scholarly journals Characterization of a Glutathione Metabolic Mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Its Resistance to Glutathione and Nitrosoglutathione

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (4) ◽  
pp. 1364-1372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaswant K. Dayaram ◽  
Meliza T. Talaue ◽  
Nancy D. Connell ◽  
Vishwanath Venketaraman
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Metabolic Enzyme ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mouse Macrophages ◽  
Carrier Molecule ◽  
Glutamyl Transpeptidase

ABSTRACT Glutathione is a tripeptide and antioxidant, synthesized at high levels by cells during the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates. Glutathione also serves as a carrier molecule for nitric oxide in the form of S-nitrosoglutathione. Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that glutathione and S-nitrosoglutathione are directly toxic to mycobacteria. Glutathione is not transported into the cells as a tripeptide. Extracellular glutathione is converted to a dipeptide due to the action of transpeptidase, and the dipeptide is then transported into the bacterial cells. The processing of glutathione and S-nitrosoglutathione is brought about by the action of the enzyme γ-glutamyl transpeptidase. The function of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase is to cleave glutathione and S-nitrosoglutathione to the dipeptide (Cys-Gly), which is then transported into the bacterium by the multicomponent ABC transporter dipeptide permease. We have created a mutant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lacking this metabolic enzyme. We investigated the sensitivity of this strain to glutathione and S-nitrosoglutathione compared to that of the wild-type bacteria. In addition, we examined the role of glutathione and/or S-nitrosoglutathione in controlling the growth of intracellular M. tuberculosis inside mouse macrophages.

PHYSIOLOGIC AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ROLE OF NITRIC OXIDE IN HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK

Shock ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Kelly ◽  
Nishit S. Shah ◽  
Nathan N. Morgan ◽  
Simon C. Watkins ◽  
Andrew B. Peitzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Hemorrhagic Shock ◽  
Molecular Characterization

Characterization of the Role of the FluG Protein in Asexual Development of Aspergillus nidulans

Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 1027-1036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cletus A D'Souza ◽  
Bee Na Lee ◽  
Thomas H Adams
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Asexual Development ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Significant Similarity ◽  
Developmental Defects ◽  
Asexual Sporulation ◽  
Type Strains

Abstract We showed previously that a ΔfluG mutation results in a block in Aspergillus nidulans asexual sporulation and that overexpression of fluG activates sporulation in liquid-submerged culture, a condition that does not normally support sporulation of wild-type strains. Here we demonstrate that the entire N-terminal region of FluG (∼400 amino acids) can be deleted without affecting sporulation, indicating that FluG activity resides in the C-terminal half of the protein, which bears significant similarity with GSI-type glutamine synthetases. While FluG has no apparent role in glutamine biosynthesis, we propose that it has an enzymatic role in sporulation factor production. We also describe the isolation of dominant suppressors of ΔfluG(dsg) that should identify components acting downstream of FluG and thereby define the function of FluG in sporulation. The dsgA1 mutation also suppresses the developmental defects resulting from ΔflbA and dominant activating fadA mutations, which both cause constitutive induction of the mycelial proliferation pathway. However, dsgA1 does not suppress the negative influence of these mutations on production of the aflatoxin precursor, sterigmatocystin, indicating that dsgA1 is specific for asexual development. Taken together, our studies define dsgA as a novel component of the asexual sporulation pathway.

Selected Contribution: Differential role of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in fever of different etiologies: studies using Nosgene-deficient mice

2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 2534-2544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wieslaw Kozak ◽  
Anna Kozak
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽  
Corn Oil ◽  
Normal Male ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Oxide Synthase ◽  
And Control ◽  
Nos Isoforms ◽  
Deficient Mice

