# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8186 | 0 | 0.9747 | Tumor-infiltrating bacteria disrupt cancer epithelial cell interactions and induce cell-cycle arrest. Tumor-infiltrating bacteria are increasingly recognized as modulators of cancer progression and therapy resistance. We describe a mechanism by which extracellular intratumoral bacteria, including Fusobacterium, modulate cancer epithelial cell behavior. Spatial imaging and single-cell spatial transcriptomics show that these bacteria predominantly localize extracellularly within tumor microniches of colorectal and oral cancers, characterized by reduced cell density, transcriptional activity, and proliferation. In vitro, Fusobacterium nucleatum disrupts epithelial contacts, inducing G0-G1 arrest and transcriptional quiescence. This state confers 5-fluorouracil resistance and remodels the tumor microenvironment. Findings were validated by live-cell imaging, spatial profiling, mouse models, and a 52-patient colorectal cancer cohort. Transcriptomics reveals downregulation of cell cycle, transcription, and antigen presentation genes in bacteria-enriched regions, consistent with a quiescent, immune-evasive phenotype. In an independent rectal cancer cohort, high Fusobacterium burden correlates with reduced therapy response. These results link extracellular bacteria to cancer cell quiescence and chemoresistance, highlighting microbial-tumor interactions as therapeutic targets. | 2025 | 41106380 |
| 329 | 1 | 0.9711 | Effect of NlpE overproduction on multidrug resistance in Escherichia coli. NlpE, an outer membrane lipoprotein, functions during envelope stress responses in Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we report that overproduction of NlpE increases multidrug and copper resistance through activation of the genes encoding the AcrD and MdtABC multidrug efflux pumps in Escherichia coli. | 2010 | 20211889 |
| 760 | 2 | 0.9708 | The underling mechanism of bacterial TetR/AcrR family transcriptional repressors. Bacteria transcriptional regulators are classified by their functional and sequence similarities. Member of the TetR/AcrR family is two-domain proteins including an N-terminal HTH DNA-binding motif and a C-terminal ligand recognition domain. The C-terminal ligand recognition domain can recognize the very same compounds as their target transporters transferred. TetRs act as chemical sensors to monitor both the cellular environmental dynamics and their regulated genes underlying many events, such as antibiotics production, osmotic stress, efflux pumps, multidrug resistance, metabolic modulation, and pathogenesis. Compounds targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis ethR represent promising novel antibiotic potentiater. TetR-mediated multidrug efflux pumps regulation might be good target candidate for the discovery of better new antibiotics against drug resistance. | 2013 | 23602932 |
| 6006 | 3 | 0.9706 | Missense Mutations in the CrrB Protein Mediate Odilorhabdin Derivative Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae. NOSO-502 is a preclinical antibiotic candidate of the Odilorhabdin class. This compound exhibits activity against Enterobacteriaceae pathogens, including carbapenemase-producing bacteria and most of the Colistin (CST)-resistant strains. Among a collection of CST-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains harboring mutations on genes pmrAB, mgrB, phoPQ, and crrB, only those bearing mutations in gene crrB were found to be resistant to NOSO-502.CrrB is a histidine kinase which acts with the response regulator CrrA to modulate the PmrAB system, which finally induces the restructuring of the lipopolysaccharide present on the outer membrane and thus leading to CST resistance. Moreover, crrB mutations also enhance the transcription of neighboring genes such as H239_3063, an ABC transporter transmembrane region; H239_3064, a putative efflux pump also known as KexD; and H239_3065, a N-acetyltransferase.To elucidate the mechanism of resistance to NOSO-502 induced by CrrB missense mutations in K. pneumoniae, mutants of NCTC 13442 and ATCC BAA-2146 strains resistant to NOSO-502 and CST with single amino acid substitutions in CrrB (S8N, F33Y, Y34N, W140R, N141I, P151A, P151L, P151S, P151T, F303Y) were selected. Full susceptibility to NOSO-502 was restored in crrA or crrB deleted K. pneumoniae NCTC 13442 CrrB(P151L) mutants, confirming the role of CrrAB in controlling this resistance pathway. Deletion of kexD (but no other neighboring genes) in the same mutant also restored NOSO-502-susceptibility. Upregulation of the kexD gene expression was observed for all CrrB mutants. Finally, plasmid expression of kexD in a K. pneumoniae strain missing the locus crrABC and kexD significantly increased resistance to NOSO-502. | 2023 | 33685902 |
| 558 | 4 | 0.9705 | Thiamine 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. | 2005 | 16356850 |
