scholarly journals Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A (MsrA) Deficiency Affects the Survival of Mycobacterium smegmatis within Macrophages

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (11) ◽  
pp. 3590-3598 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Douglas ◽  
D. S. Daniel ◽  
B. K. Parida ◽  
C. Jagannath ◽  
S. Dhandayuthapani

ABSTRACT Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) is an antioxidant repair enzyme which reduces oxidized methionine to methionine. Since oxidation of methionine in proteins impairs their function, an absence of MsrA leads to abnormalities in different organisms, including alterations in the adherence patterns and in vivo survival of certain pathogenic bacteria. To understand the role of MsrA in intracellular survival of bacteria, we disrupted the gene encoding MsrA in Mycobacterium smegmatis through homologous recombination. The msrA mutant strain of M. smegmatis exhibited significantly reduced intracellular survival in murine J774A.1 macrophages compared to the survival of its wild-type counterpart. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and immnunoblotting of phagosomes containing M. smegmatis strains revealed that the phagosomes with the msrA mutant strain acquired both p67phox of phagocyte NADPH oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase much earlier than the phagosomes with the wild-type strain. In addition, the msrA mutant strain of M. smegmatis was observed to be more sensitive to hydroperoxides than the wild-type strain was in vitro. These results suggest that MsrA plays an important role in both extracellular and intracellular survival of M. smegmatis.

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Ja Han ◽  
Tatsuo Taki ◽  
Hidehiro Kondo ◽  
Ikuo Hirono ◽  
Takashi Aoki

The role of collagenase as a mechanism of bacterial pathogenicity in some pathogenic bacteria has been reported. The information on the role of collagenase in Aeromonas spp. pathogenesis is scant. In the present study, a mutant Aeromonas veronii RY001 that is deficient in the putative collagenase gene acg was constructed and compared with the wild-type strain for virulence factors. Bacterial cells and cell-free extracellular products of the mutant had significantly less collagenolytic activity, but there were not significant differences in caseinolytic, gelatinolytic, and elastolytic activities. Adhesion and invasion abilities of the mutant strain on epithelioma papillosum of carp cells was only 56% of that of the wild-type strain, and the cytotoxicity of the mutant strain to epithelioma papillosum of carp cells was only 42% of that of the wild-type strain. The LD50values of the wild-type strain were determined as 1.6 × 106and 3.5 × 105cfu in goldfish and mice, respectively, whereas the mutant RY001 strain showed slightly higher values (i.e., 2.8 × 106and 1.4 × 106cfu in goldfish and mice, respectively). These results indicated the involvement of the collagenase gene in the pathogenesis of A. veronii.


2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ofelia Chacon ◽  
Zhengyu Feng ◽  
N. Beth Harris ◽  
Nancy E. Cáceres ◽  
L. Garry Adams ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium smegmatis is a fast-growing nonpathogenic species particularly useful in studying basic cellular processes of relevance to pathogenic mycobacteria. This study focused on the d-alanine racemase gene (alrA), which is involved in the synthesis of d-alanine, a basic component of peptidoglycan that forms the backbone of the cell wall. M. smegmatis alrA null mutants were generated by homologous recombination using a kanamycin resistance marker for insertional inactivation. Mutants were selected on Middlebrook medium supplemented with 50 mM d-alanine and 20 μg of kanamycin per ml. These mutants were also able to grow in standard and minimal media without d-alanine, giving rise to colonies with a drier appearance and more-raised borders than the wild-type strain. The viability of the mutants and independence of d-alanine for growth indicate that inactivation of alrA does not impose an auxotrophic requirement for d-alanine, suggesting the existence of a new pathway of d-alanine biosynthesis in M. smegmatis. Biochemical analysis demonstrated the absence of any detectable d-alanine racemase activity in the mutant strains. In addition, the alrA mutants displayed hypersusceptibility to the antimycobacterial agent d-cycloserine. The MIC of d-cycloserine for the mutant strain was 2.56 μg/ml, 30-fold less than that for the wild-type strain. Furthermore, this hypersusceptibility was confirmed by the bactericidal action of d-cycloserine on broth cultures. The kinetic of killing for the mutant strain followed the same pattern as that for the wild-type strain, but at a 30-fold-lower drug concentration. This effect does not involve a change in the permeability of the cell wall by this drug and is consistent with the identification of d-alanine racemase as a target of d-cycloserine. This outcome is of importance for the design of novel antituberculosis drugs targeting peptidoglycan biosynthesis in mycobacteria.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayeong Kim ◽  
Hyo Jeong Kim ◽  
Man Hwan Oh ◽  
Se Yeon Kim ◽  
Mi Hyun Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Zinc uptake-regulator (Zur)-regulated lipoprotein A (ZrlA) plays a role in bacterial fitness and overcoming antimicrobial exposure in Acinetobacter baumannii. This study further characterized the zrlA gene and its encoded protein and investigated the roles of the zrlA gene in bacterial morphology, antimicrobial susceptibility, and production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in A. baumannii ATCC 17978. Results In silico and polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that the zrlA gene was conserved among A. baumannii strains with 97–100% sequence homology. Recombinant ZrlA protein exhibited a specific enzymatic activity of D-alanine-D-alanine carboxypeptidase. Wild-type A. baumannii exhibited more morphological heterogeneity than a ΔzrlA mutant strain during stationary phase. The ΔzrlA mutant strain was more susceptible to gentamicin than the wild-type strain. Sizes and protein profiles of OMVs were similar between the wild-type and ΔzrlA mutant strains, but the ΔzrlA mutant strain produced 9.7 times more OMV particles than the wild-type strain. OMVs from the ΔzrlA mutant were more cytotoxic in cultured epithelial cells than OMVs from the wild-type strain. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that A. baumannii ZrlA contributes to bacterial morphogenesis and antimicrobial resistance, but its deletion increases OMV production and OMV-mediated host cell cytotoxicity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduard Melief ◽  
Shilah A. Bonnett ◽  
Edison S. Zuniga ◽  
Tanya Parish

