scholarly journals Periplasmic protein EipA determines envelope stress resistance and virulence inBrucella abortus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Herrou ◽  
Jonathan W. Willett ◽  
Aretha Fiebig ◽  
Lydia M. Varesio ◽  
Daniel M. Czyż ◽  
...  

SummaryMolecular components of theBrucella abortuscell envelope play a major role in its ability to infect, colonize and survive inside mammalian host cells. In this study, we have defined a role for a conserved gene of unknown function inB. abortusenvelope stress resistance and infection. Expression of this gene, which we nameeipA,is directly activated by the essential cell cycle regulator, CtrA.eipAencodes a soluble periplasmic protein that adopts an unusual eight-stranded β-barrel fold. Deletion ofeipAattenuates replication and survival in macrophage and mouse infection models, and results in sensitivity to treatments that compromise the integrity of the cell envelope. Transposon disruption of genes required for LPS O-polysaccharide biosynthesis is synthetically lethal witheipAdeletion. This genetic connection between O-polysaccharide andeipAis corroborated by our discovery thateipAis essential inBrucella ovis, a naturally rough species that harbors mutations in several genes required for O-polysaccharide production. Conditional depletion ofeipAexpression inB. ovisresults in a cell chaining phenotype, providing evidence thateipAdirectly or indirectly influences cell division inBrucella. We conclude that EipA is a molecular determinant ofBrucellavirulence that functions to maintain cell envelope integrity and influences cell division.

2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Herrou ◽  
Jonathan W. Willett ◽  
Aretha Fiebig ◽  
Daniel M. Czyż ◽  
Jason X. Cheng ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe Gram-negative cell envelope is a remarkable structure with core components that include an inner membrane, an outer membrane, and a peptidoglycan layer in the periplasmic space between. Multiple molecular systems function to maintain integrity of this essential barrier between the interior of the cell and its surrounding environment. We show that a conserved DUF1849 family protein, EipB, is secreted to the periplasmic space ofBrucellaspecies, a monophyletic group of intracellular pathogens. In the periplasm, EipB folds into an unusual 14-stranded β-spiral structure that resembles the LolA and LolB lipoprotein delivery system, though the overall fold of EipB is distinct from LolA/LolB. Deletion ofeipBresults in defects inBrucellacell envelope integrityin vitroand in maintenance of spleen colonization in a mouse model ofBrucella abortusinfection. Transposon disruption ofttpA, which encodes a periplasmic protein containing tetratricopeptide repeats, is synthetically lethal witheipBdeletion.ttpAis a reported virulence determinant inBrucella, and our studies ofttpAdeletion and overexpression strains provide evidence that this gene also contributes to cell envelope function. We conclude thateipBandttpAfunction in theBrucellaperiplasmic space to maintain cell envelope integrity, which facilitates survival in a mammalian host.IMPORTANCEBrucellaspecies cause brucellosis, a global zoonosis. A gene encoding a conserved DUF1849-family protein, which we have named EipB, is present in all sequencedBrucellaand several other genera in the classAlphaproteobacteria. The manuscript provides the first functional and structural characterization of a DUF1849 protein. We show that EipB is secreted to the periplasm where it forms a spiral-shaped antiparallel β protein that is a determinant of cell envelope integrityin vitroand virulence in an animal model of disease.eipBgenetically interacts withttpA, which also encodes a periplasmic protein. We propose that EipB and TtpA function as part of a system required for cell envelope homeostasis in selectAlphaproteobacteria.


2001 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1081-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Saavedra ◽  
Erika Segura ◽  
Rosario Leyva ◽  
Luis A. Esparza ◽  
Luz M. López-Marı́n

ABSTRACT 2,3-Di-O-acyl-trehalose (DAT) is a glycolipid located on the outer layer of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell envelope. Due to its noncovalent linkage to the mycobacterial peptidoglycan, DAT could easily interact with host cells located in the focus of infection. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of DAT on the proliferation of murine spleen cells. DAT was purified from reference strains of M. tuberculosis,or M. fortuitum as a surrogate source of the compound, by various chromatography and solvent extraction procedures and then chemically identified. Incubation of mouse spleen cells with DAT inhibited in a dose-dependent manner concanavalin A-stimulated proliferation of the cells. Experiments, including the propidium iodide exclusion test, showed that these effects were not due to death of the cells. Tracking of cell division by labeling with 5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester revealed that DAT reduces the rounds of cell division. Immunofluorescence with an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody indicated that T lymphocytes were the population affected in our model. Our experiments also suggest that the extent of the suppressive activity is strongly dependent on the structural composition of the acyl moieties in DATs. Finally, the inhibitory effect was also observed on antigen-induced proliferation of mouse spleen cells specific for Toxoplasma gondii. All of these data suggest that DAT could have a role in the T-cell hyporesponsiveness observed in chronic tuberculosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janani Ravi ◽  
Vivek Anantharaman ◽  
Samuel Zorn Chen ◽  
Pratik Datta ◽  
L Aravind ◽  
...  

