scholarly journals Insights into the Assembly of the Alginate Biosynthesis Machinery in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 3264-3272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid U. Rehman ◽  
Yajie Wang ◽  
M. Fata Moradali ◽  
Iain D. Hay ◽  
Bernd H. A. Rehm
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Stability Analysis ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Multiprotein Complex ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alginate Production ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosais an opportunistic pathogen of particular significance to cystic fibrosis patients. This bacterium produces the exopolysaccharide alginate, which is an indicator of poor prognosis for these patients. The proteins required for alginate polymerization and secretion are encoded by genes organized in a single operon; however, the existence of internal promoters has been reported. It has been proposed that these proteins form a multiprotein complex which extends from the inner to outer membrane. Here, experimental evidence supporting such a multiprotein complex was obtained via mutual stability analysis, pulldown assays, and coimmunoprecipitation. The impact of the absence of single proteins or subunits on this multiprotein complex, i.e., on the stability of potentially interacting proteins, as well as on alginate production was investigated. Deletion ofalgKin an alginate-overproducing strain, PDO300, interfered with the polymerization of alginate, suggesting that in the absence of AlgK, the polymerase and copolymerase subunits, Alg8 and Alg44, are destabilized. Based on mutual stability analysis, interactions between AlgE (outer membrane), AlgK (periplasm), AlgX (periplasm), Alg44 (inner membrane), Alg8 (inner membrane), and AlgG (periplasm) were proposed. Coimmunoprecipitation using a FLAG-tagged variant of AlgE further demonstrated its interaction with AlgK. Pulldown assays using histidine-tagged AlgK showed that AlgK interacts with AlgX, which in turn was also copurified with histidine-tagged Alg44. Detection of AlgG and AlgE in PAO1 supported the existence of internal promoters controlling expression of the respective genes. Overall experimental evidence was provided for the existence of a multiprotein complex required for alginate polymerization and secretion.

scholarly journals Exogenous Alginate Protects Staphylococcus aureus from Killing by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2019 ◽  
Vol 202 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney E. Price ◽  
Dustin G. Brown ◽  
Dominique H. Limoli ◽  
Vanessa V. Phelan ◽  
George A. O’Toole
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Late Time ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alginate Production ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients chronically infected with both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus have worse health outcomes than patients who are monoinfected with either P. aeruginosa or S. aureus. We showed previously that mucoid strains of P. aeruginosa can coexist with S. aureus in vitro due to the transcriptional downregulation of several toxic exoproducts typically produced by P. aeruginosa, including siderophores, rhamnolipids, and HQNO (2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide). Here, we demonstrate that exogenous alginate protects S. aureus from P. aeruginosa in both planktonic and biofilm coculture models under a variety of nutritional conditions. S. aureus protection in the presence of exogenous alginate is due to the transcriptional downregulation of pvdA, a gene required for the production of the iron-scavenging siderophore pyoverdine as well as the downregulation of the PQS (Pseudomonas quinolone signal) (2-heptyl-3,4-dihydroxyquinoline) quorum sensing system. The impact of exogenous alginate is independent of endogenous alginate production. We further demonstrate that coculture of mucoid P. aeruginosa with nonmucoid P. aeruginosa strains can mitigate the killing of S. aureus by the nonmucoid strain of P. aeruginosa, indicating that the mechanism that we describe here may function in vivo in the context of mixed infections. Finally, we investigated a panel of mucoid clinical isolates that retain the ability to kill S. aureus at late time points and show that each strain has a unique expression profile, indicating that mucoid isolates can overcome the S. aureus-protective effects of mucoidy in a strain-specific manner. IMPORTANCE CF patients are chronically infected by polymicrobial communities. The two dominant bacterial pathogens that infect the lungs of CF patients are P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, with ∼30% of patients coinfected by both species. Such coinfected individuals have worse outcomes than monoinfected patients, and both species persist within the same physical space. A variety of host and environmental factors have been demonstrated to promote P. aeruginosa-S. aureus coexistence, despite evidence that P. aeruginosa kills S. aureus when these organisms are cocultured in vitro. Thus, a better understanding of P. aeruginosa-S. aureus interactions, particularly mechanisms by which these microorganisms are able to coexist in proximal physical space, will lead to better-informed treatments for chronic polymicrobial infections.

scholarly journals Dual Roles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa AlgE in Secretion of the Virulence Factor Alginate and Formation of the Secretion Complex

