scholarly journals The biosynthetic pathway of ubiquinone contributes to pathogenicity of Francisella

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katayoun Kazemzadeh ◽  
Mahmoud Hajj Chehade ◽  
Gautier Hourdoir ◽  
Camille Dorothée Brunet ◽  
Yvan Caspar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Francisella Tularensis ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Competitive Inhibitor ◽  
Strictly Aerobic ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
Francisella Novicida ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Causative Bacterium

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia. Because of its extreme infectivity and high mortality rate, this pathogen was classified as a biothreat agent. Francisella spp are strict aerobe and ubiquinone (UQ) has been previously identified in these bacteria. While the UQ biosynthetic pathways were extensively studied in Escherichia coli allowing the identification of fifteen Ubi-proteins to date, little is known about Francisella spp. In this study, and using Francisella novicida as a surrogate organism, we first identified UQ 8 as the major quinone found in the membranes of this bacterium. Then, we characterized the UQ biosynthetic pathway in F. novicida using a combination of bioinformatics, genetics and biochemical approaches. Our analysis disclosed the presence in Francisella of ten putative Ubi-proteins and we confirmed eight of them by heterologous complementation in E. coli . The UQ biosynthetic pathways from F. novicida and E. coli share a similar pattern. However, differences were highlighted: the decarboxylase remains unidentified in Francisella spp and homologs of the Ubi-proteins involved in the O 2 -independent UQ pathway are not present. This is in agreement with the strictly aerobic niche of this bacterium. Then, via two approaches, i.e. the use of an inhibitor (3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid) and a transposon mutant, which both strongly impair the synthesis of UQ, we demonstrated that UQ is essential for the growth of F. novicida in a respiratory medium and contributes to its pathogenicity in Galleria mellonella used as an alternative animal model. Importance Francisella tularensis is the causative bacterium of tularemia and is classified as a biothreat agent. Using multidisciplinary approaches, we investigated the ubiquinone (UQ) biosynthetic pathway that operates in F. novicida used as a surrogate. We showed that UQ 8 is the major quinone identified in the membranes of Francisella novicida . We identified a new competitive inhibitor, which strongly decreased the biosynthesis of UQ. Our demonstration of the crucial role of UQ for the respiratory metabolism of F. novicida and for the involving in its pathogenicity in the Galleria mellonella model should stimulate the search for selective inhibitors of bacterial UQ biosynthesis.

scholarly journals The biosynthetic pathway of ubiquinone contributes to pathogenicity of Francisella

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katayoun Kazemzadeh ◽  
Mahmoud Hajj Chehade ◽  
Hourdoir Gautier ◽  
Brunet Camille ◽  
Yvan Caspar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Animal Model ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Hydroxybenzoic Acid ◽  
Strictly Aerobic ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
Francisella Novicida ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Respiratory Medium

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia. Because of its extreme infectivity and high mortality rate, this pathogen was classified as a biothreat agent. Francisella spp are strict aerobe and ubiquinone (UQ) has been previously identified in these bacteria. While the UQ biosynthetic pathways were extensively studied in Escherichia coli allowing the identification of fifteen Ubi-proteins to date, little is known about Francisella spp. In this study, and using Francisella novicida as a surrogate organism, we first identified UQ8 as the major quinone found in the membranes of this bacterium. Then, we characterized the UQ biosynthetic pathway in F. novicida using a combination of bioinformatics, genetics and biochemical approaches. Our analysis disclosed the presence in Francisella of ten putative Ubi-proteins and we confirmed eight of them by heterologous complementation in E. coli. The UQ biosynthetic pathways from F. novicida and E. coli share a similar pattern. However, differences were highlighted: the decarboxylase remains unidentified in Francisella spp and homologs of the Ubi-proteins involved in the O2-independent UQ pathway are not present. This is in agreement with the strictly aerobic niche of this bacterium. Then, via two approaches, i.e. the use of an inhibitor (3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid) and a transposon mutant, which both strongly impair the synthesis of UQ, we demonstrated that UQ is essential for the growth of F. novicida in a respiratory medium and contributes to its pathogenicity in Galleria mellonella used as an alternative animal model.

scholarly journals The role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Met1p and Met8p in sirohaem and cobalamin biosynthesis

1999 ◽  
Vol 338 (3) ◽  
pp. 701-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne RAUX ◽  
Treasa McVEIGH ◽  
Sarah E. PETERS ◽  
Thomas LEUSTEK ◽  
Martin J. WARREN
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
Subtle Difference ◽  
Pseudomonas Denitrificans ◽  
E Coli ◽  
His Tag ◽  
Cobalamin Biosynthesis

