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Evidence for a holin-like protein gene fully embedded out of frame in the endolysin gene of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage 187.

ABSTRACT: We have cloned, sequenced, and characterized the genes encoding the lytic system of the unique Staphylococcus aureus phage 187. The endolysin gene ply187 encodes a large cell wall-lytic enzyme (71.6 kDa). The catalytic site, responsible for the hydrolysis of staphylococcal peptidoglycan, was mapped to the N-terminal domain of the protein by the expression of defined ply187 domains. This enzymatically active N terminus showed convincing amino acid sequence homology to an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase, whereas the C-terminal part, whose function is unknown, revealed striking relatedness to major staphylococcal autolysins. An additional reading frame was identified entirely embedded out of frame (+1) within the 5' region of ply187 and was shown to encode a small, hydrophobic protein of holin-like function. The hol187 gene features a dual-start motif, possibly enabling the synthesis of two products of different lengths (57 and 55 amino acids, respectively). Overproduction of Hol187 in Escherichia coli resulted in growth retardation, leakiness of the cytoplasmic membrane, and loss of de novo ATP synthesis. Compared to other holins identified to date, Hol187 completely lacks the highly charged C terminus. The secondary structure of the polypeptide is predicted to consist of two small, antiparallel, hydrophobic, transmembrane helices. These are supposed to be essential for integration into the membrane, since site-specific introduction of negatively charged amino acids into the first transmembrane domain (V7D G8D) completely abolished the function of the Hol187 polypeptide. With antibodies raised against a synthetic 18-mer peptide representing a central part of the protein, it was possible to detect Hol187 in the cytoplasmic membrane of phage-infected S. aureus cells. An important indication that the protein actually functions as a holin in vivo was that the gene (but not the V7D G8D mutation) was able to complement a phage lambda Sam mutation in a nonsuppressing E. coli HB101 background. Plaque formation by lambdagt11::hol187 indicated that both phage genes have analogous functions. The data presented here indicate that a putative holin is encoded on a different reading frame within the enzymatically active domain of ply187 and that the holin is synthesized during the late stage of phage infection and found in the cytoplasmic membrane, where it causes membrane lesions which are thought to enable access of Ply187 to the peptidoglycan of phage-infected Staphylococcus cells.

SUBMITTER: Loessner MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC103572 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evidence for a holin-like protein gene fully embedded out of frame in the endolysin gene of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage 187.

Loessner M J MJ Gaeng S S Scherer S S

Journal of bacteriology 19990801 15

We have cloned, sequenced, and characterized the genes encoding the lytic system of the unique Staphylococcus aureus phage 187. The endolysin gene ply187 encodes a large cell wall-lytic enzyme (71.6 kDa). The catalytic site, responsible for the hydrolysis of staphylococcal peptidoglycan, was mapped to the N-terminal domain of the protein by the expression of defined ply187 domains. This enzymatically active N terminus showed convincing amino acid sequence homology to an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanin ...[more]

PMID: 10419939

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Bacteriophages encode endolysins to lyse their host cell and allow escape of their progeny. Endolysins are also active against Gram-positive bacteria when applied from the outside and are thus attractive anti-bacterial agents. LysK, an endolysin from staphylococcal phage K, contains an N-terminal cysteine-histidine dependent amido-hydrolase/peptidase domain (CHAP(K)), a central amidase domain and a C-terminal SH3b cell wall-binding domain. CHAP(K) cleaves bacterial peptidoglycan between the tetra-peptide stem and the penta-glycine bridge. METHODS: The CHAP(K) domain of LysK was crystallized and high-resolution diffraction data was collected both from a native protein crystal and a methylmercury chloride derivatized crystal. The anomalous signal contained in the derivative data allowed the location of heavy atom sites and phase determination. The resulting structures were completed, refined and analyzed. The presence of calcium and zinc ions in the structure was confirmed by X-ray fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Zymogram analysis was performed on the enzyme and selected site-directed mutants. RESULTS: The structure of CHAP(K) revealed a papain-like topology with a hydrophobic cleft, where the catalytic triad is located. Ordered buffer molecules present in this groove may mimic the peptidoglycan substrate. When compared to previously solved CHAP domains, CHAP(K) contains an additional lobe in its N-terminal domain, with a structural calcium ion, coordinated by residues Asp45, Asp47, Tyr49, His51 and Asp56. The presence of a zinc ion in the active site was also apparent, coordinated by the catalytic residue Cys54 and a possible substrate analogue. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to demonstrate that residues involved in calcium binding and of the proposed active site were important for enzyme activity. CONCLUSIONS: The high-resolution structure of the CHAP(K) domain of LysK was determined, suggesting the location of the active site, the substrate-binding groove and revealing the presence of a structurally important calcium ion. A zinc ion was found more loosely bound. Based on the structure, we propose a possible reaction mechanism. Future studies will be aimed at co-crystallizing CHAP(K) with substrate analogues and elucidating its role in the complete LysK protein. This, in turn, may lead to the design of site-directed mutants with altered activity or substrate specificity.

Project description:Yersinia enterocolitica is a pathogen that causes gastroenteritis in humans. Because of its low-temperature-dependent insecticidal activity, it can oscillate between invertebrates and mammals as host organisms. The insecticidal activity of strain W22703 is associated with a pathogenicity island of 19 kb (Tc-PAI Ye ), which carries regulators and genes encoding the toxin complex (Tc). The island also harbors four phage-related and highly conserved genes of unknown functions, which are polycistronically transcribed. Two open reading frames showed significant homologies to holins and endolysins and exhibited lytic activity in Escherichia coli cells upon overexpression. When a set of Yersinia strains was tested in an equivalent manner, highly diverse susceptibilities to lysis were observed, and some strains were resistant to lysis. If cell lysis occurred (as demonstrated by membrane staining), it was more pronounced when two accessory elements of the cassette coding for an i-spanin and an o-spanin were included in the overexpression construct. The pore-forming function of the putative holin, HolY, was demonstrated by complementation of the lysis defect of a phage λ S holin mutant. In experiments performed with membrane preparations, ElyY exhibited high specificity for W22703 peptidoglycan, with a cleavage activity resembling that of lysozyme. Although the functionality of the lysis cassette from Tc-PAI Ye was demonstrated in this study, its biological role remains to be elucidated.IMPORTANCE The knowledge of how pathogens survive in the environment is pivotal for our understanding of bacterial virulence. The insecticidal and nematocidal activity of Yersinia spp., by which the bacteria gain access to nutrients and thus improve their environmental fitness, is conferred by the toxin complex (Tc) encoded on a highly conserved pathogenicity island termed Tc-PAI Ye While the regulators and the toxin subunits of the island had been characterized in some detail, the role of phage-related genes within the island remained to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that this cassette encodes a holin, an endolysin, and two spanins that, at least upon overexpression, lyse Yersinia strains.

Dataset Information

Evidence for a holin-like protein gene fully embedded out of frame in the endolysin gene of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage 187.

Publications

Evidence for a holin-like protein gene fully embedded out of frame in the endolysin gene of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage 187.

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