scholarly journals Genome-Based Comparison of Cyclic Di-GMP Signaling in Pathogenic and Commensal Escherichia coli Strains

2015 ◽  
Vol 198 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatyana L. Povolotsky ◽  
Regine Hengge
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Large Deletions ◽  
Diguanylate Cyclases ◽  
Core Set ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTThe ubiquitous bacterial second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) has recently become prominent as a trigger for biofilm formation in many bacteria. It is generated by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs; with GGDEF domains) and degraded by specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs; containing either EAL or HD-GYP domains). Most bacterial species contain multiples of these proteins with some having specific functions that are based on direct molecular interactions in addition to their enzymatic activities.Escherichia coliK-12 laboratory strains feature 29 genes encoding GGDEF and/or EAL domains, resulting in a set of 12 DGCs, 13 PDEs, and four enzymatically inactive “degenerate” proteins that act by direct macromolecular interactions. We present here a comparative analysis of GGDEF/EAL domain-encoding genes in 61 genomes of pathogenic, commensal, and probioticE. colistrains (including enteric pathogens such as enteroaggregative, enterohemorrhagic, enteropathogenic, enterotoxigenic, and adherent and invasiveEscherichia coliand the 2011 German outbreak O104:H4 strain, as well as extraintestinal pathogenicE. coli, such as uropathogenic and meningitis-associatedE. coli). We describe additional genes for two membrane-associated DGCs (DgcX and DgcY) and four PDEs (the membrane-associated PdeT, as well as the EAL domain-only proteins PdeW, PdeX, and PdeY), thus showing the pangenome ofE. colito contain at least 35 GGDEF/EAL domain proteins. A core set of only eight proteins is absolutely conserved in all 61 strains: DgcC (YaiC), DgcI (YliF), PdeB (YlaB), PdeH (YhjH), PdeK (YhjK), PdeN (Rtn), and the degenerate proteins CsrD and CdgI (YeaI). In all other GGDEF/EAL domain genes, diverse point and frameshift mutations, as well as small or large deletions, were discovered in various strains.IMPORTANCEOur analysis reveals interesting trends in pathogenicEscherichia colithat could reflect different host cell adherence mechanisms. These may either benefit from or be counteracted by the c-di-GMP-stimulated production of amyloid curli fibers and cellulose. Thus, EAEC, which adhere in a “stacked brick” biofilm mode, have a potential for high c-di-GMP accumulation due to DgcX, a strongly expressed additional DGC. In contrast, EHEC and UPEC, which use alternative adherence mechanisms, tend to have extra PDEs, suggesting that low cellular c-di-GMP levels are crucial for these strains under specific conditions. Overall, our study also indicates that GGDEF/EAL domain proteins evolve rapidly and thereby contribute to adaptation to host-specific and environmental niches of various types ofE. coli.

scholarly journals Systematic Nomenclature for GGDEF and EAL Domain-Containing Cyclic Di-GMP Turnover Proteins of Escherichia coli: TABLE 1

2015 ◽  
Vol 198 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regine Hengge ◽  
Michael Y. Galperin ◽  
Jean-Marc Ghigo ◽  
Mark Gomelsky ◽  
Jeffrey Green ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Diguanylate Cyclases ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Systematic Nomenclature ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Encoding Genes

In recent years,Escherichia colihas served as one of a few model bacterial species for studying cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling. The widely usedE. coliK-12 laboratory strains possess 29 genes encoding proteins with GGDEF and/or EAL domains, which include 12 diguanylate cyclases (DGC), 13 c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases (PDE), and 4 “degenerate” enzymatically inactive proteins. In addition, six new GGDEF and EAL (GGDEF/EAL) domain-encoding genes, which encode two DGCs and four PDEs, have recently been found in genomic analyses of commensal and pathogenicE. colistrains. As a group of researchers who have been studying the molecular mechanisms and the genomic basis of c-di-GMP signaling inE. coli, we now propose a general and systematicdgcandpdenomenclature for the enzymatically active GGDEF/EAL domain-encoding genes of this model species. This nomenclature is intuitive and easy to memorize, and it can also be applied to additional genes and proteins that might be discovered in various strains ofE. coliin future studies.