| 621 | 5 | 0.9705 | Activation of ChvG-ChvI regulon by cell wall stress confers resistance to β-lactam antibiotics and initiates surface spreading in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A core component of nearly all bacteria, the cell wall is an ideal target for broad spectrum antibiotics. Many bacteria have evolved strategies to sense and respond to antibiotics targeting cell wall synthesis, especially in the soil where antibiotic-producing bacteria compete with one another. Here we show that cell wall stress caused by both chemical and genetic inhibition of the essential, bifunctional penicillin-binding protein PBP1a prevents microcolony formation and activates the canonical host-invasion two-component system ChvG-ChvI in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Using RNA-seq, we show that depletion of PBP1a for 6 hours results in a downregulation in transcription of flagellum-dependent motility genes and an upregulation in transcription of type VI secretion and succinoglycan biosynthesis genes, a hallmark of the ChvG-ChvI regulon. Depletion of PBP1a for 16 hours, results in differential expression of many additional genes and may promote a stress response, resembling those of sigma factors in other bacteria. Remarkably, the overproduction of succinoglycan causes cell spreading and deletion of the succinoglycan biosynthesis gene exoA restores microcolony formation. Treatment with cefsulodin phenocopies depletion of PBP1a and we correspondingly find that chvG and chvI mutants are hypersensitive to cefsulodin. This hypersensitivity only occurs in response to treatment with β-lactam antibiotics, suggesting that the ChvG-ChvI pathway may play a key role in resistance to antibiotics targeting cell wall synthesis. Finally, we provide evidence that ChvG-ChvI likely has a conserved role in conferring resistance to cell wall stress within the Alphaproteobacteria that is independent of the ChvG-ChvI repressor ExoR. | 2022 | 36480495 |
| 750 | 6 | 0.9704 | Mutations in Genes with a Role in Cell Envelope Biosynthesis Render Gram-Negative Bacteria Highly Susceptible to the Anti-Infective Small Molecule D66. Anti-infectives include molecules that target microbes in the context of infection but lack antimicrobial activity under conventional growth conditions. We previously described D66, a small molecule that kills the Gram-negative pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) within cultured macrophages and murine tissues, with low host toxicity. While D66 fails to inhibit bacterial growth in standard media, the compound is bacteriostatic and disrupts the cell membrane voltage gradient without lysis under growth conditions that permeabilize the outer membrane or reduce efflux pump activity. To gain insights into specific bacterial targets of D66, we pursued two genetic approaches. Selection for resistance to D66 revealed spontaneous point mutations that mapped within the gmhB gene, which encodes a protein involved in the biosynthesis of the lipopolysaccharide core molecule. E. coli and S. Typhimurium gmhB mutants exhibited increased resistance to antibiotics, indicating a more robust barrier to entry. Conversely, S. Typhimurium transposon insertions in genes involved in outer membrane permeability or efflux pump activity reduced fitness in the presence of D66. Together, these observations underscore the significance of the bacterial cell envelope in safeguarding Gram-negative bacteria from small molecules. | 2025 | 40732029 |
| 529 | 7 | 0.9702 | Crystal structure of the transcriptional repressor PagR of Bacillus anthracis. PagR is a transcriptional repressor in Bacillus anthracis that controls the chromosomal S-layer genes eag and sap, and downregulates the protective antigen pagA gene by direct binding to their promoter regions. The PagR protein sequence is similar to those of members of the ArsR repressor family involved in the repression of arsenate-resistance genes in numerous bacteria. The crystal structure of PagR was solved using multi-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) techniques and was refined with 1.8 A resolution diffraction data. The PagR molecules form dimers, as observed in all SmtB/ArsR repressor family proteins. In the crystal lattice four PagR dimers pack together to form an inactive octamer. Model-building studies suggest that the dimer binds to a DNA duplex with a bend of around 4 degrees. | 2010 | 19926656 |