AbstractThe phage shock protein (Psp) stress-response system protects bacteria from envelope stress and stabilizes the cell membrane. Recent work from our group suggests that the psp systems have evolved independently in distinct Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial clades to effect similar stress response functions. Despite the prevalence of the key effector, PspA, and the functional Psp system, the various genomic contexts of Psp proteins, as well as their evolution across the kingdoms of life, have not yet been characterized. We have developed a computational pipeline for comparative genomics and protein sequence-structure-function analyses to identify sequence homologs, phyletic patterns, domain architectures, gene neighborhoods, and evolution of the candidates across the tree of life. This integrative pipeline enabled us to make several new discoveries, including the truly universal nature of PspA and the ancestry of the PspA/Snf7 dating all the way back to the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Using contextual information from conserved gene neighborhoods and their domain architectures, we delineated the phyletic patterns of all the Psp members. Next, we systematically identified all possible ‘flavors’ and genomic neighborhoods of the Psp systems. Finally, we traced their evolution, leading us to several interesting findings of their occurrence and co-migration that together point to the functions and roles of Psp in stress-response systems that are often lineage-specific. Conservation of the Psp systems across bacterial phyla emphasizes the established importance of this stress response system in prokaryotes, while the modularity in various lineages is indicative of adaptation to bacteria-specific cell-envelope structures, lifestyles, and adaptation strategies. We also developed an interactive web application that hosts all the data and results in this study that researchers can explore (https://jravilab.shinyapps.io/psp-evolution).


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Herrou ◽  
Jonathan W. Willett ◽  
Aretha Fiebig ◽  
Daniel M. Czyż ◽  
Jason X. Cheng ◽  
...  

SummaryThe Gram-negative cell envelope is a remarkably diverse structure with core components that include an inner membrane, an outer membrane, and a peptidoglycan layer in the periplasmic space between. We show that a conserved DUF1849-family protein, EipB, is secreted to the periplasmic space ofBrucella, a monophyletic group of intracellular pathogens. In the periplasm, EipB folds into an unusual fourteen-stranded β-spiral structure that contains a conserved disulfide bond. EipB has structural features that resemble the LolA and LolB lipoprotein delivery system, though the overall topology and fold of EipB is distinct from LolA/LolB. Deletion ofeipBresults in defects in both cell envelope integrityin vitroand in maintenance of spleen colonization in a mouse model ofB. abortusinfection. Transposon disruption ofttpA, which encodes a periplasmic tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) protein, is synthetically lethal witheipBdeletion inB. abortus.ttpAis a known virulence determinant inB. melitensis, and our studies ofttpAdeletion and overexpression strains provide evidence thatttpA, likeeipB, contributes to cell envelope function inBrucella. We conclude thateipBandttpAfunction in theBrucellaperiplasmic space to maintain cell envelope integrity and to facilitate survival in a mammalian host.ImportanceBrucellaspecies cause brucellosis, a global zoonosis. A gene encoding a conserved uncharacterized protein, EipB, is present in all sequencedBrucellaand several other genera in the classAlphaproteobacteria.To our knowledge, this study presents the first functional and structural characterization of a protein from the DUF1849 family, to which EipB belongs. EipB is secreted to the periplasm where it forms a spiral-like anti-parallel β structure. Deletion ofBrucella eipBresults in defects of the cell envelope and in reduced virulence in an animal model of disease.eipBgenetically interacts withttpA, which also encodes a periplasmic protein. We propose that EipB and TtpA function as part of a system required for cell envelope homeostasis in selectAlphaproteobacteria.


Author(s):  
Julien Herrou ◽  
Jonathan W. Willett ◽  
Aretha Fiebig ◽  
Lydia M. Varesio ◽  
Daniel M. Czyż ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Maurice Steenhuis ◽  
Federico Corona ◽  
Corinne M. ten Hagen-Jongman ◽  
Waldemar Vollmer ◽  
Dominique Lambin ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harshini Weerasinghe ◽  
Hayley E. Bugeja ◽  
Alex Andrianopoulos

AbstractMicrobial pathogens have evolved many strategies to evade recognition by the host immune system, including the use of phagocytic cells as a niche within which to proliferate. Dimorphic pathogenic fungi employ an induced morphogenetic transition, switching from multicellular hyphae to unicellular yeast that are more compatible with intracellular growth. A switch to mammalian host body temperature (37 °C) is a key trigger for the dimorphic switch. This study describes a novel gene, msgA, from the dimorphic fungal pathogen Talaromyces marneffei that controls cell morphology in response to host cues rather than temperature. The msgA gene is upregulated during murine macrophage infection, and deletion results in aberrant yeast morphology solely during growth inside macrophages. MsgA contains a Dbl homology domain, and a Bin, Amphiphysin, Rvs (BAR) domain instead of a Plekstrin homology domain typically associated with guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). The BAR domain is crucial in maintaining yeast morphology and cellular localisation during infection. The data suggests that MsgA does not act as a canonical GEF during macrophage infection and identifies a temperature independent pathway in T. marneffei that controls intracellular yeast morphogenesis.