Male C57BL/6J mice deficient in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) genes (knockout) and control (wild-type) mice were implanted intra-abdominally with battery-operated miniature biotelemeters (model VMFH MiniMitter, Sunriver, OR) to monitor changes in body temperature. Intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 50 μg/kg) was used to trigger fever in response to systemic inflammation in mice. To induce a febrile response to localized inflammation, the mice were injected subcutaneously with pure turpentine oil (30 μl/animal) into the left hindlimb. Oral administration (gavage) of N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) for 3 days (80 mg · kg−1 · day−1in corn oil) before injection of pyrogens was used to inhibit all three NOSs ( N G-monomethyl-d-arginine acetate salt and corn oil were used as control). In normal male C57BL/6J mice, l-NMMA inhibited the LPS-induced fever by ∼60%, whereas it augmented fever by ∼65% in mice injected with turpentine. Challenging the respective NOS knockout mice with LPS and with l-NMMA revealed that inducible NOS and neuronal NOS isoforms are responsible for the induction of fever to LPS, whereas endothelial NOS (eNOS) is not involved. In contrast, none of the NOS isoforms appeared to trigger fever to turpentine. Inhibition of eNOS, however, exacerbates fever in mice treated with l-NMMA and turpentine, indicating that eNOS participates in the antipyretic mechanism. These data support the hypothesis that nitric oxide is a regulator of fever. Its action differs, however, depending on the pyrogen used and the NOS isoform.

scholarly journals Expression of Mycobacterium smegmatisPyrazinamidase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Confers Hypersensitivity to Pyrazinamide and Related Amides

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (19) ◽  
pp. 5479-5485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena I. M. Boshoff ◽  
Valerie Mizrahi
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Mycobacterium Smegmatis ◽  
Intracellular Localization ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Allelic Exchange ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Established Role ◽  
Amidase Gene

ABSTRACT A pyrazinamidase (PZase)-deficient pncA mutant ofMycobacterium tuberculosis, constructed by allelic exchange, was used to investigate the effects of heterologous amidase gene expression on the susceptibility of this organism to pyrazinamide (PZA) and related amides. The mutant was highly resistant to PZA (MIC, >2,000 μg/ml), in accordance with the well-established role ofpncA in the PZA susceptibility of M. tuberculosis (A. Scorpio and Y. Zhang, Nat. Med. 2:662–667, 1996). Integration of the pzaA gene encoding the major PZase/nicotinamidase from Mycobacterium smegmatis (H. I. M. Boshoff and V. Mizrahi, J. Bacteriol. 180:5809–5814, 1998) or the M. tuberculosis pncA gene into the pncAmutant complemented its PZase/nicotinamidase defect. In bothpzaA- and pncA-complemented mutant strains, the PZase activity was detected exclusively in the cytoplasm, suggesting an intracellular localization for PzaA and PncA. ThepzaA-complemented strain was hypersensitive to PZA (MIC, ≤10 μg/ml) and nicotinamide (MIC, ≥20 μg/ml) and was also sensitive to benzamide (MIC, 20 μg/ml), unlike the wild-type andpncA-complemented mutant strains, which were highly resistant to this amide (MIC, >500 μg/ml). This finding was consistent with the observation that benzamide is hydrolyzed by PzaA but not by PncA. Overexpression of PzaA also conferred sensitivity to PZA, nicotinamide, and benzamide on M. smegmatis (MIC, 150 μg/ml in all cases) and rendered Escherichia colihypersensitive for growth at low pH.

scholarly journals Genetic analysis of the Arabidopsis TIR1/AFB auxin receptors reveals both overlapping and specialized functions

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Prigge ◽  
Matthieu Platre ◽  
Nikita Kadakia ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Kathleen Greenham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
The Family ◽  
Dependent Inhibition ◽  
Root Gravitropism ◽  
Specialized Function ◽  
Mutant Lines

The TIR1/AFB auxin co-receptors mediate diverse responses to the plant hormone auxin. The Arabidopsis genome encodes six TIR1/AFB proteins representing three of the four clades that were established prior to angiosperm radiation. To determine the role of these proteins in plant development we performed an extensive genetic analysis involving the generation and characterization of all possible multiply-mutant lines. We find that loss of all six TIR1/AFB proteins results in early embryo defects and eventually seed abortion, and yet a single wild-type allele of TIR1 or AFB2 is sufficient to support growth throughout development. Our analysis reveals extensive functional overlap between even the most distantly related TIR1/AFB genes except for AFB1. Surprisingly, AFB1 has a specialized function in rapid auxin-dependent inhibition of root growth and early phase of root gravitropism. This activity may be related to a difference in subcellular localization compared to the other members of the family.

