scholarly journals Modulation of CrbS-Dependent Activation of the Acetate Switch inVibrio cholerae

2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Itai Muzhingi ◽  
Cecilia Prado ◽  
Mariame Sylla ◽  
Frances F. Diehl ◽  
Duy K. Nguyen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTVibrio choleraecontrols the pathogenicity of interactions with arthropod hosts via the activity of the CrbS/R two-component system. This signaling pathway regulates the consumption of acetate, which in turn alters the relative virulence of interactions with arthropods, includingDrosophila melanogaster. CrbS is a histidine kinase that links a transporter-like domain to its signaling apparatus via putative STAC and PAS domains. CrbS and its cognate response regulator are required for the expression of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) synthetase (product ofacs), which converts acetate to acetyl-CoA. We demonstrate that the STAC domain of CrbS is required for signaling in culture; without it,acstranscription is reduced in LB medium, andV. choleraecannot grow on acetate minimal media. However, the strain remains virulent towardDrosophilaand expressesacssimilarly to the wild type during infection. This suggests that there is a unique signal or environmental variable that modulates CrbS in the gastrointestinal tract ofDrosophila. Second, we present evidence in support of CrbR, the response regulator that interacts with CrbS, binding directly to theacspromoter, and we identify a region of the promoter that CrbR may target. We further demonstrate that nutrient signals, together with the cAMP receptor protein (CRP)-cAMP system, controlacstranscription, but regulation may occur indirectly, as CRP-cAMP activates the expression of thecrbSandcrbRgenes. Finally, we define the role of the Pta-AckA system inV. choleraeand identify redundancy built into acetate excretion pathways in this pathogen.IMPORTANCECrbS is a member of a unique family of sensor histidine kinases, as its structure suggests that it may link signaling to the transport of a molecule. However, mechanisms through which CrbS senses and communicates information about the outside world are unknown. In theVibrionaceae, orthologs of CrbS regulate acetate metabolism, which can, in turn, affect interactions with host organisms. Here, we situate CrbS within a larger regulatory framework, demonstrating thatcrbSis regulated by nutrient-sensing systems. Furthermore, CrbS domains may play various roles in signaling during infection and growth in culture, suggesting a unique mechanism of host recognition. Finally, we define the roles of additional pathways in acetate flux, as a foundation for further studies of this metabolic nexus point.

2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong-A Kim ◽  
Mi-Ae Lee ◽  
You-Chul Jung ◽  
Bo-Ram Jang ◽  
Kyu-Ho Lee

ABSTRACTSepticemia-causingVibrio vulnificusproduces at least three exoproteases, VvpE, VvpS, and VvpM, all of which participate in interactions with human cells. Expression of VvpE and VvpS is induced in the stationary phase by multiple transcription factors, including sigma factor S, SmcR, and the cAMP-cAMP receptor protein (cAMP-CRP) complex. Distinct roles of VvpM, such as induction of apoptosis, lead us to hypothesize VvpM expression is different from that of the other exoproteases. Its transcription, which was found to be independent of sigma S, is induced at the early exponential phase and then becomes negligible upon entry into the stationary phase. SmcR and CRP were studied regarding the control ofvvpMexpression. Transcription ofvvpMwas repressed by SmcR and cAMP-CRP complex individually, which specifically bound to the regions −2 to +20 and +6 to +27, respectively, relative to thevvpMtranscription initiation site. Derepression ofvvpMgene expression was 10- to 40-fold greater in ansmcR crpdouble mutant than in single-gene mutants. Therefore, these results show that the expression ofV. vulnificusexoproteases is differentially regulated, and in this way, distinct proteases can engage in specific interactions with a host.IMPORTANCEAn opportunistic human pathogen,Vibrio vulnificusproduces multiple extracellular proteases that are involved in diverse interactions with a host. The total exoproteolytic activity is detected mainly in the supernatants of the high-cell-density cultures. However, some proteolytic activity derived from a metalloprotease, VvpM, was present in the supernatants of the low-cell-density cultures sampled at the early growth period. In this study, we present the regulatory mechanism for VvpM expression via repression by at least two transcription factors. This type of transcriptional regulation is the exact opposite of those for expression of the otherV. vulnificusexoproteases. Differential regulation of each exoprotease's production then facilitates the pathogen's participation in the distinct interactions with a host.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 2396-2408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Acosta ◽  
Stefan Pukatzki ◽  
Tracy L. Raivio

Bacteria possess signal transduction pathways capable of sensing and responding to a wide variety of signals. The Cpx envelope stress response, composed of the sensor histidine kinase CpxA and the response regulator CpxR, senses and mediates adaptation to insults to the bacterial envelope. The Cpx response has been implicated in the regulation of a number of envelope-localized virulence determinants across bacterial species. Here, we show that activation of the Cpx pathway inVibrio choleraeEl Tor strain C6706 leads to a decrease in expression of the major virulence factors in this organism, cholera toxin (CT) and the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP). Our results indicate that this occurs through the repression of production of the ToxT regulator and an additional upstream transcription factor, TcpP. The effect of the Cpx response on CT and TCP expression is mostly abrogated in a cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) mutant, although expression of thecrpgene is unaltered. Since TcpP production is controlled by CRP, our data suggest a model whereby the Cpx response affects CRP function, which leads to diminished TcpP, ToxT, CT, and TCP production.


