scholarly journals A factor produced by Escherichia coli K-12 inhibits the growth of E. coli mutants defective in the cytochrome bd quinol oxidase complex: enterochelin rediscovered

Microbiology ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 144 (12) ◽  
pp. 3297-3308 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Cook ◽  
C. Loder ◽  
B. Soballe ◽  
G. P. Stafford ◽  
J. Membrillo-Hernandez ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor J. Beebout ◽  
Levy A. Sominsky ◽  
Allison R. Eberly ◽  
Gerald T. Van Horn ◽  
Maria Hadjifrangiskou

AbstractNutrient gradients in biofilms cause bacteria to organize into metabolically versatile communities capable of withstanding threats from external agents including bacteriophages, phagocytes, and antibiotics. We previously determined that oxygen availability spatially organizes respiration in uropathogenic Escherichia coli biofilms, and that the high-affinity respiratory quinol oxidase cytochrome bd is necessary for extracellular matrix production and biofilm development. In this study we investigate the physiologic consequences of cytochrome bd deficiency in biofilms and determine that loss of cytochrome bd induces a biofilm-specific increase in expression of general diffusion porins, leading to elevated outer membrane permeability. In addition, loss of cytochrome bd impedes the proton mediated efflux of noxious chemicals by diminishing respiratory flux. As a result, loss of cytochrome bd enhances cellular accumulation of noxious chemicals and increases biofilm susceptibility to antibiotics. These results identify an undescribed link between E. coli biofilm respiration and stress tolerance, while suggesting the possibility of inhibiting cytochrome bd as an antibiofilm therapeutic approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amer H. Asseri ◽  
Albert Godoy-Hernandez ◽  
Hojjat Ghasemi Goojani ◽  
Holger Lill ◽  
Junshi Sakamoto ◽  
...  

AbstractCardiolipin (CL) is a lipid that is found in the membranes of bacteria and the inner membranes of mitochondria. CL can increase the activity of integral membrane proteins, in particular components of respiratory pathways. We here report that CL activated detergent-solubilized cytochrome bd, a terminal oxidase from Escherichia coli. CL enhanced the oxygen consumption activity ~ twofold and decreased the apparent KM value for ubiquinol-1 as substrate from 95 µM to 35 µM. Activation by CL was also observed for cytochrome bd from two Gram-positive species, Geobacillus thermodenitrificans and Corynebacterium glutamicum, and for cytochrome bo3 from E. coli. Taken together, CL can enhance the activity of detergent-solubilized cytochrome bd and cytochrome bo3.


Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Elena Forte ◽  
Sergey A. Siletsky ◽  
Vitaliy B. Borisov

Interaction of two redox enzymes of Escherichia coli, cytochrome bo3 and cytochrome bd-I, with ammonium sulfate/ammonia at pH 7.0 and 8.3 was studied using high-resolution respirometry and absorption spectroscopy. At pH 7.0, the oxygen reductase activity of none of the enzymes is affected by the ligand. At pH 8.3, cytochrome bo3 is inhibited by the ligand, with 40% maximum inhibition at 100 mM (NH4)2SO4. In contrast, the activity of cytochrome bd-I at pH 8.3 increases with increasing the ligand concentration, the largest increase (140%) is observed at 100 mM (NH4)2SO4. In both cases, the effector molecule is apparently not NH4+ but NH3. The ligand induces changes in absorption spectra of both oxidized cytochromes at pH 8.3. The magnitude of these changes increases as ammonia concentration is increased, yielding apparent dissociation constants Kdapp of 24.3 ± 2.7 mM (NH4)2SO4 (4.9 ± 0.5 mM NH3) for the Soret region in cytochrome bo3, and 35.9 ± 7.1 and 24.6 ± 12.4 mM (NH4)2SO4 (7.2 ± 1.4 and 4.9 ± 2.5 mM NH3) for the Soret and visible regions, respectively, in cytochrome bd-I. Consistently, addition of (NH4)2SO4 to cells of the E. coli mutant containing cytochrome bd-I as the only terminal oxidase at pH 8.3 accelerates the O2 consumption rate, the highest one (140%) being at 27 mM (NH4)2SO4. We discuss possible molecular mechanisms and physiological significance of modulation of the enzymatic activities by ammonia present at high concentration in the intestines, a niche occupied by E. coli.


