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ABC transporters required for export of wall teichoic acids do not discriminate between different main chain polymers.

ABSTRACT: The cell envelopes of Gram-positive bacteria comprise two major constituents, peptidoglycan and teichoic acids. Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are anionic glycophosphate polymers that play important roles in bacterial cell growth, division, and pathogenesis. They are synthesized intracellularly and exported by an ABC transporter to the cell surface, where they are covalently attached to peptidoglycan. We address here the substrate specificity of WTA transporters by substituting the Bacillus subtilis homologue, TagGH(Bs), with the Staphylococcus aureus homologue, TarGH(Sa). These transporters export structurally different substrates in their indigenous organisms, but we show that TarGH(Sa) can substitute for the B. subtilis transporter. Hence, substrate specificity does not depend on the WTA main chain polymer structure but may be determined by the conserved diphospholipid-linked disaccharide portion of the WTA precursor. We also show that the complemented B. subtilis strain becomes susceptible to a S. aureus-specific antibiotic, demonstrating that the S. aureus WTA transporter is the sole target of this compound.

SUBMITTER: Schirner K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3098905 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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ABC transporters required for export of wall teichoic acids do not discriminate between different main chain polymers.

Schirner Kathrin K Stone Laura K LK Walker Suzanne S

ACS chemical biology 20110215 5

The cell envelopes of Gram-positive bacteria comprise two major constituents, peptidoglycan and teichoic acids. Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are anionic glycophosphate polymers that play important roles in bacterial cell growth, division, and pathogenesis. They are synthesized intracellularly and exported by an ABC transporter to the cell surface, where they are covalently attached to peptidoglycan. We address here the substrate specificity of WTA transporters by substituting the Bacillus subtilis ...[more]

PMID: 21280653

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Project description:Rhizosphere colonization by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) along plant roots facilitates the ability of PGPR to promote plant growth and health. Thus, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the root colonization process by plant-beneficial Bacillus strains is essential for the use of these strains in agriculture. Here, we observed that an sfp gene mutant of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis SQR9 was unable to form normal biofilm architecture, and differential protein expression was observed by proteomic analysis. A minor wall teichoic acid (WTA) biosynthetic protein, GgaA, was decreased over 4-fold in the ?sfp mutant, and impairment of the ggaA gene postponed biofilm formation and decreased cucumber root colonization capabilities. In addition, we provide evidence that the major WTA biosynthetic enzyme GtaB is involved in both biofilm formation and root colonization. The deficiency in biofilm formation of the ?gtaB mutant may be due to an absence of UDP-glucose, which is necessary for the synthesis of biofilm matrix exopolysaccharides (EPS). These observations provide insights into the root colonization process by a plant-beneficial Bacillus strain, which will help improve its application as a biofertilizer.IMPORTANCE Bacillus velezensis is a Gram-positive plant-beneficial bacterium which is widely used in agriculture. Additionally, Bacillus spp. are some of the model organisms used in the study of biofilms, and as such, the molecular networks and regulation systems of biofilm formation are well characterized. However, the molecular processes involved in root colonization by plant-beneficial Bacillus strains remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that WTAs play important roles in the plant root colonization process. The loss of the gtaB gene affects the ability of B. velezensis SQR9 to sense plant polysaccharides, which are important environmental cues that trigger biofilm formation and colonization in the rhizosphere. This knowledge provides new insights into the Bacillus root colonization process and can help improve our understanding of plant-rhizobacterium interactions.

Dataset Information

ABC transporters required for export of wall teichoic acids do not discriminate between different main chain polymers.

Publications

ABC transporters required for export of wall teichoic acids do not discriminate between different main chain polymers.

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