The senX3–regX3 two-component regulatory system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required for virulence

Microbiology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 149 (6) ◽  
pp. 1423-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya Parish ◽  
Debbie A. Smith ◽  
Gretta Roberts ◽  
Joanna Betts ◽  
Neil G. Stoker
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Mutant Strain ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Stress Genes ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Whole Genome Microarray ◽  
Immunocompetent Mice

Two-component regulatory systems have been widely implicated in bacterial virulence. To investigate the role of one such system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a strain was constructed in which the senX3–regX3 system was deleted by homologous recombination. The mutant strain (Tame15) showed a growth defect after infection of macrophages and was attenuated in both immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice. Competitive hybridization of total RNA from the wild-type and mutant strains to a whole-genome microarray was used to identify changes in gene expression resulting from the deletion. One operon was highly up-regulated in the mutant, indicating that regX3 probably has a role as a repressor of this operon. Other genes which were up- or down-regulated were also identified. Many of the genes showing down-regulation are involved in normal growth of the bacterium, indicating that the mutant strain is subject to some type of growth slow-down or stress. Genes showing differential expression were further grouped according to their pattern of gene expression under other stress conditions. From this analysis 50 genes were identified which are the most likely to be controlled by RegX3. Most of these genes are of unknown function and no obvious motifs were found upstream of the genes identified. Thus, it has been demonstrated that the senX3–regX3 two-component system is involved in the virulence of M. tuberculosis and a number of genes controlled by this system have been identified.

scholarly journals FlhF and Its GTPase Activity Are Required for Distinct Processes in Flagellar Gene Regulation and Biosynthesis in Campylobacter jejuni

2009 ◽  
Vol 191 (21) ◽  
pp. 6602-6611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Balaban ◽  
Stephanie N. Joslin ◽  
David R. Hendrixson
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Campylobacter Jejuni ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Flagellar Gene ◽  
Gtpase Activity ◽  
Gtp Hydrolysis ◽  
Genetic Analyses ◽  
Flagellar Biosynthesis ◽  
Two Component

ABSTRACT FlhF proteins are putative GTPases that are often necessary for one or more steps in flagellar organelle development in polarly flagellated bacteria. In Campylobacter jejuni, FlhF is required for σ54-dependent flagellar gene expression and flagellar biosynthesis, but how FlhF influences these processes is unknown. Furthermore, the GTPase activity of any FlhF protein and the requirement of this speculated activity for steps in flagellar biosynthesis remain uncharacterized. We show here that C. jejuni FlhF hydrolyzes GTP, indicating that these proteins are GTPases. C. jejuni mutants producing FlhF proteins with reduced GTPase activity were not severely defective for σ54-dependent flagellar gene expression, unlike a mutant lacking FlhF. Instead, these mutants had a propensity to lack flagella or produce flagella in improper numbers or at nonpolar locations, indicating that GTP hydrolysis by FlhF is required for proper flagellar biosynthesis. Additional studies focused on elucidating a possible role for FlhF in σ54-dependent flagellar gene expression were conducted. These studies revealed that FlhF does not influence production of or signaling between the flagellar export apparatus and the FlgSR two-component regulatory system to activate σ54. Instead, our data suggest that FlhF functions in an independent pathway that converges with or works downstream of the flagellar export apparatus-FlgSR pathway to influence σ54-dependent gene expression. This study provides corroborative biochemical and genetic analyses suggesting that different activities of the C. jejuni FlhF GTPase are required for distinct steps in flagellar gene expression and biosynthesis. Our findings are likely applicable to many polarly flagellated bacteria that utilize FlhF in flagellar biosynthesis processes.

scholarly journals Genetic Evidence for an Alternative Citrate-Dependent Biofilm Formation Pathway in Staphylococcus aureus That Is Dependent on Fibronectin Binding Proteins and the GraRS Two-Component Regulatory System