Effect of temperature on transition and transversion mutagenesis: characterization of wild type and a mutator T4 DNA polymerase mutant

1984 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 386-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda J. Reha-Krantz ◽  
Sükran Parmaksizoglu
Keyword(s):  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Bacteriophage T4 ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
In Vitro Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutational Site

The effect of temperature on genetically well-defined mutational pathways was examined in the bacteriophage T4. The mutational site was a T4 rII ochre mutant which could revert to rII+ via a transversion or to the amber convertant via a transition. Temperature did not strongly affect any of the pathways examined in a wild-type background; however, increased temperature reduced the mutational activity of a mutator DNA polymerase mutant. Possible models to explain the role of temperature in mutagenesis are discussed as well as the significance of low temperatures for in vitro mutagenesis reactions.Key words: bacteriophage T4, mutator, transition, transversion, temperature effects.

scholarly journals Extending the Definition of the GyrB Quinolone Resistance-Determining Region in Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA Gyrase for Assessing Fluoroquinolone Resistance in M. tuberculosis

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 1990-1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alix Pantel ◽  
Stéphanie Petrella ◽  
Nicolas Veziris ◽  
Florence Brossier ◽  
Sylvaine Bastian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Dna Gyrase ◽  
Quinolone Resistance ◽  
Fluoroquinolone Resistance ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Definition Of

ABSTRACTFluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance is emerging inMycobacterium tuberculosis. The main mechanism of FQ resistance is amino acid substitution within the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the GyrA subunit of DNA gyrase, the sole FQ target inM. tuberculosis. However, substitutions in GyrB whose implication in FQ resistance is unknown are increasingly being reported. The present study clarified the role of four GyrB substitutions identified inM. tuberculosisclinical strains, two located in the QRDR (D500A and N538T) and two outside the QRDR (T539P and E540V), in FQ resistance. We measured FQ MICs and also DNA gyrase inhibition by FQs in order to unequivocally clarify the role of these mutations in FQ resistance. Wild-type GyrA, wild-type GyrB, and mutant GyrB subunits produced from engineeredgyrBalleles by mutagenesis were overexpressed inEscherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and used to reconstitute highly active gyrase complexes. MICs and DNA gyrase inhibition were determined for moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and enoxacin. All these substitutions are clearly implicated in FQ resistance, underlining the presence of a hot spot region housing most of the GyrB substitutions implicated in FQ resistance (residues NTE, 538 to 540). These findings help us to refine the definition of GyrB QRDR, which is extended to positions 500 to 540.

scholarly journals Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi Sirtuins as Possible Drug Targets for Chagas Disease

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 4669-4679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilmar Silvio Moretti ◽  
Leonardo da Silva Augusto ◽  
Tatiana Mordente Clemente ◽  
Raysa Paes Pinto Antunes ◽  
Nobuko Yoshida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Damage Repair ◽  
Lysine Deacetylases

