Trigalacturonate-producing pectate lyase PelQ1 from Saccharobesus litoralis with unique exolytic activity.

PelQ1 from Saccharobesus litoralis is a Ca2+-dependent pectate lyase belonging to the polysaccharide lyase family 1 (PL1). Although being an endolytic enzyme, it degraded polygalacturonate into predominantly unsaturated trimer in an exolytic manner with delayed production of dimer, tetramer and pentamer. The enzyme harbours a C-terminal domain from the carbohydrate-binding module family 13 (CBM13), whose presence facilitated the production of dimer. PelQ1's homology model showed that it possessed a well-conserved catalytic cleft, with R232 acting as the general base and R203 as the general acid. Structural comparison with DcPelC, a similar trimer-generating pectate lyase from Dickeya chrysanthemi EC16, implied that both enzymes' catalytic clefts encompassed at least eight subsites, i.e. -5 to +3. The unequal distribution of the subsites between the reducing and non-reducing ends of the cleavage site might be responsible for the exolytic generation of the trimer. As all but the -1, +1 and + 2 subsites could accommodate methylated galacturonate, this subclass of PL1 pectate lyases may function to help break up methylated pectin.

Development of a bioengineered Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase to enhance its anti-solid tumor potential for treating gastric cancer.

Asparaginase has been traditionally applied for only treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia due to its ability to deplete asparagine. However, its ultimate anticancer potential for treating solid tumors has not yet been unleashed. In this study, we bioengineered Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase (ErWT), one of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved types of amino acid depleting enzymes, to achieve double amino acid depletions for treating a solid tumor. We constructed a fusion protein by joining an albumin binding domain (ABD) to ErWT via a linker (GGGGS)5 to achieve ABD-ErS5. The ABD could bind to serum albumin to form an albumin-ABD-ErS5 complex, which could avoid renal clearance and escape from anti-drug antibodies, resulting in a remarkably prolonged elimination half-life of ABD-ErS5. Meanwhile, ABD-ErS5 did not only deplete asparagine but also glutamine for ∼2 weeks. A biweekly administration of ABD-ErS5 (1.5 mg/kg) significantly suppressed tumor growth in an MKN-45 gastric cancer xenograft model, demonstrating a novel approach for treating solid tumor depleting asparagine and glutamine. Multiple administrations of ABD-ErS5 did not cause any noticeable histopathological abnormalities of key organs, suggesting the absence of acute toxicity to mice. Our results suggest ABD-ErS5 is a potential therapeutic candidate for treating gastric cancer.

The Right-Handed Parallel ß-Helix Topology of Erwinia chrysanthemi Pectin Methylesterase Is Intimately Associated with Both Sequential Folding and Resistance to High Pressure.

The complex topologies of large multi-domain globular proteins make the study of their folding and assembly particularly demanding. It is often characterized by complex kinetics and undesired side reactions, such as aggregation. The structural simplicity of tandem-repeat proteins, which are characterized by the repetition of a basic structural motif and are stabilized exclusively by sequentially localized contacts, has provided opportunities for dissecting their folding landscapes. In this study, we focus on the Erwinia chrysanthemi pectin methylesterase (342 residues), an all-ß pectinolytic enzyme with a right-handed parallel ß-helix structure. Chemicals and pressure were chosen as denaturants and a variety of optical techniques were used in conjunction with stopped-flow equipment to investigate the folding mechanism of the enzyme at 25 °C. Under equilibrium conditions, both chemical- and pressure-induced unfolding show two-state transitions, with average conformational stability (ΔG° = 35 ± 5 kJ·mol-1) but exceptionally high resistance to pressure (Pm = 800 ± 7 MPa). Stopped-flow kinetic experiments revealed a very rapid (τ < 1 ms) hydrophobic collapse accompanied by the formation of an extended secondary structure but did not reveal stable tertiary contacts. This is followed by three distinct cooperative phases and the significant population of two intermediate species. The kinetics followed by intrinsic fluorescence shows a lag phase, strongly indicating that these intermediates are productive species on a sequential folding pathway, for which we propose a plausible model. These combined data demonstrate that even a large repeat protein can fold in a highly cooperative manner.

