An extracellular acid stress-sensing protein needed for acid tolerance induction inEscherichia coli

1999 ◽  
Vol 174 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin J Rowbury ◽  
Margaret Goodson
2016 ◽  
Vol 473 (23) ◽  
pp. 4311-4325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana F. Guerreiro ◽  
Alexander Muir ◽  
Subramaniam Ramachandran ◽  
Jeremy Thorner ◽  
Isabel Sá-Correia

Acetic acid-induced inhibition of yeast growth and metabolism limits the productivity of industrial fermentation processes, especially when lignocellulosic hydrolysates are used as feedstock in industrial biotechnology. Tolerance to acetic acid of food spoilage yeasts is also a problem in the preservation of acidic foods and beverages. Thus understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation and tolerance to acetic acid stress is increasingly important in industrial biotechnology and the food industry. Prior genetic screens for Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with increased sensitivity to acetic acid identified loss-of-function mutations in the YPK1 gene, which encodes a protein kinase activated by the target of rapamycin (TOR) complex 2 (TORC2). We show in the present study by several independent criteria that TORC2–Ypk1 signaling is stimulated in response to acetic acid stress. Moreover, we demonstrate that TORC2-mediated Ypk1 phosphorylation and activation is necessary for acetic acid tolerance, and occurs independently of Hrk1, a protein kinase previously implicated in the cellular response to acetic acid. In addition, we show that TORC2–Ypk1-mediated activation of l-serine:palmitoyl-CoA acyltransferase, the enzyme complex that catalyzes the first committed step of sphingolipid biosynthesis, is required for acetic acid tolerance. Furthermore, analysis of the sphingolipid pathway using inhibitors and mutants indicates that it is production of certain complex sphingolipids that contributes to conferring acetic acid tolerance. Consistent with that conclusion, promoting sphingolipid synthesis by adding exogenous long-chain base precursor phytosphingosine to the growth medium enhanced acetic acid tolerance. Thus appropriate modulation of the TORC2–Ypk1–sphingolipid axis in industrial yeast strains may have utility in improving fermentations of acetic acid-containing feedstocks.


2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 3911-3916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Ho Choi ◽  
David J. Baumler ◽  
Charles W. Kaspar

ABSTRACT An Escherichia coli O157:H7dps::nptI mutant (FRIK 47991) was generated, and its survival was compared to that of the parent in HCl (synthetic gastric fluid, pH 1.8) and hydrogen peroxide (15 mM) challenges. The survival of the mutant in log phase (5-h culture) was significantly impaired (4-log10-CFU/ml reduction) compared to that of the parent strain (ca. 1.0-log10-CFU/ml reduction) after a standard 3-h acid challenge. Early-stationary-phase cells (12-h culture) of the mutant decreased by ca. 4 log10CFU/ml while the parent strain decreased by approximately 2 log10 CFU/ml. No significant differences in the survival of late-stationary-phase cells (24-h culture) between the parent strain and the mutant were observed, although numbers of the parent strain declined less in the initial 1 h of acid challenge. FRIK 47991 was more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide challenge than was the parent strain, although survival improved in stationary phase. Complementation of the mutant with a functional dps gene restored acid and hydrogen peroxide tolerance to levels equal to or greater than those exhibited by the parent strain. These results demonstrate that decreases in survival were from the absence of Dps or a protein regulated by Dps. The results from this study establish that Dps contributes to acid tolerance in E. coli O157:H7 and confirm the importance of Dps in oxidative stress protection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Isabella Zangl ◽  
Reinhard Beyer ◽  
Ildiko-Julia Pap ◽  
Joseph Strauss ◽  
Christoph Aspöck ◽  
...  

Several Candida species are opportunistic human fungal pathogens and thrive in various environmental niches in and on the human body. In this study we focus on the conditions of the vaginal tract, which is acidic, hypoxic, glucose-deprived, and contains lactic acid. We quantitatively analyze the lactic acid tolerance in glucose-rich and glucose-deprived environment of five Candida species: Candidaalbicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei and Candida tropicalis. To characterize the phenotypic space, we analyzed 40–100 clinical isolates of each species. Each Candida species had a very distinct response pattern to lactic acid stress and characteristic phenotypic variability. C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis were best to withstand high concentrations of lactic acid with glucose as carbon source. A glucose-deprived environment induced lactic acid stress tolerance in all species. With lactate as carbon source the growth rate of C. krusei is even higher compared to glucose, whereas the other species grow slower. C. krusei may use lactic acid as carbon source in the vaginal tract. Stress resistance variability was highest among C. parapsilosis strains. In conclusion, each Candida spp. is adapted differently to cope with lactic acid stress and resistant to physiological concentrations.


