scholarly journals The PecT Repressor Coregulates Synthesis of Exopolysaccharides and Virulence Factors in Erwinia chrysanthemi

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Condemine ◽  
Arnaud Castillo ◽  
Fabrice Passeri ◽  
Corine Enard

Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937 synthesizes an exopolysaccharide (EPS) composed of rhamnose, galactose, and galacturonic acid. Fourteen transcriptional fusions in genes required for EPS synthesis, named eps, were obtained by Tn5-B21 mutagenesis. Eleven of them are clustered on the chromosome and are repressed by PecT, a regulator of pectate lyase synthesis. In addition, expression of these fusions is repressed by the catabolite regulatory protein, CRP, and induced in low osmolarity medium. The three other mutations are located in genes that are not regulated by pecT. A 13-kb DNA fragment containing pecT-regulated eps genes has been cloned. All the genes identified on this fragment are transcribed in the same orientation and could form a large operon. The promoter region of this operon has been sequenced. It contains a JUMP-start sequence, a sequence required for the expression of polysaccharide-associated operons. E. chrysanthemi 3937 produces a systemic soft rot on its host Saintpaulia ionantha. An eps mutant was less efficient than the wild-type strain in initiating a maceration symptom, suggesting that production of EPS is required for the full expression of the E. chrysanthemi virulence.

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 845-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Jafra ◽  
Izabela Figura ◽  
Nicole Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat ◽  
Ewa Lojkowska

Erwinia chrysanthemi mutants, containing transcriptional fusions of one of the minor pectate lyase genes (pelI, pelL, pelZ) with the reporter gene encoding β-glucuronidase activity, were studied for their ability to cause disease symptoms and to synthesize pectinases after inoculation of potato tubers. The strains affected in pelI and pelL genes displayed reduced virulence on potato tubers, demonstrating the important role of these isoenzymes in soft rot disease. Inactivation of the pelZ gene slightly influences the ability to macerate. Analysis of the bacterial population showed rapid multiplication of bacteria during infection. Similar kinetics of growth were observed for all mutants and for the wild-type strain. Comparison of the mutants and the wild-type strain showed that the pelI, pelL, and pelZ mutants synthesized reduced levels of Pels. The expression of pelZ is fivefold higher in planta than in bacterial cultures. In contrast, both pelI and pelL are highly (10-fold factor) induced in planta, which is characteristic of the plant-inducible pectate lyases.


2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 1471-1481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédérique Van Gijsegem ◽  
Aleksandra Wlodarczyk ◽  
Amandine Cornu ◽  
Sylvie Reverchon ◽  
Nicole Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat

Analysis of the regulators of the LacI family was performed in order to identify those potentially involved in pathogenicity of Erwinia chrysanthemi (Dickeya dadantii). Among the 18 members of the LacI family, the function of 11 members is either known or predicted and only 7 members have, as yet, no proposed function. Inactivation of these seven genes, called lfaR, lfbR, lfcR, lfdR, lfeR, lffR, and lfgR, demonstrated that four of them are important for plant infection. The lfaR and lfcR mutants showed a reduced virulence on chicory, Saintpaulia sp., and Arabidopsis. The lfeR mutant showed a reduced virulence on Arabidopsis. The lfdR mutant was more efficient than the wild-type strain in initiating maceration on Saintpaulia sp. The genetic environment of each regulator was examined to detect adjacent genes potentially involved in a common function. Construction of transcriptional fusions in these neighboring genes demonstrated that five regulators, LfaR, LfcR, LfeR, LffR, and LfgR, act as repressors of adjacent genes. Analysis of these fusions also indicated that the genes controlled by LfaR, LfcR, LfgR, and LffR are expressed during plant infection. Moreover, addition of crude plant extracts to culture medium demonstrated that the expression of the LfaR- and LfgR-controlled genes is specifically induced by plant components.


2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4406-4413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Nagy ◽  
Ulrich Dobrindt ◽  
György Schneider ◽  
A. Salam Khan ◽  
Jörg Hacker ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT RfaH is a regulatory protein in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Although it enhances expression of different factors that are proposed to play a role in bacterial virulence, a direct effect of RfaH on virulence has not been investigated so far. We report that inactivation of rfaH dramatically decreases the virulence of uropathogenic E. coli strain 536 in an ascending mouse model of urinary tract infection. The mortality rate caused by the wild-type strain in this assay is 100%, whereas that of its isogenic rfaH mutant does not exceed 18%. In the case of coinfection, the wild-type strain 536 shows higher potential to colonize the urinary tract even when it is outnumbered 100-fold by its rfaH mutant in the inoculum. In contrast to the wild-type strain, serum resistance of strain 536rfaH::cat is fully abolished. Furthermore, we give evidence that, besides a major decrease in the amount of hemin receptor ChuA (G. Nagy, U. Dobrindt, M. Kupfer, L. Emody, H. Karch, and J. Hacker, Infect. Immun. 69:1924-1928, 2001), loss of the RfaH protein results in an altered lipopolysaccharide phenotype as well as decreased expression of K15 capsule and alpha-hemolysin, whereas levels of other pathogenicity factors such as siderophores, flagella, Prf, and S fimbriae appear to be unaltered in strain 536rfaH::cat in comparison to the wild-type strain. trans complementation of the mutant strain with the rfaH gene restores wild-type levels of the affected virulence factors and consequently restitutes virulence in the mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (21) ◽  
pp. 7091-7099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Chaussee ◽  
Eduardo A. Callegari ◽  
Michael S. Chaussee