Determination of glycation levels in Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase drug product by liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry.

Erwinase (Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase) Drug Product (DP) is a freeze-dried formulation with a three-year shelf life at 2-8 °C, and an established safety, stability and efficacy profile over the more than three decades of clinical use. Seven Erwinase® DP batches, released over a 7-year period, were screened by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry for glycation levels. This modification is a known and natural consequence of exposure of Erwinase Drug Product to glucose excipients in stabilizing formulations. Although glycation is detected in current release and stability methods, glycation, including the conditions under which this reaction occurs, has not been previously characterised in detail. We have found that glycation levels of different DP lots generally correlated with age, when they were stored at low temperature. This suggests that the glycation reaction continues over time within the Drug Product formulation in the lyophilised state, even under low temperature (+2-8 °C) conditions. We were also able to examine glycation levels of one DP lot, Lot D, held under long term stability at 3 different temperatures over a 5-year period. The 2 samples held at -20 °C and -80 °C, were glycated to levels of 12% and 17%, respectively. However, the DP Lot D sample held at +2-8 oC in this time period was found to be glycated to a level of 35.6%, with multiple glycations of individual subunits observed. For analytical reference materials, it is important to keep parameters such as glycation levels as constant as possible, to avoid a 'moving target' with respect to comparisons with release and stability testing. These data suggest that storage of DP as reference standards at a lower temperature (e.g., -20 °C) can significantly reduce levels of glycation over the longer time periods required for analytical reference standards.

In Vitro Formation of Dickeya zeae MS1 Biofilm.

Bacterial soft rot caused by Dickeya zeae MS1 (Erwinia chrysanthemi) is one of the most devastating banana diseases worldwide. However, knowledge of the development and ecological interactions of D. zeae MS1 biofilm is limited. Here, we visualized the development and architecture of D. zeae MS1 biofilm using confocal laser scanning microscopy, and we evaluated the ability of D. zeae MS1 to form biofilms under different environmental conditions (carbon sources, temperatures, pH levels and mineral elements) using a microtiter plate assay. We found that the development of D. zeae MS1 biofilm could be categorized into four phases and that mature biofilm consisted of a highly organized architecture of both bacterial cells and a self-produced matrix of extracellular polysaccharides. Furthermore, sucrose was the most suitable carbon source for supporting the growth of biofilm cells and that 32 °C and pH 7.0 were the most favorable of the temperatures and pH levels examined. Meanwhile, the addition of Ca2+, Fe2+, K+ and Na+ enhanced the formation of biofilm in minimal medium cultures, whereas 2.5 mM Cu2+ and Mn2+ was inhibitory. A better understanding of biofilm formation under different environmental parameters will improve our knowledge of the growth kinetics of D. zeae MS1 biofilm.

Amino acid substitutions in the human homomeric ß3 GABAA receptor that enable activation by GABA.

GABAA receptors (GABAARs) are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels that mediate synaptic inhibition throughout the central nervous system. The α1ß2γ2 receptor is the major subtype in the brain; GABA binds at the ß2(+)α1(-) interface. The structure of the homomeric ß3 GABAAR, which is not activated by GABA, has been solved. Recently, four additional heteromeric structures were reported, highlighting key residues required for agonist binding. Here, we used a protein engineering method, taking advantage of knowledge of the key binding residues, to create a ß3(+)α1(-) heteromeric interface in the homomeric human ß3 GABAAR that enables GABA-mediated activation. Substitutions were made in the complementary side of the orthosteric binding site in loop D (Y87F and Q89R), loop E (G152T), and loop G (N66D and A70T). The Q89R and G152T combination enabled low-potency activation by GABA and potentiation by propofol but impaired direct activation by higher propofol concentrations. At higher concentrations, GABA inhibited gating of ß3 GABAAR variants containing Y87F, Q89R, and G152T. Reversion of Phe87 to tyrosine abolished GABA's inhibitory effect and partially recovered direct activation by propofol. This tyrosine is conserved in homomeric GABAARs and in the Erwinia chrysanthemi ligand-gated ion channel and may be essential for the absence of an inhibitory effect of GABA on homomeric channels. This work demonstrated that only two substitutions, Q89R and G152T, in ß3 GABAAR are sufficient to reconstitute GABA-mediated activation and suggests that Tyr87 prevents inhibitory effects of GABA.

