scholarly journals Biochemical reconstitution defines new functions for membrane-bound glycosidases in assembly of the bacterial cell wall

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (36) ◽  
pp. e2103740118
Author(s):  
Atsushi Taguchi ◽  
Julia E. Page ◽  
Ho-Ching Tiffany Tsui ◽  
Malcolm E. Winkler ◽  
Suzanne Walker

The peptidoglycan cell wall is a macromolecular structure that encases bacteria and is essential for their survival. Proper assembly of the cell wall requires peptidoglycan synthases as well as membrane-bound cleavage enzymes that control where new peptidoglycan is made and inserted. Previous studies have shown that two membrane-bound proteins in Streptococcus pneumoniae, here named MpgA and MpgB, are important in maintaining cell wall integrity. MpgA was predicted to be a lytic transglycosylase based on its homology to Escherichia coli MltG, while the enzymatic activity of MpgB was unclear. Using nascent peptidoglycan substrates synthesized in vitro from the peptidoglycan precursor Lipid II, we report that both MpgA and MpgB are muramidases. We show that replacing a single amino acid in E. coli MltG with the corresponding amino acid from MpgA results in muramidase activity, allowing us to predict from the presence of this amino acid that other putative lytic transglycosylases actually function as muramidases. Strikingly, we report that MpgA and MpgB cut nascent peptidoglycan at different positions along the sugar backbone relative to the reducing end, with MpgA producing much longer peptidoglycan oligomers. We show that the cleavage site selectivity of MpgA is controlled by the LysM-like subdomain, which is required for its full functionality in cells. We propose that MltG’s ability to complement the loss of MpgA in S. pneumoniae despite performing different cleavage chemistry is because it can cleave nascent peptidoglycan at the same distance from the lipid anchor.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Taguchi ◽  
Suzanne Walker

ABSTRACTThe peptidoglycan cell wall is a macromolecular structure that encases bacteria and is essential for their survival. Proper assembly of the cell wall requires peptidoglycan synthases as well as membrane-bound cleavage enzymes that control where new peptidoglycan is made and inserted. We are only beginning to understand the roles of peptidoglycan cleavage enzymes in cell wall assembly. Previous studies have shown that two membrane-bound proteins in Streptococcus pneumoniae, here named MpgA and MpgB, are important in maintaining cell wall integrity. MpgA was predicted to be a lytic transglycosylase based on its homology to Escherichia coli MltG while the enzymatic activity of MpgB was unclear. Using nascent peptidoglycan substrates synthesized in vitro from the peptidoglycan precursor Lipid II, we report that both MpgA and MpgB are muramidases. We show that replacing a single amino acid in E. coli MltG with the corresponding amino acid from MpgA results in muramidase activity, allowing us to predict from the presence of this amino acid that other putative lytic transglycosylases actually function as muramidases. Strikingly, we report that MpgA and MpgB cut nascent peptidoglycan at different positions along the sugar backbone relative to the reducing end. MpgA produces much longer peptidoglycan oligomers and we show that its cleavage site selectivity is controlled by the LysM-like subdomain, which is also present in MltG. We propose that MltG’s ability to complement loss of MpgA in S. pneumoniae despite performing different cleavage chemistry is because it can cleave nascent peptidoglycan at the same distance from the lipid anchor.


2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 1741-1747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahir H. Malik ◽  
Candie Wolbert ◽  
Laura Nerret ◽  
Christian Sauder ◽  
Steven Rubin

It has previously been shown that three amino acid changes, one each in the fusion (F; Ala/Thr-91→Thr), haemagglutinin–neuraminidase (HN; Ser-466→Asn) and polymerase (L; Ile-736→Val) proteins, are associated with attenuation of a neurovirulent clinical isolate of mumps virus (88-1961) following serial passage in vitro. Here, using full-length cDNA plasmid clones and site-directed mutagenesis, it was shown that the single amino acid change in the HN protein and to a lesser extent, the change in the L protein, resulted in neuroattenuation, as assessed in rats. The combination of both amino acid changes caused neuroattenuation of the virus to levels previously reported for the clinical isolate following attenuation in vitro. The amino acid change in the F protein, despite having a dramatic effect on protein function in vitro, was previously shown to not be involved in the observed neuroattenuation, highlighting the importance of conducting confirmatory in vivo studies. This report provides additional supporting evidence for the role of the HN protein as a virulence factor and, as far as is known, is the first report to associate an amino acid change in the L protein with mumps virus neuroattenuation.


Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 371 (6531) ◽  
pp. 850-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler N. Starr ◽  
Allison J. Greaney ◽  
Amin Addetia ◽  
William W. Hannon ◽  
Manish C. Choudhary ◽  
...  