scholarly journals Enzymatically Active and Inactive Phosphodiesterases and Diguanylate Cyclases Are Involved in Regulation of Motility or Sessility in Escherichia coli CFT073

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel R. Spurbeck ◽  
Rebecca J. Tarrien ◽  
Harry L. T. Mobley
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Second Messenger ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Diguanylate Cyclases ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Messenger Molecule

ABSTRACTIntracellular concentration of cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP), a second messenger molecule, is regulated in bacteria by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) (synthesizing c-di-GMP) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs) (degrading c-di-GMP). c-di-GMP concentration ([c-di-GMP]) affects motility and sessility in a reciprocal fashion; high [c-di-GMP] typically inhibits motility and promotes sessility. A c-di-GMP sensor domain, PilZ, also regulates motility and sessility. UropathogenicEscherichia coliregulates these processes during infection; motility is necessary for ascending the urinary tract, while sessility is essential for colonization of anatomical sites. Here, we constructed and screened 32 mutants containing deletions of genes encoding each PDE (n= 11), DGC (n= 13), PilZ (n= 2), and both PDE and DGC (n= 6) domains for defects in motility, biofilm formation, and adherence for the prototypical pyelonephritis isolateE. coliCFT073. Three of 32 mutations affected motility, all of which were in genes encoding enzymatically inactive PDEs. Four PDEs, eight DGCs, four PDE/DGCs, and one PilZ regulated biofilm formation in a medium-specific manner. Adherence to bladder epithelial cells was regulated by [c-di-GMP]. Four PDEs, one DGC, and three PDE/DGCs repress adherence and four DGCs and one PDE/DGC stimulate adherence. Thus, specific effectors of [c-di-GMP] and catalytically inactive DGCs and PDEs regulate adherence and motility in uropathogenicE. coli.IMPORTANCEUropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC) contains several genes annotated as encoding enzymes that increase or decrease the abundance of the second messenger molecule, c-di-GMP. While this class of enzymes has been studied in anE. coliK-12 lab strain, these proteins have not been comprehensively examined in UPEC. UPEC utilizes both swimming motility and adherence to colonize and ascend the urinary tract; both of these processes are hypothesized to be regulated by the concentration of c-di-GMP. Here, for the first time, in a uropathogenic strain,E. coliCFT073, we have characterized mutants lacking each protein and demonstrated that the uropathogen has diverged fromE. coliK-12 to utilize these enzymes to regulate adherence and motility by distinct mechanisms.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli Isolates That Carryvat,fyuA,chuA, andyfcVEfficiently Colonize the Urinary Tract

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 4115-4122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel R. Spurbeck ◽  
Paul C. Dinh ◽  
Seth T. Walk ◽  
Ann E. Stapleton ◽  
Thomas M. Hooton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Tract Infection ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Neonatal Meningitis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Core Set ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTExtraintestinalEscherichia coli(ExPEC), a heterogeneous group of pathogens, encompasses avian, neonatal meningitis, and uropathogenicE. colistrains. While several virulence factors are associated with ExPEC, there is no core set of virulence factors that can be used to definitively differentiate these pathotypes. Here we describe a multiplex of four virulence factor-encoding genes,yfcV,vat,fyuA, andchuA, highly associated with uropathogenicE. colistrains that can distinguish three groups ofE. coli: diarrheagenic and animal-associatedE. colistrains, human commensal and avian pathogenicE. colistrains, and uropathogenic and neonatal meningitisE. colistrains. Furthermore, human intestinal isolates that encode all four predictor genes express them during exponential growth in human urine and colonize the bladder in the mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection in higher numbers than human commensal strains that do not encode the four predictor genes (P= 0.02), suggesting that the presence of the predictors correlates with uropathogenic potential.