From hopanoids to cholesterol: Molecular clocks of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels.

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) and their lipid microenvironments appear to have acquired mutually adaptive traits along evolution: 1) the three-ring architecture of their transmembrane (TM) region; 2) the ability of the outermost TM ring to convey lipid signals to the middle ring, which passes them on to the central pore ring, and 3) consensus motifs for sterol recognition in all pLGICs. Hopanoids are triterpenoid fossil lipids that constitute invaluable biomarkers for tracing evolution at the molecular scale. The cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus is the oldest known living organism in which the X-ray structure of its pLGIC, GLIC, reveals the presence of the above attributes and, as discussed in this review, the ability to bind hopanoids. ELIC, the pLGIC from the bacillus Erwinia chrysanthemi is the only other known case to date. Both prokaryotes lack cholesterol but their pLGICs exhibit the same sterol motifs as mammalian pLGIC. This remarkable conservation suggests that the association of sterols and hopanoid surrogate molecules arose from the early need in prokaryotes to stabilize pLGIC TM regions by means of relatively rigid lipid molecules. The conservation of these phenotypic traits along such a long phylogenetic span leads us to suggest the possible co-evolution of these sterols with pLGICs.

Consensus expert recommendations for identification and management of asparaginase hypersensitivity and silent inactivation.

L-asparaginase is an integral component of therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, asparaginase-related complications, including the development of hypersensitivity reactions, can limit its use in individual patients. Of considerable concern in the setting of clinical allergy is the development of neutralizing antibodies and associated asparaginase inactivity. Also problematic in the use of asparaginase is the potential for the development of silent inactivation, with the formation of neutralizing antibodies and reduced asparaginase activity in the absence of a clinically evident allergic reaction. Here we present guidelines for the identification and management of clinical hypersensitivity and silent inactivation with Escherichia coli- and Erwinia chrysanthemi- derived asparaginase preparations. These guidelines were developed by a consensus panel of experts following a review of the available published data. We provide a consensus of expert opinions on the role of serum asparaginase level assessment, indications for switching asparaginase preparation, and monitoring after change in asparaginase preparation.

Structural Insight into Substrate Selectivity of Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase.

l-Asparaginases of bacterial origin are a mainstay of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment. The mechanism of action of these enzyme drugs is associated with their capacity to deplete the amino acid l-asparagine from the blood. However, clinical use of bacterial l-asparaginases is complicated by their dual l-asparaginase and l-glutaminase activities. The latter, even though representing only ∼10% of the overall activity, is partially responsible for the observed toxic side effects. Hence, l-asparaginases devoid of l-glutaminase activity hold potential as safer drugs. Understanding the key determinants of l-asparaginase substrate specificity is a prerequisite step toward the development of enzyme variants with reduced toxicity. Here we present crystal structures of the Erwinia chrysanthemi l-asparaginase in complex with l-aspartic acid and with l-glutamic acid. These structures reveal two enzyme conformations-open and closed-corresponding to the inactive and active states, respectively. The binding of ligands induces the positioning of the catalytic Thr15 into its active conformation, which in turn allows for the ordering and closure of the flexible N-terminal loop. Notably, l-aspartic acid is more efficient than l-glutamic acid in inducing the active positioning of Thr15. Structural elements explaining the preference of the enzyme for l-asparagine over l-glutamine are discussed with guidance to the future development of more specific l-asparaginases.