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 2002-2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid U. Rehman ◽  
Bernd H. A. Rehm
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Extracellular Polysaccharide ◽  
Insertion Mutagenesis ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Multiprotein Complex ◽  
Flag Epitope ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alginate Production

ABSTRACTAlgE is a monomeric 18-stranded β-barrel protein required for secretion of the extracellular polysaccharide alginate inPseudomonas aeruginosa. To assess the molecular mechanism of alginate secretion, AlgE was subjected to site-specific and FLAG epitope insertion mutagenesis. Except for β-strands 6 and 10, epitope insertions into the transmembrane β-strands abolished localization of AlgE to the outer membrane. Interestingly, an epitope insertion into β-strand 10 produced alginate and was only detectable in outer membranes isolated from cells grown on solid media. The deletion of nine C-terminal amino acid residues destabilized AlgE. Replacement of amino acids that constitute the highly electropositive pore constriction showed that individual amino acid residues have a specific function in alginate secretion. Two of the triple mutants (K47E+R353A+R459E and R74E+R362A+R459E) severely reduced alginate production. Mutual stability analysis using thealgEdeletion mutant PDO300ΔalgE(miniCTX) showed the periplasmic alginate biosynthesis proteins AlgK and AlgX were completely destabilized, while the copy number of the inner membrane c-di-GMP receptor Alg44 was reduced. Chromosomal integration ofalgErestored AlgK, AlgX, and Alg44, providing evidence for a multiprotein complex that spans the cell envelope. Periplasmic turn 4 of AlgE was identified as an important region for maintaining the stability of the putative multiprotein complex.

scholarly journals Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Peptidoglycan-Associated Outer Membrane Proteins in Vesicle Formation

2012 ◽  
Vol 195 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee K. Wessel ◽  
Jean Liew ◽  
Taejoon Kwon ◽  
Edward M. Marcotte ◽  
Marvin Whiteley
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Outer Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTGram-negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) that package and deliver proteins, small molecules, and DNA to prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The molecular details of OMV biogenesis have not been fully elucidated, but peptidoglycan-associated outer membrane proteins that tether the outer membrane to the underlying peptidoglycan have been shown to be critical for OMV formation in multipleEnterobacteriaceae. In this study, we demonstrate that the peptidoglycan-associated outer membrane proteins OprF and OprI, but not OprL, impact production of OMVs by the opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa. Interestingly, OprF does not appear to be important for tethering the outer membrane to peptidoglycan but instead impacts OMV formation through modulation of the levels of thePseudomonasquinolone signal (PQS), a quorum signal previously shown by our laboratory to be critical for OMV formation. Thus, the mechanism by which OprF impacts OMV formation is distinct from that for other peptidoglycan-associated outer membrane proteins, including OprI.

scholarly journals Environmental Pseudomonads Inhibit Cystic Fibrosis Patient-Derived Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Payel Chatterjee ◽  
Elizabeth Davis ◽  
Fengan Yu ◽  
Sarah James ◽  
Julia H. Wildschutte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Alginate Production ◽  
Diverse Groups

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen which is evolving resistance to many currently used antibiotics. While much research has been devoted to the roles of pathogenic P. aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, less is known of its ecological properties. P. aeruginosa dominates the lungs during chronic infection in CF patients, yet its abundance in some environments is less than that of other diverse groups of pseudomonads. Here, we sought to determine if clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa are vulnerable to environmental pseudomonads that dominate soil and water habitats in one-to-one competitions which may provide a source of inhibitory factors. We isolated a total of 330 pseudomonads from diverse habitats of soil and freshwater ecosystems and competed these strains against one another to determine their capacity for antagonistic activity. Over 900 individual inhibitory events were observed. Extending the analysis to P. aeruginosa isolates revealed that clinical isolates, including ones with increased alginate production, were susceptible to competition by multiple environmental strains. We performed transposon mutagenesis on one isolate and identified an ∼14.8-kb locus involved in antagonistic activity. Only two other environmental isolates were observed to carry the locus, suggesting the presence of additional unique compounds or interactions among other isolates involved in outcompeting P. aeruginosa. This collection of strains represents a source of compounds that are active against multiple pathogenic strains. With the evolution of resistance of P. aeruginosa to currently used antibiotics, these environmental strains provide opportunities for novel compound discovery against drug-resistant clinical strains. IMPORTANCE We demonstrate that clinical CF-derived isolates of P. aeruginosa are susceptible to competition in the presence of environmental pseudomonads. We observed that many diverse environmental strains exhibited varied antagonistic profiles against a panel of clinical P. aeruginosa isolates, suggesting the presence of distinct mechanisms of inhibition among these ecological strains. Understanding the properties of these antagonistic events offers the potential for discoveries of antimicrobial compounds or metabolic pathways important to the development of novel treatments for P. aeruginosa infections.

