scholarly journals Construction and Use of a Recyclable Marker To Examine the Role of Major Facilitator Superfamily Protein Members inCandida glabrataDrug Resistance Phenotypes

mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao G. Vu ◽  
W. Scott Moye-Rowley
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Major Facilitator Superfamily ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transporter Proteins ◽  
Transporter Protein ◽  
Major Facilitator ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTCandida glabratais the second most common species causing candidiasis.C. glabratacan also readily acquire resistance to azole drugs, complicating its treatment. Here we add to the collection of disruption markers to aid in genetic analysis of this yeast. This new construct is marked with a nourseothricin resistance cassette that produces an estrogen-activated form of Cre recombinase in a methionine-regulated manner. This allows eviction and reuse of this cassette in a facile manner. Using this new disruption marker, we have constructed a series of strains lacking different members of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) of membrane transporter proteins. The presence of 15 MFS proteins that may contribute to drug resistance inC. glabrataplaced a premium on development of a marker that could easily be reused to construct multiple gene-disrupted strains. Employing this recyclable marker, we found that loss of the MFS transporter-encoding geneFLR1caused a dramatic increase in diamide resistance (as seen before), and deletion of two other MFS-encoding genes did not influence this phenotype. Interestingly, loss ofFLR1led to an increase in levels of oxidized glutathione, suggesting a possible molecular explanation for this enhanced oxidant sensitivity. We also found that while overproduction of the transcription factor Yap1 could suppress the fluconazole sensitivity caused by loss of the important ATP-binding cassette transporter protein Cdr1, this required the presence ofFLR1.IMPORTANCEExport of drugs is a problem for chemotherapy of infectious organisms. A class of membrane proteins called the major facilitator superfamily contains a large number of proteins that often elevate drug resistance when overproduced but do not impact this phenotype when the gene is removed. We wondered if this absence of a phenotype for a disruption allele might be due to the redundancy of this group of membrane proteins. We describe the production of an easy-to-use recyclable marker cassette that will allow construction of strains lacking multiple members of the MFS family of transporter proteins.

scholarly journals Contributions of Aspergillus fumigatus ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter Proteins to Drug Resistance and Virulence

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1619-1628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjoy Paul ◽  
Daniel Diekema ◽  
W. Scott Moye-Rowley
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
Abc Transporter ◽  
Abc Transporters ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Atp Binding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transporter Proteins ◽  
Encoding Genes ◽  
Atp Binding Cassette

ABSTRACTIn yeast cells such as those ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae, expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins has been found to be increased and correlates with a concomitant elevation in azole drug resistance. In this study, we investigated the roles of twoAspergillus fumigatusproteins that share high sequence similarity withS. cerevisiaePdr5, an ABC transporter protein that is commonly overproduced in azole-resistant isolates in this yeast. The twoA. fumigatusgenes encoding the ABC transporters sharing the highest sequence similarity toS. cerevisiaePdr5 are calledabcAandabcBhere. We constructed deletion alleles of these two different ABC transporter-encoding genes in three different strains ofA. fumigatus. Loss ofabcBinvariably elicited increased azole susceptibility, whileabcAdisruption alleles had variable phenotypes. Specific antibodies were raised to both AbcA and AbcB proteins. These antisera allowed detection of AbcB in wild-type cells, while AbcA could be visualized only when overproduced from thehspApromoter inA. fumigatus. Overproduction of AbcA also yielded increased azole resistance. Green fluorescent protein fusions were used to provide evidence that both AbcA and AbcB are localized to the plasma membrane inA. fumigatus. Promoter fusions to firefly luciferase suggested that expression of both ABC transporter-encoding genes is inducible by azole challenge. Virulence assays implicated AbcB as a possible factor required for normal pathogenesis. This work provides important new insights into the physiological roles of ABC transporters in this major fungal pathogen.

scholarly journals Role of Matrix β-1,3 Glucan in Antifungal Resistance of Non-albicans Candida Biofilms

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1918-1920 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Mitchell ◽  
H. T. Taff ◽  
M. A. Cuevas ◽  
E. L. Reinicke ◽  
H. Sanchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Antifungal Susceptibility ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Biofilm Matrix

