RESUMEN
The bacterium Francisella tularensis (Ft) is one of the most infectious agents known. Ft virulence is controlled by a unique combination of transcription regulators: the MglA-SspA heterodimer, PigR, and the stress signal, ppGpp. MglA-SspA assembles with the σ70-associated RNAP holoenzyme (RNAPσ70), forming a virulence-specialized polymerase. These factors activate Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI) gene expression, which is required for virulence, but the mechanism is unknown. Here we report FtRNAPσ70-promoter-DNA, FtRNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA)-promoter DNA, and FtRNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA)-ppGpp-PigR-promoter DNA cryo-EM structures. Structural and genetic analyses show MglA-SspA facilitates σ70 binding to DNA to regulate virulence and virulence-enhancing genes. Our Escherichia coli RNAPσ70-homodimeric EcSspA structure suggests this is a general SspA-transcription regulation mechanism. Strikingly, our FtRNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA)-ppGpp-PigR-DNA structure reveals ppGpp binding to MglA-SspA tethers PigR to promoters. PigR in turn recruits FtRNAP αCTDs to DNA UP elements. Thus, these studies unveil a unique mechanism for Ft pathogenesis involving a virulence-specialized RNAP that employs two (MglA-SspA)-based strategies to activate virulence genes.
Asunto(s)
ARN Polimerasas Dirigidas por ADN , Francisella tularensis , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Factor sigma , Factores de Virulencia , ARN Polimerasas Dirigidas por ADN/genética , ARN Polimerasas Dirigidas por ADN/metabolismo , Escherichia coli/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Francisella tularensis/genética , Francisella tularensis/metabolismo , Francisella tularensis/patogenicidad , Factor sigma/genética , Factor sigma/metabolismo , Factores de Virulencia/genética , Factores de Virulencia/metabolismoRESUMEN
Host-derived glutathione (GSH) is an essential source of cysteine for the intracellular pathogen Francisella tularensis. In a comprehensive transposon insertion sequencing screen, we identified several F. tularensis genes that play central and previously unappreciated roles in the utilization of GSH during the growth of the bacterium in macrophages. We show that one of these, a gene we named dptA, encodes a proton-dependent oligopeptide transporter that enables growth of the organism on the dipeptide Cys-Gly, a key breakdown product of GSH generated by the enzyme γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT). Although GGT was thought to be the principal enzyme involved in GSH breakdown in F. tularensis, our screen identified a second enzyme, referred to as ChaC, that is also involved in the utilization of exogenous GSH. However, unlike GGT and DptA, we show that the importance of ChaC in supporting intramacrophage growth extends beyond cysteine acquisition. Taken together, our findings provide a compendium of F. tularensis genes required for intracellular growth and identify new players in the metabolism of GSH that could be attractive targets for therapeutic intervention.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas , Francisella tularensis/fisiología , Glutatión , Interacciones Huésped-Patógeno/fisiología , Macrófagos , Transglutaminasas , Tularemia , Animales , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Línea Celular , Dipéptidos/genética , Dipéptidos/metabolismo , Femenino , Glutatión/genética , Glutatión/metabolismo , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Macrófagos/microbiología , Macrófagos/patología , Ratones , Transglutaminasas/genética , Transglutaminasas/metabolismo , Tularemia/genética , Tularemia/metabolismoRESUMEN
Densely arranged N-linked glycans shield the HIV-1 envelope (Env) trimer from antibody recognition. Strain-specific breaches in this shield (glycan holes) can be targets of vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies that lack breadth. To understand the interplay between glycan holes and neutralization breadth in HIV-1 infection, we developed a sequence- and structure-based approach to identify glycan holes for individual Env sequences that are shielded in most M-group viruses. Applying this approach to 12 longitudinally followed individuals, we found that transmitted viruses with more intact glycan shields correlated with development of greater neutralization breadth. Within 2 years, glycan acquisition filled most glycan holes present at transmission, indicating escape from hole-targeting neutralizing antibodies. Glycan hole filling generally preceded the time to first detectable breadth, although time intervals varied across hosts. Thus, completely glycan-shielded viruses were associated with accelerated neutralization breadth development, suggesting that Env immunogens with intact glycan shields may be preferred components of AIDS vaccines.