ABSTRACT The transcriptional regulatory protein Rgg coordinates amino acid catabolism and virulence factor expression in Streptococcus pyogenes. We used a proteomic approach to compare cytoplasmic proteins isolated from S. pyogenes wild-type strain NZ131 (serotype M49) to proteins isolated from an rgg mutant strain during the exponential and stationary phases of growth. Proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and 125 protein spots of interest were identified by tandem mass spectrometry. Comparative analysis of proteins isolated from the isogenic strains revealed that growth phase-associated regulation of enzymes involved in the metabolism of arginine (ArcABC), histidine (HutI), and serine (SdhA) was abrogated in the rgg mutant strain, which synthesized the proteins in the exponential phase of growth. In contrast, the enzymes were detected only among wild-type proteins isolated from organisms in the stationary phase of growth. The differences in protein composition were correlated with previously described metabolic changes. In addition, proteins associated with thermal and oxidative stress responses, including ClpE and ClpL, were present in samples isolated from the rgg mutant strain but not in samples isolated from the wild-type strain. The rgg mutant strain was more tolerant to elevated temperature and puromycin than the wild-type strain; however, the mutant was less tolerant to paraquat. We concluded that Rgg is a global regulatory factor that contributes to growth phase-dependent synthesis of proteins associated with secondary metabolism and oxidative and thermal stress responses.


1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinya Nomura ◽  
William Nasser ◽  
Shinji Tsuyumu

Previously, we have cloned and characterized the pir (plant inducible regulator) gene, which is responsible for hyperinduction of the synthesis of an isozyme of pectate lyase (PLe) in Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16 in the presence of potato extract and sodium polypectate (NaPP). The Pir protein purified from Escherichia coli overexpressing pir is able to bind to the promoter region of pir as a dimer. Self-regulation of pir by its own translational product (Pir) was suggested from the findings that Pir binds at the promoter region of pir and that the hyperinduction of the pir-lux construct in response to plant extract was observed only in pir+ but not in pir mutant EC16. Thus, hyperinduction of PLe was thought to be mainly due to overproduction of Pir. On the other hand, KdgR and PecS, which have been reported to be the major regulatory proteins for the synthesis of pectic enzymes, did not bind to the promoter region of pir. Thus, the regulation of Pir synthesis seems to be independent of KdgR and PecS. Also, its expression was insensitive to catabolite repression as predicted from failure of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-CRP (cAMP recognizing protein) to bind at the pir promoter region.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 2249-2255 ◽  
Author(s):  
SangJoon Mo ◽  
Young Ji Yoo ◽  
Yeon Hee Ban ◽  
Sung-Kwon Lee ◽  
Eunji Kim ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFK506 is an important 23-member polyketide macrolide with immunosuppressant activity. Its entire biosynthetic gene cluster was previously cloned fromStreptomycessp. strain KCTC 11604BP, and sequence analysis identified three putative regulatory genes,tcs2,tcs7, andfkbN, which encode proteins with high similarity to the AsnC family transcriptional regulators, LysR-type transcriptional regulators, and LAL family transcriptional regulators, respectively. Overexpression and in-frame deletion oftcs2did not affect the production of FK506 or co-occurring FK520 compared to results for the wild-type strain, suggesting thattcs2is not involved in their biosynthesis.fkbNoverexpression improved the levels of FK506 and FK520 production by approximately 2.0-fold, and a deletion offkbNcaused the complete loss of FK506 and FK520 production. Although the overexpression oftcs7decreased the levels of FK506 and FK520 production slightly, a deletion oftcs7caused 1.9-fold and 1.5-fold increases in FK506 and FK520 production, respectively. Finally,fkbNoverexpression in thetcs7deletion strain resulted in a 4.0-fold (21 mg liter−1) increase in FK506 production compared to that by the wild-type strain. This suggests thatfkbNencodes a positive regulatory protein essential for FK506/FK520 biosynthesis and that the gene product oftcs7negatively regulates their biosynthesis, demonstrating the potential of exploiting this information for strain improvement. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) analyses of the transcription levels of the FK506 biosynthetic genes in the wild-type and mutant strains proved that most of the FK506 biosynthetic genes are regulated byfkbNin a positive manner and negatively bytcs7.