ABSTRACTCandidabiofilm infections pose an increasing threat in the health care setting due to the drug resistance associated with this lifestyle. Several mechanisms underlie the resistance phenomenon. InCandida albicans, one mechanism involves drug impedance by the biofilm matrix linked to β-1,3 glucan. Here, we show this is important for otherCandidaspp. We identified β-1,3 glucan in the matrix, found that the matrix sequesters antifungal drug, and enhanced antifungal susceptibility with matrix β-1,3 glucan hydrolysis.

scholarly journals The role of SNMPs in insect olfaction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Cassau ◽  
Jürgen Krieger
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Olfactory Receptors ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Insect Olfaction ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Odorant Binding ◽  
Encoding Genes

AbstractThe sense of smell enables insects to recognize olfactory signals crucial for survival and reproduction. In insects, odorant detection highly depends on the interplay of distinct proteins expressed by specialized olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and associated support cells which are housed together in chemosensory units, named sensilla, mainly located on the antenna. Besides odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and olfactory receptors, so-called sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) are indicated to play a critical role in the detection of certain odorants. SNMPs are insect-specific membrane proteins initially identified in pheromone-sensitive OSNs of Lepidoptera and are indispensable for a proper detection of pheromones. In the last decades, genome and transcriptome analyses have revealed a wide distribution of SNMP-encoding genes in holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects, with a given species expressing multiple subtypes in distinct cells of the olfactory system. Besides SNMPs having a neuronal expression in subpopulations of OSNs, certain SNMP types were found expressed in OSN-associated support cells suggesting different decisive roles of SNMPs in the peripheral olfactory system. In this review, we will report the state of knowledge of neuronal and non-neuronal members of the SNMP family and discuss their possible functions in insect olfaction.

scholarly journals Regulatory Activities of Four ArsR Proteins in Agrobacterium tumefaciens 5A

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 3471-3480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoon-Suk Kang ◽  
Keenan Brame ◽  
Jonathan Jetter ◽  
Brian B. Bothner ◽  
Gejiao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agrobacterium Tumefaciens ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Variable Control ◽  
Protein Primary Structure ◽  
Multiple Copies ◽  
Reporter Assays ◽  
Type Gene ◽  
Encoding Genes ◽  
Complex Regulatory Network

ABSTRACTArsR is a well-studied transcriptional repressor that regulates microbe-arsenic interactions. Most microorganisms have anarsRgene, but in cases where multiple copies exist, the respective roles or potential functional overlap have not been explored. We examined the repressors encoded byarsR1andarsR2(ars1operon) and byarsR3andarsR4(ars2operon) inAgrobacterium tumefaciens5A. ArsR1 and ArsR4 are very similar in their primary sequences and diverge phylogenetically from ArsR2 and ArsR3, which are also quite similar to one another. Reporter constructs (lacZ) forarsR1,arsR2, andarsR4were all inducible by As(III), but expression ofarsR3(monitored by reverse transcriptase PCR) was not influenced by As(III) and appeared to be linked transcriptionally to an upstreamlysR-type gene. Experiments using a combination of deletion mutations and additional reporter assays illustrated that the encoded repressors (i) are not all autoregulatory as is typically known for ArsR proteins, (ii) exhibit variable control of each other's encoding genes, and (iii) exert variable control of other genes previously shown to be under the control of ArsR1. Furthermore, ArsR2, ArsR3, and ArsR4 appear to have an activator-like function for some genes otherwise repressed by ArsR1, which deviates from the well-studied repressor role of ArsR proteins. The differential regulatory activities suggest a complex regulatory network not previously observed in ArsR studies. The results indicate that fine-scale ArsR sequence deviations of the reiterated regulatory proteins apparently translate to different regulatory roles.IMPORTANCEGiven the significance of the ArsR repressor in regulating various aspects of microbe-arsenic interactions, it is important to assess potential regulatory overlap and/or interference when a microorganism carries multiple copies ofarsR. This study explores this issue and shows that the fourarsRgenes inA. tumefaciens5A, associated with two separatearsoperons, encode proteins exhibiting various degrees of functional overlap with respect to autoregulation and cross-regulation, as well as control of other functional genes. In some cases, differences in regulatory activity are associated with only limited differences in protein primary structure. The experiments summarized herein also present evidence that ArsR proteins appear to have activator functions, representing novel regulatory activities for ArsR, previously known only to be a repressor.

