The type II signal peptidase of Legionella pneumophila (original) (raw)
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BMC Microbiology, 2013
Background: The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the major immuno-dominant antigen of all Legionella species including L. pneumophila. Its diversity is the basis for the classification of L. pneumophila into serogroups and monoclonal subgroups and is thought to be involved in strain specific virulence. The understanding of the genetic basis of the LPS-antigen is incomplete. Thus, we analyzed the genetic locus involved in LPS-biosynthesis of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 (Sg1) strains with the focus on strain specific gene composition. Results: The LPS-biosynthesis loci of 14 L. pneumophila Sg1 strains comprise two distinct regions: A 15 kb region containing LPS-biosynthesis genes that can be found in all L. pneumophila strains and a Sg1-specific 18 kb region. The 15 kb region is highly conserved among Sg1 strains as reflected by high homologies of single ORFs and by a consistent ORF arrangement. In contrast, the Sg1 specific 18 kb region is variable and partially disrupted by phage related genes. We propose that the region spanning from ORF 6 to ORF 11 of the Sg1-specific region is likely involved in late LPS-modification. Due to the high variability of this small region and various combinations of single ORFs within this region a strain specific LPS-structure could be synthesized including modifications of legionaminic acid derivates.
The eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximid has been used by many investigators to selectively radiolabel intracellular bacteria. Although cycloheximide has no direct effect on bacterial gene expression, there are concerns that long-term inhibition of the host cell protein synthesis may have secondary effects on bacterial gene expression. Therefore, prior to further identification and cloning of the macrophage-induced (MI) genes of Legionella pneumophila, the effects of cycloheximide on L. pneumophila-infected U937 cells were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Inhibition of protein synthesis of the host cell for 6 h had no major effect on the ultrastructure of the host cell, on the formation of rough endoplasmic reticulum-surrounded replicative phagosome, or on initiation of intracellular bacterial replication. In contrast, by 15 h of cycloheximide treatment, there was profound deterioration in the host cell as well as in the phagosome. To examine protein synthesis by L. pneumophila during the intracellular infection, U937 macrophage-like cells were infected with L. pneumophila, and intracellular bacteria were radiolabeled during a 2-h cycloheximide treatment or following 12 h of cycloheximide treatment. Comparison by two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the protein profile of radiolabeled in vitro-grown L. pneumophila to that of intracellularly radiolabeled bacteria showed that 23 proteins were induced in response to the intracellular environment during 2 h of inhibition of host cell protein biosynthesis. Twelve MI proteins of L. pneumophila were artifactually induced due to prolonged inhibition of the host cell protein synthesis. The gene encoding a 20-kDa MI protein was cloned by a reverse genetics technique. Sequence analysis showed that the cloned gene encoded a protein that was 80% similar to the enzyme inorganic pyrophosphatase. Studies of promoter fusion to a promoterless lacZ gene showed that compared to in vitro-grown bacteria, expression of the pyrophosphatase gene (ppa) was induced fourfold throughout the intracellular infection. There was no detectable induction in transcription of the ppa promoter during exposure to stress stimuli in vitro. The ppa gene of L. pneumophila is the first example of a regulated ppa gene which is selectively induced during intracellular infection and which may reflect enhanced capabilities of macromolecular biosynthesis by intracellular L. pneumophila. The data indicate caution in the long-term use of inhibition of host cell protein synthesis to selectively examine gene expression by intracellular bacteria.