Antibodies are a potential therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the risk of the virus evolving to escape them remains unclear. Here we map how all mutations to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 affect binding by the antibodies in the REGN-COV2 cocktail and the antibody LY-CoV016. These complete maps uncover a single amino acid mutation that fully escapes the REGN-COV2 cocktail, which consists of two antibodies, REGN10933 and REGN10987, targeting distinct structural epitopes. The maps also identify viral mutations that are selected in a persistently infected patient treated with REGN-COV2 and during in vitro viral escape selections. Finally, the maps reveal that mutations escaping the individual antibodies are already present in circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains. These complete escape maps enable interpretation of the consequences of mutations observed during viral surveillance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 197-205
Author(s):  
Dwi Wulandari ◽  
Lisnawati Rachmadi ◽  
Tjahjani M. Sudiro

Background: E6 and E7 are oncoproteins of HPV16. Natural amino acid variation in HPV16 E6 can alter its carcinogenic potential. The aim of this study was to analyze phylogenetically E6 and E7 genes and proteins of HPV16 from Indonesia and predict the effects of single amino acid substitution on protein function. This analysis could be used to reduce time, effort, and research cost as initial screening in selection of protein or isolates to be tested in vitro or in vivo.Methods: In this study, E6 and E7 gene sequences were obtained from 12 samples of  Indonesian isolates, which  were compared with HPV16R (prototype) and 6 standard isolates in the category of European (E), Asian (As), Asian-American (AA), African-1 (Af-1), African-2 (Af-2), and North American (NA) branch from Genbank. Bioedit v.7.0.0 was used to analyze the composition and substitution of single amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of E6 and E7 genes and proteins was performed using Clustal X (1.81) and NJPLOT softwares. Effects of single amino acid substitutions on protein function of E6 and E7 were analysed by SNAP.Results: Java variants and isolate ui66* belonged to European branch, while the others belonged to Asian and African branches. Twelve changes of amino acids were found in E6 and one in E7 proteins. SNAP analysis showed two non neutral mutations, i.e. R10I and C63G in E6 proteins. R10I mutations were found in Af-2 genotype (AF472509) and Indonesian isolates (Af2*), while C63G mutation was found only in Af2*.Conclusion: E6 proteins of HPV16 variants were more variable than E7. SNAP analysis showed that only E6 protein of African-2 branch had functional differences compared to HPV16R.


2014 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 1033-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blanca García-Barreno ◽  
Teresa Delgado ◽  
Sonia Benito ◽  
Inmaculada Casas ◽  
Francisco Pozo ◽  
...  

Murine hybridomas producing neutralizing mAbs specific to the pandemic influenza virus A/California/07/2009 haemagglutinin (HA) were isolated. These antibodies recognized at least two different but overlapping new epitopes that were conserved in the HA of most Spanish pandemic isolates. However, one of these isolates (A/Extremadura/RR6530/2010) lacked reactivity with the mAbs and carried two unique mutations in the HA head (S88Y and K136N) that were required simultaneously to eliminate reactivity with the murine antibodies. This unusual requirement directly illustrates the phenomenon of enhanced antigenic change proposed previously for the accumulation of simultaneous amino acid substitutions at antigenic sites of the influenza A virus HA during virus evolution (Shih et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 104 , 6283–6288, 2007). The changes found in the A/Extremadura/RR6530/2010 HA were not found in escape mutants selected in vitro with one of the mAbs, which contained instead nearby single amino acid changes in the HA head. Thus, either single or double point mutations may similarly alter epitopes of the new antigenic site identified in this work in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus HA. Moreover, this site is relevant for the human antibody response, as shown by competition of mAbs and human post-infection sera for virus binding. The results are discussed in the context of the HA antigenic structure and challenges posed for identification of sequence changes with possible antigenic impact during virus surveillance.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 2372-2382
Author(s):  
K M Arndt ◽  
S L Ricupero ◽  
D M Eisenmann ◽  
F Winston

A mutation in the gene that encodes Saccharomyces cerevisiae TFIID (SPT15), which was isolated in a selection for mutations that alter transcription in vivo, changes a single amino acid in a highly conserved region of the second direct repeat in TFIID. Among eight independent spt15 mutations, seven cause this same amino acid change, Leu-205 to Phe. The mutant TFIID protein (L205F) binds with greater affinity than that of wild-type TFIID to at least two nonconsensus TATA sites in vitro, showing that the mutant protein has altered DNA binding specificity. Site-directed mutations that change Leu-205 to five different amino acids cause five different phenotypes, demonstrating the importance of this amino acid in vivo. Virtually identical phenotypes were observed when the same amino acid changes were made at the analogous position, Leu-114, in the first repeat of TFIID. Analysis of these mutations and additional mutations in the most conserved regions of the repeats, in conjunction with our DNA binding results, suggests that these regions of the repeats play equivalent roles in TFIID function, possibly in TATA box recognition.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Collette ◽  
Victoria H.I. Lao ◽  
Dina R. Weilhammer ◽  
Barbara Zingg ◽  
Shoshana D. Cohen ◽  
...  