2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Di You ◽  
Bai-Qing Zhang ◽  
Bang-Ce Ye

ABSTRACT The GntR family regulator DasR controls the transcription of genes involved in chitin and N -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) metabolism in actinobacteria. GlcNAc is catabolized to ammonia, fructose-6-phosphate (Fru-6P), and acetate, which are nitrogen and carbon sources. In this work, a DasR-responsive element ( dre ) was observed in the upstream region of acsA1 in Saccharopolyspora erythraea . This gene encodes acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) synthetase (Acs), an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of acetate into acetyl-CoA. We found that DasR repressed the transcription of acsA1 in response to carbon availability, especially with GlcNAc. Growth inhibition was observed in a dasR -deleted mutant (Δ dasR ) in the presence of GlcNAc in minimal medium containing 10 mM acetate, a condition under which Acs activity is critical to growth. These results demonstrate that DasR controls acetate assimilation by directly repressing the transcription of the acsA1 gene and performs regulatory roles in the production of intracellular acetyl-CoA in response to GlcNAc. IMPORTANCE Our work has identified the DasR GlcNAc-sensing regulator that represses the generation of acetyl-CoA by controlling the expression of acetyl-CoA synthetase, an enzyme responsible for acetate assimilation in S. erythraea . The finding provides the first insights into the importance of DasR in the regulation of acetate metabolism, which encompasses the regulatory network between nitrogen and carbon metabolism in actinobacteria, in response to environmental changes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Yu Song ◽  
Sha-Sha Zang ◽  
Zheng-Ke Li ◽  
Guo-Zheng Dai ◽  
Ke Liu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTwo cAMP receptor proteins (CRPs), Sycrp1 (encoded bysll1371) and Sycrp2 (encoded bysll1924), exist in the cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. strain PCC 6803. Previous studies have demonstrated that Sycrp1 has binding affinity for cAMP and is involved in motility by regulating the formation of pili. However, the function of Sycrp2 remains unknown. Here, we report thatsycrp2disruption results in the loss of motility ofSynechocystissp. PCC 6803, and that the phenotype can be recovered by reintroducing thesycrp2gene into the genome ofsycrp2-disrupted mutants. Electron microscopy showed that thesycrp2-disrupted mutant lost the pilus apparatus on the cell surface, resulting in a lack of cell motility. Furthermore, the transcript level of thepilA9-pilA11operon (essential for cell motility and regulated by the cAMP receptor protein Sycrp1) was markedly decreased insycrp2-disrupted mutants compared with the wild-type strain. Moreover, yeast two-hybrid analysis and a pulldown assay demonstrated that Sycrp2 interacted with Sycrp1 to form a heterodimer and that Sycrp1 and Sycrp2 interacted with themselves to form homodimers. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that Sycrp1 specifically binds to the upstream region ofpilA9. Together, these findings indicate that inSynechocystissp. PCC 6803, Sycrp2 regulates the formation of pili and cell motility by interacting with Sycrp1.IMPORTANCEcAMP receptor proteins (CRPs) are widely distributed in cyanobacteria and play important roles in regulating gene expression. Although many cyanobacterial species have two cAMP receptor-like proteins, the functional links between them are unknown. Here, we found that Sycrp2 in the cyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. strain PCC 6803 is essential for twitching motility and that it interacts with Sycrp1, a known cAMP receptor protein involved with twitching motility. Our findings indicate that the two cAMP receptor-like proteins in cyanobacteria do not have functional redundancy but rather work together.


2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (18) ◽  
pp. 5248-5256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margareta Meyer ◽  
Peter Dimroth ◽  
Michael Bott

ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae is able to grow anaerobically with citrate as a sole carbon and energy source by a fermentative pathway involving the Na+-dependent citrate carrier CitS, citrate lyase, and oxaloacetate decarboxylase. The corresponding genes are organized in the divergent citC and citS operons, whose expression is strictly dependent on the citrate-sensing CitA-CitB two-component system. Evidence is provided here that the citrate fermentation genes are subject to catabolite repression, since anaerobic cultivation with a mixture of citrate and glucose or citrate and gluconate resulted in diauxic growth. Glucose, gluconate, and also glycerol decreased the expression of a chromosomalcitS-lacZ fusion by 60 to 75%, whereas a direct inhibition of the citrate fermentation enzymes was not observed. The purified cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP) of K. pneumoniae bound to two sites in thecitC-citS intergenic region, which were centered at position −41.5 upstream of the citC andcitS transcriptional start sites. Binding was apparently stimulated by the response regulator CitB. These data indicate that catabolite repression of the citrate fermentation genes is exerted by CRP and that in the absence of repressing carbon sources the cAMP-CRP complex serves to enhance the basal, CitB-dependent transcription level.