MET1 and MET8 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be complemented by Salmonella typhimurium cysG, indicating that the genes are involved in the transformation of uroporphyrinogen III into sirohaem. In the present study, we have demonstrated complementation of defined cysG mutants of Sal. typhimurium and Escherichia coli, with either MET1 or MET8 cloned in tandem with Pseudomonas denitrificans cobA. The conclusion drawn from these experiments is that MET1 encodes the S-adenosyl-l-methionine uroporphyrinogen III transmethylase activity, and MET8 encodes the dehydrogenase and chelatase activities (all three functions are encoded by Sal. typhimurium and E. coli cysG). MET8 was further cloned into pET14b to allow expression of the protein with an N-terminal His-tag. After purification, the functions of the His-tagged Met8p were studied in vitro by assay with precorrin-2 in the presence of NAD+ and Co2+. The results demonstrated that Met8p acts as a dehydrogenase and chelatase in the biosynthesis of sirohaem. Moreover, despite the fact that S. cerevisiae does not make cobalamins de novo, we have shown also that MET8 is able to complement cobalamin cobaltochelatase mutants and have revealed a subtle difference in the early stages of the anaerobic cobalamin biosynthetic pathways between Sal. typhimurium and Bacillus megaterium.

Phospholipid synthesis in Borrelia burgdorferi: BB0249 and BB0721 encode functional phosphatidylcholine synthase and phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase proteins

Microbiology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 150 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing-Guo Wang ◽  
Joanna P. Scagliotti ◽  
Linden T. Hu
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
Phospholipid Synthesis ◽  
Membrane Phospholipids ◽  
Bacterial Membranes ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Methylation Pathway ◽  
And Function

Phospholipids are an important component of bacterial membranes. Borrelia burgdorferi differs from many other bacteria in that it contains only two major membrane phospholipids: phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). B. burgdorferi appears to lack enzymes required for synthesis of PC through the well-described methylation pathway. However, B. burgdorferi does contain a gene (BB0249) with significant identity to a recently described phosphatidylcholine synthase gene (pcs) of Sinorhizobium meliloti. B. burgdorferi also contains a gene (BB0721) with significant identity to the gene (pgs) encoding phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase, an enzyme in the synthetic pathway of PG. Activity of BB0249 was confirmed by cloning the gene into Escherichia coli, which does not produce PC. Transformation with a plasmid carrying BB0249 resulted in production of PC by E. coli, but only in the presence of exogenously supplied choline, as would be predicted for a Pcs. Because loss of Pgs activity is lethal to E. coli, activity of BB0721 was confirmed by the ability of BB0721 to complement an E. coli Pgs− mutant. A plasmid containing BB0721 was transformed into a Pgs− mutant of E. coli containing a copy of the native gene on a temperature-regulated plasmid. The temperature-regulated plasmid was exchanged for a plasmid containing BB0721 and it was shown that BB0721 was able to replace the lost Pgs function and restore bacterial growth. This study has established the existence and function of two critical enzymes in the synthesis of PC and PG in B. burgdorferi. Understanding of the biosynthetic pathways of PC and PG in B. burgdorferi is the first step in delineating the role of these phospholipids in the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.

scholarly journals Construction of a Convenient Screening Method for P-Hydroxybenzoate Hydroxylase To Enable Efficient Gallic Acid and Pyrogallol Biosynthesis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenya Chen ◽  
Tongtong Chen ◽  
Shengzhu Yu ◽  
Yi-Xin Huo
Keyword(s):  
Gallic Acid ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Docking Simulation ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Hydroxybenzoate Hydroxylase

Abstract BackgroundGallic acid (GA) and pyrogallol are phenolic hydroxyl compounds and have diverse biological activities. Microbial-based biosynthesis of GA and pyrogallol has been emerged as an ecofriendly method to replace the traditional chemical synthesis. In GA and pyrogallol biosynthetic pathways, the low hydroxylation activity of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PobA) towards 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) limited the high-level biosynthesis of GA and pyrogallol.ResultsThis work reported a high active PobA mutant (Y385F/T294A/V349A PobA) towards 3,4-DHBA. This mutant was screened out from a PobA random mutagenesis library through a novel naked eye visual screening method. In vitro enzyme assay showed this mutant has a kcat/Km of 0.059 μM-1s-1 towards 3,4-DHBA, which was 4.92-fold higher than the reported mutant (Y385F/T294A PobA). Molecular docking simulation provided the mechanism explanation of the high activity. Expression of this mutant in E. coli BW25113 (F’) can generate 830 ± 33 mg/L GA from 1000 mg/L 3,4-DHBA. After that, we utilized this mutant to assemble a de novo GA biosynthetic pathway. Subsequently, this pathway was introduced into a 3,4-DHBA-producing strain (E. coli BW25113 (F’)ΔaroE) to achieve 301 ± 15 mg/L GA production from simple carbon sources. Similarly, assembling this mutant into a de novo pyrogallol biosynthetic pathway enabled 129 ± 15 mg/L pyrogallol production.ConclusionsThis work established an efficient screening method and generated a high active PobA mutant. Assembling this mutant into GA and pyrogallol biosynthetic pathways achieved the de novo production of these two compounds. Besides, this mutant has great potential for GA or pyrogallol derivatives production. The screening method could be used for other GA biosynthesis-related enzymes.