2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 5315-5322 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril ◽  
Eric Altermann ◽  
Rebecca L. Hoover-Fitzula ◽  
Raul J. Cano ◽  
Todd R. Klaenhammer

ABSTRACT Amino acid decarboxylation-antiporter reactions are one of the most important systems for maintaining intracellular pH between physiological limits under acid stress. We analyzed the Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM complete genome sequence and selected four open reading frames with similarities to genes involved with decarboxylation reactions involved in acid tolerance in several microorganisms. Putative genes encoding an ornithine decarboxylase, an amino acid permease, a glutamate γ-aminobutyrate antiporter, and a transcriptional regulator were disrupted by insertional inactivation. The ability of L. acidophilus to survive low-pH conditions, such as those encountered in the stomach or fermented dairy foods, was investigated and compared to the abilities of early- and late-stationary-phase cells of the mutants by challenging them with a variety of acidic conditions. All of the integrants were more sensitive to low pH than the parental strain. Interestingly, each integrant also exhibited an adaptive acid response during logarithmic growth, indicating that multiple mechanisms are present and orchestrated in L. acidophilus in response to acid challenge.


2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. ELHANAFI ◽  
B. LEENANON ◽  
W. BANG ◽  
M. A. DRAKE

The effect of extended cold or cold-acid storage ofEscherichia coli O157:H7 on subsequent acid tolerance, freeze-thaw survival, heat tolerance, and virulence factor (Shiga toxin, intimin, and hemolysin) expression was determined. ThreeE. coli O157:H7 strains were stressed at 4°C in TSB or pH 5.5 TSB for 4 weeks. The acid (TSB [pH 2.0] or simulated gastric fluid [pH 1.5]) tolerance, freeze-thaw (−20°C to 21°C) survival, and heat (56°C) tolerance of stressed cells were compared with those of control cells. The β-galactosidase activities of stressed and control cells containing a lacZ gene fusion in the stx2, eaeA, or hlyA gene were determined following stress in TSB or pH 5.5 TSB at 37°C and in the exponential and stationary phases. Cold and cold-acid stresses decreased acid tolerance (P < 0.05), with a larger decrease in acid tolerance being observed after cold stress than after cold-acid stress (P < 0.05). Cold stress increased freeze-thaw survival for all three strains (P < 0.05). Prior cold or cold-acid stress had no effect on virulence factor production (P > 0.05), although growth in acidic media (pH 5.5) enhanced eaeA and hlyA expression (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the prolonged storage ofE. coli O157: H7 at 4°C has substantial effects on freeze-thaw tolerance but does not affect subsequent virulence gene expression.


2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAI SIDDARTH KALBURGE ◽  
W. BRIAN WHITAKER ◽  
E. FIDELMA BOYD

Adaptation to changing environmental conditions is an important strategy for survival of foodborne bacterial pathogens. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a gram-negative seafoodborne enteric pathogen found in the marine environment both free living and associated with oysters. This pathogen is a moderate halophile, with optimal growth at 3% NaCl. Among the several stresses imposed upon enteric bacteria, acid stress is perhaps one of the most important. V. parahaemolyticus has a lysine decarboxylase system responsible for decarboxylation of lysine to the basic product cadaverine, an important acid stress response system in bacteria. Preadaptation to mild acid conditions, i.e., the acid tolerance response, enhances survival under lethal acid conditions. Because of the variety of conditions encountered by V. parahaemolyticus in the marine environment and in oyster postharvest facilities, we examined the nature of the V. parahaemolyticus acid tolerance response under high-salinity conditions. Short preadaptation to a 6% salt concentration increased survival of the wild-type strain but not that of a cadA mutant under lethal acid conditions. However, prolonged exposure to high salinity (16 h) increased survival of both the wild-type and the cadA mutant strains. This phenotype was not dependent on the stress response sigma factor RpoS. Although this preadaptation response is much more pronounced in V. parahaemolyticus, this characteristic is not limited to this species. Both Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus also survive better under lethal acid stress conditions when preadapted to high-salinity conditions. High salt both protected the organism against acid stress and increased survival under −20°C cold stress conditions. High-salt adaptation of V. parahaemolyticus strains significantly increases survival under environmental stresses that would otherwise be lethal to these bacteria.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinli Yang ◽  
Xianzhi Hou ◽  
Priya S. Mir ◽  
Tim A. McAllister

