scholarly journals Intra- and Interspecies Signaling betweenStreptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus pyogenes Mediated by SalA and SalA1 Lantibiotic Peptides

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (13) ◽  
pp. 3931-3938 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Upton ◽  
J. R. Tagg ◽  
P. Wescombe ◽  
H. F. Jenkinson

ABSTRACT Streptococcus salivarius 20P3 produces a 22-amino-acid residue lantibiotic, designated salivaricin A (SalA), that inhibits the growth of a range of streptococci, including all strains ofStreptococcus pyogenes. Lantibiotic production is associated with the sal genetic locus comprisingsalA, the lantibiotic structural gene; salBCTXgenes encoding peptide modification and export machinery proteins; andsalYKR genes encoding a putative immunity protein and two-component sensor-regulator system. Insertional inactivation ofsalB in S. salivarius 20P3 resulted in abrogation of SalA peptide production, of immunity to SalA, and ofsalA transcription. Addition of exogenous SalA peptide tosalB mutant cultures induced dose-dependent expression ofsalA mRNA (0.2 kb), demonstrating that SalA production was normally autoregulated. Inactivation of salR encoding the response regulator of the SalKR two-component system led to reduced production of, and immunity to, SalA. The sal genetic locus was also present in S. pyogenes SF370 (M type 1), but because of a deletion across the salBCT genes, the corresponding lantibiotic peptide, designated SalA1, was not produced. However, in S. pyogenes T11 (M type 4) the sallocus gene complement was apparently complete, and active SalA1 peptide was synthesized. Exogenously added SalA1 peptide from S. pyogenes T11 induced salA1 transcription in S. pyogenes SF370 and in an isogenic S. pyogenes T11salB mutant and salA transcription in S. salivarius 20P3 salB. Thus, SalA and SalA1 are examples of streptococcal lantibiotics whose production is autoregulated. These peptides act as intra- and interspecies signaling molecules, modulating lantibiotic production and possibly influencing streptococcal population ecology in the oral cavity.

2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (4) ◽  
pp. 1342-1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart J. McKessar ◽  
Regine Hakenbeck

ABSTRACT The two-component system TCS08 is one of the regulatory systems that is important for virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In order to investigate the TCS08 regulon, we have analyzed transcription profiles of mutants derived from S. pneumoniae R6 by microarray analysis. Since deletion mutants are often without a significant phenotype, we constructed a mutation in the histidine kinase HK08, T133P, in analogy to the phosphatase mutation T230P in the H box of the S. pneumoniae CiaH kinase described recently (D. Zähner, K. Kaminski, M. van der Linden, T. Mascher, M. Merai, and R. Hakenbeck, J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 4:211-216, 2002). In addition, a deletion mutation was constructed in rr08, encoding the cognate response regulator. The most heavily suppressed genes in the hk08 mutant were spr0276 to spr0282, encoding a putative cellobiose phosphoenolpyruvate sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS). Whereas the R6 Smr parent strain and the Δrr08 mutant readily grew on cellobiose, the hk08 mutant and selected mutants with deletions in the PTS cluster did not, strongly suggesting that TCS08 is involved in the catabolism of cellobiose. Homologues of the TCS08 system were found in closely related streptococci and other gram-positive cocci. However, the genes spr0276 to spr0282, encoding the putative cellobiose PTS, represent a genomic island in S. pneumoniae and homologues were found in Streptococcus gordonii only, suggesting that this system might contribute to the pathogenicity potential of the pneumococcus.


2014 ◽  
Vol 197 (5) ◽  
pp. 861-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumiko Kurabayashi ◽  
Yuko Hirakawa ◽  
Koichi Tanimoto ◽  
Haruyoshi Tomita ◽  
Hidetada Hirakawa