| 746 | 8 | 0.9701 | Novel antimicrobial 3-phenyl-4-phenoxypyrazole derivatives target cell wall lipid intermediates with low mammalian cytotoxicity. The growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) underscores the critical need for innovative antimicrobial discoveries. Novel antibiotics targeting the bacterial cell wall remain an attractive area of research, due to their conservation and essentiality in bacteria and their absence in eukaryotic cells. Antibiotics targeting lipid II are of special interest due to the reduced potential for target modification of lipid components and their surface accessibility to inhibitors. In this study, we identified 3-phenyl-4-phenoxypyrazole analogues named PYO12 and PYO12a with bactericidal activity against gram-positive bacteria and low cytotoxicity for different types of mammalian cells. Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to PYO12 activity through extrusion of this compound via efflux pumps. Exposure to PYO12 induces expression of genes involved in resistance to antimicrobials targeting the cell wall, suggesting that PYO12 acts via binding to lipid II or other lipid intermediates involved in peptidoglycan or teichoic acid biosynthesis. Antagonism of PYO12 antibacterial activity by undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate supports the idea that PYO12 may bind to the lipid moiety of lipid II blocking the shuttling of peptidoglycan precursors across the cytoplasmic membrane. These findings open opportunities to further develop these compounds as antibiotics targeting bacterial cell wall synthesis. | 2025 | 41083642 |
| 8210 | 9 | 0.9699 | Bacterial sensing of antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) form a crucial part of human innate host defense, especially in neutrophil phagosomes and on epithelial surfaces. Bacteria have a variety of efficient resistance mechanisms to human AMPs, such as efflux pumps, secreted proteases, and alterations of the bacterial cell surface that are aimed to minimize attraction of the typically cationic AMPs. In addition, bacteria have specific sensors that activate AMP resistance mechanisms when AMPs are present. The prototypical Gram-negative PhoP/PhoQ and the Gram-positive Aps AMP-sensing systems were first described and investigated in Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. Both include a classical bacterial two-component sensor/regulator system, but show many structural, mechanistic, and functional differences. The PhoP/PhoQ regulon controls a variety of genes not necessarily limited to AMP resistance mechanisms, but apparently aimed to combat innate host defense on a broad scale. In contrast, the staphylococcal Aps system predominantly upregulates AMP resistance mechanisms, namely the D-alanylation of teichoic acids, inclusion of lysyl-phosphati-dylglycerol in the cytoplasmic membrane, and expression of the putative VraFG AMP efflux pump. Notably, both systems are crucial for virulence and represent possible targets for antimicrobial therapy. | 2009 | 19494583 |
| 805 | 10 | 0.9699 | LexR 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. | 2023 | 37166326 |
| 655 | 11 | 0.9699 | Identification of a cell envelope protein (MtrF) involved in hydrophobic antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The mtrCDE-encoded efflux pump of Neisseria gonorrhoeae provides gonococci with a mechanism to resist structurally diverse antimicrobial hydrophobic agents (HAs). Strains of N. gonorrhoeae that display hypersusceptibility to HAs often contain mutations in the efflux pump genes, mtrCDE. Such strains frequently contain a phenotypically suppressed mutation in mtrR, a gene that encodes a repressor (MtrR) of mtrCDE gene expression, and one that would normally result in HA resistance. We have recently examined HA-hypersusceptible clinical isolates of gonococci that contain such phenotypically suppressed mtrR mutations, in order to determine whether genes other than mtrCDE are involved in HA resistance. These studies led to the discovery of a gene that we have designated mtrF, located downstream of the mtrR gene, that is predicted to encode a 56.1 kDa cytoplasmic membrane protein containing 12 transmembrane domains. Expression of mtrF was enhanced in a strain deficient in MtrR production, indicating that this gene, together with the closely linked mtrCDE operon, is subject to MtrR-dependent transcriptional control. Orthologues of mtrF were identified in a number of diverse bacteria. Except for the AbgT protein of Escherichia coli, their products have been identified as hypothetical proteins with unknown function(s). Genetic evidence is presented that MtrF is important in the expression of high-level detergent resistance by gonococci. We propose that MtrF acts in conjunction with the MtrC-MtrD-MtrE efflux pump, to confer on gonococci high-level resistance to certain HAs. | 2003 | 12493784 |
