scholarly journals The Type IV Pilus Assembly Complex: Biogenic Interactions among the Bundle-Forming Pilus Proteins of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (13) ◽  
pp. 3457-3465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra W. Ramer ◽  
Gary K. Schoolnik ◽  
Cheng-Yen Wu ◽  
Jaiweon Hwang ◽  
Sarah A. Schmidt ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Production of type IV bundle-forming pili (BFP) by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) requires the protein products of 12 genes of the 14-gene bfp operon. Antisera against each of these proteins were used to demonstrate that in-frame deletion of individual genes within the operon reduces the abundance of other bfp operon-encoded proteins. This result was demonstrated not to be due to downstream polar effects of the mutations but rather was taken as evidence for protein-protein interactions and their role in the stabilization of the BFP assembly complex. These data, combined with the results of cell compartment localization studies, suggest that pilus formation requires the presence of a topographically discrete assembly complex that is composed of BFP proteins in stoichiometric amounts. The assembly complex appears to consist of an inner membrane component containing three processed, pilin-like proteins, BfpI, -J, and -K, that localize with BfpE, -L, and -A (the major pilin subunit); an outer membrane, secretin-like component, BfpB and -G; and a periplasmic component composed of BfpU. Of these, only BfpL consistently localizes with both the inner and outer membranes and thus, together with BfpU, may articulate between the Bfp proteins in the inner membrane and outer membrane compartments.

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1475-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas G. Housden ◽  
Colin Kleanthous

We are investigating how protein bacteriocins import their toxic payload across the Gram-negative cell envelope, both as a means of understanding the translocation process itself and as a means of probing the organization of the cell envelope and the function of the protein machines within it. Our work focuses on the import mechanism of the group A endonuclease (DNase) colicin ColE9 into Escherichia coli, where we combine in vivo observations with structural, biochemical and biophysical approaches to dissect the molecular mechanism of colicin entry. ColE9 assembles a multiprotein ‘translocon’ complex at the E. coli outer membrane that triggers entry of the toxin across the outer membrane and the simultaneous jettisoning of its tightly bound immunity protein, Im9, in a step that is dependent on the protonmotive force. In the present paper, we focus on recent work where we have uncovered how ColE9 assembles its translocon complex, including isolation of the complex, and how this leads to subversion of a signal intrinsic to the Tol–Pal assembly within the periplasm and inner membrane. In this way, the externally located ColE9 is able to ‘connect’ to the inner membrane protonmotive force via a network of protein–protein interactions that spans the entirety of the E. coli cell envelope to drive dissociation of Im9 and initiate entry of the colicin into the cell.


1982 ◽  
Vol 152 (3) ◽  
pp. 1033-1041
Author(s):  
K E Langley ◽  
E Hawrot ◽  
E P Kennedy

Phosphatidylserine, normally a trace phospholipid in Escherichia coli, accumulates at high levels in temperature-sensitive phosphatidylserine decarboxylase mutants at nonpermissive temperatures. The intracellular localization of this phospholipid has now been determined. All of the accumulated phosphatidylserine is membrane bound and is distributed about equally between the inner and outer membrane fractions of E. coli as determined by isopycnic sucrose gradient fractionation. Phosphatidylserine is therefore effectively translocated from the inner to the outer membrane. Furthermore, this movement is bidirectional. Outer membrane phosphatidylserine can return to the inner membrane, as shown by the complete conversion of accumulated radioactive phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine by inner membrane phosphatidylserine decarboxylase during chase periods. Pulse-chase experiments indicated the newly made phosphatidylserine appears first in the inner membrane and then equilibrates between the inner and outer membranes with a half-time of 12 to 13 min.


mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lorenz ◽  
Thomas J. Dougherty ◽  
Stephen Lory

ABSTRACTBiogenesis of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria depends on dedicated macromolecular transport systems. The LolABCDE proteins make up the machinery for lipoprotein trafficking from the inner membrane (IM) across the periplasm to the outer membrane (OM). The Lol apparatus is additionally responsible for differentiating OM lipoproteins from those for the IM. InEnterobacteriaceae, a default sorting mechanism has been proposed whereby an aspartic acid at position +2 of the mature lipoproteins prevents Lol recognition and leads to their IM retention. In other bacteria, the conservation of sequences immediately following the acylated cysteine is variable. Here we show that inPseudomonas aeruginosa, the three essential Lol proteins (LolCDE) can be replaced with those fromEscherichia coli. TheP. aeruginosalipoproteins MexA, OprM, PscJ, and FlgH, with different sequences at their N termini, were correctly sorted by either theE. coliorP. aeruginosaLolCDE. We further demonstrate that an inhibitor ofE. coliLolCDE is active againstP. aeruginosaonly when expressing theE. coliorthologues. Our work shows that Lol proteins recognize a wide range of signals, consisting of an acylated cysteine and a specific conformation of the adjacent domain, determining IM retention or transport to the OM.IMPORTANCEGram-negative bacteria build their outer membranes (OM) from components that are initially located in the inner membrane (IM). A fraction of lipoproteins is transferred to the OM by the transport machinery consisting of LolABCDE proteins. Our work demonstrates that the LolCDE complexes of the transport pathways ofEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosaare interchangeable, with theE. coliorthologues correctly sorting theP. aeruginosalipoproteins while retaining their sensitivity to a small-molecule inhibitor. These findings question the nature of IM retention signals, identified inE. colias aspartate at position +2 of mature lipoproteins. We propose an alternative model for the sorting of IM and OM lipoproteins based on their relative affinities for the IM and the ability of the promiscuous sorting machinery to deliver lipoproteins to their functional sites in the OM.