1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.F. Jenkinson ◽  
RJ Lamont

Streptococci express arrays of adhesins on their cell surfaces that facilitate adherence to substrates present in their natural environment within the mammalian host. A consequence of such promiscuous binding ability is that streptococcal cells may adhere simultaneously to a spectrum of substrates, including salivary glycoproteins, extracellular matrix and serum components, host cells, and other microbial cells. The multiplicity of streptococcal adherence interactions accounts, at least in part, for their success in colonizing the oral and epithelial surfaces of humans. Adhesion facilitates colonization and may be a precursor to tissue invasion and immune modulation, events that presage the development of disease. Many of the streptococcal adhesins and virulence-related factors are cell-wall-associated proteins containing repeated sequence blocks of amino acids. Linear sequences, both within the blocks and within non-repetitive regions of the proteins, have been implicated in substrate binding. Sequences and functions of these proteins among the streptococci have become assorted through gene duplication and horizontal transfer between bacterial populations. Several adhesins identified and characterized through in vitro binding assays have been analyzed for in vivo expression and function by means of animal models used for colonization and virulence. Information on the molecular structure of adhesins as related to their in vivo function will allow for the rational design of novel acellular vaccines, recombinant antibodies, and adhesion agonists for the future control or prevention of streptococcal colonization and streptococcal diseases.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 3748-3760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nore Ojogun ◽  
Amandeep Kahlon ◽  
Stephanie A. Ragland ◽  
Matthew J. Troese ◽  
Juliana E. Mastronunzio ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAnaplasma phagocytophilumis the tick-transmitted obligate intracellular bacterium that causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA).A. phagocytophilumbinding to sialyl Lewis x (sLex) and other sialylated glycans that decorate P selectin glycoprotein 1 (PSGL-1) and other glycoproteins is critical for infection of mammalian host cells. Here, we demonstrate the importance ofA. phagocytophilumouter membrane protein A (OmpA) APH_0338 in infection of mammalian host cells. OmpA is transcriptionally induced during transmission feeding ofA. phagocytophilum-infected ticks on mice and is upregulated during invasion of HL-60 cells. OmpA is presented on the pathogen's surface. Sera from HGA patients and experimentally infected mice recognize recombinant OmpA. Pretreatment ofA. phagocytophilumorganisms with OmpA antiserum reduces their abilities to infect HL-60 cells. The OmpA N-terminal region is predicted to contain the protein's extracellular domain. GlutathioneS-transferase (GST)-tagged versions of OmpA and OmpA amino acids 19 to 74 (OmpA19-74) but not OmpA75-205bind to, and competitively inhibitA. phagocytophiluminfection of, host cells. Pretreatment of host cells with sialidase or trypsin reduces or nearly eliminates, respectively, GST-OmpA adhesion. Therefore, OmpA interacts with sialylated glycoproteins. This study identifies the firstA. phagocytophilumadhesin-receptor pair and delineates the region of OmpA that is critical for infection.


2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 2890-2901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilena Gallotta ◽  
Giovanni Gancitano ◽  
Giampiero Pietrocola ◽  
Marirosa Mora ◽  
Alfredo Pezzicoli ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTGroup A streptococcus (GAS) is a human pathogen causing a wide repertoire of mild and severe diseases for which no vaccine is yet available. We recently reported the identification of three protein antigens that in combination conferred wide protection against GAS infection in mice. Here we focused our attention on the characterization of one of these three antigens, Spy0269, a highly conserved, surface-exposed, and immunogenic protein of unknown function. Deletion of thespy0269gene in a GAS M1 isolate resulted in very long bacterial chains, which is indicative of an impaired capacity of the knockout mutant to properly divide. Confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the protein was mainly localized at the cell septum and could interactin vitrowith the cell division protein FtsZ, leading us to hypothesize that Spy0269 is a member of the GAS divisome machinery. Predicted structural domains and sequence homologies with known streptococcal adhesins suggested that this antigen could also play a role in mediating GAS interaction with host cells. This hypothesis was confirmed by showing that recombinant Spy0269 could bind to mammalian epithelial cellsin vitroand thatLactococcus lactisexpressing Spy0269 on its cell surface could adhere to mammalian cellsin vitroand to mice nasal mucosain vivo. On the basis of these data, we believe that Spy0269 is involved both in bacterial cell division and in adhesion to host cells and we propose to rename this multifunctional moonlighting protein as SpyAD (StreptococcuspyogenesAdhesion andDivision protein).


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