O-linked glycosylation ensures the normal conformation of the autotransporter adhesin involved in diffuse adherence.

The Escherichia coli adhesin involved in diffuse adherence (AIDA-I) is one of the few glycosylated proteins found in Escherichia coli. Glycosylation is mediated by a specific heptosyltransferase encoded by the aah gene, but little is known about the role of this modification and the mechanism involved. In this study, we identified several peptides of AIDA-I modified by the addition of heptoses by use of mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing of proteolytic fragments of AIDA-I. One threonine and 15 serine residues were identified as bearing heptoses, thus demonstrating for the first time that AIDA-I is O-glycosylated. We observed that unglycosylated AIDA-I is expressed in smaller amounts than its glycosylated counterpart and shows extensive signs of degradation upon heat extraction. We also observed that unglycosylated AIDA-I is more sensitive to proteases and induces important extracytoplasmic stress. Lastly, as was previously shown, we noted that glycosylation is required for AIDA-I to mediate adhesion to cultured epithelial cells, but purified mature AIDA-I fused to GST was found to bind in vitro to cells whether or not it was glycosylated. Taken together, our results suggest that glycosylation is required to ensure a normal conformation of AIDA-I and may be only indirectly necessary for its cell-binding function.

Autophosphorylation of Solanum chacoense cytosolic nucleoside diphosphate kinase on Ser117.

NDPK catalyses the interconversion of NTPs and NDPs using a phosphohistidine intermediate as part of its catalytic site. Recombinant Solanum chacoense cytosolic NDPK incubated with [gamma-(32)P]ATP was allowed to autophosphorylate and (32)P-labelled P-Ser was identified in an acid hydrolysate of the protein by two-dimensional TLC. Further analysis of (32)P-labelled recombinant NDPK by tryptic digestion followed by automated Edman sequencing of the radioactive peptide allowed the identification of a single and conserved P-Ser residue at position 117. Analysis of site-directed mutants where Ser117 was substituted to Asp indicated that the presence of a negative charge at position 117 dramatically lowered the enzyme's catalytic efficiency. Ser autophosphorylation was markedly reduced with increasing ADP concentrations in the autophosphorylation assay. These findings provide evidence that autophosphorylation of cytosolic NDPK on Ser117 could constitute a regulatory mechanism for this important enzyme and that autophosphorylation of Ser117 is modulated by NDP availability.

Identification and preliminary characterization of a 75-kDa hemin- and hemoglobin-binding outer membrane protein of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1.

The reference strains representing serotypes 1 to 12 of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae biotype 1 were examined for their ability to utilize porcine hemoglobin (Hb) or porcine hemin (Hm) as iron sources for growth. In a growth promotion assay, all of the reference strains were able to use porcine Hb, and all strains except 2 were able to use porcine Hm. Using a preliminary characterization procedure with Hm- or Hb-agarose, Hm- and Hb-binding outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of approximately 75 kDa were isolated from A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 strain 4074 grown under iron-restricted conditions. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis revealed a number of common tryptic peptides between the Hb-agarose- and Hm-agarose-purified 75 kDa OMPs, strongly suggesting that these peptides originate from the same protein. A database search of these peptide sequences revealed identities with proteins from various Gram-negative bacteria, including iron-regulated OMPs, transporter proteins, as well as TonB-dependent receptors. Taken together, our data suggest that A. pleuropneumoniae synthesizes potential Hm- and Hb-binding proteins that could be implicated in the iron uptake from porcine Hb and Hm.

Negative regulation of MAPKK by phosphorylation of a conserved serine residue equivalent to Ser212 of MEK1.

The MAPKKs MEK1 and MEK2 are activated by phosphorylation, but little is known about how these enzymes are inactivated. Here, we show that MEK1 is phosphorylated in vivo at Ser(212), a residue conserved among all MAPKK family members. Mutation of Ser(212) to alanine enhanced the basal activity of MEK1, whereas the phosphomimetic aspartate mutation completely suppressed the activation of both wild-type MEK1 and the constitutively activated MEK1(S218D/S222D) mutant. Phosphorylation of Ser(212) did not interfere with activating phosphorylation of MEK1 at Ser(218)/Ser(222) or with binding to ERK2 substrate. Importantly, mimicking phosphorylation of the equivalent Ser(212) residue of the yeast MAPKKs Pbs2p and Ste7p similarly abrogated their biological function. Our findings suggest that Ser(212) phosphorylation represents an evolutionarily conserved mechanism involved in the negative regulation of MAPKKs.