ribB FMN riboswitch of S. davawensis (in contrast to the corresponding riboswitch of S. coelicolor) is able to discriminate between the two very similar flavins FMN and RoFMN and shows opposite responses to the latter ligands.201222740651