The two-component system ChvGI maintains cell envelope homeostasis in Caulobacter crescentus.

Two-component systems (TCS) are often used by bacteria to rapidly assess and respond to environmental changes. The ChvG/ChvI (ChvGI) TCS conserved in α-proteobacteria is known for regulating expression of genes related to exopolysaccharide production, virulence and growth. The sensor kinase ChvG autophosphorylates upon yet unknown signals and phosphorylates the response regulator ChvI to regulate transcription. Recent studies in Caulobacter crescentus showed that chv mutants are sensitive to vancomycin treatment and fail to grow in synthetic minimal media. In this work, we identified the osmotic imbalance as the main cause of growth impairment in synthetic minimal media. We also determined the ChvI regulon and found that ChvI regulates cell envelope architecture by controlling outer membrane, peptidoglycan assembly/recycling and inner membrane proteins. In addition, we found that ChvI phosphorylation is also activated upon antibiotic treatment with vancomycin. We also challenged chv mutants with other cell envelope related stress and found that treatment with antibiotics targeting transpeptidation of peptidoglycan during cell elongation impairs growth of the mutant. Finally, we observed that the sensor kinase ChvG relocates from a patchy-spotty distribution to distinctive foci after transition from complex to synthetic minimal media. Interestingly, this pattern of (re)location has been described for proteins involved in cell growth control and peptidoglycan synthesis upon osmotic shock. Overall, our data support that the ChvGI TCS is mainly used to monitor and respond to osmotic imbalances and damages in the peptidoglycan layer to maintain cell envelope homeostasis.

Regulation of (p)ppGpp hydrolysis by a conserved archetypal regulatory domain.

Sensory and regulatory domains allow bacteria to adequately respond to environmental changes. The regulatory ACT (Aspartokinase, Chorismate mutase and TyrA) domains are mainly found in metabolic-related proteins as well as in long (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase enzymes. Here, we investigate the functional role of the ACT domain of SpoT, the only (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase of Caulobacter crescentus. We show that SpoT requires the ACT domain to efficiently hydrolyze (p)ppGpp. In addition, our in vivo and in vitro data show that the phosphorylated version of EIIANtr (EIIANtr∼P) interacts directly with the ACT and inhibits the hydrolase activity of SpoT. Finally, we highlight the conservation of the ACT-dependent interaction between EIIANtr∼P and SpoT/Rel along with the phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr)-dependent regulation of (p)ppGpp accumulation upon nitrogen starvation in Sinorhizobium meliloti, a plant-associated α-proteobacterium. Thus, this work suggests that α-proteobacteria might have inherited from a common ancestor, a PTSNtr dedicated to modulate (p)ppGpp levels in response to nitrogen availability.

A NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase coordinates metabolism with cell division in Caulobacter crescentus.

Coupling cell cycle with nutrient availability is a crucial process for all living cells. But how bacteria control cell division according to metabolic supplies remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a molecular mechanism that coordinates central metabolism with cell division in the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. This mechanism involves the NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase GdhZ and the oxidoreductase-like KidO. While enzymatically active GdhZ directly interferes with FtsZ polymerization by stimulating its GTPase activity, KidO bound to NADH destabilizes lateral interactions between FtsZ protofilaments. Both GdhZ and KidO share the same regulatory network to concomitantly stimulate the rapid disassembly of the Z-ring, necessary for the subsequent release of progeny cells. Thus, this mechanism illustrates how proteins initially dedicated to metabolism coordinate cell cycle progression with nutrient availability.

Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and traffic in the envelope of the pathogen Brucella abortus.

Lipopolysaccharide is essential for most Gram-negative bacteria as it is a main component of the outer membrane. In the pathogen Brucella abortus, smooth lipopolysaccharide containing the O-antigen is required for virulence. Being part of the Rhizobiales, Brucella spp. display unipolar growth and lipopolysaccharide was shown to be incorporated at the active growth sites, i.e. the new pole and the division site. By localizing proteins involved in the lipopolysaccharide transport across the cell envelope, from the inner to the outer membrane, we show that the lipopolysaccharide incorporation sites are determined by the inner membrane complex of the lipopolysaccharide transport system. Moreover, we identify the main O-antigen ligase of Brucella spp. involved in smooth lipopolysaccharide synthesis. Altogether, our data highlight a layer of spatiotemporal organization of the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway and identify an original class of bifunctional O-antigen ligases.

Asparagine 42 of the conserved endo-inulinase INU2 motif WMNDPN from Aspergillus ficuum plays a role in activity specificity.

Endo-inulinase INU2 from Aspergillus ficuum belongs to glycosidase hydrolase family 32 (GH32) that degrades inulin into fructo oligosaccharides consisting mainly of inulotriose and inulotetraose. The 3D structure of INU2 was recently obtained (Pouyez et al., 2012, Biochimie, 94, 2423-2430). An enlarged cavity compared to exo-inulinase formed by the conserved motif W-M(I)-N-D(E)-P-N-G, the so-called loop 1 and the loop 4, was identified. In the present study we have characterized the importance of 12 residues situated around the enlarged cavity. These residues were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis. Comparative activity analysis was done by plate, spectrophotometric and thin-layer chromatography assay. Most of the mutants were less active than the wild-type enzyme. Most interestingly, mutant N42G differed in the size distribution of the FOS synthesized.

First crystal structure of an endo-inulinase, INU2, from Aspergillus ficuum: discovery of an extra-pocket in the catalytic domain responsible for its endo-activity.

Endo-inulinase is a member of glycosidase hydrolase family 32 (GH32) degrading fructans of the inulin type with an endo-cleavage mode and is an important class of industrial enzyme. In the present study, we report the first crystal structure of an endo-inulinase, INU2, from Aspergillus ficuum at 1.5 Å. It was solved by molecular replacement with the structure of exo-inulinase as search model. The 3D structure presents a bimodular arrangement common to other GH32 enzymes: a N-terminal 5-fold ß-propeller catalytic domain with four ß-sheets and a C-terminal ß-sandwich domain organized in two ß-sheets with five ß-strands. The structural analysis and comparison with other GH32 enzymes reveal the presence of an extra pocket in the INU2 catalytic site, formed by two loops and the conserved motif W-M(I)-N-D(E)-P-N-G. This cavity would explain the endo-activity of the enzyme, the critical role of Trp40 and particularly the cleavage at the third unit of the inulin(-like) substrates. Crystal structure at 2.1 Å of INU2 complexed with fructosyl molecules, experimental digestion data and molecular modelling studies support these hypotheses.

Structural insights into the acidophilic pH adaptation of a novel endo-1,4-ß-xylanase from Scytalidium acidophilum.

In this study, the crystal structure of a novel endo-1,4-ß-xylanase from Scytalidium acidophilum, XYL1, was solved at 1.9Å resolution. This is one of the few solved crystal structures of acidophilic proteins. The enzyme has the overall fold typical to family 11 xylanases. Comparison of this structure with other homologous acidophilic, neutrophilic and alkalophilic xylanases provides additional insights into the general features involved in low pH adaptation (stability and activity). Several sequence and structure modifications appeared to be responsible for the acidophilic characteristic: (a) the presence of an aspartic acid H bonded to the acid/base catalyst (b) the nature of specifically conserved residues in the active site (c) the negative potential at the surface (d) the decreased number of salt bridges and H bonds in comparison with highly alkaline enzymes.