scholarly journals Roles of pgaABCD Genes in Synthesis, Modification, and Export of the Escherichia coli Biofilm Adhesin Poly-β-1,6-N-Acetyl-d-Glucosamine

2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (10) ◽  
pp. 3670-3680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshikane Itoh ◽  
John D. Rice ◽  
Carlos Goller ◽  
Archana Pannuri ◽  
Jeannette Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Attachment Site ◽  
Covalent Modification ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
K 12

ABSTRACT The linear homopolymer poly-β-1,6-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (β-1,6-GlcNAc; PGA) serves as an adhesin for the maintenance of biofilm structural stability in diverse eubacteria. Its function in Escherichia coli K-12 requires the gene products of the pgaABCD operon, all of which are necessary for biofilm formation. PgaC is an apparent glycosyltransferase that is required for PGA synthesis. Using a monoclonal antibody directed against E. coli PGA, we now demonstrate that PgaD is also needed for PGA formation. The deletion of genes for the predicted outer membrane proteins PgaA and PgaB did not prevent PGA synthesis but did block its export, as shown by the results of immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) and antibody adsorption assays. IEM also revealed a conditional localization of PGA at the cell poles, the initial attachment site for biofilm formation. PgaA contains a predicted β-barrel porin and a superhelical domain containing tetratricopeptide repeats, which may mediate protein-protein interactions, implying that it forms the outer membrane secretin for PGA. PgaB contains predicted carbohydrate binding and polysaccharide N-deacetylase domains. The overexpression of pgaB increased the primary amine content (glucosamine) of PGA. Site-directed mutations targeting the N-deacetylase catalytic activity of PgaB blocked PGA export and biofilm formation, implying that N-deacetylation promotes PGA export through the PgaA porin. The results of previous studies indicated that N-deacetylation of β-1,6-GlcNAc in Staphylococcus epidermidis by the PgaB homolog, IcaB, anchors it to the cell surface. The deletion of icaB resulted in release of β-1,6-GlcNAc into the growth medium. Thus, covalent modification of β-1,6-GlcNAc by N-deacetylation serves distinct biological functions in gram-negative and gram-positive species, dictated by cell envelope differences.

scholarly journals YcfR (BhsA) Influences Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation through Stress Response and Surface Hydrophobicity

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (8) ◽  
pp. 3051-3062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue-Song Zhang ◽  
Rodolfo García-Contreras ◽  
Thomas K. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Cell Aggregation ◽  
Surface Hydrophobicity ◽  
Receptor Protein ◽  
Signal Molecules ◽  
K 12

ABSTRACT DNA microarrays revealed that expression of ycfR, which encodes a putative outer membrane protein, is significantly induced in Escherichia coli biofilms and is also induced by several stress conditions. We show that deletion of ycfR increased biofilm formation fivefold in the presence of glucose; the glucose effect was corroborated by showing binding of the cyclic AMP receptor protein to the ycfR promoter. It appears that YcfR is a multiple stress resistance protein, since deleting ycfR also rendered the cell more sensitive to acid, heat treatment, hydrogen peroxide, and cadmium. Increased biofilm formation through YcfR due to stress appears to be the result of decreasing indole synthesis, since a mutation in the tnaA gene encoding tryptophanase prevented enhanced biofilm formation upon stress and adding indole prevented enhanced biofilm formation upon stress. Deleting ycfR also affected outer membrane proteins and converted the cell from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, as well as increased cell aggregation fourfold. YcfR seems to be involved in the regulation of E. coli K-12 biofilm formation by decreasing cell aggregation and cell surface adhesion, by influencing the concentration of signal molecules, and by interfering with stress responses. Based on our findings, we propose that this locus be named bhsA, for influencing biofilm through hydrophobicity and stress response.

scholarly journals Iron-regulated outer membrane proteins of Escherichia coli K-12 and mechanism of action of catechol-substituted cephalosporins.

1988 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1879-1886 ◽  
Author(s):  
N A Curtis ◽  
R L Eisenstadt ◽  
S J East ◽  
R J Cornford ◽  
L A Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
K 12

scholarly journals Mutational Analysis of the Escherichia coli K-12 TolA N-Terminal Region and Characterization of Its TolQ-Interacting Domain by Genetic Suppression

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (24) ◽  
pp. 6433-6439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Germon ◽  
Thierry Clavel ◽  
Anne Vianney ◽  
Raymond Portalier ◽  
Jean Claude Lazzaroni
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Cytoplasmic Membrane ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Transmembrane Helix ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Genetic Suppression ◽  
K 12

ABSTRACT The Tol-Pal proteins of Escherichia coli are involved in maintaining outer membrane integrity. They form two complexes in the cell envelope. Transmembrane domains of TolQ, TolR, and TolA interact in the cytoplasmic membrane, while TolB and Pal form a complex near the outer membrane. The N-terminal transmembrane domain of TolA anchors the protein to the cytoplasmic membrane and interacts with TolQ and TolR. Extensive mutagenesis of the N-terminal part of TolA was carried out to characterize the residues involved in such processes. Mutations affecting the function of TolA resulted in a lack or an alteration in TolA-TolQ or TolR-TolA interactions but did not affect the formation of TolQ-TolR complexes. Our results confirmed the importance of residues serine 18 and histidine 22, which are part of an SHLS motif highly conserved in the TolA and the related TonB proteins from different organisms. Genetic suppression experiments were performed to restore the functional activity of some tolA mutants. The suppressor mutations all affected the first transmembrane helix of TolQ. These results confirmed the essential role of the transmembrane domain of TolA in triggering interactions with TolQ and TolR.

scholarly journals Helical Disposition of Proteins and Lipopolysaccharide in the Outer Membrane of Escherichia coli

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (6) ◽  
pp. 1913-1922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anindya S. Ghosh ◽  
Kevin D. Young
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Fluorescent Dyes ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Side Walls

ABSTRACT In bacteria, several physiological processes once thought to be the products of uniformly dispersed reactions are now known to be highly asymmetric, with some exhibiting interesting geometric localizations. In particular, the cell envelope of Escherichia coli displays a form of subcellular differentiation in which peptidoglycan and outer membrane proteins at the cell poles remain stable for generations while material in the lateral walls is diluted by growth and turnover. To determine if material in the side walls was organized in any way, we labeled outer membrane proteins with succinimidyl ester-linked fluorescent dyes and then grew the stained cells in the absence of dye. Labeled proteins were not evenly dispersed in the envelope but instead appeared as helical ribbons that wrapped around the outside of the cell. By staining the O8 surface antigen of E. coli 2443 with a fluorescent derivative of concanavalin A, we observed a similar helical organization for the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) component of the outer membrane. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching indicated that some of the outer membrane proteins remained freely diffusible in the side walls and could also diffuse into polar domains. On the other hand, the LPS O antigen was virtually immobile. Thus, the outer membrane of E. coli has a defined in vivo organization in which a subfraction of proteins and LPS are embedded in stable domains at the poles and along one or more helical ribbons that span the length of this gram-negative rod.

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