Genetics ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
B L Berg ◽  
V Stewart

Abstract Formate oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction constitutes a major anaerobic respiratory pathway in Escherichia coli. This respiratory chain consists of formate dehydrogenase-N, quinone, and nitrate reductase. We have isolated a recombinant DNA clone that likely contains the structural genes, fdnGHI, for the three subunits of formate dehydrogenase-N. The fdnGHI clone produced proteins of 110, 32 and 20 kDa which correspond to the subunit sizes of purified formate dehydrogenase-N. Our analysis indicates that fdnGHI is organized as an operon. We mapped the fdn operon to 32 min on the E. coli genetic map, close to the genes for cryptic nitrate reductase (encoded by the narZ operon). Expression of phi(fdnG-lacZ) operon fusions was induced by anaerobiosis and nitrate. This induction required fnr+ and narL+, two regulatory genes whose products are also required for the anaerobic, nitrate-inducible activation of the nitrate reductase structural gene operon, narGHJI. We conclude that regulation of fdnGHI and narGHJI expression is mediated through common pathways.


1982 ◽  
Vol 152 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
E H Berglin ◽  
M B Edlund ◽  
G K Nyberg ◽  
J Carlsson

Under anaerobic conditions an exponentially growing culture of Escherichia coli K-12 was exposed to hydrogen peroxide in the presence of various compounds. Hydrogen peroxide (0.1 mM) together with 0.1 mM L-cysteine or L-cystine killed the organisms more rapidly than 10 mM hydrogen peroxide alone. The exposure of E. coli to hydrogen peroxide in the presence of L-cysteine inhibited some of the catalase. This inhibition, however, could not fully explain the 100-fold increase in hydrogen peroxide sensitivity of the organism in the presence of L-cysteine. Of other compounds tested only some thiols potentiated the bactericidal effect of hydrogen peroxide. These thiols were effective, however, only at concentrations significantly higher than 0.1 mM. The effect of L-cysteine and L-cystine could be annihilated by the metal ion chelating agent 2,2'-bipyridyl. DNA breakage in E. coli K-12 was demonstrated under conditions where the organisms were killed by hydrogen peroxide.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Yohannes ◽  
D. Michael Barnhart ◽  
Joan L. Slonczewski

ABSTRACT During aerobic growth of Escherichia coli, expression of catabolic enzymes and envelope and periplasmic proteins is regulated by pH. Additional modes of pH regulation were revealed under anaerobiosis. E. coli K-12 strain W3110 was cultured anaerobically in broth medium buffered at pH 5.5 or 8.5 for protein identification on proteomic two-dimensional gels. A total of 32 proteins from anaerobic cultures show pH-dependent expression, and only four of these proteins (DsbA, TnaA, GatY, and HdeA) showed pH regulation in aerated cultures. The levels of 19 proteins were elevated at the high pH; these proteins included metabolic enzymes (DhaKLM, GapA, TnaA, HisC, and HisD), periplasmic proteins (ProX, OppA, DegQ, MalB, and MglB), and stress proteins (DsbA, Tig, and UspA). High-pH induction of the glycolytic enzymes DhaKLM and GapA suggested that there was increased fermentation to acids, which helped neutralize alkalinity. Reporter lac fusion constructs showed base induction of sdaA encoding serine deaminase under anaerobiosis; in addition, the glutamate decarboxylase genes gadA and gadB were induced at the high pH anaerobically but not with aeration. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a connection between the gad system and GabT metabolism of 4-aminobutanoate. On the other hand, 13 other proteins were induced by acid; these proteins included metabolic enzymes (GatY and AckA), periplasmic proteins (TolC, HdeA, and OmpA), and redox enzymes (GuaB, HmpA, and Lpd). The acid induction of NikA (nickel transporter) is of interest because E. coli requires nickel for anaerobic fermentation. The position of the NikA spot coincided with the position of a small unidentified spot whose induction in aerobic cultures was reported previously; thus, NikA appeared to be induced slightly by acid during aeration but showed stronger induction under anaerobic conditions. Overall, anaerobic growth revealed several more pH-regulated proteins; in particular, anaerobiosis enabled induction of several additional catabolic enzymes and sugar transporters at the high pH, at which production of fermentation acids may be advantageous for the cell.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (18) ◽  
pp. 6179-6185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Lease ◽  
Dorie Smith ◽  
Kathleen McDonough ◽  
Marlene Belfort