Microbiology, 2007
Legionella pneumophila is an opportunistic pathogen that in the environment colonizes biofilms and replicates within amoebae. The bacteria employ the intracellular multiplication/defective organelle trafficking (Icm/Dot) type IV secretion system to grow intracellularly in a specific vacuole. Using Acanthamoeba castellanii as a host cell, we have previously identified lcsC (Legionella cytotoxic suppressor), a paralogue of the lipid A disaccharide synthase lpxB, as a cytotoxic factor of L. pneumophila. A bioinformatic analysis of the genome revealed that L. pneumophila is unique in harbouring two paralogues of lpxB and two and three paralogues of the lipid A biosynthesis acyltransferases lpxA and lpxD, respectively. LcsC (lpxB1) forms a transcriptional unit with gnnA, encoding a putative UDP-GlcNAc oxidase in the biosynthetic pathway leading to 3aminoglucosamine analogues of lipid A. LpxB2 clusters with lpxD2, lpxA2 and lpxL paralogues, encoding secondary acyltransferases. LcsC/lpxB1 and lpxB2 were found to partially complement the growth defect of an Escherichia coli lpxB conditional mutant strain, indicating that both corresponding enzymes possess lipid A disaccharide synthase activity. The two L. pneumophila lpxB paralogues are not functionally equivalent, since expression of lcsC/lpxB1 but not lpxB2 in an L. pneumophila icmG mutant is cytotoxic for A. castellanii, and LPS purified from the two strains triggers CD14-dependent tumour necrosis factor (TNF)a production by macrophages with a different potency. The lpxB and lpxA paralogues are expressed under various growth conditions, including broth, biofilms and in A. castellanii. While the flagellar gene flaA is mainly expressed in late stationary phase, the lpxB and lpxA paralogues are preferentially expressed in the exponential and early stationary phases. Upon exposure to hypotonic stress and nutrient deprivation, lpxA1, and to a lesser extent lcsC/lpxB1, is upregulated. The differential regulation of lpxB or lpxA paralogues in response to changing environmental conditions might allow L. pneumophila to adapt its lipid A structure.
Infection and Immunity, 2013
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Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2008
Legionella pneumophila is the predominant cause of Legionnaires disease, a severe and potentially fatal form of pneumonia. Recently, we identified an ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) from L. pneumophila, termed Lpg1905, which enhances intracellular replication of L. pneumophila in eukaryotic cells. Lpg1905 is the first prokaryotic member of the CD39/NTPDase1 family of enzymes, which are characterized by the presence of five apyrase conserved regions and the ability to hydrolyze nucleoside tri-and diphosphates. Here we examined the substrate specificity of Lpg1905 and showed that apart from ATP and ADP, the enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of GTP and GDP but had limited activity against CTP, CDP, UTP, and UDP. Based on amino acid residues conserved in the apyrase conserved regions of eukaryotic NTPDases, we generated five site-directed mutants, Lpg1905E159A, R122A, N168A, Q193A, and W384A. Although the mutations E159A, R122A, Q193A, and W384A abrogated activity completely, N168A resulted in decreased activity caused by reduced affinity for nucleotides. When introduced into the lpg1905 mutant strain of L. pneumophila, only N168A partially restored the ability of L. pneumophila to replicate in THP-1 macrophages. Following intratracheal inoculation of A/J mice, none of the Lpg1905 mutants was able to restore virulence to an lpg1905 mutant during lung infection, thereby demonstrating the importance of NTPDase activity to L. pneumophila infection. Overall, the kinetic studies undertaken here demonstrated important differences to mammalian NTPDases and different sensitivities to NTPDase inhibitors that may reflect underlying structural variations.
Significant Role for ladC in Initiation of Legionella pneumophila Infection
Infection and Immunity, 2008
Previously, we identified ladC in a cohort of genes that were present in Legionella pneumophila but absent in other Legionella species. Here we constructed a ladC mutant of L. pneumophila and assessed its ability to replicate in mammalian cell lines and Acanthamoeba castellanii . The ladC mutant was recovered in significantly lower numbers than wild-type L. pneumophila at early time points, which was reversed upon transcomplementation with ladC but not ladC N430A/R434A , encoding a putative catalytically inactive derivative of the protein. In fact, complementation of ladC ::Km with ladC N430A/R434A resulted in a severe replication defect within human and amoeba cell models of infection, which did not follow a typical dominant negative phenotype. Using differential immunofluorescence staining to distinguish adherent from intracellular bacteria, we found that the ladC mutant exhibited a 10-fold reduction in adherence to THP-1 macrophages but no difference in uptake by THP-1 cells. Whe...