| 6365 | 12 | 0.9699 | The transcriptomic response to cannabidiol of Treponema denticola, a phytocannabinoid-resistant periodontal pathogen. AIM: The use of cannabis, which contains multiple antimicrobials, may be a risk factor for periodontitis. We hypothesized that multiple oral spirochetes would be phytocannabinoid-resistant and that cannabidiol (CBD) would act as an environmental stressor to which Treponema denticola would respond transcriptionally, thereby providing first insights into spirochetal survival strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Oral spirochete growth was monitored spectrophotometrically in the presence and absence of physiologically relevant phytocannabinoid doses, the transcriptional response to phytocannabinoid exposure determined by RNAseq, specific gene activity fluxes verified using qRT-PCR and orthologues among fully sequenced oral spirochetes identified. RESULTS: Multiple strains of oral treponemes were resistant to CBD (0.1-10 μg/mL), while T. denticola ATCC 35405 was resistant to all phytocannabinoids tested (CBD, cannabinol [CBN], tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]). A total of 392 T. denticola ATCC 35405 genes were found to be CBD-responsive by RNAseq. A selected subset of these genes was independently verified by qRT-PCR. Genes found to be differentially activated by both methods included several involved in transcriptional regulation and toxin control. Suppressed genes included several involved in chemotaxis and proteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: Oral spirochetes, unlike some other periodontal bacteria, are resistant to physiological doses of phytocannabinoids. Investigation of CBD-induced transcriptomic changes provided insight into the resistance mechanisms of this important periodontal pathogen. These findings should be considered in the context of the reported enhanced susceptibility to periodontitis in cannabis users. | 2024 | 38105008 |
| 199 | 13 | 0.9698 | Activation of Imd pathway in hemocyte confers infection resistance through humoral response in Drosophila. Upon microbial invasion the innate immune system of Drosophila melanogaster mounts a response that comes in two distinct but complimentary forms, humoral and cellular. A screen to find genes capable of conferring resistance to the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus upon ectopic expression in immune response tissues uncovered imd gene. This resistance was not dependent on cellular defenses but rather likely a result of upregulation of the humoral response through increased expression of antimicrobial peptides, including a Toll pathway reporter gene drosomycin. Taken together it appears that Imd pathway is capable of playing a role in resistance to the Gram-positive S. aureus, counter to notions of traditional roles of the Imd pathway thought largely to responsible for resistance to Gram-negative bacteria. | 2013 | 23261474 |
| 8204 | 14 | 0.9698 | Cecropins contribute to Drosophila host defense against a subset of fungal and Gram-negative bacterial infection. Cecropins are small helical secreted peptides with antimicrobial activity that are widely distributed among insects. Genes encoding Cecropins are strongly induced upon infection, pointing to their role in host defense. In Drosophila, four cecropin genes clustered in the genome (CecA1, CecA2, CecB, and CecC) are expressed upon infection downstream of the Toll and Imd pathways. In this study, we generated a short deletion ΔCecA-C removing the whole cecropin locus. Using the ΔCecA-C deficiency alone or in combination with other antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mutations, we addressed the function of Cecropins in the systemic immune response. ΔCecA-C flies were viable and resisted challenge with various microbes as wild-type. However, removing ΔCecA-C in flies already lacking 10 other AMP genes revealed a role for Cecropins in defense against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Measurements of pathogen loads confirm that Cecropins contribute to the control of certain Gram-negative bacteria, notably Enterobacter cloacae and Providencia heimbachae. Collectively, our work provides the first genetic demonstration of a role for Cecropins in insect host defense and confirms their in vivo activity primarily against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Generation of a fly line (ΔAMP14) that lacks 14 immune inducible AMPs provides a powerful tool to address the function of these immune effectors in host-pathogen interactions and beyond. | 2022 | 34791204 |
| 615 | 15 | 0.9697 | Escherichia coli RclA is a highly active hypothiocyanite reductase. Hypothiocyanite and hypothiocyanous acid (OSCN(-)/HOSCN) are pseudohypohalous acids released by the innate immune system which are capable of rapidly oxidizing sulfur-containing amino acids, causing significant protein aggregation and damage to invading bacteria. HOSCN is abundant in saliva and airway secretions and has long been considered a highly specific antimicrobial that is nearly harmless to mammalian cells. However, certain bacteria, commensal and pathogenic, are able to escape damage by HOSCN and other harmful antimicrobials during inflammation, which allows them to continue to grow and, in some cases, cause severe disease. The exact genes or mechanisms by which bacteria respond to HOSCN have not yet been elucidated. We have found, in Escherichia coli, that the flavoprotein RclA, previously implicated in reactive chlorine resistance, reduces HOSCN to thiocyanate with near-perfect catalytic