scholarly journals Unexpected Diversity of Escherichia coli SialateO-Acetyl Esterase NanS

2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (20) ◽  
pp. 2803-2809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Rangel ◽  
Susan M. Steenbergen ◽  
Eric R. Vimr
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Sialic Acid ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Sialic Acids ◽  
Host Bacterium ◽  
Acetyl Esterase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
K 12

ABSTRACTThe sialic acids (N-acylneuraminates) are a group of nine-carbon keto-sugars existing mainly as terminal residues on animal glycoprotein and glycolipid carbohydrate chains. Bacterial commensals and pathogens exploit host sialic acids for nutrition, adhesion, or antirecognition, whereN-acetyl- orN-glycolylneuraminic acids are the two predominant chemical forms of sialic acids. Each form may be modified by acetyl esters at carbon position 4, 7, 8, or 9 and by a variety of less-common modifications. Modified sialic acids produce challenges for colonizing bacteria, because the chemical alterations toN-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) confer increased resistance to sialidase and aldolase activities essential for the catabolism of host sialic acids. Bacteria withO-acetyl sialate esterase(s) utilize acetylated sialic acids for growth, thereby gaining a presumed metabolic advantage over competitors lacking this activity. Here, we demonstrate the esterase activity ofEscherichia coliNanS after purifying it as a C-terminal HaloTag fusion. Using a similar approach, we show thatE. colistrain O157:H7 Stx prophage or prophage remnants invariably include paralogs ofnanSoften located downstream of the Shiga-like toxin genes. These paralogs may include sequences encoding N- or C-terminal domains of unknown function where the NanS domains can act as sialateO-acetyl esterases, as shown by complementation of anE. colistrain K-12nanSmutant and the unimpaired growth of anE. coliO157nanSmutant onO-acetylated sialic acid. We further demonstrate thatnanShomologs inStreptococcusspp. also encode active esterase, demonstrating an unexpected diversity of bacterial sialateO-acetyl esterase.IMPORTANCEThe sialic acids are a family of over 40 naturally occurring 9-carbon keto-sugars that function in a variety of host-bacterium interactions. These sugars occur primarily as terminal carbohydrate residues on host glycoproteins and glycolipids. Available evidence indicates that diverse bacterial species use host sialic acids for adhesion or as sources of carbon and nitrogen. Our results show that the catabolism of the diacetylated form of host sialic acid requires a specialized esterase, NanS. Our results further show thatnanShomologs exist in bacteria other thanEscherichia coli, as well as part of toxigenicE. coliprophage. The unexpected diversity of these enzymes suggests new avenues for investigating host-bacterium interactions. Therefore, these original results extend our previous studies ofnanSto include mucosal pathogens, prophage, and prophage remnants. This expansion of thenanSsuperfamily suggests important, although as-yet-unknown, functions in host-microbe interactions.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of UpaB and UpaC, Two New Autotransporter Proteins of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073

2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke P. Allsopp ◽  
Christophe Beloin ◽  
Glen C. Ulett ◽  
Jaione Valle ◽  
Makrina Totsika ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Molecular Characterization ◽  
Host Responses ◽  
Upec Strain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
E Coli ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTUropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC) is the primary cause of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the developed world. The major factors associated with virulence of UPEC are fimbrial adhesins, which mediate specific attachment to host receptors and trigger innate host responses. Another group of adhesins is represented by the autotransporter (AT) subgroup of proteins. The genome-sequenced prototype UPEC strain CFT073 contains 11 putative AT-encoding genes. In this study, we have performed a detailed molecular characterization of two closely related AT adhesins from CFT073: UpaB (c0426) and UpaC (c0478). PCR screening revealed that theupaBandupaCAT-encoding genes are common inE. coli. TheupaBandupaCgenes were cloned and characterized in a recombinantE. coliK-12 strain background. This revealed that they encode proteins located at the cell surface but possess different functional properties: UpaB mediates adherence to several ECM proteins, while UpaC expression is associated with increased biofilm formation. In CFT073,upaBis expressed whileupaCis transcriptionally repressed by the global regulator H-NS. In competitive colonization experiments employing the mouse UTI model, CFT073 significantly outcompeted itsupaB(but notupaC) isogenic mutant strain in the bladder. This attenuated phenotype was also observed in single-challenge experiments, where deletion of theupaBgene in CFT073 significantly reduced early colonization of the bladder.

