Project description:The CmeABC multidrug efflux pump, which belongs to the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family, recognizes and extrudes a broad range of antimicrobial agents and is essential for Campylobacter jejuni colonization of the animal intestinal tract by mediating the efflux of bile acids. The expression of CmeABC is controlled by the transcriptional regulator CmeR, whose open reading frame is located immediately upstream of the cmeABC operon. To understand the structural basis of CmeR regulation, we have determined the crystal structure of CmeR to 2.2 A resolution, revealing a dimeric two-domain molecule with an entirely helical architecture similar to members of the TetR family of transcriptional regulators. Unlike the rest of the TetR regulators, CmeR has a large center-to-center distance (54 A) between two N termini of the dimer, and a large flexible ligand-binding pocket in the C-terminal domain. Each monomer forms a 20 A long tunnel-like cavity in the ligand-binding domain of CmeR and is occupied by a fortuitous ligand that is identified as glycerol. The binding of glycerol to CmeR induces a conformational state that is incompatible with target DNA. As glycerol has a chemical structure similar to that of potential ligands of CmeR, the structure obtained mimics the induced form of CmeR. These findings reveal novel structural features of a TetR family regulator, and provide new insight into the mechanisms of ligand binding and CmeR regulation.
Project description:In Campylobacter jejuni CmeR functions as a transcriptional repressor modulating the expression of the multidrug efflux pump CmeABC, which plays an important role in the resistance to antimicrobial agents and bile compounds. Using DNA microarray, we identified multiple genes that are either activated or repressed by CmeR in C. jejuni. The DNA microarray data was independently confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The CmeR-regulated genes encode products of diverse functions including membrane proteins, drug efflux transporters, the C4-dicarboxylate transport/utilization system, and enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Immunoblotting and Alcian blue staining further showed that CPS production is reduced in the cmeR mutant, confirming the regulation of CPS production by CmeR. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that recombinant CmeR bound specifically to several intergenic regions in the CPS gene cluster, suggesting that CmeR directly regulates this gene cluster. In the chicken host, the mutant carrying a null mutation in cmeR was severely outcompeted by the isogenic wild-type strain. Together these data indicate that CmeR functions as a global regulator in C. jejuni, modulates the expression of genes encoding diverse functions, and is important for the fitness of Campylobacter in the intestinal tract. Keywords: cell type comparison
Project description:The TetR family of transcription regulators are diverse proteins capable of sensing and responding to various structurally dissimilar antimicrobial agents. Upon detecting these agents, the regulators allow transcription of an appropriate array of resistance markers to counteract the deleterious compounds. Campylobacter jejuni CmeR is a pleiotropic regulator of multiple proteins, including the membrane-bound multidrug efflux transporter CmeABC. CmeR represses the expression of CmeABC and is induced by bile acids, which are substrates of the CmeABC tripartite pump. The multiligand-binding pocket of CmeR has been shown to be very extensive and consists of several positively charged and multiple aromatic amino acids. Here we describe the crystal structures of CmeR in complexes with the bile acids, taurocholate and cholate. Taurocholate and cholate are structurally related, differing by only the anionic charged group. However, these two ligands bind distinctly in the binding tunnel. Taurocholate spans the novel bile acid binding site adjacent to and without overlapping with the previously determined glycerol-binding site. The anionic aminoethanesulfonate group of taurocholate is neutralized by a charge-dipole interaction. Unlike taurocholate, cholate binds in an anti-parallel orientation but occupies the same bile acid-binding site. Its anionic pentanoate moiety makes a water-mediated hydrogen bond with a cationic residue to neutralize the formal negative charge. These structures underscore the promiscuity of the multifaceted binding pocket of CmeR. The capacity of CmeR to recognize bile acids was confirmed using isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence polarization. The results revealed that the regulator binds these acids with dissociation constants in the micromolar region.
Project description:CmeR functions as a transcriptional repressor modulating the expression of the multidrug efflux pump CmeABC in Campylobacter jejuni. To determine if CmeR also regulates other genes in C. jejuni, we compared the transcriptome of the cmeR mutant with that of the wild-type strain using a DNA microarray. This comparison identified 28 genes that showed a > or = 2-fold change in expression in the cmeR mutant. Independent real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR experiments confirmed 27 of the 28 differentially expressed genes. The CmeR-regulated genes encode membrane transporters, proteins involved in C4-dicarboxylate transport and utilization, enzymes for biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharide, and hypothetical proteins with unknown functions. Among the genes whose expression was upregulated in the cmeR mutant, Cj0561c (encoding a putative periplasmic protein) showed the greatest increase in expression. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that this gene is strongly repressed by CmeR. The presence of the known CmeR-binding site, an inverted repeat of TGTAAT, in the promoter region of Cj0561c suggests that CmeR directly inhibits the transcription of Cj0561c. Similar to expression of cmeABC, transcription of Cj0561c is strongly induced by bile compounds, which are normally present in the intestinal tracts of animals. Inactivation of Cj0561c did not affect the susceptibility of C. jejuni to antimicrobial compounds in vitro but reduced the fitness of C. jejuni in chickens. Loss-of-function mutation of cmeR severely reduced the ability of C. jejuni to colonize chickens. Together, these findings indicate that CmeR governs the expression of multiple genes with diverse functions and is required for Campylobacter adaptation in the chicken host.