Macroscopic kinetics of pentameric ligand gated ion channels: comparisons between two prokaryotic channels and one eukaryotic channel.

Electrochemical signaling in the brain depends on pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs). Recently, crystal structures of prokaryotic pLGIC homologues from Erwinia chrysanthemi (ELIC) and Gloeobacter violaceus (GLIC) in presumed closed and open channel states have been solved, which provide insight into the structural mechanisms underlying channel activation. Although structural studies involving both ELIC and GLIC have become numerous, thorough functional characterizations of these channels are still needed to establish a reliable foundation for comparing kinetic properties. Here, we examined the kinetics of ELIC and GLIC current activation, desensitization, and deactivation and compared them to the GABAA receptor, a prototypic eukaryotic pLGIC. Outside-out patch-clamp recordings were performed with HEK-293T cells expressing ELIC, GLIC, or α1ß2γ2L GABAA receptors, and ultra-fast ligand application was used. In response to saturating agonist concentrations, we found both ELIC and GLIC current activation were two to three orders of magnitude slower than GABAA receptor current activation. The prokaryotic channels also had slower current desensitization on a timescale of seconds. ELIC and GLIC current deactivation following 25 s pulses of agonist (cysteamine and pH 4.0 buffer, respectively) were relatively fast with time constants of 24.9 ± 5.1 ms and 1.2 ± 0.2 ms, respectively. Surprisingly, ELIC currents evoked by GABA activated very slowly with a time constant of 1.3 ± 0.3 s and deactivated even slower with a time constant of 4.6 ± 1.2 s. We conclude that the prokaryotic pLGICs undergo similar agonist-mediated gating transitions to open and desensitized states as eukaryotic pLGICs, supporting their use as experimental models. Their uncharacteristic slow activation, slow desensitization and rapid deactivation time courses are likely due to differences in specific structural elements, whose future identification may help uncover mechanisms underlying pLGIC gating transitions.

Cysteine scanning mutagenesis and disulfide mapping analysis of arrangement of GspC and GspD protomers within the type 2 secretion system.

The type II secretion system (T2SS) secretes enzymes and toxins across the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The precise assembly of T2SS, which consists of at least 12 core-components called Gsp, remains unclear. The outer membrane secretin, GspD, forms the channels, through which folded proteins are secreted, and interacts with the inner membrane component, GspC. The periplasmic regions of GspC and GspD consist of several structural domains, HR(GspC) and PDZ(GspC), and N0(GspD) to N3(GspD), respectively, and recent structural and functional studies have proposed several interaction sites between these domains. We used cysteine mutagenesis and disulfide bonding analysis to investigate the organization of GspC and GspD protomers and to map their interaction sites within the secretion machinery of the plant pathogen Dickeya dadantii. At least three distinct GspC-GspD interactions were detected, and they involve two sites in HR(GspC), two in N0(GspD), and one in N2(GspD). None of these interactions occurs through static interfaces because the same sites are also involved in self-interactions with equivalent neighboring domains. Disulfide self-bonding of critical interaction sites halts secretion, indicating the transient nature of these interactions. The secretion substrate diminishes certain interactions and provokes an important rearrangement of the HR(GspC) structure. The T2SS components OutE/L/M affect various interaction sites differently, reinforcing some but diminishing the others, suggesting a possible switching mechanism of these interactions during secretion. Disulfide mapping shows that the organization of GspD and GspC subunits within the T2SS could be compatible with a hexamer of dimers arrangement rather than an organization with 12-fold rotational symmetry.

Structure of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel ELIC cocrystallized with its competitive antagonist acetylcholine.