ABSTRACT The diaminoquinazoline series has good potency against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Resistant isolates have mutations in Rv3161c, a putative dioxygenase. We carried out metabolite analysis on a wild-type strain and an Rv3161c mutant strain after exposure to a diaminoquinazoline. The parental compound was found in intracellular extracts from the mutant but not the wild type. A metabolite consistent with a monohydroxylated form was identified in the wild type. These data support the hypothesis that Rv3161c metabolizes diaminoquinazolines in M. tuberculosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changle Zhao ◽  
Yinping Wan ◽  
Xiaojie Cao ◽  
Huili Zhang ◽  
Xin Bao

Abstract Background The microbial synthesis of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) remains the most promising industrial production route. Methylobacterium has been used to generate PQQ and other value-added chemicals from cheap carbon feedstocks.However, the low PQQ and CoQ10 production capacity of the Methylobacterium strains is a major limitation The regulation mechanism for PQQ and CoQ10 biosynthesis in this strain has also not been fully elucidated. Results Methylobacterium sp. CLZ strain was isolated from soil contaminated with chemical wastewater, which can simultaneously produce PQQ, CoQ10, and carotenoids by using cheap methanol as carbon source. We investigated a mutant strain NI91, which increased the PQQ and CoQ10 yield by 72.44% and 59.80%, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing of NI91 and wild-type strain CLZ revealed that both contain a 5.28 Mb chromosome. The comparative genomic analysis and validation study revealed that a significant increase in biomass and PQQ production was associated with the base mutations in the methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) synthesis genes, mxaD and mxaJ. The significant increase in CoQ10 production may be associated with the base mutations in dxs gene, a key gene in the MEP/DOXP pathway. Conclusions A PQQ producing strain that simultaneously produces CoQ10 and carotenoids was selected and after ANI analysis, named as Methylobacterium sp. CLZ. After random mutagenesis of this strain, we obtained NI91 strain, which showed increased production of PQQ and CoQ10. Based on comparative genomic analysis of the whole genome of mutant strain NI91 and wild-type strain CLZ, a total of 270 SNPs and InDels events were detected, which provided a reference for subsequent research. The mutations in mxaD, mxaJ and dxs genes may be related to the high yield of PQQ and CoQ10. These findings will enhance our understanding of the PQQ and CoQ10 over-production mechanism in Methylobacterium sp. NI91 at the genomic level. It will also provide useful clues for strain engineering in order to improve the PQQ and CoQ10 production.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (19) ◽  
pp. 6796-6805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof P. Bzymek ◽  
Gerald L. Newton ◽  
Philong Ta ◽  
Robert C. Fahey