ABSTRACT DsrA RNA is a small (87-nucleotide) regulatory RNA of Escherichia coli that acts by RNA-RNA interactions to control translation and turnover of specific mRNAs. Two targets of DsrA regulation are RpoS, the stationary-phase and stress response sigma factor (σs), and H-NS, a histone-like nucleoid protein and global transcription repressor. Genes regulated globally by RpoS and H-NS include stress response proteins and virulence factors for pathogenic E. coli. Here, by using transcription profiling via DNA arrays, we have identified genes induced by DsrA. Steady-state levels of mRNAs from many genes increased with DsrA overproduction, including multiple acid resistance genes of E. coli. Quantitative primer extension analysis verified the induction of individual acid resistance genes in the hdeAB, gadAX, and gadBC operons. E. coli K-12 strains, as well as pathogenic E. coli O157:H7, exhibited compromised acid resistance in dsrA mutants. Conversely, overproduction of DsrA from a plasmid rendered the acid-sensitive dsrA mutant extremely acid resistant. Thus, DsrA RNA plays a regulatory role in acid resistance. Whether DsrA targets acid resistance genes directly by base pairing or indirectly via perturbation of RpoS and/or H-NS is not known, but in either event, our results suggest that DsrA RNA may enhance the virulence of pathogenic E. coli.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 937-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lila Lalioui ◽  
Chantal Le Bouguénec

ABSTRACT We recently described a new afimbrial adhesin, AfaE-VIII, produced by animal strains associated with diarrhea and septicemia and by human isolates associated with extraintestinal infections. Here, we report that the afa-8 operon, encoding AfaE-VIII adhesin, from the human blood isolate Escherichia coli AL862 is carried by a 61-kb genomic region with characteristics typical of a pathogenicity island (PAI), including a size larger than 10 kb, the presence of an integrase-encoding gene, the insertion into a tRNA locus (pheR), and the presence of a small direct repeat at each extremity. Moreover, the G+C content of the afa-8 operon (46.4%) is lower than that of the E. coli K-12/MG1655 chromosome (50.8%). Within this PAI, designated PAI IAL862, we identified open reading frames able to code for products similar to proteins involved in sugar utilization. Four probes spanning these sequences hybridized with 74.3% of pathogenicafa-8-positive E. coli strains isolated from humans and animals, 25% of human pathogenic afa-8-negativeE. coli strains, and only 8% of fecal strains (P = 0.05), indicating that these sequences are strongly associated with the afa-8 operon and that this genetic association may define a PAI widely distributed among human and animal afa-8-positive strains. One of the distinctive features of this study is that E. coli AL862 also carries another afa-8-containing PAI (PAI IIAL862), which appeared to be similar in size and genetic organization to PAI IAL862 and was inserted into the pheV gene. We investigated the insertion sites of afa-8-containing PAI in human and bovine pathogenic E. coli strains and found that this PAI preferentially inserted into the pheV gene.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (7) ◽  
pp. 1814-1821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Yang ◽  
Ho-Ching Tiffany Tsui ◽  
Tsz-Kwong Man ◽  
Malcolm E. Winkler

ABSTRACT pdxK encodes a pyridoxine (PN)/pyridoxal (PL)/pyridoxamine (PM) kinase thought to function in the salvage pathway of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) coenzyme biosynthesis. The observation that pdxK null mutants still contain PL kinase activity led to the hypothesis that Escherichia coli K-12 contains at least one other B6-vitamer kinase. Here we support this hypothesis by identifying the pdxY gene (formally, open reading frame f287b) at 36.92 min, which encodes a novel PL kinase. PdxY was first identified by its homology to PdxK in searches of the complete E. coli genome. Minimal clones of pdxY + overexpressed PL kinase specific activity about 10-fold. We inserted an omega cassette intopdxY and crossed the resultingpdxY::ΩKanr mutation into the bacterial chromosome of a pdxB mutant, in which de novo PLP biosynthesis is blocked. We then determined the growth characteristics and PL and PN kinase specific activities in extracts ofpdxK and pdxY single and double mutants. Significantly, the requirement of the pdxB pdxK pdxY triple mutant for PLP was not satisfied by PL and PN, and the triple mutant had negligible PL and PN kinase specific activities. Our combined results suggest that the PL kinase PdxY and the PN/PL/PM kinase PdxK are the only physiologically important B6vitamer kinases in E. coli and that their function is confined to the PLP salvage pathway. Last, we show thatpdxY is located downstream from pdxH (encoding PNP/PMP oxidase) and essential tyrS (encoding aminoacyl-tRNATyr synthetase) in a multifunctional operon.pdxY is completely cotranscribed with tyrS, but about 92% of tyrS transcripts terminate at a putative Rho-factor-dependent attenuator located in thetyrS-pdxY intercistronic region.


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