Project description:Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 35925, an avian isolate from Sweden. The genome gives insight into the ATCC 35925 strain's remarkable ability to tolerate copper and its permissiveness to plasmid transformation.
Project description:Gene content comparison of control C. jejuni subsp. jejuni strain 11168 which colonizes and causes disease in C57BL/6 IL-10-/- mice versus C. jejuni strains D6844, D6845, D6846, D6847, D6848, D6849, D0121, D0835, D2586, D2600,33560 and NW in the C57BL/6 IL-10-/- mice. Keywords: DNA/DNA comparison
Project description:CmeABC, a resistance-nodulation-division (RND) type of efflux pump, contributes to Campylobacter resistance to a broad spectrum of antimicrobial agents and is also essential for Campylobacter colonization of the animal intestinal tract by mediation of bile resistance. As one of the main systems for Campylobacter adaptation to different environments, CmeABC is likely subject to control by regulatory elements. We describe the identification of a transcriptional repressor for CmeABC. Insertional mutagenesis of cmeR, an open reading frame immediately upstream of the cmeABC operon, resulted in overexpression of cmeABC, as determined by transcriptional fusion (P(cmeABC-lacZ)) and immunoblotting with CmeABC-specific antibodies. Overexpression of the efflux pump was correlated with a moderate increase in the level of resistance of the cmeR mutant to several antimicrobials. In vitro, recombinant CmeR bound specifically to the promoter region of cmeABC, precisely, to the inverted repeat sequences in the cmeABC promoter. A single nucleotide deletion between the two half sites of the inverted repeat reduced the level of CmeR binding to the promoter sequence and resulted in overexpression of cmeABC. Together, these findings indicate that cmeR encodes a transcriptional repressor that directly interacts with the cmeABC promoter and modulates the expression of cmeABC. Mutation either in CmeR or in the inverted repeat impedes the repression and leads to enhanced production of the MDR efflux pump.
Project description:Campylobacter jejuni strain M1 (laboratory designation 99/308) is a rarely documented case of direct transmission of C. jejuni from chicken to a person, resulting in enteritis. We have sequenced the genome of C. jejuni strain M1, and compared this to 12 other C. jejuni sequenced genomes currently publicly available. Compared to these, M1 is closest to strain 81116. Based on the 13 genome sequences, we have identified the C. jejuni pan-genome, as well as the core genome, the auxiliary genes, and genes unique between strains M1 and 81116. The pan-genome contains 2,427 gene families, whilst the core genome comprised 1,295 gene families, or about two-thirds of the gene content of the average of the sequenced C. jejuni genomes. Various comparison and visualization tools were applied to the 13 C. jejuni genome sequences, including a species pan- and core genome plot, a BLAST Matrix and a BLAST Atlas. Trees based on 16S rRNA sequences and on the total gene families in each genome are presented. The findings are discussed in the background of the proven virulence potential of M1.
Project description:Campylobacter jejuni is one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the world; however, there is only one complete genome sequence of a poultry strain to date. Here we report the complete genome sequence and annotation of the second poultry strain, C. jejuni strain S3. This strain has been shown to be nonmotile, to be a poor invader in vitro, and to be a poor colonizer of poultry after minimal in vitro passage.
Project description:This study describes a novel approach to identify unique genomic DNA sequences from the unsequenced strain C. jejuni ATCC 43431 by comparison with the sequenced strain C. jejuni NCTC 11168. A shotgun DNA microarray was constructed by arraying 9,600 individual DNA fragments from a C. jejuni ATCC 43431 genomic library onto a glass slide. DNA fragments unique to C. jejuni ATCC 43431 were identified by competitive hybridization to the array with genomic DNA of C. jejuni NCTC 11168. The plasmids containing unique DNA fragments were sequenced, allowing the identification of up to 130 complete and incomplete genes. Potential biological roles were assigned to 66% of the unique open reading frames. The mean G+C content of these unique genes (26%) differs significantly from the G+C content of the entire C. jejuni genome (30.6%). This suggests that they may have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer from an organism with a G+C content lower than that of C. jejuni. Because the two C. jejuni strains differ by Penner serotype, a large proportion of the unique ATCC 43431 genes encode proteins involved in lipooligosaccharide and capsular biosynthesis, as expected. Several unique open reading frames encode enzymes which may contribute to genetic variability, i.e., restriction-modification systems and integrases. Interestingly, many of the unique C. jejuni ATCC 43431 genes show identity with a possible pathogenicity island from Helicobacter hepaticus and components of a potential type IV secretion system. In conclusion, this study provides a valuable resource to further investigate Campylobacter diversity and pathogenesis.