2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (19) ◽  
pp. 3182-3190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Rücker ◽  
Sandra Billig ◽  
René Bücker ◽  
Dieter Jahn ◽  
Christoph Wittmann ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMycobacterium tuberculosispersists inside granulomas in the human lung. Analysis of the metabolic composition of granulomas from guinea pigs revealed that one of the organic acids accumulating in the course of infection is acetate (B. S. Somashekar, A. G. Amin, C. D. Rithner, J. Troudt, R. Basaraba, A. Izzo, D. C. Crick, and D. Chatterjee, J Proteome Res 10:4186–4195, 2011, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/pr2003352), which might result either from metabolism of the pathogen or might be provided by the host itself. Our studies characterize a metabolic pathway by whichM. tuberculosisgenerates acetate in the cause of fatty acid catabolism. The acetate formation depends on the enzymatic activities of Pta and AckA. Using actyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) as a substrate, acetyl-phosphate is generated and finally dephosphorylated to acetate, which is secreted into the medium. Knockout mutants lacking either theptaorackAgene showed significantly reduced acetate production when grown on fatty acids. This effect is even more pronounced when the glyoxylate shunt is blocked, resulting in higher acetate levels released to the medium. The secretion of acetate was followed by an assimilation of the metabolite when other carbon substrates became limiting. Our data indicate that during acetate assimilation, the Pta-AckA pathway acts in concert with another enzymatic reaction, namely, the acetyl-CoA synthetase (Acs) reaction. Thus, acetate metabolism might possess a dual function, mediating an overflow reaction to release excess carbon units and resumption of acetate as a carbon substrate.IMPORTANCEDuring infection, host-derived lipid components present the major carbon source at the infection site. β-Oxidation of fatty acids results in the formation of acetyl-CoA. In this study, we demonstrate that consumption of fatty acids byMycobacterium tuberculosisactivates an overflow mechanism, causing the pathogen to release excess carbon intermediates as acetate. The Pta-AckA pathway mediating acetate formation proved to be reversible, enablingM. tuberculosisto reutilize the previously secreted acetate as a carbon substrate for metabolism.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (19) ◽  
pp. 6374-6382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisia J. Silva ◽  
Jorge A. Benitez

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae secretes a Zn-dependent metalloprotease, hemagglutinin/protease (HA/protease), which is encoded by hapA and displays a broad range of potentially pathogenic activities. Production of HA/protease requires transcriptional activation by the quorum-sensing regulator HapR. In this study we demonstrate that transcription of hapA is growth phase dependent and specifically activated in the deceleration and stationary growth phases. Addition of glucose in these phases repressed hapA transcription by inducing V. cholerae to resume exponential growth, which in turn diminished the expression of a rpoS-lacZ transcriptional fusion. Contrary to a previous observation, we demonstrate that transcription of hapA requires the rpoS-encoded σs factor. The cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP) strongly enhanced hapA transcription in the deceleration phase. Analysis of rpoS and hapR mRNA in isogenic CRP+ and CRP− strains suggested that CRP enhances the transcription of rpoS and hapR. Analysis of strains containing hapR-lacZ and hapA-lacZ fusions confirmed that hapA is transcribed in response to concurrent quorum-sensing and nutrient limitation stimuli. Mutations inactivating the stringent response regulator RelA and the HapR-controlled AphA regulator did not affect HA/protease expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift experiments showed that pure cAMP-CRP and HapR alone do not bind the hapA promoter. This result suggests that HapR activation of hapA differs from its interaction with the aphA promoter and could involve additional factors.