scholarly journals Remodeling of O Antigen in MucoidPseudomonas aeruginosavia Transcriptional Repression ofwzz2

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley R. Cross ◽  
Joanna B. Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Chain Length ◽  
Transcriptional Repression ◽  
Antigen Expression ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Content Type ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Alginate Production

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosais an opportunistic pathogen that causes chronic lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). ChronicP. aeruginosaisolates generally do not express O antigen and often have a mucoid phenotype, which is characterized by the overproduction of the exopolysaccharide alginate. Therefore, O antigen expression and the mucoid phenotype may be coordinately regulated upon chronic adaption to the CF lung. Here we demonstrate that PDO300, a mucoid strain derived from the nonmucoid laboratory isolate PAO1, does not produce very long O antigen due to decreased expression of Wzz2, the very long O antigen chain length control protein, and that mucoid clinical isolates express reduced levels of Wzz2 compared to nonmucoid isolates. Further, we show that forcing the expression of very long O antigen by PDO300, by providingwzz2intrans, does not alter alginate production, suggesting that sugar precursors are not limited between the two biosynthesis pathways. Moreover, we confirm that AmrZ, a transcription factor highly expressed in mucoid strains, is a negative regulator ofwzz2promoter activity and very long O antigen expression. These experiments identify the first transcriptional regulator of O antigen chain length inP. aeruginosaand support a model where transition to a chronic mucoid phenotype is correlated with downregulation of very long O antigen through decreased Wzz2 production.IMPORTANCEDetection of mucoidPseudomonas aeruginosa, characterized by the overproduction of alginate, is correlated with the establishment of a chronic pulmonary infection and disease progression in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). In addition to the overproduction of alginate, loss of O antigen lipopolysaccharide production is also selected for in chronic infection isolates. In this study, we have identified the regulatory network that inversely regulates O antigen and alginate production. Understanding the regulation of these chronic phenotypes will elucidate mechanisms that are important for the establishment of a long-termP. aeruginosalung infection and ultimately provide an opportunity for intervention. PreventingP. aeruginosafrom chronically adapting to the CF lung environment could provide a better outcome for people who are infected.

scholarly journals Membrane Topology Mapping of the O-Antigen Flippase (Wzx), Polymerase (Wzy), and Ligase (WaaL) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Reveals Novel Domain Architectures

mBio ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim T. Islam ◽  
Véronique L. Taylor ◽  
Meng Qi ◽  
Joseph S. Lam
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Content Type ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Dependent Pathway

ABSTRACTBiosynthesis of B-band lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inPseudomonas aeruginosafollows the Wzy-dependent pathway, requiring the integral inner membrane proteins Wzx (O-antigen [O-Ag] flippase), Wzy (O-Ag polymerase), and WaaL (O-Ag ligase). For an important first step in deciphering the mechanisms of LPS assembly, we set out to map the membrane topology of these proteins. Random and targeted 3′wzx,wzy, andwaaLtruncations were fused to aphoA-lacZαdual reporter capable of displaying both alkaline phosphatase and β-galactosidase activity. The results from truncation fusion expression and the corresponding differential enzyme activity ratios allowed for the assignment of specific regions of the proteins to cytoplasmic, transmembrane (TM), or periplasmic loci. Protein orientation in the inner membrane was confirmed via C-terminal fusion to green fluorescent protein. Our data revealed unique TM domain properties in these proteins, particularly for Wzx, indicating the potential for a charged pore. Novel periplasmic and cytoplasmic loop domains were also uncovered, with the latter in Wzy and WaaL revealing tracts consistent with potential Walker A/B motifs.IMPORTANCEThe opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosasynthesizes its virulence factor lipopolysaccharide via the Wzy-dependent pathway, requiring translocation, polymerization, and ligation of lipid-linked polysaccharide repeat units by the integral inner membrane proteins Wzx, Wzy, and WaaL, respectively. However, structural evidence to help explain the function of these proteins is lacking. Since membrane proteins are difficult to crystallize, topological mapping is an important first step in identifying exposed and membrane-embedded domains. We mapped the topologies of Wzx, Wzy, and WaaL fromP. aeruginosaPAO1 by use of truncation libraries of a randomly fused C-terminal reporter capable of different enzyme activities in the periplasm and cytoplasm. Topology maps were created based directly on residue localization data, eliminating the bias associated with reliance on multiple topology prediction algorithms for initial generation of consensus transmembrane domain localizations. Consequently, we have identified novel periplasmic, cytoplasmic, and transmembrane domain properties that would help to explain the proposed functions of Wzx, Wzy, and WaaL.