Tigecycline efflux in Acinetobacter baumannii is mediated by TetA in synergy with RND-type efflux transporters

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1135-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wuen Ee Foong ◽  
Jochen Wilhelm ◽  
Heng-Keat Tam ◽  
Klaas M Pos
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Gene Knockout ◽  
Drug Susceptibility ◽  
Major Facilitator Superfamily ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Rnd Efflux Pump ◽  
Major Facilitator

Abstract Objectives To investigate the role of Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS)-type transporters from Acinetobacter baumannii AYE in tigecycline efflux. Methods Two putative tetracycline transporter genes of A. baumannii AYE (tetA and tetG) were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and drug susceptibility assays were conducted with tigecycline and three other tetracycline derivatives. The importance of TetA in tigecycline transport in A. baumannii was determined by complementation of tetA in WT and Resistance Nodulation cell Division (RND) gene knockout strains of A. baumannii ATCC 19606. Gene expression of the MFS-type tetA gene and RND efflux pump genes adeB, adeG and adeJ in A. baumannii AYE in the presence of tigecycline was analysed by quantitative real-time RT–PCR. Results Overproduction of TetA or TetG conferred resistance to doxycycline, minocycline and tetracycline in E. coli. Cells expressing tetA, but not those expressing tetG, conferred resistance to tigecycline, implying that TetA is a determinant for tigecycline transport. A. baumannii WT and RND-knockout strains complemented with plasmid-encoded tetA are significantly less susceptible to tigecycline compared with non-complemented strains. Efflux pump genes tetA and adeG are up-regulated in A. baumannii AYE in the presence of subinhibitory tigecycline concentrations. Conclusions TetA plays an important role in tigecycline efflux of A. baumannii by removing the drug from cytoplasm to periplasm and, subsequently, the RND-type transporters AdeABC and AdeIJK extrude tigecycline across the outer membrane. When challenged with tigecycline, tetA is up-regulated in A. baumannii AYE. Synergy between TetA and the RND-type transporters AdeABC and/or AdeIJK appears necessary for A. baumannii to confer higher tigecycline resistance via drug efflux.

A key structural domain of the Candida albicans Mdr1 protein

2012 ◽  
Vol 445 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajeet Mandal ◽  
Antresh Kumar ◽  
Ashutosh Singh ◽  
Andrew M. Lynn ◽  
Khyati Kapoor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Insertional Mutagenesis ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Major Facilitator Superfamily ◽  
Molecular Surface ◽  
Structural Domain ◽  
Peptide Fragments ◽  
Homologous Proteins ◽  
Transporter Protein ◽  
Major Facilitator

A major multidrug transporter, MDR1 (multidrug resistance 1), a member of the MFS (major facilitator superfamily), invariably contributes to an increased efflux of commonly used azoles and thus corroborates their direct involvement in MDR in Candida albicans. The Mdr1 protein has two transmembrane domains, each comprising six transmembrane helices, interconnected with extracellular loops and ICLs (intracellular loops). The introduction of deletions and insertions through mutagenesis was used to address the role of the largest interdomain ICL3 of the MDR1 protein. Most of the progressive deletants, when overexpressed, eliminated the drug resistance. Notably, restoration of the length of the ICL3 by insertional mutagenesis did not restore the functionality of the protein. Interestingly, most of the insertion and deletion variants of ICL3 became amenable to trypsinization, yielding peptide fragments. The homology model of the Mdr1 protein showed that the molecular surface-charge distribution was perturbed in most of the ICL3 mutant variants. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that the CCL (central cytoplasmic loop) of the fungal MFS transporter of the DHA1 (drug/proton antiporter) family is critical for the function of MDR. Unlike other homologous proteins, ICL3 has no apparent role in imparting substrate specificity or in the recruitment of the transporter protein.

scholarly journals Structure and Function Analysis of CaMdr1p, a Major Facilitator Superfamily Antifungal Efflux Transporter Protein of Candida albicans: Identification of Amino Acid Residues Critical for Drug/H+ Transport