Proteomes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Shomeek Chowdhury ◽  
Stephen Hepper ◽  
Mudassir K. Lodi ◽  
Milton H. Saier ◽  
Peter Uetz

Glycolysis is regulated by numerous mechanisms including allosteric regulation, post-translational modification or protein-protein interactions (PPI). While glycolytic enzymes have been found to interact with hundreds of proteins, the impact of only some of these PPIs on glycolysis is well understood. Here we investigate which of these interactions may affect glycolysis in E. coli and possibly across numerous other bacteria, based on the stoichiometry of interacting protein pairs (from proteomic studies) and their conservation across bacteria. We present a list of 339 protein-protein interactions involving glycolytic enzymes but predict that ~70% of glycolytic interactors are not present in adequate amounts to have a significant impact on glycolysis. Finally, we identify a conserved but uncharacterized subset of interactions that are likely to affect glycolysis and deserve further study.


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (18) ◽  
pp. 6048-6059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carine Robichon ◽  
Glenn F. King ◽  
Nathan W. Goehring ◽  
Jon Beckwith

ABSTRACT Bacterial cell division is mediated by a set of proteins that assemble to form a large multiprotein complex called the divisome. Recent studies in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli indicate that cell division proteins are involved in multiple cooperative binding interactions, thus presenting a technical challenge to the analysis of these interactions. We report here the use of an E. coli artificial septal targeting system for examining the interactions between the B. subtilis cell division proteins DivIB, FtsL, DivIC, and PBP 2B. This technique involves the fusion of one of the proteins (the “bait”) to ZapA, an E. coli protein targeted to mid-cell, and the fusion of a second potentially interacting partner (the “prey”) to green fluorescent protein (GFP). A positive interaction between two test proteins in E. coli leads to septal localization of the GFP fusion construct, which can be detected by fluorescence microscopy. Using this system, we present evidence for two sets of strong protein-protein interactions between B. subtilis divisomal proteins in E. coli, namely, DivIC with FtsL and DivIB with PBP 2B, that are independent of other B. subtilis cell division proteins and that do not disturb the cytokinesis process in the host cell. Our studies based on the coexpression of three or four of these B. subtilis cell division proteins suggest that interactions among these four proteins are not strong enough to allow the formation of a stable four-protein complex in E. coli in contrast to previous suggestions. Finally, our results demonstrate that E. coli artificial septal targeting is an efficient and alternative approach for detecting and characterizing stable protein-protein interactions within multiprotein complexes from other microorganisms. A salient feature of our approach is that it probably only detects the strongest interactions, thus giving an indication of whether some interactions suggested by other techniques may either be considerably weaker or due to false positives.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Randi L. Guest ◽  
Daniel Samé Guerra ◽  
Maria Wissler ◽  
Jacqueline Grimm ◽  
Thomas J. Silhavy

ABSTRACT Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential glycolipid present in the outer membrane (OM) of many Gram-negative bacteria. Balanced biosynthesis of LPS is critical for cell viability; too little LPS weakens the OM, while too much LPS is lethal. In Escherichia coli, this balance is maintained by the YciM/FtsH protease complex, which adjusts LPS levels by degrading the LPS biosynthesis enzyme LpxC. Here, we provide evidence that activity of the YciM/FtsH protease complex is inhibited by the essential protein YejM. Using strains in which LpxC activity is reduced, we show that yciM is epistatic to yejM, demonstrating that YejM acts upstream of YciM to prevent toxic overproduction of LPS. Previous studies have shown that this toxicity can be suppressed by deleting lpp, which codes for a highly abundant OM lipoprotein. It was assumed that deletion of lpp restores lipid balance by increasing the number of acyl chains available for glycerophospholipid biosynthesis. We show that this is not the case. Rather, our data suggest that preventing attachment of lpp to the peptidoglycan sacculus allows excess LPS to be shed in vesicles. We propose that this loss of OM material allows continued transport of LPS to the OM, thus preventing lethal accumulation of LPS within the inner membrane. Overall, our data justify the commitment of three essential inner membrane proteins to avoid toxic over- or underproduction of LPS. IMPORTANCE Gram-negative bacteria are encapsulated by an outer membrane (OM) that is impermeable to large and hydrophobic molecules. As such, these bacteria are intrinsically resistant to several clinically relevant antibiotics. To better understand how the OM is established or maintained, we sought to clarify the function of the essential protein YejM in Escherichia coli. Here, we show that YejM inhibits activity of the YciM/FtsH protease complex, which regulates synthesis of the essential OM glycolipid lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our data suggest that disrupting proper communication between LPS synthesis and transport to the OM leads to accumulation of LPS within the inner membrane (IM). The lethality associated with this event can be suppressed by increasing OM vesiculation. Our research has identified a completely novel signaling pathway that we propose coordinates LPS synthesis and transport.


Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 362
Author(s):  
Nicholas Bragagnolo ◽  
Christina Rodriguez ◽  
Naveed Samari-Kermani ◽  
Alice Fours ◽  
Mahboubeh Korouzhdehi ◽  
...  

Efficient in silico development of novel antibiotics requires high-resolution, dynamic models of drug targets. As conjugation is considered the prominent contributor to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, targeted drug design to disrupt vital components of conjugative systems has been proposed to lessen the proliferation of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Advancements in structural imaging techniques of large macromolecular complexes has accelerated the discovery of novel protein-protein interactions in bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SS). The known structural information regarding the F-like T4SS components and complexes has been summarized in the following review, revealing a complex network of protein-protein interactions involving domains with varying degrees of disorder. Structural predictions were performed to provide insight on the dynamicity of proteins within the F plasmid conjugative system that lack structural information.


1979 ◽  
Vol 182 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Allen ◽  
G K Scott

Isolated outer membranes and outer-membrane extracts from Escherichia coli ML308-225 in the early-exponential growth phase contain more protein than do corresponding preparations from late-exponential- or stationary-phase bacteria. Isotope-dilution experiments show that this is due to a loss of protein from the membrane during the exponential growth phase. Inhibition of bacterial growth and protein synthesis stabilizes the outer-membrane-protein concentration. Protein synthesis in the absence of bacterial growth results in higher concentrations of protein in the outer membrane.


2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 5244-5251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Jurik ◽  
Elisabeth Haußer ◽  
Stefan Kutter ◽  
Isabelle Pattis ◽  
Sandra Praßl ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacterial type IV secretion systems are macromolecule transporters with essential functions for horizontal gene transfer and for symbiotic and pathogenic interactions with eukaryotic host cells. Helicobacter pylori, the causative agent of type B gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric adenocarcinoma, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, uses the Cag type IV secretion system to inject its effector protein CagA into gastric cells. This protein translocation results in altered host cell gene expression profiles and cytoskeletal rearrangements, and it has been linked to cancer development. Interactions of CagA with host cell proteins have been studied in great detail, but little is known about the molecular details of CagA recognition as a type IV secretion substrate or of the translocation process. Apart from components of the secretion apparatus, we previously identified several CagA translocation factors that are either required for or support CagA translocation. To identify protein-protein interactions between these translocation factors, we used a yeast two-hybrid approach comprising all cag pathogenicity island genes. Among several other interactions involving translocation factors, we found a strong interaction between the coupling protein homologue Cagβ (HP0524) and the Cag-specific translocation factor CagZ (HP0526). We show that CagZ has a stabilizing effect on Cagβ, and we demonstrate protein-protein interactions between the cytoplasmic part of Cagβ and CagA and between CagZ and Cagβ, using immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays. Together, our data suggest that these interactions represent a substrate-translocation factor complex at the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane.


Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (10) ◽  
pp. 2920-2932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goran Jovanovic ◽  
Christoph Engl ◽  
Antony J. Mayhew ◽  
Patricia C. Burrows ◽  
Martin Buck

The phage-shock-protein (Psp) response maintains the proton-motive force (pmf) under extracytoplasmic stress conditions that impair the inner membrane (IM) in bacterial cells. In Escherichia coli transcription of the pspABCDE and pspG genes requires activation of σ 54-RNA polymerase by the enhancer-binding protein PspF. A regulatory network comprising PspF–A–C–B–ArcB controls psp expression. One key regulatory point is the negative control of PspF imposed by its binding to PspA. It has been proposed that under stress conditions, the IM-bound sensors PspB and PspC receive and transduce the signal(s) to PspA via protein–protein interactions, resulting in the release of the PspA–PspF inhibitory complex and the consequent induction of psp. In this work we demonstrate that PspB self-associates and interacts with PspC via putative IM regions. We present evidence suggesting that PspC has two topologies and that conserved residue G48 and the putative leucine zipper motif are determinants required for PspA interaction and signal transduction upon stress. We also establish that PspC directly interacts with the effector PspG, and show that PspG self-associates. These results are discussed in the context of formation and function of the Psp regulatory complex.


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