scholarly journals Autotransporter Protein-Encoding Genes of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Are Found in both Typical and Atypical Enteropathogenic E. coli Strains

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 411-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afonso G. Abreu ◽  
Vanessa Bueris ◽  
Tatiane M. Porangaba ◽  
Marcelo P. Sircili ◽  
Fernando Navarro-Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Diarrheagenic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Markers ◽  
Protein Encoding ◽  
Encoding Genes ◽  
Specific Virulence

ABSTRACTAutotransporter (AT) protein-encoding genes of diarrheagenicEscherichia coli(DEC) pathotypes (cah,eatA,ehaABCDJ,espC,espI,espP,pet,pic,sat, andtibA) were detected in typical and atypical enteropathogenicE. coli(EPEC) in frequencies between 0.8% and 39.3%. Although these ATs have been described in particular DEC pathotypes, their presence in EPEC indicates that they should not be considered specific virulence markers.

scholarly journals Molecular Epidemiology of NDM-1-Producing Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates from Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 5589-5593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna L. Sartor ◽  
Muhammad W. Raza ◽  
Shahid A. Abbasi ◽  
Kathryn M. Day ◽  
John D. Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Molecular Epidemiology ◽  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Enterobacter Cloacae ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Plasmid Replicon ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Clonal Spread ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTThe molecular epidemiology of 66 NDM-producing isolates from 2 Pakistani hospitals was investigated, with their genetic relatedness determined using repetitive sequence-based PCR (Rep-PCR). PCR-based replicon typing and screening for antibiotic resistance genes encoding carbapenemases, other β-lactamases, and 16S methylases were also performed. Rep-PCR suggested a clonal spread ofEnterobacter cloacaeandEscherichia coli. A number of plasmid replicon types were identified, with the incompatibility A/C group (IncA/C) being the most common (78%). 16S methylase-encoding genes were coharbored in 81% of NDM-producingEnterobacteriaceae.

scholarly journals Molecular Control of Sucrose Utilization in Escherichia coli W, an Efficient Sucrose-Utilizing Strain

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 478-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suriana Sabri ◽  
Lars K. Nielsen ◽  
Claudia E. Vickers
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Good Growth ◽  
Knockout Mutant ◽  
Sucrose Transport ◽  
Molecular Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Sucrose Utilization

ABSTRACTSucrose is an industrially important carbon source for microbial fermentation. Sucrose utilization inEscherichia coli, however, is poorly understood, and most industrial strains cannot utilize sucrose. The roles of the chromosomally encoded sucrose catabolism (csc) genes inE. coliW were examined by knockout and overexpression experiments. At low sucrose concentrations, thecscgenes are repressed and cells cannot grow. Removal of either the repressor protein (cscR) or the fructokinase (cscK) gene facilitated derepression. Furthermore, combinatorial knockout ofcscRandcscKconferred an improved growth rate on low sucrose. The invertase (cscA) and sucrose transporter (cscB) genes are essential for sucrose catabolism inE. coliW, demonstrating that no other genes can provide sucrose transport or inversion activities. However,cscKis not essential for sucrose utilization. Fructose is excreted into the medium by thecscK-knockout strain in the presence of high sucrose, whereas at low sucrose (when carbon availability is limiting), fructose is utilized by the cell. Overexpression ofcscA,cscAK, orcscABcould complement the WΔcscRKABknockout mutant or confer growth on a K-12 strain which could not naturally utilize sucrose. However, phenotypic stability and relatively good growth rates were observed in the K-12 strain only when overexpressingcscAB, and full growth rate complementation in WΔcscRKABalso requiredcscAB. Our understanding of sucrose utilization can be used to improveE. coliW and engineer sucrose utilization in strains which do not naturally utilize sucrose, allowing substitution of sucrose for other, less desirable carbon sources in industrial fermentations.