PLoS Pathogens, 2009
Delivery of effector proteins is a process widely used by bacterial pathogens to subvert host cell functions and cause disease. Effector delivery is achieved by elaborate injection devices and can often be triggered by environmental stimuli. However, effector export by the L. pneumophila Icm/Dot Type IVB secretion system cannot be detected until the bacterium encounters a target host cell. We used chemical genetics, a perturbation strategy that utilizes small molecule inhibitors, to determine the mechanisms critical for L. pneumophila Icm/Dot activity. From a collection of more than 2,500 annotated molecules we identified specific inhibitors of effector translocation. We found that L. pneumophila effector translocation in macrophages requires host cell factors known to be involved in phagocytosis such as phosphoinositide 3-kinases, actin and tubulin. Moreover, we found that L. pneumophila phagocytosis and effector translocation also specifically require the receptor protein tyrosine phosphate phosphatases CD45 and CD148. We further show that phagocytosis is required to trigger effector delivery unless intimate contact between the bacteria and the host is artificially generated. In addition, realtime analysis of effector translocation suggests that effector export is rate-limited by phagocytosis. We propose a model in which L. pneumophila utilizes phagocytosis to initiate an intimate contact event required for the translocation of presynthesized effector molecules. We discuss the need for host cell participation in the initial step of the infection and its implications in the L. pneumophila lifestyle. Chemical genetic screening provides a novel approach to probe the host cell functions and factors involved in host-pathogen interactions.
Infection and Immunity, 2003
Legionella pneumophila , the gram-negative agent of Legionnaires' disease, possesses type IV pili and a type II protein secretion (Lsp) system, both of which are dependent upon the PilD prepilin peptidase. By analyzing multiple pilD mutants and various types of Lsp mutants as well as performing trans -complementation of these mutants, we have confirmed that PilD and type II secretion genes are required for L. pneumophila infection of both amoebae and human macrophages. Based upon a complete analysis of lspDE , lspF , and lspG mutants, we found that the type II system controls the secretion of protease, RNase, lipase, phospholipase A, phospholipase C, lysophospholipase A, and tartrate-sensitive and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activities and influences the appearance of colonies. Examination of the developing L. pneumophila genome database indicated that the organism has two other loci ( lspC and lspLM ) that are predicted to promote secretion and thus a set of genes that ...
Protein secretion in Legionella pneumophila and its relation to virulence
FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2004
Protein secretion is a universal process of fundamental importance for various aspects of cell physiology including the infection of a host organism by a bacterial pathogen. Many Gram-negative pathogens export virulence-associated proteins across one or two cell membranes to their place of action using a wide plethora of secretory pathways with the objective of infecting the host. For Legionella pneumophila, a facultative intracellular, human pathogen which is ubiquitously found in natural and artificial aquatic environments, two major secretory pathways known to be involved in virulence have been described. These are the PilD-dependent Lsp type II secretion pathway and the type IV secretion system encoded by the dot/icm genes. In addition, a second type IV system, with high sequence similarity to the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB system for conjugal transfer of oncogenic DNA, is present. Albeit dispensable for intracellular growth, this type IV system is important for efficient host cell infection at lower temperatures. Further more, evidence exists for the presence of at least one type I secretion system in L. pneumophila as well as for the presence of a twin arginine dependent translocation (Tat) pathway. This is a recently detected, signal peptide-dependent, secretion pathway complementary to the well-known Sec-dependent pathway for protein transport across the cytoplasmic membrane.
Functional Type 1 Secretion System Involved in Legionella pneumophila Virulence
Journal of bacteriology, 2015
Legionella pneumophila is a Gram-negative pathogen found mainly in water, either in a free-living form or within infected protozoans, where it replicates. This bacterium can also infect humans by inhalation of contaminated aerosols, causing a severe form of pneumonia called legionellosis or Legionnaires' disease. The involvement of type II and IV secretion systems in the virulence of L. pneumophila is now well documented. Despite bioinformatic studies showing that a type I secretion system (T1SS) could be present in this pathogen, the functionality of this system based on the LssB, LssD, and TolC proteins has never been established. Here, we report the demonstration of the functionality of the T1SS, as well as its role in the infectious cycle of L. pneumophila. Using deletion mutants and fusion proteins, we demonstrated that the repeats-in-toxin protein RtxA is secreted through an LssB-LssD-TolC-dependent mechanism. Moreover, fluorescence monitoring and confocal microscopy showe...