scholarly journals Point Mutations in Transmembrane Helices 2 and 3 of ExbB and TolQ Affect Their Activities in Escherichia coli K-12

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (13) ◽  
pp. 4402-4406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volkmar Braun ◽  
Christina Herrmann

ABSTRACT Replacement of glutamate 176, the only charged amino acid in the third transmembrane helix of ExbB, with alanine (E176A) abolished ExbB activity in all determined ExbB-dependent functions of Escherichia coli. Combination of the mutations T148A in the second transmembrane helix and T181A in the third transmembrane helix, proposed to form part of a proton pathway through ExbB, also resulted in inactive ExbB. E176 and T148 are strictly conserved in ExbB and TolQ proteins, and T181 is almost strictly conserved in ExbB, TolQ, and MotA.

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1680-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Javier Martín-Galiano ◽  
Begoña Gorgojo ◽  
Calvin M. Kunin ◽  
Adela G. de la Campa

ABSTRACT The activities of mefloquine (MFL) and related compounds against previously characterized Streptococcus pneumoniae strains carrying defined amino acid substitutions in the c subunit of the F0F1 H+-ATPase were studied. In addition, a series of MFL-resistant (Mflr) strains were isolated and characterized. A good correlation was observed between inhibition of growth and inhibition of the membrane-associated F0F1 H+-ATPase activity. MFL was about 10-fold more active than optochin and about 200-fold more active than quinine in inhibiting both the growth and the ATPase activities of laboratory pneumococcal strain R6. Mutant strains were inhibited by the different compounds to different degrees, depending on their specific mutations in the c subunit. The resistant strains studied had point mutations that changed amino acid residues in either the c subunit or the a subunit of the F0 complex. Changes in the c subunit were located in one of the two transmembrane α helices: residues M13, G14, G20, M23, and N24 of helix 1 and residues M44, G47, V48, A49, and V57 of helix 2. Changes in the a subunit were also found in either of the transmembrane α helices, helix 5 or 6: residue L186 of helix 5 and residues W206, F209, and S214 of helix 6. These results suggest that the transmembrane helices of the c and a subunits interact and that the mutated residues are important for the structure of the F0 complex and proton translocation.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (24) ◽  
pp. 6433-6439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Germon ◽  
Thierry Clavel ◽  
Anne Vianney ◽  
Raymond Portalier ◽  
Jean Claude Lazzaroni

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Issam Hamdallah ◽  
Nadia Torok ◽  
Katarina M. Bischof ◽  
Nadim Majdalani ◽  
Sriya Chadalavada ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTExperimental evolution ofEscherichia coliK-12 W3110 by serial dilutions for 2,200 generations at high pH extended the range of sustained growth from pH 9.0 to pH 9.3. pH 9.3-adapted isolates showed mutations in DNA-binding regulators and envelope proteins. One population showed an IS1knockout ofphoB(encoding the positive regulator of the phosphate regulon). AphoB::kanRknockout increased growth at high pH.phoBmutants are known to increase production of fermentation acids, which could enhance fitness at high pH. Mutations inpcnB[poly(A) polymerase] also increased growth at high pH. Three out of four populations showed deletions oftorI, an inhibitor of TorR, which activates expression oftorCAD(trimethylamineN-oxide respiration) at high pH. All populations showed point mutations affecting the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS, either in the coding gene or in genes for regulators of RpoS expression. RpoS is required for survival at extremely high pH. In our microplate assay,rpoSdeletion slightly decreased growth at pH 9.1. RpoS protein accumulated faster at pH 9 than at pH 7. The RpoS accumulation at high pH required the presence of one or more antiadaptors that block degradation (IraM, IraD, and IraP). Other genes with mutations after high-pH evolution encode regulators, such as those encoded byyobG(mgrB) (PhoPQ regulator),rpoN(nitrogen starvation sigma factor),malI, andpurR, as well as envelope proteins, such as those encoded byompTandyahO. Overall,E. colievolution at high pH selects for mutations in key transcriptional regulators, includingphoBand the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS.IMPORTANCEEscherichia coliin its native habitat encounters high-pH stress such as that of pancreatic secretions. Experimental evolution over 2,000 generations showed selection for mutations in regulatory factors, such as deletion of the phosphate regulator PhoB and mutations that alter the function of the global stress regulator RpoS. RpoS is induced at high pH via multiple mechanisms.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (15) ◽  
pp. 5429-5440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. White-Ziegler ◽  
Amy J. Malhowski ◽  
Sarah Young

ABSTRACT Using DNA microarrays, we identified 126 genes in Escherichia coli K-12 whose expression is increased at human body temperature (37°C) compared to growth at 23°C. Genes involved in the uptake and utilization of amino acids, carbohydrates, and iron dominated the list, supporting a model in which temperature serves as a host cue to increase expression of bacterial genes needed for growth. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we investigated the thermoregulatory response for representative genes in each of these three categories (hisJ, cysP, srlE, garP, fes, and cirA), along with the fimbrial gene papB. Increased expression at 37°C compared to 23°C was retained in both exponential and stationary phases for all of the genes and in most of the various media tested, supporting the relative importance of this cue in adapting to changing environments. Because iron acquisition is important for both growth and virulence, we analyzed the regulation of the iron utilization genes cirA and fes and found that growth in iron-depleted medium abrogated the thermoregulatory effect, with high-level expression at both temperatures, contrasting with papB thermoregulation, which was not greatly altered by limiting iron levels. A positive role for the environmental regulator H-NS was found for fes, cirA, hisJ, and srlE transcription, whereas it had a primarily negative effect on cysP and garP expression. Together, these studies indicate that temperature is a broadly used cue for regulating gene expression in E. coli and that H-NS regulates iron, carbohydrate, and amino acid utilization gene expression.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (2) ◽  
pp. 765-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Estle McKinley ◽  
Roy David Magnuson

ABSTRACT The P1 plasmid addiction operon (a classic toxin-antitoxin system) encodes Phd, an unstable 73-amino-acid repressor-antitoxin protein, and Doc, a stable toxin. It was previously shown by deletion analysis that the N terminus of Phd was required for repressor activity and that the C terminus was required for antitoxin activity. Since only a quarter of the protein or less was required for both activities, it was hypothesized that Phd might have a modular organization. To further test the modular hypothesis, we constructed and characterized a set of 30 point mutations in the third and fourth quarters of Phd. Four mutations (PhdA36H, V37A, I38A, and F44A) had major defects in repressor activity. Five mutations (PhdD53A, D53R, E55A, F56A, and F60A) had major defects in antitoxin activity. As predicted by the modular hypothesis, point mutations affecting each activity belonged to disjoint, rather than overlapping, sets and were separated rather than interspersed within the linear sequence. A final deletion experiment demonstrated that the C-terminal 24 amino acid residues of Phd (preceded by a methionine) retained full antitoxin activity.


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