scholarly journals Increased Survival of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli inside Macrophages

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Migla Miskinyte ◽  
Isabel Gordo
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Resistance Mutation ◽  
Fitness Cost ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Fitness Effects ◽  
K 12

ABSTRACTMutations causing antibiotic resistance usually incur a fitness cost in the absence of antibiotics. The magnitude of such costs is known to vary with the environment. Little is known about the fitness effects of antibiotic resistance mutations when bacteria confront the host's immune system. Here, we study the fitness effects of mutations in therpoB,rpsL, andgyrAgenes, which confer resistance to rifampin, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid, respectively. These antibiotics are frequently used in the treatment of bacterial infections. We measured two important fitness traits—growth rate and survival ability—of 12Escherichia coliK-12 strains, each carrying a single resistance mutation, in the presence of macrophages. Strikingly, we found that 67% of the mutants survived better than the susceptible bacteria in the intracellular niche of the phagocytic cells. In particular, allE. colistreptomycin-resistant mutants exhibited an intracellular advantage. On the other hand, 42% of the mutants incurred a high fitness cost when the bacteria were allowed to divide outside of macrophages. This study shows that single nonsynonymous changes affecting fundamental processes in the cell can contribute to prolonged survival ofE. coliin the context of an infection.

scholarly journals Bioinformatic and Molecular Analysis of Inverse Autotransporters from Escherichia coli

mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelvin G. K. Goh ◽  
Danilo G. Moriel ◽  
Steven J. Hancock ◽  
Minh-Duy Phan ◽  
Mark A. Schembri
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Type V Secretion ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Type V

ABSTRACT Proteins secreted by the type V secretion system possess multiple functions, including the capacity to mediate adhesion, aggregation, and biolfilm formation. The type V secretion system can be divided into five subclasses, one of which is the type Ve system. Proteins of the type Ve secretion system are also referred to as inverse autotransporters (IATs). In this study, we performed an in silico analysis of 126 completely sequenced Escherichia coli genomes available in the NCBI database and identified several distinct IAT-encoding gene families whose distribution varied throughout the E. coli phylogeny. The genes included three characterized IATs (intimin, fdeC, and yeeJ) and four uncharacterized IATs (here named iatA, iatB, iatC, and iatD). The four iat genes were cloned from the completely sequenced environmental E. coli strain SMS-3-5 and characterized. Three of these IAT proteins (IatB, IatC, and IatD) were expressed at the cell surface and possessed the capacity to mediate biofilm formation in a recombinant E. coli K-12 strain. Further analysis of the iatB gene, which showed a unique association with extraintestinal E. coli strains, suggested that its regulation is controlled by the LeuO global regulator. Overall, this study provides new data describing the prevalence, sequence variation, domain structure, function, and regulation of IATs found in E. coli. IMPORTANCE Escherichia coli is one of the most prevalent facultative anaerobes of the human gut. E. coli normally exists as a harmless commensal but can also cause disease following the acquisition of genes that enhance its pathogenicity. Adhesion is an important first step in colonization of the host and is mediated by an array of cell surface components. In E. coli, these include a family of adhesins secreted by the type V secretion system. Here, we identified and characterized new proteins from an emerging subclass of the type V secretion system known as the inverse autotransporters (IATs). We found that IAT-encoding genes are present in a wide range of strains and showed that three novel IATs were localized on the E. coli cell surface and mediated biofilm formation. Overall, this study provides new insight into the prevalence, function, and regulation of IATs in E. coli.

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