efficiency and strongly protects E. coli against HOSCN toxicity. This is notable in E. coli because this species thrives in the chronically inflamed environment found in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and is able to compete with and outgrow other important commensal organisms, suggesting that HOSCN may be a relevant antimicrobial in the gut, which has not previously been explored. RclA is conserved in a variety of epithelium-colonizing bacteria, implicating its HOSCN reductase activity in a variety of host-microbe interactions. We show that an rclA mutant of the probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri is sensitive to HOSCN and that RclA homologs from Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron all have potent protective activity against HOSCN when expressed in E. coli. | 2022 | 35867824 |
| 587 | 16 | 0.9697 | The 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. | 2013 | 22992462 |
| 731 | 17 | 0.9696 | Regulation of lipid A modifications by Salmonella typhimurium virulence genes phoP-phoQ. Bacterial pathogenesis requires proteins that sense host microenvironments and respond by regulating virulence gene transcription. For Salmonellae, one such regulatory system is PhoP-PhoQ, which regulates genes required for intracellular survival and resistance to cationic peptides. Analysis by mass spectrometry revealed that Salmonella typhimurium PhoP-PhoQ regulated structural modifications of lipid A, the host signaling portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), by the addition of aminoarabinose and 2-hydroxymyristate. Structurally modified lipid A altered LPS-mediated expression of the adhesion molecule E-selectin by endothelial cells and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression by adherent monocytes. Thus, altered responses to environmentally induced lipid A structural modifications may represent a mechanism for bacteria to gain advantage within host tissues. | 1997 | 9092473 |
| 748 | 18 | 0.9696 | Contact-dependent growth inhibition toxins exploit multiple independent cell-entry pathways. Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems function to deliver toxins into neighboring bacterial cells. CDI+ bacteria export filamentous CdiA effector proteins, which extend from the inhibitor-cell surface to interact with receptors on neighboring target bacteria. Upon binding its receptor, CdiA delivers a toxin derived from its C-terminal region. CdiA C-terminal (CdiA-CT) sequences are highly variable between bacteria, reflecting the multitude of CDI toxin activities. Here, we show that several CdiA-CT regions are composed of two domains, each with a distinct function during CDI. The C-terminal domain typically possesses toxic nuclease activity, whereas the N-terminal domain appears to control toxin transport into target bacteria. Using genetic approaches, we identified ptsG, metI, rbsC, gltK/gltJ, yciB, and ftsH mutations that confer resistance to specific CdiA-CTs. The resistance mutations all disrupt expression of inner-membrane proteins, suggesting that these proteins are exploited for toxin entry into target cells. Moreover, each mutation only protects against inhibition by a subset of CdiA-CTs that share similar N-terminal domains. We propose that, following delivery of CdiA-CTs into the periplasm, the N-terminal domains bind specific inner-membrane receptors for subsequent translocation into the cytoplasm. In accord with this model, we find that CDI nuclease domains are modular payloads that can be redirected through different import pathways when fused to heterologous N-terminal "translocation domains." These results highlight the plasticity of CDI toxin delivery and suggest that the underlying translocation mechanisms could be harnessed to deliver other antimicrobial agents into Gram-negative bacteria. | 2015 | 26305955 |
| 604 | 19 | 0.9696 | Redox signaling and gene control in the Escherichia coli soxRS oxidative stress regulon--a review. The soxRS regulon of Escherichia coli coordinates the induction of at least twelve genes in response to superoxide or nitric oxide. This review describes recent progress in understanding the signal transduction and transcriptional control mechanisms that activate the soxRS regulon, and some aspects of the physiological functions of this system. The SoxS protein represents a growing family of transcription activators that stimulate genes for resistance to oxidative stress and antibiotics. SoxR is an unusual transcription factor whose activity in vitro can be switched off by the removal of [2Fe-2S] centers, and activated by their reinsertion. The activated form of SoxR remodels the structure of the soxS promoter to activate transcription. When the soxRS system is activated, bacteria gain resistance to oxidants, antibiotics and immune cells that generate nitric oxide. The latter features could increase the success (virulence) of some bacterial infections. | 1996 | 8955629 |