scholarly journals Altered Ca2+ Regulation of Yop Secretion in Yersinia enterocolitica after DNA Adenine Methyltransferase Overproduction Is Mediated by Clp-Dependent Degradation of LcrG

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (20) ◽  
pp. 7072-7081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Fälker ◽  
M. Alexander Schmidt ◽  
Gerhard Heusipp

ABSTRACT DNA methylation by the DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam) interferes with the coordinated expression of virulence functions in an increasing number of pathogens. While analyzing the effect of Dam on the virulence of the human pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica, we observed type III secretion of Yop effector proteins under nonpermissive conditions. Dam alters the Ca2+ regulation of Yop secretion but does not affect the temperature regulation of Yop/Ysc expression. The phenotype is different from that of classical “Ca2+-blind” mutants of Yersinia, as Dam-overproducing (DamOP) strains still translocate Yops polarly into eukaryotic cells. Although transcription of the lcrGV and yopN-tyeA operons is slightly upregulated, LcrG is absent from lysates of DamOP bacteria, while the amounts of YopN and TyeA are not changed. We present evidence that clpXP expression increases after Dam overproduction and that the ClpP protease then degrades LcrG, thereby releasing a block in type III secretion. This is the first example of posttranslational regulation of type III secretion by the Clp protease and adds a new flavor to the complex regulatory mechanisms underlying the controlled release of effector proteins from bacterial cells.

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (20) ◽  
pp. 5563-5571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Briana M. Young ◽  
Glenn M. Young

ABSTRACT Yersinia enterocolitica O:8 has two contact-dependent type III secretion systems (TTSSs). The Ysa TTSS is encoded by a set of genes located on the chromosome and exports Ysp proteins. The Ysc TTSS and the Yop effector proteins it exports are encoded by genes located on plasmid pYVe8081. In this study, secretion of YspG, YspH, and YspJ by the Ysa TTSS was shown to require pYVe8081. Furthermore, mutations that blocked the function of the Ysc TTSS did not affect YspG, YspH, and YspJ production. This indicated that YspG, YspH, and YspJ are encoded by genes located on pYVe8081 and that they may correspond to Yops. A comparison of Ysps with Yop effectors secreted by Y. enterocolitica indicated that YspG, YspH, and YspJ have apparent molecular masses similar to those of YopN, YopP, and YopE, respectively. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that antibodies directed against YopN, YopP, and YopE recognized YspG, YspH, and YspJ. Furthermore, mutations in yopN, yopP, and yopE specifically blocked YopN, YopP, and YopE secretion by the Ysc TTSS and YspG, YspH, and YspJ secretion by the Ysa TTSS. These results indicate YspG, YspH, and YspJ are actually YopN, YopP, and YopE. Additional analysis demonstrated that YopP and YspH secretion was restored to yopP mutants by complementation in trans with a wild-type copy of the yopP gene. Examination of Y. enterocolitica-infected J774A.1 macrophages revealed that both the Ysc and Ysa TTSSs contribute to YopP-dependent suppression of tumor necrosis factor alpha production. This indicates that both the Ysa and Ysc TTSSs are capable of targeting YopP and that they influence Y. enterocolitica interactions with macrophages. Taken together, these results suggest that the Ysa and Ysc TTSSs contribute to Y. enterocolitica virulence by exporting both unique and common subsets of effectors.


2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (5) ◽  
pp. 1324-1334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Briana M. Young ◽  
Glenn M. Young

ABSTRACT Yersinia enterocolitica maintains three different pathways for type III protein secretion. Each pathway requires the activity of a specific multicomponent apparatus or type III secretion system (TTSS). Two of the TTSSs are categorized as contact-dependent systems which have been shown in a number of different symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria to influence interactions with host organisms by targeting effector proteins into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. The third TTSS is required for the assembly of flagella and the secretion of the phospholipase YplA, which has been implicated in Y. enterocolitica virulence. In this study, YplA was expressed from a constitutive promoter in strains that contained only a single TTSS. It was determined that each of the three TTSSs is individually sufficient for YplA secretion. Environmental factors such as temperature, calcium availability, and sodium chloride concentration affected the contribution of each system to extracellular protein secretion and, under some conditions, more than one TTSS appeared to operate simultaneously. This suggests that some proteins might normally be exported by more than one TTSS in Y. enterocolitca.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 5961-5977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista Venecia ◽  
Glenn M. Young