Particular interest in fosfomycin has resurfaced because it is a highly beneficial antibiotic for the treatment of refractory infectious diseases caused by pathogens that are resistant to other commonly used antibiotics. The biological cost to cells of resistance to fosfomycin because of chromosomal mutation is high. We previously found that a bacterial two-component system, CpxAR, induces fosfomycin tolerance in enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coli(EHEC) O157:H7. This mechanism does not rely on irreversible genetic modification and allows EHEC to relieve the fitness burden that results from fosfomycin resistance in the absence of fosfomycin. Here we show that another two-component system, TorSRT, which was originally characterized as a regulatory system for anaerobic respiration utilizing trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), also induces fosfomycin tolerance. Activation of the Tor regulatory pathway by overexpression oftorR, which encodes the response regulator, or addition of TMAO increased fosfomycin tolerance in EHEC. We also show that phosphorylated TorR directly represses the expression ofglpT, a gene that encodes a symporter of fosfomycin and glycerol-3-phosphate, and activation of the TorR protein results in the reduced uptake of fosfomycin by cells. However, cells in which the Tor pathway was activated had an impaired growth phenotype when cultured with glycerol-3-phosphate as a carbon substrate. These observations suggest that the TorSRT pathway is the second two-component system to reversibly control fosfomycin tolerance and glycerol-3-phosphate uptake in EHEC, and this may be beneficial for bacteria by alleviating the biological cost. We expect that this mechanism could be a potential target to enhance the utility of fosfomycin as chemotherapy against multidrug-resistant pathogens.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Novoa-Aponte ◽  
Fernando C. Soncini ◽  
José M. Argüello

ABSTRACTTwo component systems control periplasmic Cu+ homeostasis in Gram-negative bacteria. In characterized systems such as Escherichia coli CusRS, upon Cu+ binding to the periplasmic sensing domain of CusS, a cytoplasmic phosphotransfer domain phosphorylates the response regulator CusR. This drives the expression of efflux transporters, chaperones, and redox enzymes to ameliorate metal toxic effects. Here, we show that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa two component sensor histidine kinase CopS exhibits a Cu-dependent phosphatase activity that maintains a non-phosphorylated CopR when the periplasmic Cu levels are below its activation threshold. Upon Cu+ binding to the sensor, the phosphatase activity is blocked and the phosphorylated CopR activates transcription of the CopRS regulon. Supporting the model, mutagenesis experiments revealed that the ΔcopS strain showed constitutive high expression of the CopRS regulon, lower intracellular Cu+ levels, and larger Cu tolerance when compared to wild type cells. The invariant phospho-acceptor residue His235 of CopS was not required for the phosphatase activity itself, but necessary for its Cu-dependency. To sense the metal, the periplasmic domain of CopS binds two Cu+ ions at its dimeric interface. Homology modeling of CopS based on CusS structure (four Ag+ binding sites) clearly explains the different binding stoichiometries in both systems. Interestingly, CopS binds Cu+/2+ with 30 × 10−15 M affinities, pointing to the absence of free (hydrated) Cu+/2+ in the periplasm.IMPORTANCECopper is a micronutrient required as cofactor in redox enzymes. When free, copper is toxic, mismetallating proteins, and generating damaging free radicals. Consequently, copper overload is a strategy that eukaryotic cells use to combat pathogens. Bacteria have developed copper sensing transcription factors to control copper homeostasis. The cell envelope is the first compartment that has to cope with copper stress. Dedicated two component systems control the periplasmic response to metal overload. This manuscript shows that the copper sensing two component system present in Pseudomonadales exhibits a signal-dependent phosphatase activity controlling the activation of the response regulator, distinct from previously described periplasmic Cu sensors. Importantly, the data show that the sensor is activated by copper levels compatible with the absence of free copper in the cell periplasm. This emphasizes the diversity of molecular mechanisms that have evolved in various bacteria to manage the copper cellular distribution.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (46) ◽  
pp. 13174-13179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaira Martín-Moldes ◽  
Blas Blázquez ◽  
Claudine Baraquet ◽  
Caroline S. Harwood ◽  
María T. Zamarro ◽  
...  

Cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a second messenger that controls diverse functions in bacteria, including transitions from planktonic to biofilm lifestyles, virulence, motility, and cell cycle. Here we describe TolR, a hybrid two-component system (HTCS), from the β-proteobacterium Azoarcus sp. strain CIB that degrades c-di-GMP in response to aromatic hydrocarbons, including toluene. This response protects cells from toluene toxicity during anaerobic growth. Whereas wild-type cells tolerated a sudden exposure to a toxic concentration of toluene, a tolR mutant strain or a strain overexpressing a diguanylate cyclase gene lost viability upon toluene shock. TolR comprises an N-terminal aromatic hydrocarbon-sensing Per–Arnt–Sim (PAS) domain, followed by an autokinase domain, a response regulator domain, and a C-terminal c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) domain. Autophosphorylation of TolR in response to toluene exposure initiated an intramolecular phosphotransfer to the response regulator domain that resulted in c-di-GMP degradation. The TolR protein was engineered as a functional sensor histidine kinase (TolRSK) and an independent response regulator (TolRRR). This classic two-component system (CTCS) operated less efficiently than TolR, suggesting that TolR was evolved as a HTCS to optimize signal transduction. Our results suggest that TolR enables Azoarcus sp. CIB to adapt to toxic aromatic hydrocarbons under anaerobic conditions by modulating cellular levels of c-di-GMP. This is an additional role for c-di-GMP in bacterial physiology.