2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 2469-2477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Q. Shanks ◽  
Michael A. Meehl ◽  
Kimberly M. Brothers ◽  
Raquel M. Martinez ◽  
Niles P. Donegan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Tca Cycle ◽  
Formation Pathway ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Fibronectin Binding ◽  
Tca Cycle Intermediates

ABSTRACT We reported previously that low concentrations of sodium citrate strongly promote biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus laboratory strains and clinical isolates. Here, we show that citrate promotes biofilm formation via stimulating both cell-to-surface and cell-to-cell interactions. Citrate-stimulated biofilm formation is independent of the ica locus, and in fact, citrate represses polysaccharide adhesin production. We show that fibronectin binding proteins FnbA and FnbB and the global regulator SarA, which positively regulates fnbA and fnbB gene expression, are required for citrate's positive effects on biofilm formation, and citrate also stimulates fnbA and fnbB gene expression. Biofilm formation is also stimulated by several other tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates in an FnbA-dependent fashion. While aconitase contributes to biofilm formation in the absence of TCA cycle intermediates, it is not required for biofilm stimulation by these compounds. Furthermore, the GraRS two-component regulator and the GraRS-regulated efflux pump VraFG, identified for their roles in intermediate vancomycin resistance, are required for citrate-stimulated cell-to-cell interactions, but the GraRS regulatory system does not impact the expression of the fnbA and fnbB genes. Our data suggest that distinct genetic factors are required for the early steps in citrate-stimulated biofilm formation. Given the role of FnbA/FnbB and SarA in virulence in vivo and the lack of a role for ica-mediated biofilm formation in S. aureus catheter models of infection, we propose that the citrate-stimulated biofilm formation pathway may represent a clinically relevant pathway for the formation of these bacterial communities on medical implants.

scholarly journals Loss-of-Function Mutations in HspR Rescue the Growth Defect of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis Proteasome Accessory Factor E (pafE) Mutant

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan B. Jastrab ◽  
Marie I. Samanovic ◽  
Richard Copin ◽  
Bo Shopsin ◽  
K. Heran Darwin
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Protein Quality ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accessory Factor

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses a proteasome to degrade proteins by both ATP-dependent and -independent pathways. While much has been learned about ATP-dependent degradation, relatively little is understood about the ATP-independent pathway, which is controlled by Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteasome accessory factor E (PafE). Recently, we found that a Mycobacterium tuberculosis pafE mutant has slowed growth in vitro and is sensitive to killing by heat stress. However, we did not know if these phenotypes were caused by an inability to degrade the PafE-proteasome substrate HspR (heat shock protein repressor), an inability to degrade any damaged or misfolded proteins, or a defect in another protein quality control pathway. To address this question, we characterized pafE suppressor mutants that grew similarly to pafE + bacteria under normal culture conditions. All but one suppressor mutant analyzed contained mutations that inactivated HspR function, demonstrating that the slowed growth and heat shock sensitivity of a pafE mutant were caused primarily by the inability of the proteasome to degrade HspR. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis encodes a proteasome that is highly similar to eukaryotic proteasomes and is required for virulence. We recently discovered a proteasome cofactor, PafE, which is required for the normal growth, heat shock resistance, and full virulence of M. tuberculosis. In this study, we demonstrate that PafE influences this phenotype primarily by promoting the expression of protein chaperone genes that are necessary for surviving proteotoxic stress.

scholarly journals Employment of a Promoter-Swapping Technique Shows that PhoU Modulates the Activity of the PstSCAB2 ABC Transporter in Escherichia coli

2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 573-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Rice ◽  
Jacob E. Pollard ◽  
Zachery T. Lewis ◽  
William R. McCleary
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Pho Regulon ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Regulatory Module ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Severe Growth Defect ◽  
Promoter Swapping