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritu Pasrija ◽  
Dibyendu Banerjee ◽  
Rajendra Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Drug Transport ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Major Facilitator Superfamily ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Core Motif ◽  
Transporter Protein ◽  
First Category ◽  
Energy Inhibitors

ABSTRACT We have cloned and overexpressed multidrug transporter CaMdr1p as a green fluorescent protein-tagged protein to show its capability to extrude drug substrates. The drug extrusion was sensitive to pH and energy inhibitors and displayed selective substrate specificity. CaMdr1p has a unique and conserved antiporter motif, also called motif C [G(X6)G(X3)GP(X2)GP(X2)G], in its transmembrane segment 5 (TMS 5). Alanine scanning of all the amino acids of the TMS 5 by site-directed mutagenesis highlighted the importance of the motif, as well as that of other residues of TMS 5, in drug transport. The mutant variants of TMS 5 were placed in four different categories. The first category had four residues, G244, G251, G255, and G259, which are part of the conserved motif C, and their substitution with alanine resulted in increased sensitivity to drugs and displayed impaired efflux of drugs. Interestingly, first category mutants, when replaced with leucine, resulted in more dramatic loss of drug resistance and efflux. Notwithstanding the location in the core motif, the second category included residues which are part of the motif, such as P260, and those which were not part of the motif, such as L245, W248, P256, and F262, whose substitution with alanine resulted in a severe loss of drug resistance and efflux. The third category included G263, which is a part of motif C, but unlike other conserved glycines, its replacement with alanine or leucine showed no change in the phenotype. The replacement of the remaining 11 residues of the fourth category did not result in any change. The putative helical wheel projection showed clustering of functionally critical residues to one side and thus suggests an asymmetric nature of TMS 5.

scholarly journals Functional Characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei Trimeric Autotransporters

2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 2788-2799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristine G. Campos ◽  
Matthew S. Byrd ◽  
Peggy A. Cotter
Keyword(s):  
Burkholderia Pseudomallei ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
A549 Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Type V ◽  
Mouse Model Of Infection ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTBurkholderia pseudomalleiis a tier 1 select agent and the causative agent of melioidosis, a severe and often fatal disease with symptoms ranging from acute pneumonia and septic shock to a chronic infection characterized by abscess formation in the lungs, liver, and spleen. Autotransporters (ATs) are exoproteins belonging to the type V secretion system family, with many playing roles in pathogenesis. The genome ofB. pseudomalleistrain 1026b encodes nine putative trimeric AT proteins, of which only four have been described. Using a bioinformatic approach, we annotated putative domains within each trimeric AT protein, excluding the well-studied BimA protein, and found short repeated sequences unique toBurkholderiaspecies, as well as an unexpectedly large proportion of ATs with extended signal peptide regions (ESPRs). To characterize the role of trimeric ATs in pathogenesis, we constructed disruption or deletion mutations in each of eight AT-encoding genes and evaluated the resulting strains for adherence to, invasion of, and plaque formation in A549 cells. The majority of the ATs (and/or the proteins encoded downstream) contributed to adherence to and efficient invasion of A549 cells. Using a BALB/c mouse model of infection, we determined the contributions of each AT to bacterial burdens in the lungs, liver, and spleen. At 48 h postinoculation, only one strain, Bp340::pDbpaC, demonstrated a defect in dissemination and/or survival in the liver, indicating that BpaC is required for wild-type virulence in this model.

scholarly journals Distinct Requirements for Tail-Anchored Membrane Protein Biogenesis in Escherichia coli

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Peschke ◽  
Mélanie Le Goff ◽  
Gregory M. Koningstein ◽  
Norbert O. Vischer ◽  
Abbi Abdel-Rehim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Signal Recognition Particle ◽  
Membrane Insertion ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
C Terminus