2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (6) ◽  
pp. 1735-1739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela R. Peña-Sandoval ◽  
Dimitris Georgellis

ABSTRACT The Arc two-component system, comprising the ArcB sensor kinase and the ArcA response regulator, modulates the expression of numerous genes in response to the respiratory conditions of growth. ArcB is a tripartite histidine kinase whose activity is regulated by the oxidation of two cytosol-located redox-active cysteine residues that participate in intermolecular disulfide bond formation. Here we show that ArcB autophosphorylates through an intramolecular reaction which diverges from the usually envisaged intermolecular autophosphorylation of homodimeric histidine kinases.


mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Wehrmann ◽  
Charlotte Berthelot ◽  
Patrick Billard ◽  
Janosch Klebensberger

ABSTRACTInPseudomonas putidaKT2440, two pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent ethanol dehydrogenases (PQQ-EDHs) are responsible for the periplasmic oxidation of a broad variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Depending on the availability of rare earth elements (REEs) of the lanthanide series (Ln3+), we have recently reported that the transcription of the genes encoding the Ca2+-utilizing enzyme PedE and the Ln3+-utilizing enzyme PedH are inversely regulated. With adaptive evolution experiments, site-specific mutations, transcriptional reporter fusions, and complementation approaches, we now demonstrate that the PedS2/PedR2 (PP_2671/PP_2672) two-component system (TCS) plays a central role in the observed REE-mediated switch of PQQ-EDHs inP. putida. We provide evidence that in the absence of lanthanum (La3+), the sensor histidine kinase PedS2 phosphorylates its cognate LuxR-type response regulator PedR2, which in turn not only activatespedEgene transcription but is also involved in repression ofpedH. Our data further suggest that the presence of La3+lowers kinase activity of PedS2, either by the direct binding of the metal ions to the periplasmic region of PedS2 or by an uncharacterized indirect interaction, leading to reduced levels of phosphorylated PedR2. Consequently, the decreasingpedEexpression and concomitant alleviation ofpedHrepression causes—in conjunction with the transcriptional activation of thepedHgene by a yet unknown regulatory module—the Ln3+-dependent transition from PedE- to PedH-catalyzed oxidation of alcoholic VOCs.IMPORTANCEThe function of lanthanides for methanotrophic and methylotrophic bacteria is gaining increasing attention, while knowledge about the role of rare earth elements (REEs) in nonmethylotrophic bacteria is still limited. The present study investigates the recently described differential expression of the two PQQ-EDHs ofP. putidain response to lanthanides. We demonstrate that a specific TCS is crucial for their inverse regulation and provide evidence for a dual regulatory function of the LuxR-type response regulator involved. Thus, our study represents the first detailed characterization of the molecular mechanism underlying the REE switch of PQQ-EDHs in a nonmethylotrophic bacterium and stimulates subsequent investigations for the identification of additional genes or phenotypic traits that might be coregulated during REE-dependent niche adaptation.


Microbiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 151 (11) ◽  
pp. 3603-3614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darío Ortiz de Orué Lucana ◽  
Peijian Zou ◽  
Marc Nierhaus ◽  
Hildgund Schrempf