ABSTRACT Expression of the Pho regulon in Escherichia coli is induced in response to low levels of environmental phosphate (Pi). Under these conditions, the high-affinity PstSCAB2 protein (i.e., with two PstB proteins) is the primary Pi transporter. Expression from the pstSCAB-phoU operon is regulated by the PhoB/PhoR two-component regulatory system. PhoU is a negative regulator of the Pho regulon; however, the mechanism by which PhoU accomplishes this is currently unknown. Genetic studies of phoU have proven to be difficult because deletion of the phoU gene leads to a severe growth defect and creates strong selection for compensatory mutations resulting in confounding data. To overcome the instability of phoU deletions, we employed a promoter-swapping technique that places expression of the phoBR two-component system under control of the Ptac promoter and the lacO ID regulatory module. This technique may be generally applicable for controlling expression of other chromosomal genes in E. coli. Here we utilized PphoB ::Ptac and PpstS ::Ptac strains to characterize phenotypes resulting from various ΔphoU mutations. Our results indicate that PhoU controls the activity of the PstSCAB2 transporter, as well as its abundance within the cell. In addition, we used the PphoB ::Ptac ΔphoU strain as a platform to begin characterizing new phoU mutations in plasmids.

scholarly journals Role of the dosR-dosS Two-Component Regulatory System in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence in Three Animal Models

2008 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1230-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Converse ◽  
Petros C. Karakousis ◽  
Lee G. Klinkenberg ◽  
Anup K. Kesavan ◽  
Lan H. Ly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Hollow Fiber ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Fiber Model

ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium tuberculosis dosR gene (Rv3133c) is part of an operon, Rv3134c-Rv3132c, and encodes a response regulator that has been shown to be upregulated by hypoxia and other in vitro stress conditions and may be important for bacterial survival within granulomatous lesions found in tuberculosis. DosR is activated in response to hypoxia and nitric oxide by DosS (Rv3132c) or DosT (Rv2027c). We compared the virulence levels of an M. tuberculosis dosR-dosS deletion mutant (ΔdosR-dosS [ΔdosR-S]), a dosR-complemented strain, and wild-type H37Rv in rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice infected by the aerosol route and in a mouse hollow-fiber model that may mimic in vivo granulomatous conditions. In the mouse and the guinea pig models, the ΔdosR-S mutant exhibited a growth defect. In the rabbit, the ΔdosR-S mutant did not replicate more than the wild type. In the hollow-fiber model, the mutant phenotype was not different from that of the wild-type strain. Our analyses reveal that the dosR and dosS genes are required for full virulence and that there may be differences in the patterns of attenuation of this mutant between the animal models studied.

scholarly journals Differential regulation of the two-component regulatory system senX3-regX3 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Microbiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 160 (6) ◽  
pp. 1125-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalin Rifat ◽  
Petros C. Karakousis
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Differential Regulation ◽  
Northern Analysis ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Reporter System ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Phosphate Depletion

The highly successful pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has evolved strategies to adapt to various stress conditions, thus promoting survival within the infected host. The two-component regulatory system (2CRS) senX3-regX3, which has been implicated in the Mtb response to inorganic phosphate depletion, is believed to behave as an auto-regulatory bicistronic operon. Unlike other 2CRS, Mtb senX3-regX3 features an intergenic region (IR) containing several mycobacterium interspersed repetitive units (MIRU) of unknown function. In this study, we used a lacZ reporter system to study the promoter activity of the 5′ untranslated region of senX3, and that of various numbers of MIRUs in the senX3-regX3 IR, during axenic Mtb growth in nutrient-rich broth, and upon exposure to growth-restricting conditions. Activity of the senX3 promoter was induced during phosphate depletion and nutrient starvation, and IR promoter activity under these conditions was directly proportional to the number of MIRUs present. Quantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT)-PCR analysis of exponentially growing Mtb revealed monocistronic transcription of senX3 and regX3, and, to a lesser degree, bicistronic transcription of the operon. In addition, we observed primarily monocistronic upregulation of regX3 during phosphate depletion of Mtb, which was confirmed by Northern analysis in wild-type Mtb and by RT-PCR in a senX3-disrupted mutant, while upregulation of regX3 in nutrient-starved Mtb was chiefly bicistronic. Our findings of differential regulation of senX3-regX3 highlight the potential regulatory role of MIRUs in the Mtb genome and provide insight into the regulatory mechanisms underlying Mtb adaptation to physiologically relevant conditions.