ABSTRACT Mycothiol ([MSH] AcCys-GlcN-Ins, where Ac is acetyl) is the major thiol produced by Mycobacterium smegmatis and other actinomycetes. Mutants deficient in MshA (strain 49) or MshC (transposon mutant Tn1) of MSH biosynthesis produce no MSH. However, when stationary phase cultures of these mutants were incubated in medium containing MSH, they actively transported it to generate cellular levels of MSH comparable to or greater than the normal content of the wild-type strain. When these MSH-loaded mutants were transferred to MSH-free preconditioned medium, the cellular MSH was catabolized to generate GlcN-Ins and AcCys. The latter was rapidly converted to Cys by a high deacetylase activity assayed in extracts. The Cys could be converted to pyruvate by a cysteine desulfhydrase or used to regenerate MSH in cells with active MshC. Using MSH labeled with [U-14C]cysteine or with [6-3H]GlcN, it was shown that these residues are catabolized to generate radiolabeled products that are ultimately lost from the cell, indicating extensive catabolism via the glycolytic and Krebs cycle pathways. These findings, coupled with the fact the myo-inositol can serve as a sole carbon source for growth of M. smegmatis, indicate that MSH functions not only as a protective cofactor but also as a reservoir of readily available biosynthetic precursors and energy-generating metabolites potentially important under stress conditions. The half-life of MSH was determined in stationary phase cells to be ∼50 h in strains with active MshC and 16 ± 3 h in the MshC-deficient mutant, suggesting that MSH biosynthesis may be a suitable target for drugs to treat dormant tuberculosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S106-S107
Author(s):  
Kevin Thyne ◽  
Yuhong Liu ◽  
Adam B Salmon

Abstract While caloric restriction (CR) provides highly robust improvements to longevity and health, dietary restriction of the essential amino acid methionine can provide similar benefits including improved metabolic function and increased longevity. Despite these similarities between CR and methionine restriction (MR), there is growing evidence to suggest they may be mediated by different mechanisms that require further elucidation. The sulfur side-chain of methionine is highly prone to oxidation, even in vivo, with redox changes of these residues potentially altering protein function and interfering with its use as a substrate. An entire family of enzymes, methionine sulfoxide reductases, have evolved in aerobic organisms to regulate the redox status of methionine. We tested the role of methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) in the physiological and metabolic benefits of MR. After three months of MR, mice lacking MsrA (MsrA KO) showed significant loss of weight, including both fat and lean mass, in comparison to wild-type mice under MR. Both MsrA KO and wild-type mice responded to MR with improvements to both glucose and insulin tolerance. However, MR MsrA KO mice showed lower HbA1c and reduced leptin compared to MR wild-type mice. Overall, our results show mice lacking MsrA have a stronger response to MR suggesting that methionine redox may play an important role in some of the mechanisms responsible for these metabolic outcomes. Further studies clarify whether MsrA could also be a potential regulator of the longevity benefits of MR.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 3883-3892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruhisha Suga ◽  
Koji Kageyama ◽  
Masafumi Shimizu ◽  
Misturo Hyakumachi

Abstract Members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (Fg complex or FGSC) are the primary pathogens causing Fusarium head blight in wheat and barley worldwide. A natural pathogenicity mutant (strain 0225022) was found in a sample of the Fg complex collected in Japan. The mutant strain did not induce symptoms in wheat spikes beyond the point of inoculation, and did not form perithecia. No segregation of phenotypic deficiencies occurred in the progenies of a cross between the mutant and a fully pathogenic wild-type strain, which suggested that a single genetic locus controlled both traits. The locus was mapped to chromosome 2 by using sequence-tagged markers; and a deletion of ∼3 kb was detected in the mapped region of the mutant strain. The wild-type strain contains the FGSG_02810 gene, encoding a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor protein, in this region. The contribution of FGSG_02810 to pathogenicity and perithecium formation was confirmed by complementation in the mutant strain using gene transfer, and by gene disruption in the wild-type strain.


1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 940-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROLF GEISEN

Two strains of Penicillium nalgiovense, which carried the god gene of Aspergillus niger and had increased glucose oxidase (GOD) activity compared with the wild-type strain, were tested for their ability to suppress the growth of certain food-related pathogenic bacteria. In contrast to the wild type, which showed no antibacterial effect when grown in mixed culture with different bacteria, the two tranformed strains were highly antagonistic. The strain that expressed higher amounts of GOD in general had higher inhibitory activity. Both strains showed antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The inhibitory activity was dependent on the glucose concentration in the medium. S. aureus was completely inhibited at 1% glucose in the presence of the higher GOD-producing transformant. In contrast, if arabinose was used as a carbon source, no inhibition occurred. If catalase was added to the medium, the inhibitory activity of the transformants was completely inactivated, indicating that the hydrogen peroxide produced was responsible for the antibacterial activity of the transformants.


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