AbstractThe 2014-2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas resulted in large deposits of next-generation sequencing data from clinical samples. This resource was mined to identify emerging mutations and trends in mutations as the outbreak progressed over time. Information on transmission dynamics, prevalence and persistence of intra-host mutants, and the position of a mutation on a protein were then used to prioritize 544 reported mutations based on their ability to impact ZIKV phenotype. Using this criteria, six mutants (representing naturally occurring mutations) were generated as synthetic infectious clones using a 2015 Puerto Rican epidemic strain PRVABC59 as the parental backbone. The phenotypes of these naturally occurring variants were examined using both cell culture and murine model systems. Mutants had distinct phenotypes, including changes in replication rate, embryo death, and decreased head size. In particular, a NS2B mutant previously detected during in vivo studies in rhesus macaques was found to cause lethal infections in adult mice, abortions in pregnant females, and increased viral genome copies in both brain tissue and blood of female mice. Additionally, mutants with changes in the region of NS3 that interfaces with NS5 during replication displayed reduced replication in the blood of adult mice. This analytical pathway, integrating both bioinformatic and wet lab experiments, provides a foundation for understanding how naturally occurring single mutations affect disease outcome and can be used to predict the of severity of future ZIKV outbreaks.Author summaryTo determine if naturally occurring individual mutations in the Zika virus epidemic genotype effect viral virulence or replication rate in vitro or in vivo, we generated an infectious clone representing the epidemic genotype of stain Puerto Rico, 2015. Using this clone, six mutants were created by changing nucleotides in the genome to cause one to two amino acid substitutions in the encoded proteins. The six mutants we generated represent mutations that differentiated the early epidemic genotype from genotypes that were either ancestral or that occurred later in the epidemic. We assayed each mutant for changes in growth rate, and for virulence in adult mice and pregnant mice. Three of the mutants caused catastrophic embryo effects including increased embryonic death or significant decrease in head diameter. Three other mutants that had mutations in a genome region associated with replication resulted in changes in in vitro and in vivo replication rates. These results illustrate the potential impact of individual mutations in viral phenotype.


2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul E. Bernard ◽  
Amey Duarte ◽  
Mikhail Bogdanov ◽  
James M. Musser ◽  
Randall J. Olsen

ABSTRACT Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a human-specific pathogen and major cause of disease worldwide. The molecular pathogenesis of GAS, like many pathogens, is dependent on the coordinated expression of genes encoding different virulence factors. The control of virulence regulator/sensor (CovRS) two-component system is a major virulence regulator of GAS that has been extensively studied. More recent investigations have also involved regulator of Cov (RocA), a regulatory accessory protein to CovRS. RocA interacts, in some manner, with CovRS; however, the precise molecular mechanism is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that RocA is a membrane protein containing seven transmembrane helices with an extracytoplasmically located N terminus and cytoplasmically located C terminus. For the first time, we demonstrate that RocA directly interacts with itself (RocA) and CovS, but not CovR, in intact cells. Single amino acid replacements along the entire length of RocA disrupt RocA-RocA and RocA-CovS interactions to significantly alter the GAS virulence phenotype as defined by secreted virulence factor activity in vitro and tissue destruction and mortality in vivo. In summary, we show that single amino acid replacements in a regulatory accessory protein can affect protein-protein interactions to significantly alter the virulence of a major human pathogen.


2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 2100-2108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Korsinczky ◽  
Nanhua Chen ◽  
Barbara Kotecka ◽  
Allan Saul ◽  
Karl Rieckmann ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Atovaquone is the major active component of the new antimalarial drug Malarone. Considerable evidence suggests that malaria parasites become resistant to atovaquone quickly if atovaquone is used as a sole agent. The mechanism by which the parasite develops resistance to atovaquone is not yet fully understood. Atovaquone has been shown to inhibit the cytochrome bc 1 (CYTbc 1) complex of the electron transport chain of malaria parasites. Here we report point mutations in Plasmodium falciparum CYT b that are associated with atovaquone resistance. Single or double amino acid mutations were detected from parasites that originated from a cloned line and survived various concentrations of atovaquone in vitro. A single amino acid mutation was detected in parasites isolated from a recrudescent patient following atovaquone treatment. These mutations are associated with a 25- to 9,354-fold range reduction in parasite susceptibility to atovaquone. Molecular modeling showed that amino acid mutations associated with atovaquone resistance are clustered around a putative atovaquone-binding site. Mutations in these positions are consistent with a reduced binding affinity of atovaquone for malaria parasite CYTb.


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