ABSTRACTAcetylation of lysine is a major posttranslational modification of proteins and is catalyzed by lysine acetyltransferases, while lysine deacetylases remove acetyl groups. Among the deacetylases, the sirtuins are NAD+-dependent enzymes, which modulate gene silencing, DNA damage repair, and several metabolic processes. As sirtuin-specific inhibitors have been proposed as drugs for inhibiting the proliferation of tumor cells, in this study, we investigated the role of these inhibitors in the growth and differentiation ofTrypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease. We found that the use of salermide during parasite infection prevented growth and initial multiplication after mammalian cell invasion byT. cruziat concentrations that did not affect host cell viability. In addition,in vivoinfection was partially controlled upon administration of salermide. There are two sirtuins inT. cruzi, TcSir2rp1 and TcSir2rp3. By using specific antibodies and cell lines overexpressing the tagged versions of these enzymes, we found that TcSir2rp1 is localized in the cytosol and TcSir2rp3 in the mitochondrion. TcSir2rp1 overexpression acts to impair parasite growth and differentiation, whereas the wild-type version of TcSir2rp3 and not an enzyme mutated in the active site improves both. The effects observed with TcSir2rp3 were fully reverted by adding salermide, which inhibited TcSir2rp3 expressed inEscherichia coliwith a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) ± standard error of 1 ± 0.5 μM. We concluded that sirtuin inhibitors targeting TcSir2rp3 could be used in Chagas disease chemotherapy.

scholarly journals Characterization of Biofilm Formation and the Role of BCR1 in Clinical Isolates of Candida parapsilosis

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srisuda Pannanusorn ◽  
Bernardo Ramírez-Zavala ◽  
Heinrich Lünsdorf ◽  
Birgitta Agerberth ◽  
Joachim Morschhäuser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Candida Parapsilosis ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Initial Adhesion ◽  
High Level ◽  
Increased Susceptibility

ABSTRACT In Candida parapsilosis , biofilm formation is considered to be a major virulence factor. Previously, we determined the ability of 33 clinical isolates causing bloodstream infection to form biofilms and identified three distinct groups of biofilm-forming strains (negative, low, and high). Here, we establish two different biofilm structures among strains forming large amounts of biofilm in which strains with complex spider-like structures formed robust biofilms on different surface materials with increased resistance to fluconazole. Surprisingly, the transcription factor Bcr1, required for biofilm formation in Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis , has an essential role only in strains with low capacity for biofilm formation. Although BCR1 leads to the formation of more and longer pseudohyphae, it was not required for initial adhesion and formation of mature biofilms in strains with a high level of biofilm formation. Furthermore, an additional phenotype affected by BCR1 was the switch in colony morphology from rough to crepe, but only in strains forming high levels of biofilm. All bcr1 Δ/Δ mutants showed increased proteolytic activity and increased susceptibility to the antimicrobial peptides protamine and RP-1 compared to corresponding wild-type and complemented strains. Taken together, our results demonstrate that biofilm formation in clinical isolates of C. parapsilosis is both dependent and independent of BCR1 , but even in strains which showed a BCR1 -independent biofilm phenotype, BCR1 has alternative physiological functions.

scholarly journals Characterization of the Opp Peptide Transporter ofCorynebacterium pseudotuberculosisand Its Role in Virulence and Pathogenicity

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo M. R. O. Moraes ◽  
Nubia Seyffert ◽  
Wanderson M. Silva ◽  
Thiago L. P. Castro ◽  
Renata F. Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Etiologic Agent ◽  
Peptide Transporter ◽  
Intercellular Signaling ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cell Nutrition ◽  
Oligopeptide Permease ◽  
Extracellular Environment

Despite the economic importance of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a chronic disease caused byCorynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, few genes related to the virulence of its etiologic agent have been characterized. The oligopeptide permease (Opp) transporters are located in the plasma membrane and have functions generally related to the uptake of peptides from the extracellular environment. These peptide transporters, in addition to having an important role in cell nutrition, also participate in the regulation of various processes involving intercellular signaling, including the control of the expression of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria. To study the role of Opp inC. pseudotuberculosis, an OppD deficient strain was constructed via simple crossover with a nonreplicative plasmid carrying part of theoppDgene sequence. As occurred to the wild-type, the ΔoppDstrain showed impaired growth when exposed to the toxic glutathione peptide (GSH), indicating two possible scenarios: (i) that this component can be internalized by the bacterium through an Opp-independent pathway or (ii) that there is toxicity while the peptide is extracellular. Additionally, the ΔoppDmutant presented a reduced ability to adhere to and infect macrophages compared to the wild-type, although both strains exhibit the same potential to colonize spleens and cause injury and death to infected mice.

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