scholarly journals The Final Step of Hygromycin A Biosynthesis, Oxidation of C-5″-Dihydrohygromycin A, Is Linked to a Putative Proton Gradient-Dependent Efflux

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 5163-5172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidya Dhote ◽  
Agata L. Starosta ◽  
Daniel N. Wilson ◽  
Kevin A. Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
High Titer ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene Cluster ◽  
Proton Gradient ◽  
Purification And Characterization ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Reduced Activity

ABSTRACT Hygromycin A (HA) is an aminocyclitol antibiotic produced and excreted by Streptomyces hygroscopicus. Deletion of hyg26 from the hygromycin A biosynthetic gene cluster has previously been shown to result in a mutant that produces 5″-dihydrohygromycin A (DHHA). We report herein on the purification and characterization of Hyg26 expressed in E scherichia coli. The enzyme catalyzes an NAD(H)-dependent reversible interconversion of HA and DHHA, supporting the role of the reduced HA as the penultimate biosynthetic pathway intermediate and not a shunt product. The equilibrium for the Hyg26-catalyzed reaction heavily favors the DHHA intermediate. The high-titer production of the HA product by S. hygroscopicus must be dependent upon a subsequent energetically favorable enzyme-catalyzed process, such as the selective and efficient export of HA. hyg19 encodes a putative proton gradient-dependent transporter, and a mutant lacking this gene was observed to produce less HA and to produce the DHHA intermediate. The DHHA produced by either the Δhyg19 or the Δhyg26 mutant had slightly reduced activity against E. coli and reduced protein synthesis-inhibitory activity in vitro. The data indicate that Hyg26 and Hyg19 have evolved to produce and export the final potent HA product in a coordinated fashion.

scholarly journals The serC-aro A operon of Escherichia coli. A mixed function operon encoding enzymes from two different amino acid biosynthetic pathways

1986 ◽  
Vol 234 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Duncan ◽  
J R Coggins
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Shikimate Pathway ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathways ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Base Pairs ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Phosphoserine Aminotransferase ◽  
Aroa Gene

Sub-cloning experiments aimed at precisely locating the E. coli aroA gene, which encodes the shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase, showed that in certain constructions, which remain capable of complementing an auxotrophic aroA mutation, expression of aroA is reduced. DNA sequence analysis revealed that a sequence approx. 1200 base pairs (bp) upstream of aroA is necessary for its expression. An open reading frame was identified in this region which encodes a protein of 362 amino acids with a calculated Mr of 39,834 and which ends 70 bp before the start of the aroA coding sequence. This gene has been identified as serC, the structural gene for 3-phosphoserine aminotransferase, an enzyme of the serine biosynthetic pathway. Both genes are expressed as a polycistronic message which is transcribed from a promotor located 58 bp upstream of serC. Evidence is presented which confirms that the aroA and serC genes constitute an operon which has the novel feature of encoding enzymes from two different amino acid biosynthetic pathways.

scholarly journals The panE Gene, Encoding Ketopantoate Reductase, Maps at 10 Minutes and Is Allelic to apbA inSalmonella typhimurium

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (17) ◽  
pp. 4757-4759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Frodyma ◽  
Diana Downs
Keyword(s):  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
E Coli ◽  
In Vivo Labeling ◽  
Pyrimidine Moiety ◽  
Pantoic Acid

ABSTRACT In Salmonella typhimurium, precursors to the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine are synthesized de novo by the purine biosynthetic pathway or the alternative pyrimidine biosynthetic (APB) pathway. TheapbA gene was the first locus defined as required for function of the APB pathway (D. M. Downs and L. Petersen, J. Bacteriol. 176:4858–4864, 1994). Recent work showed the ApbA protein catalyzes the NADPH-specific reduction of ketopantoic acid to pantoic acid. This activity had previously been associated with the pantothenate biosynthetic gene panE. Although previous reports placed panE at 87 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome, we show herein that apbA andpanE are allelic and map to 10 min on both the S. typhimurium and E. coli chromosomes. Results presented here suggest that the role of ApbA in thiamine synthesis is indirect since in vivo labeling studies showed that pantoic acid, the product of the ApbA-catalyzed reaction, is not a direct precursor to thiamine via the APB pathway.