scholarly journals Strains of the East Asian (W/Beijing) Lineage of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Are DosS/DosT-DosR Two-Component Regulatory System Natural Mutants

2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (8) ◽  
pp. 2228-2238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Fallow ◽  
Pilar Domenech ◽  
Michael B. Reed
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Frameshift Mutation ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Bacterial Respiration ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Dosr Regulon

ABSTRACT As part of our ongoing efforts to uncover the phenotypic consequences of genetic variability among clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, we previously reported that isolates of the “East Asian” or “W/Beijing” lineage constitutively overexpress the coordinately regulated transcriptional program known as the DosR regulon under standard in vitro conditions. This phenotype distinguishes the W/Beijing lineage from all other M. tuberculosis lineages, which normally induce expression of this regulon only once exposed to low oxygen or nitric oxide, both of which result in inhibition of bacterial respiration and replication. Transcription of the DosR regulon is controlled through a two-component regulatory system comprising the transcription factor DosR and two possible cognate histidine sensor kinases, DosS and DosT. Through sequence analysis of a carefully selected set of isolates representing each of the major M. tuberculosis lineages, we describe herein a naturally occurring frameshift mutation in the gene encoding the DosT sensor kinase for isolates of the most recently evolved W/Beijing sublineages. Intriguingly, the occurrence of the frameshift mutation correlates precisely with the appearance of the constitutive DosR regulon phenotype displayed by the same “modern” W/Beijing strains. However, complementation studies have revealed that the mutation in dosT alone is not directly responsible for the constitutive DosR regulon phenotype. Our data serve to highlight the evolutionary pressure that exists among distinct M. tuberculosis lineages to maintain tight control over DosR regulon expression.

scholarly journals Mycobacterium tuberculosis Requires Phosphate-Responsive Gene Regulation To Resist Host Immunity

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 317-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna D. Tischler ◽  
Rachel L. Leistikow ◽  
Meghan A. Kirksey ◽  
Martin I. Voskuil ◽  
John D. McKinney
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Signal Transduction System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Responsive Gene ◽  
Pst System

Mycobacterium tuberculosispersists in the tissues of mammalian hosts despite inducing a robust immune response dominated by the macrophage-activating cytokine gamma interferon (IFN-γ). We identified theM. tuberculosisphosphate-specific transport (Pst) system component PstA1 as a factor required to resist IFN-γ-dependent immunity. A ΔpstA1mutant was fully virulent in IFN-γ−/−mice but attenuated in wild-type (WT) mice and mice lacking specific IFN-γ-inducible immune mechanisms: nitric oxide synthase (NOS2), phagosome-associated p47 GTPase (Irgm1), or phagocyte oxidase (phox). These phenotypes suggest that ΔpstA1bacteria are sensitized to an IFN-γ-dependent immune mechanism(s) other than NOS2, Irgm1, or phox. In other species, the Pst system has a secondary role as a negative regulator of phosphate starvation-responsive gene expression through an interaction with a two-component signal transduction system. InM. tuberculosis, we found that ΔpstA1bacteria exhibited dysregulated gene expression during growth in phosphate-rich medium that was mediated by the two-component sensor kinase/response regulator system SenX3-RegX3. Remarkably, deletion of theregX3gene suppressed the replication and virulence defects of ΔpstA1bacteria in NOS2−/−mice, suggesting thatM. tuberculosisrequires the Pst system to negatively regulate activity of RegX3 in response to available phosphatein vivo. We therefore speculate that inorganic phosphate is readily available during replication in the lung and is an important signal controllingM. tuberculosisgene expression via the Pst-SenX3-RegX3 signal transduction system. Inability to sense this environmental signal, due to Pst deficiency, results in dysregulation of gene expression and sensitization of the bacteria to the host immune response.

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