ABSTRACT Pathogenic biovars of Yersinia enterocolitica maintain the well-studied plasmid-encoded Ysc type III secretion (TTS) system, which has a definitive role in virulence. Y. enterocolitica biovar 1B additionally has a distinct chromosomal locus, the Yersinia secretion apparatus pathogenicity island (YSA PI) that encodes the Ysa TTS system. The signals to which the Ysa TTS system responds and its role in virulence remain obscure. This exploratory study was conducted to define environmental cues that promote the expression of Ysa TTS genes and to define how the Ysa TTS system influences bacterium-host interactions. Using a genetic approach, a collection of Y. enterocolitica Ysa TTS mutants was generated by mutagenesis with a transposon carrying promoterless lacZYA. This approach identified genes both within and outside of the YSA PI that contribute to Ysa TTS. Expression of these genes was regulated in response to growth phase, temperature, NaCl, and pH. Additional genetic analysis demonstrated that two regulatory genes encoding components of the YsrR-YsrS (ysrS) and RcsC-YojN-RcsB (rcsB) phosphorelay systems affect the expression of YSA PI genes and each other. The collection of Ysa TTS-defective transposon mutants, along with other strains carrying defined mutations that block Ysa and Ysc TTS, was examined for changes in virulence properties by using the BALB/c mouse model of infection. This analysis revealed that the Ysa TTS system impacts the ability of Y. enterocolitica to colonize gastrointestinal tissues. These results reveal facets of how Y. enterocolitica controls the function of the Ysa TTS system and uncovers a role for the Ysa TTS during the gastrointestinal phase of infection.


1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 757-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa W. Cheng ◽  
Deborah M. Anderson ◽  
Olaf Schneewind

mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia V. Monjarás Feria ◽  
Matthew D. Lefebre ◽  
York-Dieter Stierhof ◽  
Jorge E. Galán ◽  
Samuel Wagner

ABSTRACTType III secretion systems (T3SSs) are multiprotein machines employed by many Gram-negative bacteria to inject bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells to promote bacterial survival and colonization. The core unit of T3SSs is the needle complex, a supramolecular structure that mediates the passage of the secreted proteins through the bacterial envelope. A distinct feature of the T3SS is that protein export occurs in a strictly hierarchical manner in which proteins destined to form the needle complex filament and associated structures are secreted first, followed by the secretion of effectors and the proteins that will facilitate their translocation through the target host cell membrane. The secretion hierarchy is established by complex mechanisms that involve several T3SS-associated components, including the “switch protein,” a highly conserved, inner membrane protease that undergoes autocatalytic cleavage. It has been proposed that the autocleavage of the switch protein is the trigger for substrate switching. We show here that autocleavage of theSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium switch protein SpaS is an unregulated process that occurs after its folding and before its incorporation into the needle complex. Needle complexes assembled with a precleaved form of SpaS function in a manner indistinguishable from that of the wild-type form. Furthermore, an engineered mutant of SpaS that is processed by an external protease also displays wild-type function. These results demonstrate that the cleavage eventper sedoes not provide a signal for substrate switching but support the hypothesis that cleavage allows the proper conformation of SpaS to render it competent for its switching function.IMPORTANCEBacterial interaction with eukaryotic hosts often involves complex molecular machines for targeted delivery of bacterial effector proteins. One such machine, the type III secretion system of some Gram-negative bacteria, serves to inject a multitude of structurally diverse bacterial proteins into the host cell. Critical to the function of these systems is their ability to secrete proteins in a strict hierarchical order, but it is unclear how the mechanism of switching works. Central to the switching mechanism is a highly conserved inner membrane protease that undergoes autocatalytic cleavage. Although it has been suggested previously that the autocleavage event is the trigger for substrate switching, we show here that this is not the case. Rather, our results show that cleavage allows the proper conformation of the protein to render it competent for its switching function. These findings may help develop inhibitors of type III secretion machines that offer novel therapeutic avenues to treat various infectious diseases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Clarke ◽  
Rongman Cai ◽  
David J. Studholme ◽  
David S. Guttman ◽  
Boris A. Vinatzer

Pseudomonas syringae is best known as a plant pathogen that causes disease by translocating immune-suppressing effector proteins into plant cells through a type III secretion system (T3SS). However, P. syringae strains belonging to a newly described phylogenetic subgroup (group 2c) are missing the canonical P. syringae hrp/hrc cluster coding for a T3SS, flanking effector loci, and any close orthologue of known P. syringae effectors. Nonetheless, P. syringae group 2c strains are common leaf colonizers and grow on some tested plant species to population densities higher than those obtained by other P. syringae strains on nonhost species. Moreover, group 2c strains have genes necessary for the production of phytotoxins, have an ice nucleation gene, and, most interestingly, contain a novel hrp/hrc cluster, which is only distantly related to the canonical P. syringae hrp/hrc cluster. This hrp/hrc cluster appears to encode a functional T3SS although the genes hrpK and hrpS, present in the classical P. syringae hrp/hrc cluster, are missing. The genome sequence of a representative group 2c strain also revealed distant orthologues of the P. syringae effector genes avrE1 and hopM1 and the P. aeruginosa effector genes exoU and exoY. A putative life cycle for group 2c P. syringae is discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 286 (41) ◽  
pp. 36098-36107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu-Jun Yu ◽  
Mei Liu ◽  
Steve Matthews ◽  
David W. Holden

Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) of bacterial pathogens involve the assembly of a surface-localized needle complex, through which translocon proteins are secreted to form a pore in the eukaryotic cell membrane. This enables the transfer of effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm to the host cell. A structure known as the C-ring is thought to have a crucial role in secretion by acting as a cytoplasmic sorting platform at the base of the T3SS. Here, we studied SsaQ, an FliN-like putative C-ring protein of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2)-encoded T3SS. ssaQ produces two proteins by tandem translation: a long form (SsaQL) composed of 322 amino acids and a shorter protein (SsaQS) comprising the C-terminal 106 residues of SsaQL. SsaQL is essential for SPI-2 T3SS function. Loss of SsaQS impairs the function of the T3SS both ex vivo and in vivo. SsaQS binds to its corresponding region within SsaQL and stabilizes the larger protein. Therefore, SsaQL function is optimized by a novel chaperone-like protein, produced by tandem translation from its own mRNA species.


2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (2) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas K. J. Veenendaal ◽  
Charlotta Sundin ◽  
Ariel J. Blocker

ABSTRACT Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are essential virulence devices for many gram-negative bacteria that are pathogenic for plants, animals, and humans. They serve to translocate virulence effector proteins directly into eukaryotic host cells. T3SSs are composed of a large cytoplasmic bulb and a transmembrane region into which a needle is embedded, protruding above the bacterial surface. The emerging antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens urges the development of novel strategies to fight bacterial infections. Therapeutics that rather than kill bacteria only attenuate their virulence may reduce the frequency or progress of resistance emergence. Recently, a group of salicylidene acylhydrazides were identified as inhibitors of T3SSs in Yersinia, Chlamydia, and Salmonella species. Here we show that these are also effective on the T3SS of Shigella flexneri, where they block all related forms of protein secretion so far known, as well as the epithelial cell invasion and induction of macrophage apoptosis usually demonstrated by this bacterium. Furthermore, we show the first evidence for the detrimental effect of these compounds on T3SS needle assembly, as demonstrated by increased numbers of T3S apparatuses without needles or with shorter needles. Therefore, the compounds generate a phenocopy of T3SS export apparatus mutants but with incomplete penetrance. We discuss why this would be sufficient to almost completely block the later secretion of effector proteins and how this begins to narrow the search for the molecular target of these compounds.


2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 2404-2413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachiko Miyata ◽  
Monika Casey ◽  
Dara W. Frank ◽  
Frederick M. Ausubel ◽  
Eliana Drenkard

ABSTRACT Nonvertebrate model hosts represent valuable tools for the study of host-pathogen interactions because they facilitate the identification of bacterial virulence factors and allow the discovery of novel components involved in host innate immune responses. In this report, we determined that the greater wax moth caterpillar Galleria mellonella is a convenient nonmammalian model host for study of the role of the type III secretion system (TTSS) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis. Based on the observation that a mutation in the TTSS pscD gene of P. aeruginosa strain PA14 resulted in a highly attenuated virulence phenotype in G. mellonella, we examined the roles of the four known effector proteins of P. aeruginosa (ExoS, ExoT, ExoU, and ExoY) in wax moth killing. We determined that in P. aeruginosa strain PA14, only ExoT and ExoU play a significant role in G. mellonella killing. Strain PA14 lacks the coding sequence for the ExoS effector protein and does not seem to express ExoY. Moreover, using ΔexoU ΔexoY, ΔexoT ΔexoY, and ΔexoT ΔexoU double mutants, we determined that individual translocation of either ExoT or ExoU is sufficient to obtain nearly wild-type levels of G. mellonella killing. On the other hand, data obtained with a ΔexoT ΔexoU ΔexoY triple mutant and a ΔpscD mutant suggested that additional, as-yet-unidentified P. aeruginosa components of type III secretion are involved in virulence in G. mellonella. A high level of correlation between the results obtained in the G. mellonella model and the results of cytopathology assays performed with a mammalian tissue culture system validated the use of G. mellonella for the study of the P. aeruginosa TTSS.


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