Following screening of 4 strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E32511, E318N, H4420N, and R508N) for acid tolerance, strain H4420N was selected for further study into the influence of pH on bactericidal activity of 6 fatty acids (capric, lauric, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic). Strain H4420N was cultured for 6 h in Luria–Bertani broth amended with individual fatty acids at 20 mmol/L, with pH adjusted to 7.0, 4.3, or 2.5. None of the fatty acids exhibited bactericidal activity at pH 7.0 (p >0.05). At pH 4.3, only capric, lauric, and linoleic acids reduced viability of H4420N (p < 0.05). At pH 2.5, oleic (C18:1) and linolenic (C18:3) acids had modest effects on H4420N viability, whereas capric (C10:0), lauric (C12:0), and linoleic (C18:2) acids resulted in a reduction ≥5 log10colony-forming units (CFU)/mL (p < 0.05). Capric and lauric acids were examined further at pH 2.5 over a range of concentrations (0.15–20 mmol/L). After 10 min of exposure, 5 log10 CFU/mL reductions (p < 0.05) were achieved by lauric acid at 2.5 mmol/L and by capric acid at 0.31 mmol/L. Acid stress increased the sensitivity of acid-tolerant E. coli O157:H7 strain H4420N to fatty acids. Including sources of these fatty acids in diets for cattle might impair the ability of this zoonotic pathogen to survive passage through the stomach, possibly reducing the potential for its colonization in the lower gut.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Bai ◽  
Donggen Zhou ◽  
Shuangfang Hu ◽  
Xiaowei Zhang ◽  
Qijun Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is a primary pathogen causing foodborne diseases and intestinal inflammatory responses. Acid tolerance response (ATR), as a strategy of adaption and resistance to acid stress, may contribute to enhanced virulence. In this study, there was a moderately acid adaption (pH 5.0) for S. Enteritidis cells prior to treatment with acid stress (pH 3.0). To figure out whether S. Enteritidis up-regulated the virulence or not, a global transcriptomic analysis was carried out by high-throughout RNA-sEq. The results showed 74 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in virulence were identified after acid stress, among which, 62 DEGs were up-regulated and 12 DEGs were down-regulated. Afterwards, those virulence-linked DEGs were discussed and classified into four aspects based on the steps of infection, including flagellar functions, fimbrial adhesins, T3SS-mediated invasion and other virulent determinants. In conclusion, S. Enteritidis seemed to exhibit a trend of virulent genes towards high-expression under acid stress, revealing risks of Salmonella in acid-containing food. To our knowledge, there were few studies on comprehensively analyzing virulent genes expression changes of Salmonella, but it’s novel to put forward pathogenicity as the highest priority under acid environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Wu ◽  
Ershu Xue ◽  
Ning Zhi ◽  
Qianqian Song ◽  
Kairen Tian ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Lactococcus lactis encounters various environmental challenges, especially acid stress, during its growth. The cell wall can maintain the integrity and shape of the cell under environmental stress, and d-amino acids play an important role in cell wall synthesis. Here, by analyzing the effects of 19 different d-amino acids on the physiology of L. lactis F44, we found that exogenously supplied d-methionine and d-phenylalanine increased the nisin yield by 93.22% and 101.29%, respectively, as well as significantly increasing the acid resistance of L. lactis F44. The composition of the cell wall in L. lactis F44 with exogenously supplied d-Met or d-Phe was further investigated via a vancomycin fluorescence experiment and a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay, which demonstrated that d-Met could be incorporated into the fifth position of peptidoglycan (PG) muropeptides and d-Phe could be added to the fourth and fifth positions. Moreover, overexpression of the PG synthesis gene murF further enhanced the levels of d-Met and d-Phe involved in PG and increased the survival rate under acid stress and the nisin yield of the strain. This study reveals that the exogenous supply of d-Met or d-Phe can change the composition of the cell wall and influence acid tolerance as well as nisin yield in L. lactis. IMPORTANCE As d-amino acids play an important role in cell wall synthesis, we analyzed the effects of 19 different d-amino acids on L. lactis F44, demonstrating that d-Met and d-Phe can participate in peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis and improve the acid resistance and nisin yield of this strain. murF overexpression further increased the levels of d-Met and d-Phe incorporated into PG and contributed to the acid resistance of the strain. These findings suggest that d-Met and d-Phe can be incorporated into PG to improve the acid resistance and nisin yield of L. lactis, and this study provides new ideas for the enhancement of nisin production.


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