2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Françoise Hullo ◽  
Sandrine Auger ◽  
Olga Soutourina ◽  
Octavian Barzu ◽  
Mireille Yvon ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis can use methionine as the sole sulfur source, indicating an efficient conversion of methionine to cysteine. To characterize this pathway, the enzymatic activities of CysK, YrhA and YrhB purified in Escherichia coli were tested. Both CysK and YrhA have an O-acetylserine-thiol-lyase activity, but YrhA was 75-fold less active than CysK. An atypical cystathionine β-synthase activity using O-acetylserine and homocysteine as substrates was observed for YrhA but not for CysK. The YrhB protein had both cystathionine lyase and homocysteine γ-lyase activities in vitro. Due to their activity, we propose that YrhA and YrhB should be renamed MccA and MccB for methionine-to-cysteine conversion. Mutants inactivated for cysK or yrhB grew similarly to the wild-type strain in the presence of methionine. In contrast, the growth of an ΔyrhA mutant or a luxS mutant, inactivated for the S-ribosyl-homocysteinase step of the S-adenosylmethionine recycling pathway, was strongly reduced with methionine, whereas a ΔyrhA ΔcysK or cysE mutant did not grow at all under the same conditions. The yrhB and yrhA genes form an operon together with yrrT, mtnN, and yrhC. The expression of the yrrT operon was repressed in the presence of sulfate or cysteine. Both purified CysK and CymR, the global repressor of cysteine metabolism, were required to observe the formation of a protein-DNA complex with the yrrT promoter region in gel-shift experiments. The addition of O-acetyl-serine prevented the formation of this protein-DNA complex.


2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 758-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Santos ◽  
Thierry Franza ◽  
Marie-Lyne Laporte ◽  
Christele Sauvage ◽  
Danièle Touati ◽  
...  

The sodA gene from Erwinia chrysanthemi strain 3937 was cloned by functional complementation of an Escherichia coli sodA sodB mutant and sequenced. We identified a 639-bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein that is 85% identical to the E. coli manganese-containing superoxide dismutase MnSOD. Promoter elements of this gene were identified by transcriptional mapping experiments. We constructed an E. chrysanthemi ΔsodA mutant by reverse genetics. The ΔsodA mutation resulted in the absence of a cytoplasmic SOD, which displays the same characteristics as those of MnSOD. The ΔsodA mutant was more sensitive to paraquat than the wild-type strain. This mutant could macerate potato tubers, similar to the wild-type strain. In contrast, when inoculated on African violets, the mutant produced, at most, only small necrotic lesions. If the inoculum was supplemented with the superoxide anion-scavenging metalloporphyrin MnTMPyP or purified SOD and catalase, the ΔsodA mutant was able to macerate the inoculated zone. Generation of superoxide anion by African violet leaves inoculated with E. chrysanthemi was demonstrated with nitroblue tetrazolium as an indicator. Therefore, at the onset of infection, E. chrysanthemi cells encounter an oxidative environment and require active protective systems against oxidative damages such as MnSOD to overcome these types of conditions.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 1924-1928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Nagy ◽  
Ulrich Dobrindt ◽  
Maren Kupfer ◽  
Levente Emödy ◽  
Helge Karch ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The outer membrane protein ChuA responsible for hemin utilization has been recently identified in several pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. We report that the regulatory protein RfaH influences ChuA expression in the uropathogenic E. colistrain 536. In an rfaH mutant, the chuAtranscript as well as the ChuA protein levels were significantly decreased in comparison with those in the wild-type strain. Within thechuA gene, a consensus motif known as the JUMPStart (just upstream of many polysaccharide associated gene starts) sequence was found, which is shared by RfaH-affected operons. Furthermore, the presence of two different subclasses of thechuA determinant and their distribution in E. coli pathogroups are described.


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (24) ◽  
pp. 8115-8125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin L. Ungerer ◽  
Brenda S. Pratte ◽  
Teresa Thiel

ABSTRACT Anabaena variabilis grows heterotrophically using fructose, while the close relative Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 does not. Introduction of a cluster of genes encoding a putative ABC transporter, herein named frtRABC, into Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 on a replicating plasmid allowed that strain to grow in the dark using fructose, indicating that these genes are necessary and sufficient for heterotrophic growth. FrtR, a putative LacI-like regulatory protein, was essential for heterotrophic growth of both cyanobacterial strains. Transcriptional analysis revealed that the transport system was induced by fructose and that in the absence of FrtR, frtA was very highly expressed, with or without fructose. In the frtR mutant, fructose uptake was immediate, in contrast to that in the wild-type strain, which required about 40 min for induction of transport. In the frtR mutant, high-level expression of the fructose transporter resulted in cells that were extremely sensitive to fructose. Even in the presence of the inducer, fructose, expression of frtA was low in the wild-type strain compared to that in the frtR mutant, indicating that FrtR repressed the transporter genes even in the presence of fructose. FrtR bound to the upstream region of frtA, but binding was not visibly altered by fructose, further supporting the hypothesis that fructose has only a modest effect in relieving repression of frtA by FrtR. A. variabilis grew better with increasing concentrations of fructose up to 50 mM, showing increased cell size and heterocyst frequency. Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 did not show any of these changes when it was grown with fructose. Thus, although Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 could take up fructose and use it in the dark, fructose did not improve growth in the light.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document