ELIC, the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel from Erwinia chrysanthemi, is a prototype for Cys-loop receptors. Here we show that acetylcholine is a competitive antagonist for ELIC. We determine the acetylcholine-ELIC cocrystal structure to a 2.9-Å resolution and find that acetylcholine binding to an aromatic cage at the subunit interface induces a significant contraction of loop C and other structural rearrangements in the extracellular domain. The side chain of the pore-lining residue F247 reorients and the pore size consequently enlarges, but the channel remains closed. We attribute the inability of acetylcholine to activate ELIC primarily to weak cation-π and electrostatic interactions in the pocket, because an acetylcholine derivative with a simple quaternary-to-tertiary ammonium substitution activates the channel. This study presents a compelling case for understanding the structural underpinning of the functional relationship between agonism and competitive antagonism in the Cys-loop receptors, providing a new framework for developing novel therapeutic drugs.

Dickeya dadantii, a plant pathogenic bacterium producing Cyt-like entomotoxins, causes septicemia in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum.

Dickeya dadantii (syn. Erwinia chrysanthemi) is a plant pathogenic bacteria that harbours a cluster of four horizontally-transferred, insect-specific toxin genes. It was recently shown to be capable of causing an acute infection in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Insecta: Hemiptera). The infection route of the pathogen, and the role and in vivo expression pattern of these toxins, remain unknown. Using bacterial numeration and immunolocalization, we investigated the kinetics and the pattern of infection of this phytopathogenic bacterium within its insect host. We compared infection by the wild-type strain and by the Cyt toxin-deficient mutant. D. dadantii was found to form dense clusters in many luminal parts of the aphid intestinal tract, including the stomach, from which it invaded internal tissues as early as day 1 post-infection. Septicemia occurred soon after, with the fat body being the main infected tissue, together with numerous early infections of the embryonic chains showing embryonic gut and fat body as the target organs. Generalized septicemia led to insect death when the bacterial load reached about 10(8) cfu. Some individual aphids regularly escaped infection, indicating an effective partial immune response to this bacteria. Cyt-defective mutants killed insects more slowly but were capable of localisation in any type of tissue. Cyt toxin expression appeared to be restricted to the digestive tract where it probably assisted in crossing over the first cell barrier and, thus, accelerating bacterial diffusion into the aphid haemocel. Finally, the presence of bacteria on the surface of leaves hosting infected aphids indicated that the insects could be vectors of the bacteria.

A structure-based QSAR and docking study on imidazo[1,5-a][1,2,4]-triazolo[1,5-d][1,4,]benzodiazepines as Selective GABA(A) α5 inverse agonists.

As three-dimensional (3D) structure of the GABA(A) α5 was not determined, the crystal structure of 2Vl0E at 3.3 Å resolution which is a ligand-gated K(+) channel was used as a template in homology modeling, and the result was used in molecular dynamic simulation for obtaining its conformation in a water sphere. The resulted conformation of the receptor was used for docking with the most potent of imidazo[1,5-a][1,2,4]-triazolo[1,5-d][1,4,] benzodiazepines drugs to find out binding sites and consequently the types of the interaction between the drugs and receptor. The results showed that π-π interaction of the drugs with three phenylalanine and tyrosine residues plays an important role in determining the potency of the inhibitors. The obtained information relating to the binding sites of the receptor was utilized for docking all the drugs into the receptor and find out optimized conformation for each drug, used in structure-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model for calculation of descriptors. Then, selected descriptors were related to the binding affinity and selectivity of the drugs using multiple linear regression and least squares-support vector regression. Finally, the results of target- and ligand-based QSAR models were compared, resulted the superiority of the structure-based QSAR to the ligand-based model.

Addition of genes for cellobiase and pectinolytic activity in Escherichia coli for fuel ethanol production from pectin-rich lignocellulosic biomass.

Ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain KO11 was sequentially engineered to contain the Klebsiella oxytoca cellobiose phosphotransferase genes (casAB) as well as a pectate lyase (pelE) from Erwinia chrysanthemi, yielding strains LY40A (casAB) and JP07 (casAB pelE), respectively. To obtain an effective secretion of PelE, the Sec-dependent pathway out genes from E. chrysanthemi were provided on a cosmid to strain JP07 to construct strain JP07C. Finally, oligogalacturonide lyase (ogl) from E. chrysanthemi was added to produce strain JP08C. E. coli strains LY40A, JP07, JP07C, and JP08C possessed significant cellobiase activity in cell lysates, while only strains JP07C and JP08C demonstrated extracellular pectate lyase activity. Fermentations conducted by using a mixture of pure sugars representative of the composition of sugar beet pulp (SBP) showed that strains LY40A, JP07, JP07C, and JP08C were able to ferment cellobiose, resulting in increased ethanol production from 15 to 45% in comparison to that of KO11. Fermentations with SBP at very low fungal enzyme loads during saccharification revealed significantly higher levels of ethanol production for LY40A, JP07C, and JP08C than for KO11. JP07C ethanol yields were not considerably higher than those of LY40A; however, oligogalacturonide polymerization studies showed an increased breakdown of biomass to small-chain (degree of polymerization, ≤6) oligogalacturonides. JP08C achieved a further breakdown of polygalacturonate to monomeric sugars, resulting in a 164% increase in ethanol yields compared to those of KO11. The addition of commercial pectin methylesterase (PME) further increased JP08C ethanol production compared to that of LY40A by demethylating the pectin for enzymatic attack by pectin-degrading enzymes.

Ligand bound structures of a glycosyl hydrolase family 30 glucuronoxylan xylanohydrolase.

Xylanases of glycosyl hydrolase family 30 (GH30) have been shown to cleave ß-1,4 linkages of 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan (MeGX(n)) as directed by the position along the xylan chain of an α-1,2-linked 4-O-methylglucuronate (MeGA) moiety. Complete hydrolysis of MeGX(n) by these enzymes results in singly substituted aldouronates having a 4-O-methylglucuronate moiety linked to a xylose penultimate from the reducing terminal xylose and some number of xylose residues toward the nonreducing terminus. This novel mode of action distinguishes GH30 xylanases from the more common xylanase families that cleave MeGX(n) in accessible regions. To help understand this unique biochemical function, we have determined the structure of XynC in its native and ligand-bound forms. XynC structure models derived from diffraction data of XynC crystal soaks with the simple sugar glucuronate (GA) and the tetrameric sugar 4-O-methyl-aldotetrauronate resulted in models containing GA and 4-O-methyl-aldotriuronate, respectively. Each is observed in two locations within XynC surface openings. Ligand coordination occurs within the XynC catalytic substrate binding cleft and on the structurally fused side ß-domain, demonstrating a substrate targeting role for this putative carbohydrate binding module. Structural data reveal that GA acts as a primary functional appendage for recognition and hydrolysis of the MeGX(n) polymer by the protein. This work compares the structure of XynC with a previously reported homologous enzyme, XynA, from Erwinia chrysanthemi and analyzes the ligand binding sites. Our results identify the molecular interactions that define the unique function of XynC and homologous GH30 enzymes.

Regulatory mechanisms of exoribonuclease PNPase and regulatory small RNA on T3SS of Dickeya dadantii.

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is an essential virulence factor for many bacterial pathogens. Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is one of the major exoribonucleases in bacteria and plays important roles in mRNA degradation, tRNA processing, and small RNA (sRNA) turnover. In this study, we showed that PNPase downregulates the transcription of T3SS structural and effector genes of the phytopathogenic bacterium Dickeya dadantii. This negative regulation of T3SS by PNPase occurs by repressing the expression of hrpL, encoding a master regulator of T3SS in D. dadantii. By reducing rpoN mRNA stability, PNPase downregulates the transcription of hrpL, which leads to a reduction in T3SS gene expression. Moreover, we have found that PNPase downregulates T3SS by decreasing hrpL mRNA stability. RsmB, a regulatory sRNA, enhances hrpL mRNA stability in D. dadantii. Our results suggest that PNPase decreases the amount of functional RsmB transcripts that could result in reduction of hrpL mRNA stability. In addition, bistable gene expression (differential expression of a single gene that creates two distinct subpopulations) of hrpA, hrpN, and dspE was observed in D. dadantii under in vitro conditions. Although PNPase regulates the proportion of cells in the high state and the low state of T3SS gene expression, it appears that PNPase is not the key switch that triggers the bistable expression patterns of T3SS genes.