The Gram-positive soil bacterium and cellulose degrader Streptomyces reticuli synthesizes the mycelium-associated enzyme CpeB, which displays haem-dependent catalase and peroxidase activity, as well as haem-independent manganese-peroxidase activity. The expression of the furS–cpeB operon depends on the redox regulator FurS and the presence of the haem-binding protein HbpS. Upstream of hbpS, the neighbouring senS and senR genes were identified. SenS is a sensor histidine kinase with five predicted N-terminally located transmembrane domains. SenR is the corresponding response regulator with a C-terminal DNA-binding motif. Comparative transcriptional and biochemical studies with a designed S. reticuli senS/senR chromosomal disruption mutant and a set of constructed Streptomyces lividans transformants showed that the presence of the novel two-component system SenS/SenR negatively modulates the expression of the furS–cpeB operon and the hbpS gene. The presence of SenS/SenR enhances considerably the resistance of S. reticuli to haemin and the redox-cycling compound plumbagin, suggesting that this system could participate directly or indirectly in the sensing of redox changes. Epitope-tagged HbpS (obtained from an Escherichia coli transformant) as well as the native S. reticuli HbpS interact in vitro specifically with the purified SenS fusion protein. On the basis of these findings, together with data deduced from the S. reticuli hbpS mutant strain, HbpS is suggested to act as an accessory protein that communicates with the sensor protein to modulate the corresponding regulatory cascade. Interestingly, close and distant homologues, respectively, of the SenS/SenR system are encoded within the Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and Streptomyces avermitilis genomes, but not within other known bacterial genomes. Hence the SenS/SenR system appears to be confined to streptomycetes.


Microbiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 155 (11) ◽  
pp. 3632-3640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ok Bin Kim ◽  
Julia Reimann ◽  
Hanna Lukas ◽  
Uwe Schumacher ◽  
Jan Grimpo ◽  
...  

Escherichia coli catabolizes l-tartrate under anaerobic conditions to oxaloacetate by the use of l-tartrate/succinate antiporter TtdT and l-tartrate dehydratase TtdAB. Subsequently, l-malate is channelled into fumarate respiration and degraded to succinate by the use of fumarase FumB and fumarate reductase FrdABCD. The genes encoding the latter pathway (dcuB, fumB and frdABCD) are transcriptionally activated by the DcuS–DcuR two-component system. Expression of the l-tartrate-specific ttdABT operon encoding TtdAB and TtdT was stimulated by the LysR-type gene regulator TtdR in the presence of l- and meso-tartrate, and repressed by O2 and nitrate. Anaerobic expression required a functional fnr gene, and nitrate repression depended on NarL and NarP. Expression of ttdR, encoding TtdR, was repressed by O2, nitrate and glucose, and positively regulated by TtdR and DcuS. Purified TtdR specifically bound to the ttdR–ttdA promoter region. TtdR was also required for full expression of the DcuS–DcuR-dependent dcuB gene in the presence of tartrate. Overall, expression of the ttdABT genes is subject to l-/meso-tartrate-dependent induction, and to aerobic and nitrate repression. The control is exerted directly at ttdA and in addition indirectly by regulating TtdR levels. TtdR recognizes a subgroup (l- and meso-tartrate) of the stimuli perceived by the sensor DcuS, which responds to all C4-dicarboxylates; both systems apparently communicate by mutual regulation of the regulatory genes.


2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 927-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Deng ◽  
Lefu Lan ◽  
Yanmei Xiao ◽  
Megan Kennelly ◽  
Jian-Min Zhou ◽  
...  

The two-component system RhpRS was identified in Pseudomonas syringae as a regulator of the genes encoding the type III secretion system and type III effector proteins (together called the T3 genes). In the absence of the sensor kinase RhpS, the response regulator RhpR represses the induction of the T3 gene regulatory cascade consisting of hrpRS, hrpL, and the T3 genes in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The repressor activity of RhpR is inhibited by RhpS, which presumably acts as a phosphatase under the T3 gene inducing conditions. Here, we show that RhpR binds and induces its own promoter in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Deletion and mutagenesis analyses revealed an inverted repeat (IR) element, GTATC-N6-GATAC, in the rhpR promoter that confers the RhpR-dependent induction. Computational search of the P. syringae genomes for the putative IR elements and Northern blot analysis of the genes with a putative IR element in the promoter region uncovered five genes that were upregulated and two genes that were downregulated in an RhpR-dependent manner. Two genes that were strongly induced by RhpR were assayed for the IR element activity in gene regulation and, in both cases, the IR element mediated the RhpR-dependent gene induction. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that RhpR binds the promoters containing a putative IR element but not the hrpR and hrpL promoters that do not have an IR element, suggesting that RhpR indirectly regulates the transcriptional cascade of hrpRS, hrpL, and the T3 genes.


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