scholarly journals Recycling of Peptidyl-tRNAs by Peptidyl-tRNA Hydrolase Counteracts Azithromycin-Mediated Effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1617-1624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Gödeke ◽  
Christian Pustelny ◽  
Susanne Häussler
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Phase Cell ◽  
Chronic Infections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Protein Expression Profiles ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTAcute and chronic infections caused by the opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosapose a serious threat to human health worldwide, and its increasing resistance to antibiotics requires alternative treatments that are more effective than available strategies. Clinical studies have clearly demonstrated that cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with chronicP. aeruginosainfections benefit from long-term low-dose azithromycin (AZM) treatment. Immunomodulating activity, the impact of AZM on the expression of quorum-sensing-dependent virulence factors, type three secretion, and motility inP. aeruginosaseem to contribute to the therapeutic response. However, to date, the molecular mechanisms underlying these AZM effects have remained elusive. Our data indicate that the AZM-mediated phenotype is caused by a depletion of the intracellular pools of tRNAs available for protein synthesis. Overexpression of theP. aeruginosapeptidyl-tRNA hydrolase, which recycles the tRNA from peptidyl-tRNA drop-off during translation, counteracted the effects of AZM on stationary-phase cell killing, cytotoxicity, and the production of rhamnolipids and partially restored swarming motility. Intriguingly, the exchange of a rare for a frequent codon inrhlRalso explicitly diminished the AZM-mediated decreased production of rhamnolipids. These results indicate that depletion of the tRNA pools by AZM seems to affect the translation of genes that use rare aminoacyl-tRNA isoacceptors to a great extent and might explain the selective activity of AZM on theP. aeruginosaproteome and possibly also on the protein expression profiles of other bacterial pathogens.

scholarly journals Correct Sorting of Lipoproteins into the Inner and Outer Membranes ofPseudomonas aeruginosaby theEscherichia coliLolCDE Transport System

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lorenz ◽  
Thomas J. Dougherty ◽  
Stephen Lory
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes

ABSTRACTBiogenesis of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria depends on dedicated macromolecular transport systems. The LolABCDE proteins make up the machinery for lipoprotein trafficking from the inner membrane (IM) across the periplasm to the outer membrane (OM). The Lol apparatus is additionally responsible for differentiating OM lipoproteins from those for the IM. InEnterobacteriaceae, a default sorting mechanism has been proposed whereby an aspartic acid at position +2 of the mature lipoproteins prevents Lol recognition and leads to their IM retention. In other bacteria, the conservation of sequences immediately following the acylated cysteine is variable. Here we show that inPseudomonas aeruginosa, the three essential Lol proteins (LolCDE) can be replaced with those fromEscherichia coli. TheP. aeruginosalipoproteins MexA, OprM, PscJ, and FlgH, with different sequences at their N termini, were correctly sorted by either theE. coliorP. aeruginosaLolCDE. We further demonstrate that an inhibitor ofE. coliLolCDE is active againstP. aeruginosaonly when expressing theE. coliorthologues. Our work shows that Lol proteins recognize a wide range of signals, consisting of an acylated cysteine and a specific conformation of the adjacent domain, determining IM retention or transport to the OM.IMPORTANCEGram-negative bacteria build their outer membranes (OM) from components that are initially located in the inner membrane (IM). A fraction of lipoproteins is transferred to the OM by the transport machinery consisting of LolABCDE proteins. Our work demonstrates that the LolCDE complexes of the transport pathways ofEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosaare interchangeable, with theE. coliorthologues correctly sorting theP. aeruginosalipoproteins while retaining their sensitivity to a small-molecule inhibitor. These findings question the nature of IM retention signals, identified inE. colias aspartate at position +2 of mature lipoproteins. We propose an alternative model for the sorting of IM and OM lipoproteins based on their relative affinities for the IM and the ability of the promiscuous sorting machinery to deliver lipoproteins to their functional sites in the OM.