ABSTRACT Tail-anchored membrane proteins (TAMPs) are a distinct subset of inner membrane proteins (IMPs) characterized by a single C-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) that is responsible for both targeting and anchoring. Little is known about the routing of TAMPs in bacteria. Here, we have investigated the role of TMD hydrophobicity in tail-anchor function in Escherichia coli and its influence on the choice of targeting/insertion pathway. We created a set of synthetic, fluorescent TAMPs that vary in the hydrophobicity of their TMDs and corresponding control polypeptides that are extended at their C terminus to create regular type II IMPs. Surprisingly, we observed that TAMPs have a much lower TMD hydrophobicity threshold for efficient targeting and membrane insertion than their type II counterparts. Using strains conditional for the expression of known membrane-targeting and insertion factors, we show that TAMPs with strongly hydrophobic TMDs require the signal recognition particle (SRP) for targeting. Neither the SecYEG translocon nor YidC appears to be essential for the membrane insertion of any of the TAMPs studied. In contrast, corresponding type II IMPs with a TMD of sufficient hydrophobicity to promote membrane insertion followed an SRP- and SecYEG translocon-dependent pathway. Together, these data indicate that the capacity of a TMD to promote the biogenesis of E. coli IMPs is strongly dependent upon the polypeptide context in which it is presented. IMPORTANCE A subset of membrane proteins is targeted to and inserted into the membrane via a hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TMD) that is positioned at the very C terminus of the protein. The biogenesis of these so-called tail-anchored proteins (TAMPs) has been studied in detail in eukaryotic cells. Various partly redundant pathways were identified, the choice for which depends in part on the hydrophobicity of the TMD. Much less is known about bacterial TAMPs. The significance of our research is in identifying the role of TMD hydrophobicity in the routing of E. coli TAMPs. Our data suggest that both the nature of the TMD and its role in routing can be very different for TAMPs versus “regular” membrane proteins. Elucidating these position-specific effects of TMDs will increase our understanding of how prokaryotic cells face the challenge of producing a wide variety of membrane proteins.

scholarly journals iac Gene Expression in the Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Degrading Soil Bacterium Enterobacter soli LF7

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac V. Greenhut ◽  
Beryl L. Slezak ◽  
Johan H. J. Leveau
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Promoter Region ◽  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Plant Hormone ◽  
Major Facilitator Superfamily ◽  
Soil Bacterium ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indole 3 Acetic Acid

ABSTRACT We show for soil bacterium Enterobacter soli LF7 that the possession of an indole-3-acetic acid catabolic (iac) gene cluster is causatively linked to the ability to utilize the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as a carbon and energy source. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling by mRNA sequencing revealed that these iac genes, chromosomally arranged as iacHABICDEFG and coding for the transformation of IAA to catechol, were the most highly induced (>29-fold) among the relatively few (<1%) differentially expressed genes in response to IAA. Also highly induced and immediately downstream of the iac cluster were genes for a major facilitator superfamily protein (mfs) and enzymes of the β-ketoadipate pathway (pcaIJD-catBCA), which channels catechol into central metabolism. This entire iacHABICDEFG-mfs-pcaIJD-catBCA gene set was constitutively expressed in an iacR deletion mutant, confirming the role of iacR, annotated as coding for a MarR-type regulator and located upstream of iacH, as a repressor of iac gene expression. In E. soli LF7 carrying the DNA region upstream of iacH fused to a promoterless gfp gene, green fluorescence accumulated in response to IAA at concentrations as low as 1.6 μM. The iacH promoter region also responded to chlorinated IAA, but not other aromatics tested, indicating a narrow substrate specificity. In an iacR deletion mutant, gfp expression from the iacH promoter region was constitutive, consistent with the predicted role of iacR as a repressor. A deletion analysis revealed putative −35/−10 promoter sequences upstream of iacH, as well as a possible binding site for the IacR repressor. IMPORTANCE Bacterial iac genes code for the enzymatic conversion of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to catechol. Here, we demonstrate that the iac genes of soil bacterium Enterobacter soli LF7 enable growth on IAA by coarrangement and coexpression with a set of pca and cat genes that code for complete conversion of catechol to central metabolites. This work contributes in a number of novel and significant ways to our understanding of iac gene biology in bacteria from (non-)plant environments. More specifically, we show that LF7's response to IAA involves derepression of the MarR-type transcriptional regulator IacR, which is quite fast (less than 25 min upon IAA exposure), highly specific (only in response to IAA and chlorinated IAA, and with few genes other than iac, cat, and pca induced), relatively sensitive (low micromolar range), and seemingly tailored to exploit IAA as a source of carbon and energy.

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