ClpXP protease regulates the type III secretion system of Dickeya dadantii 3937 and is essential for the bacterial virulence.

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is considered one of the major virulence factors in many bacterial pathogens. This report demonstrates that RssB, ClpXP, and RpoS play a role in T3SS regulation of Dickeya dadantii 3937. ClpP is a serine-type protease which associates with the ClpX chaperone to form a functional Clp proteolytic complex for degradation of proteins. With the assistance of recognition factor RssB, ClpXP degrades the RpoS sigma factor. RpoS positively regulates the expression of the rsmA gene encoding an RNA-binding regulatory protein. By interacting with the hrpL mRNA, RsmA reduces HrpL production and downregulates the T3SS genes in the HrpL regulon. In addition, ClpXP, RssB, and RpoS affect pectinolytic enzyme production in D. dadantii 3937, probably through RsmA. The ClpXP and RssB proteins are essential for bacterial virulence.

A 20-residue peptide of the inner membrane protein OutC mediates interaction with two distinct sites of the outer membrane secretin OutD and is essential for the functional type II secretion system in Erwinia chrysanthemi.

The type II secretion system (T2SS) is widely exploited by proteobacteria to secrete enzymes and toxins involved in bacterial survival and pathogenesis. The outer membrane pore formed by the secretin OutD and the inner membrane protein OutC are two key components of the secretion complex, involved in secretion specificity. Here, we show that the periplasmic regions of OutC and OutD interact directly and map the interaction site of OutC to a 20-residue peptide named OutCsip (secretin interacting peptide, residues 139-158). This peptide interacts in vitro with two distinct sites of the periplasmic region of OutD, one located on the N0 subdomain and another overlapping the N2-N3' subdomains. The two interaction sites of OutD have different modes of binding to OutCsip. A single substitution, V143S, located within OutCsip prevents its interaction with one of the two binding sites of OutD and fully inactivates the T2SS. We show that the N0 subdomain of OutD interacts also with a second binding site within OutC located in the region proximal to the transmembrane segment. We suggest that successive interactions between these distinct regions of OutC and OutD may have functional importance in switching the secretion machine.

Unique features of Erwinia chrysanthemi (Dickeya dadantii) RA3B genes involved in the blue indigoidine production.

Erwinia chrysanthemi (Ech) RA3B produces a large amount of blue indigoidine. Using Tn5-induced mutagenesis, three indigoidine-deficient mutants were generated. Followed by library screening, a 5.8kb fragment complemented mutants for indigoidine synthesis was cloned. This fragment contains four complete open-reading frames (ORFs), pecS, pecM, idgA, and idgB, and two partial ORFs, argG, and idgC. These genes are nearly identical to those in strain Ech3937. Primer extension assays demonstrated a clear transcriptional start site prior to idgA, while no promoter preceding idgB and idgC was detected, suggesting that idgA, idgB, and idgC are organized as one transcription unit. In contrast, indAB is separated from indC in Ech3937. Interestingly, an ERIC sequence was present between idgB and idgC in place of the promoter region of the homolog indC, which may contribute to the loss of promoter activity in RA3B. Futhermore, idgB mutant displayed much lighter blue color, while indB mutant appeared white on media. Overexpression of pecS in RA3B resulted in significantly reduced indigoidine production and idgC transcript. Moreover, gel shift and luxAB reporter assays revealed that PecS specifically binds to the sequence preceding idgA and inhibits gene expression, which is consistent with the results observed in Ech3937.