Impact of Plasmid-Encoded H-NS–like Protein on blaNDM-1-Bearing IncX3 Plasmid in Escherichia coli

2020 ◽  
Vol 221 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S229-S236
Author(s):  
Baomo Liu ◽  
Lili Shui ◽  
Kai Zhou ◽  
Ying Jiang ◽  
Xiaoyu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Fitness Advantage ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant ◽  
Competition Assays ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Abstract Background This study was performed to assess the role of the histone-like nucleoid-structuring (H-NS)–like protein, carried by blaNDM-1-encoding IncX3-type plasmids, in the dissemination of IncX3 plasmids. Methods The blaNDM-1-encoding IncX3 plasmids were analyzed using southern blot, conjugation, and competition assays. Virulence was evaluated with a Galleria mellonella infection model. An hns-knockout IncX3 plasmid was also constructed to identify the functions of plasmid-borne H-NS–like protein in Escherichia coli. Results The assasys detected blaNDM-1-encoding IncX3-type plasmids with similar fingerprint patterns in all New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) 1–producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The IncX3 plasmid conferred a fitness advantage to E. coli J53 but had no effect on host virulence. Moreover, the transconjugation frequency of the hns-null IncX3 plasmid pHN330-△hns was increased by 2.5-fold compared with the wild type. This was caused by up-regulation of conjugation-related plasmid-borne genes and the partition-related gene, in the J330-pHN330-△hns strain. In addition, decreased virulence was detected with this variant. Conclusions Our results highlight the important role of IncX3 plasmids in the dissemination of blaNDM-1 in south China. Plasmid-encoded H-NS–like protein can inhibit plasmid conjugation, partition, and the expression of related genes, in addition to promoting virulence in the host.

scholarly journals Genetic Evidence that GTP Is Required for Transposition of IS903 and Tn552 in Escherichia coli

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (13) ◽  
pp. 4598-4606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbie M. Coros ◽  
Erin Twiss ◽  
Norma P. Tavakoli ◽  
Keith M. Derbyshire
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Host Factors ◽  
Mutant Library ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Late Stages

ABSTRACT Surprisingly little is known about the role of host factors in regulating transposition, despite the potentially deleterious rearrangements caused by the movement of transposons. An extensive mutant screen was therefore conducted to identify Escherichia coli host factors that regulate transposition. An E. coli mutant library was screened using a papillation assay that allows detection of IS903 transposition events by the formation of blue papillae on a colony. Several host mutants were identified that exhibited a unique papillation pattern: a predominant ring of papillae just inside the edge of the colony, implying that transposition was triggered within these cells based on their spatial location within the colony. These mutants were found to be in pur genes, whose products are involved in the purine biosynthetic pathway. The transposition ring phenotype was also observed with Tn552, but not Tn10, establishing that this was not unique to IS903 and that it was not an artifact of the assay. Further genetic analyses of purine biosynthetic mutants indicated that the ring of transposition was consistent with a GTP requirement for IS903 and Tn552 transposition. Together, our observations suggest that transposition occurs during late stages of colony growth and that transposition occurs inside the colony edge in response to both a gradient of exogenous purines across the colony and the developmental stage of the cells.

The Local Sanarelli-Shwartzman Phenomenon in Rats Induced by Human Leukaemic Cells

1973 ◽  
Vol 29 (02) ◽  
pp. 353-362
Author(s):  
J Lisiewicz ◽  
A Pituch ◽  
J. A Litwin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia ◽  
Intravenous Injection ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Lymphocytic Leukaemia ◽  
Acute Myeloblastic Leukaemia ◽  
Demarcation Line ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Leukaemic Cells ◽  
Shwartzman Phenomenon

SummaryThe local Sanarelli-Shwartzman phenomenon (SSP-L) in the skin of 30 rats was induced by an intr a cutaneous sensitizing injection of leukaemic leucocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AL) and chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) and challenged by an intravenous injection of 100(μ of E. coli endotoxin. SSP-L was observed in 7 rats after injection of CLL lymphocytes and in 6 and 2 rats after AL myeloblasts and the CGL granulocytes, respectively. The lesions in the skin after AL myeloblasts appeared in a shorter time and were of longer duration compared with those observed after CLL lymphocytes and CGL granulocytes. Histologically, the lesions consisted of areas of destruction in the superficial layers of the skin ; the demarcation line showed the presence of neutrophils, macrophages and erythrocytes. Haemorrhages and fibrin deposits near the demarcation line were larger after injection of CLL lymphocytes and AL myeloblasts than after CGL granulocytes. The possible role of leucocyte procoagulative substances in the differences observed have been discussed.

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