scholarly journals Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Inner-Core Phosphates Are Required for Complete LPS Synthesis and Transport to the Outer Membrane in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

mBio ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. DeLucia ◽  
David A. Six ◽  
Ruth E. Caughlan ◽  
Patricia Gee ◽  
Ian Hunt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ms Analysis

ABSTRACTGram-negative outer membrane (OM) integrity is maintained in part by Mg2+cross-links between phosphates on lipid A and on core sugars of adjacent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules. In contrast to other Gram-negative bacteria,waaP, encoding an inner-core kinase, could not be inactivated inPseudomonas aeruginosa. To examine this further, expression of the kinases WaaP or WapP/WapQ/PA5006 was placed under the control of the arabinose-regulated pBAD promoter. Growth of these strains was arabinose dependent, confirming that core phosphorylation is essential inP. aeruginosa. Transmission electron micrographs of kinase-depleted cells revealed marked invaginations of the inner membrane. SDS-PAGE of total LPS from WaaP-depleted cells showed accumulation of a fast-migrating band. Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis revealed that LPS from these cells exhibits a unique truncated core consisting of two 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acids (Kdo), twol-glycero-d-manno-heptoses (Hep), and one hexose but completely devoid of phosphates, indicating that phosphorylation by WaaP is necessary for subsequent core phosphorylations. MS analysis of lipid A from WaaP-depleted cells revealed extensive 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose modification. OM prepared from these cells by Sarkosyl extraction of total membranes or by sucrose density gradient centrifugation lacked truncated LPS. Instead, truncated LPS was detected in the inner membrane fractions, consistent with impaired transport/assembly of this species into the OM.IMPORTANCEGram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane (OM) comprised of a phospholipid inner leaflet and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) outer leaflet. The OM protects cells from toxic molecules and is important for survival during infection. The LPS core kinase genewaaPcan be deleted in several Gram-negative bacteria but not inPseudomonas aeruginosa. We used a controlled-expression system to deplete WaaP directly inP. aeruginosacells, which halted growth. WaaP depletion also caused gross changes in cell morphology and led to the accumulation of an aberrant LPS lacking several core sugars and all core phosphates. The aberrant LPS failed to reach the OM, suggesting that WaaP is essential inP. aeruginosabecause it is required to produce the full-length LPS that is recognized by the OM transport/assembly machinery in this organism. Therefore, WaaP may constitute a good target for the development of novel antipseudomonal agents.

Genome-wide analysis and literature-based survey of lipoproteins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (9) ◽  
pp. 2597-2607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Remans ◽  
Ken Vercammen ◽  
Josselin Bodilis ◽  
Pierre Cornelis
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Signal Peptidase ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Chronic Infections ◽  
Specific Sequence ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Membrane Lipoproteins

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen able to cause acute or chronic infections. Like all other Pseudomonas species, P. aeruginosa has a large genome, >6 Mb, encoding more than 5000 proteins. Many proteins are localized in membranes, among them lipoproteins, which can be found tethered to the inner or the outer membrane. Lipoproteins are translocated from the cytoplasm and their N-terminal signal peptide is cleaved by the signal peptidase II, which recognizes a specific sequence called the lipobox just before the first cysteine of the mature lipoprotein. A majority of lipoproteins are transported to the outer membrane via the LolCDEAB system, while those having an avoidance signal remain in the inner membrane. In Escherichia coli, the presence of an aspartate residue after the cysteine is sufficient to cause the lipoprotein to remain in the inner membrane, while in P. aeruginosa the situation is more complex and involves amino acids at position +3 and +4 after the cysteine. Previous studies indicated that there are 185 lipoproteins in P. aeruginosa, with a minority in the inner membrane. A reanalysis led to a reduction of this number to 175, while new retention signals could be predicted, increasing the percentage of inner-membrane lipoproteins to 20 %. About one-third (62 out of 175) of the lipoprotein genes are present in the 17 Pseudomonas genomes sequenced, meaning that these genes are part of the core genome of the genus. Lipoproteins can be classified into families, including those outer-membrane proteins having a structural role or involved in efflux of antibiotics. Comparison of various microarray data indicates that exposure to epithelial cells or some antibiotics, or conversion to mucoidy, has a major influence on the expression of lipoprotein genes in P. aeruginosa.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document