2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (20) ◽  
pp. 3317-3328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyue Guo ◽  
Huanyu Wang ◽  
Nengbin Xie ◽  
Zhixiong Xie

ABSTRACTNatural plasmid transformation ofEscherichia coliis a complex process that occurs strictly on agar plates and requires the global stress response factor σS. Here, we showed that additional carbon sources could significantly enhance the transformability ofE. coli. Inactivation of phosphotransferase system genes (ptsH,ptsG, andcrr) caused an increase in the transformation frequency, and the addition of cyclic AMP (cAMP) neutralized the promotional effect of carbon sources. This implies a negative role of cAMP in natural transformation. Further study showed thatcrpandcyaAmutations conferred a higher transformation frequency, suggesting that the cAMP-cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complex has an inhibitory effect on transformation. Moreover, we observed thatrpoSis negatively regulated by cAMP-CRP in early log phase and that bothcrpandcyaAmutants show no transformation superiority whenrpoSis knocked out. Therefore, it can be concluded that both thecrpandcyaAmutations derepressrpoSexpression in early log phase, whereby they aid in the promotion of natural transformation ability. We also showed that the accumulation of RpoS during early log phase can account for the enhanced transformation aroused by additional carbon sources. Our results thus demonstrated that the presence of additional carbon sources promotes competence development and natural transformation by reducing cAMP-CRP and, thus, derepressingrpoSexpression during log phase. This finding could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between nutrition state and competence, as well as the mechanism of natural plasmid transformation inE. coli.IMPORTANCEEscherichia coli, which is not usually considered to be naturally transformable, was found to spontaneously take up plasmid DNA on agar plates. Researching the mechanism of natural transformation is important for understanding the role of transformation in evolution, as well as in the transfer of pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance genes. In this work, we found that carbon sources significantly improve transformation by decreasing cAMP. Then, the low level of cAMP-CRP derepresses the general stress response regulator RpoS via a biphasic regulatory pattern, thereby contributing to transformation. Thus, we demonstrate the mechanism by which carbon sources affect natural transformation, which is important for revealing information about the interplay between nutrition state and competence development inE. coli.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jainaba Manneh-Roussel ◽  
James R. J. Haycocks ◽  
Andrés Magán ◽  
Nicolas Perez-Soto ◽  
Kerstin Voelz ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe bacteriumVibrio choleraeis native to aquatic environments and can switch lifestyles to cause disease in humans. Lifestyle switching requires modulation of genetic systems for quorum sensing, intestinal colonization, and toxin production. Much of this regulation occurs at the level of gene expression and is controlled by transcription factors. In this work, we have mapped the binding of cAMP receptor protein (CRP) and RNA polymerase across theV. choleraegenome. We show that CRP is an integral component of the regulatory network that controls lifestyle switching. Focusing on a locus necessary for toxin transport, we demonstrate CRP-dependent regulation of gene expression in response to host colonization. Examination of further CRP-targeted genes reveals that this behavior is commonplace. Hence, CRP is a key regulator of manyV. choleraegenes in response to lifestyle changes.IMPORTANCECholera is an infectious disease that is caused by the bacteriumVibrio cholerae. Best known for causing disease in humans, the bacterium is most commonly found in aquatic ecosystems. Hence, humans acquire cholera following ingestion of food or water contaminated withV. cholerae. Transition between an aquatic environment and a human host triggers a lifestyle switch that involves reprogramming ofV. choleraegene expression patterns. This process is controlled by a network of transcription factors. In this paper, we show that the cAMP receptor protein (CRP) is a key regulator ofV. choleraegene expression in response to lifestyle changes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (19) ◽  
pp. 3087-3096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen A. Fahrner ◽  
Howard C. Berg

ABSTRACTMotility is a beneficial attribute that enables cells to access and explore new environments and to escape detrimental ones. The organelle of motility inEscherichia coliis the flagellum, and its production is initiated by the activating transcription factors FlhD and FlhC. The expression of these factors by theflhDCoperon is highly regulated and influenced by environmental conditions. TheflhDCpromoter is recognized by σ70and is dependent on the transcriptional activator cyclic AMP (cAMP)-cAMP receptor protein complex (cAMP-CRP). A number of K-12 strains exhibit limited motility due to low expression levels offlhDC. We report here a large number of mutations that stimulateflhDCexpression in such strains. They include single nucleotide changes in the −10 element of the promoter, in the promoter spacer, and in the cAMP-CRP binding region. In addition, we show that insertion sequence (IS) elements or a kanamycin gene located hundreds of base pairs upstream of the promoter can effectively enhance transcription, suggesting that the topology of a large upstream region plays a significant role in the regulation offlhDCexpression. None of the mutations eliminated the requirement for cAMP-CRP for activation. However, several mutations allowed expression in the absence of the nucleoid organizing protein, H-NS, which is normally required forflhDCexpression.IMPORTANCETheflhDCoperon ofEscherichia coliencodes transcription factors that initiate flagellar synthesis, an energetically costly process that is highly regulated. Few deregulating mutations have been reported thus far. This paper describes new single nucleotide mutations that stimulateflhDCexpression, including a number that map to the promoter spacer region. In addition, this work shows that insertion sequence elements or a kanamycin gene located far upstream from the promoter or repressor binding sites also stimulate transcription, indicating a role of regional topology in the regulation offlhDCexpression.


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